Navigator Contributes to Trailblazer Score

Navigator is a measure of deployable expertise that is a component of the Trailblazer Score. By earning distinctions in Navigator, partners can earn up to 250 points towards the Customer Success metric. In PY21, Navigator makes up 25% of the overall scorecard. Partners earn points in Navigator through the following point allocation:

• - Expert: 50 points per distinction
• - Level II Specialist: 10 points per distinction
• *-Level I Specialist: 0 points>

Consulting Partner Program Overview >

Levels to Highlight Expertise

Navigator has three distinct levels of expertise that partners can earn distinctions in. The highest level of recognition is at the Expert level. Partners earn Expert level distinctions at the Cloud and Industry level. The Level I & II Specialist distinctions are earned at the product feature or industry sub-vertical sector.

Here’s a full breakdown of requirements by level:

Before diving into exact specializations to focus on, let’s take a look at the description of the levels:

• - Expert: The most experienced partners and thought leaders in the area and the domain. Able to handle the largest and most difficult problems and meet the highest standards of customer satisfaction.
• - Level II Specialist: A partner that has project delivery capacity while maintaining high standards of customer success.
• - Level I Specialist: A partner that demonstrates knowledge and capacity to consistently produce customer success.

Formerly, the levels in Navigator were Certified, Specialist, and Master for reference.

Define Your Lane: Areas of Expertise

Product

Earn distinctions to highlight your Salesforce product knowledge and competency. Product specializations and expert level categories will remain stable throughout the program year but will be adjusted slightly if a new credential becomes available or if new specializations are added on a quarterly basis to adjust for new product releases.

Click here to view fill list of product specializations and expert level distinctions and their corresponding requirements >

Industry

Showcase your expertise in the industries that you deliver customer success in. Keep in mind, credentials are not currently required for Navigator Industry distinctions.

Click here to view fill list of Industry specializations and expert level distinctions and their corresponding requirements >

Service

Please note that both of the below service types require additional approval prior to achieving distinctions. To ensure Salesforce is validating partners with the defined capability, Navigator will require an approval process for this category of distinctions.The Consulting Partner Program recognizes that consultants are constantly innovating for our joint customers and oftentimes provide services beyond product implementation. In an effort to reward and highlight partners with unique experience, we have introduced the Services category to Partner Navigator. The following two services are available at the Expert Level

Product Development Outsourcer (PDO): this category recognizes partners with expertise in building commercial apps, as well as other valuable services like training, funding, marketing, or selling AppExchange apps. These specialized partners can help architect & design a commercial app, tackle specific areas of your build (like third-party integrations), or simply augment your own development team. In order to be considered a PDO specialist, there will be an additional review with the Salesforce PDO team to validate your experience in addition to project, CSAT, and credentials. To learn more about PDO approvals, please refer to the PDO page or reach out to pdo@salesforce.com

Managed Services: A service type to recognize partners who contribute to customer success through ongoing, proactive processes and functions performed under recurring, renewable contracts.

In order to be recognized as a Managed Services partner, this specialization is gated by an application form, so Salesforce can validate your Managed Services practice and assess its maturity. Earn Specializations in the following categories: Administration Services, Support Services, Release & Change Services, Developer & Integration Services, Analytical Services, and AppExchange App Management

Keep in mind the below key points for Navigator requirements:

• - We look back at the rolling previous two years of project data for quarterly evaluations. We look at two years from the project end date.
• - Once a distinction is earned, partners will have that distinction to market for the remainder of the current program year and following program year.
• - If Navigator distinctions are not maintained by the end of the program year, they will not be renewed, and partners must remove all mentions or badges.

To review the full list of requirements, download this resources >