SAP PartnerEdge Now Lets Partners Run Simple Too

SAP partners and their customers will benefit from a new model of engagement with SAP. The company is rolling out the next generation of its award-winning SAP PartnerEdge program – now revamped to provide a simplified experience for SAP partners that results in less complexity, easier partnering, and bigger opportunities.

This comprehensive update includes a streamlined framework of partner levels that is adapted to meet the needs of evolving partner business models, a unified reward structure that gives partners credit for their total SAP business, and eContracts that reduce paperwork and speed processing.

Ready for a New Way of Doing Business
This is the most significant evolution of the program in its 10-year history. Why now? Industry experts say a new reality is shaping the way partners do business, based largely on the advent of cloud and the networked economy. Partner business models have transformed in ways that it is no longer practical to categorize a partner as a pure services partner or value-added reseller. To stay at the forefront of this ever-changing marketplace, SAP will now offer one holistic partner management model that puts the partner at the center based on four engagement types: Build, Sell, Service, and Run.

Partners now have the option to select their engagement type depending on their market activity. A partner with one engagement type can also easily extend its business into additional engagement types without major financial investment. For example, a partner may establish its core business to sell SAP solutions and later move into building and servicing solutions. All SAP activity performed by the partner is counted cumulatively and the partner is rewarded for its total SAP business.

Look for New Partner Designations
A new simplified tiered framework consists of the partner designations Silver, Gold, and Platinum– replacing Bronze, Silver, and Gold. Platinum is available by invitation only and generally open to global value-added resellers among other strategic partner types.

Within the SAP PartnerEdge program, SAP introduces the second phase of an additional layer called Open Ecosystem specialized. The first phase was introduced last year as Open Ecosystem basic, in which prospective partners were granted limited access to the restricted partner portal so that they could explore their choices whether to partner with SAP or not. A specialized membership in the Open Ecosystem is an ideal option for new partners that want to try out a lighter relationship with SAP in the Build, Sell, or Service engagement without the financial commitment that is required of silver and gold partners. Existing partners can also take advantage of this opportunity to expand their business with no additional investment. If a partner decides it’s the right fit, the partner will benefit from already having the enablement and training in place to continue its journey with SAP.

Same World-Class Enablement, Greater Efficiency
Also new to SAP PartnerEdge are concise eContracts. Intended to reduce paperwork and speed processing, these contracts can be executed in less than 24 hours.

Partners will continue to benefit from access to the program’s award-winning portfolio of training and enablement resources. They also continue to have the possibility to differentiate their businesses through SAP Recognized Expertise, a designation that communicates to the market their specialization and depth of experience in an industry or SAP solution, or both.