As the SAP SuccessFactors ecosystem continues to grow and expand, it is more important than ever for SAP SuccessFactors customers to be able to validate the experience and knowledge of service providers. Recognizing that working with a skilled and experienced partner is key to a successful implementation project, SAP has introduced several programs to help customers identify the right partner for our customers.
Two of the programs available to the SAP SuccessFactors community are Consultant Certification and Recognized Expertise. As both programs are great ways to assess the credentials of a potential implementation partner, they serve important differences.
Consultant Certification is at the individual level and is divided into two types: Associate and Professional. Associate is our base level of certification and means that a consultant has taken SAP SuccessFactors training on a specific module and has passed a certification exam. Professional certification takes the concept a lot further. To earn Professional certification, a consultant must have completed the requisite training, as with an Associate certification, plus led 3 SAP SuccessFactors projects within the last three years. Those projects must be reference-able, with validation from the client that the project was successful. In addition, the consultant must be current on all relevant SAP SuccessFactors certification and delta assessments to ensure they are up to date on the latest features for a particular module.
The certification programs, especially Professional Certification, are incredibly useful for validating the individual strength of the consultants that will be working on your project. However, what if you are early on in the evaluation process? How can you quickly and easily validate experience and expertise on a company level? The answer: The SAP Recognized Expertise program, or REX.
SAP Recognized Expertise (REX)
SAP Recognized Expertise is an accreditation program on a
company level that ensures that a partner has a minimum skillset, in terms of both education and experience.
SAP offers REX accreditation in 4 SAP SuccessFactors solution areas:
- Employee Central and Payroll Solutions
- Learning Solutions
- Recruiting and Onboarding Solutions
- Talent Solutions
Like Professional certification, REX accreditation maintains strict requirements for consultant training, certification and positive customer references. To earn a REX accreditation in a specific solution area, partners must have:
- A minimum of 3 certified consultants
- Certified consultants must all be current as evidenced by successful completion of delta assessments
- 3 current customer references
REX applications are validated by the SAP Partner Edge team to ensure that the projects were done with the highest quality and with customers providing a reference. Once our team verifies that all the criteria have been met; partners are bestowed the Recognized Expertise designation. Partners can then use the Recognized Expertise for Cloud HR Solutions logo in their marketing and communications materials.
Recognized Expertise is currently offered on a local market level. Partners must meet all the criteria for the market they are applying for. This helps ensure that project experience is relevant to the local market in question.
For SAP SuccessFactors services partners, the Recognized Expertise designation offers them an SAP-validated way to demonstrate their SAP SuccessFactors specialization and depth of experience. It helps build confidence among prospective customers, their ability to deliver SAP SuccessFactors solutions and highlights not only their solution expertise, but also that partners have successfully worked with other local customers to deliver quality projects.
While Recognized Expertise is an invaluable program for both SAP SuccessFactors customers and partners, it is best used in conjunction with other programs like Professional Certification. By using Recognized Expertise to validate a firm’s overall experience and Professional Certification to validate individual consultant expertise and experience, customers can get a more complete picture on the qualifications of any potential implementation partner. These programs are a great way to quickly and easily screen firms at the start of your due diligence process and narrow down our partner ecosystem to qualified and experienced firms that meet your needs.
For more information and to find partners with Recognized Expertise, please visit the SAP Partner Finder or the SAP Recognized Expertise microsite:
SAP Partner Finder
https://partneredge.sap.com/content/partnerfinder/search.html#/
SAP Recognized Expertise Microsite
http://www.saprecognizedexpertise.com/get-started/
Bruce Hillier
Global VP, Partner Delivery Management
