How to Work with

a Zoho Partner
Hello there! Thank you for visiting our website.
If you're here, you're likely looking to work with
one of our Partners. The intent of this document
is to help you work effectively with a Zoho Partner.

zoho.com/partners
Who is our Partner?
Zoho Partners are businesses authorized to resell Zoho subscriptions
and/or provide consulting services, help customers evaluate, customize,
implement Zoho solutions and provide continued support services.

Is it necessary for you to work with a Zoho Partner?

If you are not fully sure why you should work with a Zoho Partner,
the following statements should help you decide:

You feel Zoho can help your business but you are unsure which application
would fit your requirements.

You are unsure what percentage of your requirements will be met by a

specific Zoho solution and if the rest can be addressed by customizing
the solution.

You are unsure if you have sufficient capacity in house to implement

and customize the chosen Zoho product.

You require hand-holding during the entire process from selection of the
product to implementation, user education, and post-implementation
support.

You do not have the necessary expertise required to integrate your system
with multiple in-house/external systems.

You are looking to migrate from an existing system to Zoho but you do not
have the in-house expertise to execute it securely.

You require someone to guide you/your organization to make the best

use of Zoho products.

You or someone on your team knows all of the above, but do not have the
required bandwidth.

How to Work with a Zoho Partner 1

If you agreed to any of the above statements, you should
explore working with a Zoho Partner. A Zoho Partner
can be the one-stop shop that you require to optimize
Zoho's capabilities and improve your chances at a
successful implementation.

While Zoho offers SaaS

applications, every customer
need in unique. You and your
business may need a customized
approach to get the best out
of Zoho. This is where Zoho
Partners step in.

How to Work with a Zoho Partner 2

How to choose and work with a Zoho Partner
All our Partners listed in the Partner Directory are authorized to resell
the products they specialize in. This section will guide you in selecting
the Zoho Partner that may best fit your need.

Before you begin,

here are a few points
you should keep in mind-

1.
A Zoho Partner is an independent business that
provides services on top of Zoho products.

Customers get into an independent service agreement

2. with the Zoho Partner to determine the scope and

conditions of their services.

3.
Zoho will not be a party to the agreement between the
customer and Zoho Partner.

4.
Zoho will also not be a party to any conflict or disagreement
that takes place between a customer and a Zoho Partner.

5.
Zoho does not have visibility or control over a Partner's
service charges.

How to Work with a Zoho Partner 3

Step 1 Document your Expectations
Clearly document your expectations from the Partners
and the Zoho Products and what you seek to accomplish
through this Partnership. You can also list a few non-negotiable
attributes that you are looking in a Partner to help you make
a quicker choice.

Step 2 Partner Suitability Check

Below are a few other areas you can analyze the listed Partners
in to narrow down on the most suitable one:

Geographical Location - If you need localized assistance,

make sure to check if a Partner provides services in your
location. Such Partners are also typically knowledgeable
about local business practices.

Customer Service Language - If you have specific service

language requirement, make sure to check if the Partner
provides services in the language that you require.

Partnership Status - Zoho Partnership has three levels-

Authorized, Advanced, and Premium, each level higher
than the previous, with the highest being the Premium
Partnership level. Partner tier status represents a Partner's
level of success in providing Zoho services and continued
customer success.

Zoho Product Certifications - Zoho provides training

and certification opportunities for Partners across
geographies, products, and languages. These
certifications signify a Partner's capability and ability to
scale. If the product certifications are not listed on a
Partners profile, you should inquire about their certification
status on the product you wish to engage them in.

How to Work with a Zoho Partner 4

 Domain/Industry Experience - A Partner's experience in
the relevant industry is essential for them to understand
the context of a business problem, and suggest, customize,
and implement relevant Zoho products to meet your
organization's needs.

For example, if you are looking to implement/optimize

your HRMS process, working with a Partner who has
implemented HRMS in your industry segment will
be fruitful.

Case Studies - Most of our Partners have customer case

studies listed on their profile in the Partner Directory.
These case studies will give you an in-depth understanding
of a Partner's capabilities and their approach towards
implementation of Zoho products.

Customer Reviews - Customer feedback is a great way to

determine the quality of service provided by a Partner.
You can go through the customer reviews and star rating
on the Partner profile in the Partner Directory to make an
informed decision.

Top Zoho Apps - This section shows you the top Zoho
application licenses that are sold and serviced by the
partner and demonstrates their area of expertise.

Once you find a Partner that fits all your requirements,

the next step is to engage with them.

How to Work with a Zoho Partner 5

Step 3 Engage with the Partner
You can get in touch with the Partner using the contact
details provided on the Partner profile in the Partner Directory
webpage. We recommend that you first prepare a clear
business-requirements document and share it with the Partner.
This provides clarity about what your business needs and what
you seek to accomplish with the Zoho product implementation.

Step 4 Draw up a Statement of Work

You should not proceed further if you do not have a clear and
mutually agreed/signed SOW in place.

If you are not sure about your requirements and their mapping
to Zoho products, please engage someone to help you do this.
A Zoho partner can specifically be engaged for this activity as
well. They may charge for this on a consulting T&M basis. But
do not proceed to the next step without a clear and extensive
Statement of Work.

Step 5 Get Into the Service Agreement

Before commencing the project, it is important to have a clear
understanding of the cost. If not completely specified while
putting the SOW together, ensure that you know how it will
be calculated and put together.

Please note that the implementation fee is decided by the

Partner and agreed upon by the customer. Zoho does not
have any authority over a Partner's fee or the implementation
of the project.

Also, ensure you have an legally binding agreement with

the Partner on the implementation cost, implementation
timeline, payment schedule, refund policy, and other details.
Zoho will not be responsible for services delivered against
any such contract.

How to Work with a Zoho Partner 6

Step 6 Implementation Process
Once the implementation begins, we recommend that you ask
the partner to walk you through the entire implementation.
This would be appropriate time to flag any deviations from the
SOW and have them adjusted right away.

How Does Zoho

Help with the
Implementation?

In case a Partner encounters any issues with a

Zoho product, our dedicated Partner support
teams are accessible to Partners to help overcome
these issues. They can share workarounds within
a short term on real issues and work with products
to address those. They also share best practices
to follow if such a request is made.

How to Work with a Zoho Partner 7

Do You Need Help?

For any concerns regarding your relationship with a Partner,

you can reach out to our team at [email protected]

Issues on implementation related items such as non adherence to

agreed schedule, scope, payments should directly be taken with
the partner as Zoho will have no standing on this. If your concern
is with regards to the license subscription activation you could
reach out to Zoho.

Please don't forget to share your feedback on your experience in

working with our Partner. You can do this by posting your review
on the Partner's profile Zoho Find a Partner directory

zoho.com/partners