June 19, 2024
Working with a certified vendor partner when implementing a new ERP solution like Infor CloudSuite Industrial should undoubtedly be included in your implementation project plan. A partner who is not certified in the solution you select may offer a lower price, but in exchange for those minor savings, you put the entire ERP (not just the implementation)—and your business—at risk.
Consider the value that only certified partners can offer:
Deep Product Knowledge – Certified partners know the ERP extremely well because they are required to attend conferences, receive training, and pass tests. Many certified consultants are even former employees of the vendor who have worked hands-on with the product for years. Extensive experience with the ERP makes certified partners the best equipped to answer questions, troubleshoot problems, follow best practices, and achieve the results you want.
Implementation Expertise – ERP vendors rely on partners to bridge the gap between products and users, so they award certification to those partners with the most experience and best success managing implementations. Implementations not only run smoother when led by a certified partner, but they also result in an ERP with superior performance, security, scalability, and customization thanks to the skill of those configuring the product and teaching your staff.
Proven Methodology – Earning certification requires a partner to deliver consistent levels of excellence and support even though every ERP implementation is quite different. Certified partners do this by following proven methodologies for scoping, planning, and executing implementations that have been continuously improved over years or decades in some cases. These partners do not just have a process—they have a process that works.
Quantifiable Merit – Some partners are certified higher than others. For example, Guide Technologies is an Infor Gold Channel Partner, but there are also Silver and Bronze partners. This system allows ERP buyers to easily match the size and importance of their ERP implementation to the quality and value of their vendor partner.
Incentivized Excellence – Partners have a strong incentive to maintain certification since it comes with many advantages from the vendor. For that reason, these partners go above and beyond to make each engagement successful in the eyes of the vendor and the client. Everyone claims to be “committed to excellence.” Certification, especially high-level certification, actually proves it.
Certification is Just the Start
A certified partner could still be the wrong fit if they specialize in a different kind of manufacturing or primarily work in a different part of the country. Knowing this helps streamline your selection process: Limit your search to partners with adequate certification who serve your region and know your industry as specifically as possible. That leaves a small pool of candidates from which to choose. You get the implementation and ERP you need sooner, AND you get the confidence upfront that you have picked the ideal partner.
Follow this simple exercise and see where it leads before you move forward with an ERP implementation. Guide Technologies is an Infor Gold Channel Partner with over 30 years of experience serving 300+ clients in multiple verticals within the manufacturing industry. If you are a manufacturer seeking to implement a new ERP or optimize your existing Infor solution, contact us today.
