What you should look for in a Microsoft Partner

After you have decided that one of the Microsoft Dynamics is the right solution for your company the next step for a company is to carefully consider the correct Microsoft Partner.  However, with so many Microsoft Partners available how do you know what to look for in the right partner? Here are a few things to consider when deciding what Microsoft Partner is right for you.

Customer service and care

One key consideration for any company when picking their Microsoft Partner is the level of customer service they offer. When choosing your Microsoft Partner look at the levels of customer service and care that they offer considering the estimated response times for every enquiry and how deeply they understand your business and its needs. Exceptional Microsoft Partners take time to fully scope and identify your business needs then offer the best solution as well as making sure there is dedicated time set for help and assistance. Indicators of strong customer service include dedicated account managers, set aside consultancy hours and frequency of communication.

Areas of expertise 

The depth of knowledge and areas of expertise your Microsoft Partner will always be a big factor for your consideration. When considering your Microsoft Partner look at whether they have dealt with similar companies to yourself or whether they have operated in the industry you currently occupy. Depending on your Microsoft solution the product you choose will need to be augmented to your industry to suit your top line business needs.

The best Microsoft Partners will have ways that the Microsoft solution can be adapted to the way you operate with your unique objectives and issues that you as a company are facing. The implementation of any Microsoft solution is a golden opportunity for you as a business to change and improve the way you do things from an operation and strategic point of view, a partner that can facilitate this change with specialist knowledge is highly beneficial.

Aftercare and consultation 

Choosing your Microsoft Partner is a long term decision that extends far beyond just the initial implementation of your chosen solution. Regardless of which Microsoft product you chose there will always need to be continual support and upkeep after the point of implementation of your service. Ideally, the best Microsoft Partner’s will offer additional services or assistance to help progress your company and best utilise your new product. This can come in the form of training and upskilling of your workforce as things change.  

For solutions such as Managed Services a great Microsoft Partner will be able to provide things along the lines of:

• Helping your company get the best out of new releases or updates
• Troubleshooting of any operational issues
• Pre-emptive threat protection and monitoring of any anomalies
• The management of applications that run on the cloud
• Tips and tricks to get more out of your system
• Training options and offerings

To find out more about our Managed Services offering or our Microsoft Dynamics offering, please contact Advantage today. Sign up to our mailing list and keep yourself updated with all the latest tips and tricks, Tech news and system updates.