Post COVID, with the advent of remote work and a shift in technology, businesses in the IT field have been transformed completely. This has been possible due to the innovation in technology and the adaptability of businesses around the world. Even before the COVID era, the Cloud technology had established itself as a major force to reckon with. By leveraging the Cloud, it is possible for any business to revamp their operations and gain a competitive advantage in their respective industry.
It is fair to admit, in a competitive business scenario, it is mandatory to use the Cloud technology to lay a strong foothold in the industry and increase scalability. When we think about Cloud technology, a lot of names pop-up in our mind but Oracle beats them all by a handsome margin. Even though Oracle is a preferred choice for most organizations, leveraging it to the best of its ability is a challenge.
So, the first option is to hire an in-house Oracle IT team to help you transition to the Cloud. The next and most popular option is to partner with a reliable Oracle Implementation partner. The second option can be a better choice for your business as the Oracle Implementation partner has the right infrastructure, resources and expertise and can provide a custom solution for your business. In this blog, we will map out how to choose the right Oracle Implementation partner for your organization.
The Role of an Oracle Implementation Partner
There are more than 6,000 products and services offered by Oracle for businesses to digitally transform their business according to technological evolution. Oracle classifies Implementation partner as an entity which is a certified member of the group – Oracle Partner Network. The OPN consists of all the major partners that provide Oracle offerings to their customers.
The role of an Oracle Implementation Partner like Conneqtion Group is to provide Oracle solutions to their customers along with Oracle best practices. In other words, a certified member of the OPN is a reliable and trustworthy member of the Oracle community. Along with offering Oracle solutions, the Oracle Implementation Partner will also offer their able guidance to take your business forward and ensure smooth operations. These are stepping stones to Organizational scalability and business profitability.
A Successful Guide To Choose The Right Oracle Implementation Partner
In this blog, we are going to list down a successful guide which you can follow to make an informed decision about your first Oracle Implementation Partner.
Business Requirements
In order to choose an implementation partner, it is first important to make a list of your business requirements with all the major stakeholders. Once the requirement gathering process is duly completed, it is best to move on to the next part. As, if there are any major changes in the business requirements at a later stage, it can significantly impact your decision to choose a partner based on their expertise. With the help of your business stakeholders, try to understand your current and future scenarios w.r.t resource allocation, employees, IT infrastructure and more.
It will be detrimental to look for an implementation partner without understanding your core objectives and long term plans. Moreover, this will allow the implementation partner to offer a better solution with clear goals.
Understand Their Implementation Process
Complete digital transformation in a business is an amalgamation of different strategies working in sync on a common goal. It is necessary to understand the Partner’s implementation process and how they work on different strategies.
Some of the questions that you need to answer while choosing an Oracle implementation partner –
- What is their implementation process?
- How have they managed to transform businesses similar to yours?
- What are the strategies that they will be implementing in your business?
As a rule of thumb, a good Oracle Implementation Partner will be the bridge between your current standing and your transformation in the next 3-5 years. This is not about offering a template based product/service and hoping it to work. A successful partner will try to ask honest questions to understand more about your business. They will take enough interest and work with dedication to provide a solid plan to meet your business goals. In return, this will enable your business to scale efficiently.
Implementation Experience
A good Oracle partner has experience working in different industries. Due to this, they have certified experts who have previously worked on similar business scenarios and hence can provide consultation related to different Oracle products.
It is best to study the business requirements outlined in the first step and consult an implementation partner about their experience and understanding of solving those requirements. However, you might need to review their past work and talk to a couple of their previous customers. Following a template is straightforward, you must understand how they adapt to changing trends and how they find creative solutions to impending business issues.
An influential Oracle implementation partner would have a Cloud Select status provided by Oracle. We recommend you take care of all the criteria decided in your SOP, but having a Cloud Select status from Oracle is a recommendation in itself.
End To End Implementation
In a competitive landscape, it is not difficult to come across implementation partners who like taking shortcuts to achieve their goals and lack the vision to focus on long-term sustainability and scalability. By doing this, these partners can get more projects on a short-term basis but are not able to sustain. At times, sales teams can make false promises just to win a project. As a business, it is extremely important to avoid these situations with your potential implementation partner.
Cloud implementation is the first step of your digital transformation. Post implementation, the focus will shift to getting the required support so you can leverage your Oracle Cloud investment.
Apart from this, it is an ideal option to go with an implementation partner providing Oracle Cloud managed services so that you are covered during the transformation to the Cloud.
Scope For Personalization
As a business looking to expand the horizon and working on digital transformation, it is important that you work with an Oracle Implementation partner that works closely with you. You must look for a partner that understands your business closely, knows about your shortcomings and strengths so they customize their solutions. Moreover, you would require a human touch from the partner who wants your business to genuinely win.
It is highly possible that you might come across an Implementation Partner who has an amazing reputation in your industry but they don’t understand your requirements. In that case, it might be better to go with a less popular but human option that works closely with all their customers. A good way to ensure this is to have a couple of meetings with the whole implementation team that is going to work on your project. It will help both parties understand each other’s expectations clearly.
Your Oracle Implementation Partner Is Just One Step Away
Finding the right Oracle Implementation partner can be a slow and complex process. However, it is best to take time in doing due diligence as it will significantly impact you in your Cloud Implementation journey. If you make a mistake, it can be a huge setback for your business. At the same time, the right implementation partner can certainly lift your business. In the last three years, Conneqtion Group has implemented and managed Oracle Cloud solutions for our customers in North America, Europe, Middle East, India and APAC region. We are a certified Oracle Implementation Partner and have worked with 50+ customers in the last three years. If you are searching for a reliable, cost-efficient and trustworthy Oracle Partner, you can get in touch with us at Conneqtion Group for a free demo.
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Dhruvil is a Marketing and Strategy Manager at Conneqtion Group, a Oracle iPaaS and Process Automation company. He comes with a vast experience of working in the Marketing, Branding and Content Marketing in various industries including IT service, SaaS, Natural Gases & Equipments, Food and United Nations. He has completed his MBA in Marketing from Western Sydney University and has worked for more than 7 years with Indian and Australian startups. He has a good acumen of business and marketing in the Indian startup ecosystem and has worked with BOC Gases, a leading Gas company handling their APAC Marketing.
Edison Collier
Thanks for the educational content!