Article

3 reasons to partner with a collaborative work management vendor

by C Hayley Halstead

Editor’s note: Here at Smartsheet, our customers inspire us daily. We’re their biggest cheerleaders; their partners in achievement. In this article, Channel Marketing Manager Hayley Halstead shares how our partners can help customers achieve more each day, and how you can sign up to become a partner and do the same for your customers. 

A significant number of applications exist for driving employee productivity, such as specific use cases for authoring, document storage, and communication. However, the modern worker is actually spending most of their time managing their work, so they need a flexible platform that helps them get out of the weeds and focus on driving achievement.

Tech logos appear in white circles atop a textured green background

In October 2019 Gartner released a Market Guide for Collaborative Work Management (CWM), which defines CWM as an emerging market that can “bring together the strands of collaborative activities and blend management oversight with work execution so that self-organizing teams can work effectively.”

With the total addressable market worth more than an estimated $31.5 billion in 2021, there are a number of reasons why you should consider partnering with a NYSE-listed provider of cloud-based work execution that serves more than 75% of the Fortune 500.

Here are three of the best reasons:

1. Offer your customers new delivery services.

CWM gives solution providers a breadth of new services opportunities. Implementation, training, and consulting are all examples of the type of delivery services you can build with a CWM platform. As an example, Smartsheet partners are generating up to $4 in services for every $1 of license revenue generated, representing a significant opportunity for new revenue for your business.

A light green arrow pointing up and to the right appears on a dark green chart against a medium green background

2. Leverage your specialization to build unique intellectual property.

Do you have a vertical focus or a unique methodology you can offer to customers? Reach more customers by taking your competitive advantage and turning it into intellectual property that can be used in support of a CWM platform. By using the CWM technology, you can deliver solutions and services to joint customers.

AcuWorkflow is a US-based consulting firm that created SmartBackup for Smartsheet. This organization used its expertise in backup and archiving to build this paid solution that we're proud to promote in the Smartsheet Solution Center.

3. Sell into all lines of business.

It is well-known that traditional software sales involve IT management, but another reason channel partners are excited to partner with CWM vendors is because of the ability to provide solutions for all lines of business — beyond IT departments.

As mentioned in Gartner’s market guide, it’s the line of business management that is bringing CWM solutions into their organizations. When a vendor, such as Smartsheet, has over 2,000 documented use cases across all verticals and departments, there are many more opportunities for solution providers to leverage their market and technology knowledge and subject matter expertise.

Three interlocking circles in blue, orange, and dark green, appear against a light green background. Each circle has a number - from 1 to 3 - appearing below it, illustrating steps in a process.

Drive innovation, together.

Seize the work execution market by partnering with the industry leader. Talk to the Smartsheet Channel Partner team today about your next business opportunity.