Selecting the ideal Sitecore services provider can be the difference between your Sitecore investment stagnating and taking off. However, it might be daunting to sort through the sea of providers to find the ideal match. This comprehensive guide simplifies the process of choosing the right Sitecore partner by cutting through the complexities. We eliminate the variables that set up partnerships for mutually beneficial outcomes, from specialized price structures to benchmarks of knowledge.
In this article, QEdge will explore 7 key factors that a client needs to consider when working with a Sitecore services provider. Readers with existing service providers can use this article as a reference for assessing whether their Sitecore partner is meeting their needs and identifying opportunities to discuss areas for improvement.
1. Technical Expertise and Certifications
The partner should have Sitecore-certified experts covering the entire platform from infrastructure to delivery. Certifications validate expertise and enable the latest capabilities. Ask about specific certifications held across Sitecore products and versions utilized.
Sitecore certifications to look for:
- Sitecore Certified Professionals (SCP)
- Sitecore Certified Developers (SCD)
- Sitecore Certified Solution Architects (SCSA)
- Sitecore Certified MVPs
2. Exclusivity and Focus
Seek providers dedicated to Sitecore with a practice exclusive to the platform rather than generalists diluting focus. Their entire expertise should revolve around Sitecore's success. Ask what percentage of their business focuses on Sitecore managed services.
3. Delivery Experience and Methodology
Ask about their experience with implementations similar to yours and how many they have delivered. Also, understand their methodology which should provide structure while being agile. An effective methodology is refined over years of successful delivery.
4. Partnership Approach for Growth
The best-managed service providers aim for long-term partnerships to drive continuous improvement versus short-term cost savings. Ask how they help clients innovate, test new capabilities, train teams, and evolve solutions after going live.
5. Proactive Services and Governance
Managed services should be proactive monitoring with preemptive actions versus reactive firefighting. Understand their practices for performance optimization, architecture reviews, release planning, security patching, and technology governance.
6. Geographic Distributed Team Model
Leading managed services firms utilize distributed teams with operations centers nearshore/offshore and account managers onshore. This balances cost efficiency with client intimacy. Understand their geographic footprint and team coordination.
7. Pricing Model Alignment
Evaluate if their pricing models align with your goals like a fixed fee for predictability, shared risk/reward models, or flexible scaling. Understand how pricing covers predictable enhancement releases versus new capabilities.
Key Takeaways When Selecting a Sitecore Managed Services Partner:
- Stress test technical expertise through certifications and knowledge
- Require exclusivity to Sitecore
- Validate experience, maturity of methodology
- Choose relationship-driven providers focused on growth
- Demand proactive governance, not just support
- Evaluate the capabilities of distributed teams
- Ensure the pricing model promotes shared objectives
With the right partner, managed services provide tremendous value from optimized daily operations to innovation that propels solutions forward. Taking the time to thoroughly evaluate providers against these criteria helps ensure you select the ideal long-term partner to maximize your Sitecore investment.
Questions to Ask Prospective Managed Services Partners
Here are some questions to ask when evaluating Sitecore managed services providers:
Onboarding Process
- What does your typical customer onboarding process look like?
- How do you ensure knowledge transfer during transitions from implementations to managed services?
Account Management
- Who will be the day-to-day point of contact and account manager?
- Will there be secondary points of contact for layers like infrastructure, delivery, and creative?
Tools and Processes
- What tools and systems do you use for ticketing, documentation, reporting, and communication?
- Describe your ITIL-aligned processes for incident, change, release, and configuration management.
Monitoring and Optimization
- What proactive monitoring do you have in place?
- How do you identify and address performance bottlenecks?
- How are technology changes assessed for their impact on solutions?
Innovation Alignment
- How do you keep solutions aligned with Sitecore product releases and new capabilities?
- What is your process for training clients on new features?
- How are technology roadmaps developed jointly?
Pricing Approach
- Describe the pricing model(s) you offer clients
- What services are included in fixed or base fees versus additive?
- How are variable volumes and new capabilities priced?
Asking targeted questions helps you thoroughly vet technical competencies, account management, tools, processes, innovation practices, and pricing models. Verifying alignment early helps set the engagement up for long-term success.
Best Practices for Partnering with Sitecore Services Provider
Follow these best practices when partnering with a Sitecore managed services provider:
- Maintain involvement through steering committees to align on roadmaps
- Leverage account managers effectively as proxies in the team
- Agree on processes for intake of new requests and change control
- Establish a frequent cadence for communications through reports and meetings
- Monitor KPIs aligned to business goals for transparency
- Foster cultural alignment and shared objectives for win-win relationships
- Budget for innovation initiatives, not just “keep the lights on” efforts
- Continuously train staff to expand Sitecore knowledge
- Incentivize providers for exceeding targets over only matching them
With aligned expectations, shared metrics, open communications, and governance mechanisms managed services deliver exceptional value. Treat them as an extension of your team.
Conclusion
A mutually rewarding relationship with the right managed services provider propels your Sitecore solutions forward through optimized operations and continuous improvement. While assessing prospective partners is an important process, the long-term gains for your business and customers make the investment worthwhile. Use these criteria to choose a provider aligned with your needs and poised to maximize your Sitecore investment. With an ideal partner securing your solution, you’re empowered to deliver more memorable customer experiences and reach new heights.
Why Choose QEdge? Full-Stack Sitecore Development Services
As a Sitecore Gold Implementation Partner, we pride ourselves on successfully delivering numerous Sitecore projects since the early days of Sitecore 5.0 back in 2009. We have full experience in the development and maintenance of all versions of Sitecore.
As a full-service Sitecore development company, QEdge provides complete solutions from strategy to implementation:
- Sitecore Consulting - Experience audits, architecture guidance, strategic roadmaps, and pre-packaged accelerators.
- UX Design - User research, information architecture, wireframing, interactive prototypes, UI, and visual design.
- Development - Custom modules and applications, integrations, headless API layer, cloud and on-prem deployments.
- Creative Services - Photography, video, 3D/AR experiences, illustrations, animations.
- Testing - Manual testing, test automation, performance testing, security, infrastructure staging.
- Deployment & Maintenance - DevOps, hosting setup, upgrades, support services.
With expertise across the entire web technology stack, QEdge delivers end-to-end Sitecore projects tailored to each client’s unique needs.
