Introduction
For most of my career, my role often required buying and running employee engagement tools as part of the digital workplace. I didn’t think twice about sticking to preferred supplier lists or working directly with big-name providers. I often was pointed towards smaller agencies who were resellers on behalf of those products, but preferred supplier lists were hard and I had my own team of experts, so why did I need anything else?
Looking back on the mixed success of those channels, I see gaps in that approach. There are things I wish I had questioned and decisions I wish I had thought through differently. The landscape of employee engagement platforms and internal comms tools is vast and varied, and understanding the nuances can make a significant difference in outcomes.
There’s a real surge at the moment in the internal comms industry to try and get the right digital workplace and who to partner with. Having been on both sides of the fence, these are the learnings I wish I’d had to read when I was making those decisions!
1. Support: Who's Really Got Your Back?
When you’re working directly with a provider, you’re often funnelled into a centralised system. It’s efficient for them, but is it working for you? Are you getting tailored advice or just a process? When I think back on the hours I spent escalating and chasing tickets while apologising on their behalf to internal stakeholders, it’s clear that the support wasn’t always aligned with our needs.
What I’ve seen with resellers is the difference in how they prioritise that support. They’re not tied to a single playbook—they are focused on helping you succeed with the product or service, because it’s in their interests as much as yours to see you succeed. They might not be as hands-on with the insides as the supplier themselves, but they stand a much better chance than you do to champion and escalate your issues.
This is especially true for employee engagement platforms and other internal comms tools. Resellers often provide a more personalized customer service experience, ensuring that your specific needs are met and that you feel supported throughout the process.
2. Unbiased Perspectives Are Underrated
One of the biggest frustrations when trying to understand my options was feeling like I wasn’t getting the true picture. Providers are naturally going to focus on positives of their own solutions, but that doesn’t always answer the bigger questions:
- How does this fit into my wider strategy?
- What are the risks I might not be seeing?
- Are there alternative ways to solve the same problem?
This is where a more independent partner—whether a reseller or an external consultant—can really add value. They’re not tied to a party line, so they can give you the honest view on your situation, help address your concerns, and in an unbiased way empower you to weigh up what’s right for you.
This is crucial when considering employee engagement surveys or pulse surveys to gauge engaged employees. An independent perspective can help you see the bigger picture and make more informed decisions that align with your overall strategy.
3. Value Isn't Just About Cost
What does it mean to actually get the best deal?
It’s easy to focus on price when you’re under pressure to cut costs. Often a procurement team might even be telling you that they won’t accept a quote unless a saving is shown on it, regardless of what that amount is or whether it’s market price.
When I look back on my ROI on some of those deals, did I manage to actually get good value? For example:
- Are there extra services or support options available that I could’ve had for the same price?
- Could there be more flexibility or responsiveness from a partner that gets me what I need when a leader needs an answer from me now?
- Is the procurement process really focused on ROI, or is it just trying to fit a framework? For every preferred supplier list there is an exception to policy…
Looking back, the right deal wasn’t necessarily the one that felt the most straightforward. It’s the one that got the best outcome for the spend—and sometimes that meant defining what success looked like from the start and measuring whether I got there or not, which was not possible when working directly with the supplier.
This is particularly relevant for cloud-based employee engagement solutions and management platforms. The true value often lies in the additional benefits and flexibility that a reseller can offer, which can significantly improve employee engagement and overall satisfaction.
4. Success is Bigger Than Benchmarks
Measurement wasn’t just about my own judgements of success. I found myself relying on benchmarks from the provider itself—how unbiased do you think those were? It’s helpful to see how other companies using the same solution are performing—but what about the true picture again?
Figuring out where not just the successes were but also the opportunities, came from comparing across industries, solutions, and contexts. This can quickly lead to connecting to those organisations, establishing networks and relationships—I am still a part of some of those networks to this day, and proud to have those peers and friends to call on to discuss a shared problem.
How are other organisations solving similar problems, even if they’re using a different approach? What’s happening in the market that might change the priorities six months from now?
Without always looking at success from multiple angles, on those occasions maybe I missed opportunities to learn, adapt, and do things better. This is especially true when considering the impact on company culture, work environment, and employee retention. Engaging with a reseller can provide a broader perspective and access to a wider network of professionals who can offer valuable insights and advice.
The Obligatory Final Takeaway
It isn’t about saying one approach is “better” than another or you should always choose reseller over partner—it’s about recognising that the choices you make in procurement have a bigger impact than you might realise at the time. It’s not just about ticking boxes or playing it safe. It’s about asking the right questions and being open to different ways of working.
If I could go back in time, I wouldn’t disregard the reseller option so quickly; I’d challenge myself, and my procurement team to spend more time thinking about where I was getting my advice, who was really focused on helping me, and how I could realise value—not just for the PO, but for the long-term outcomes associated with why we were doing this.
These are the things I wish I knew back then—how does everyone else tackle this? Why do you choose provider over reseller, or vice versa? Check out our latest events, blogs, and guides or subscribe to our newsletter here.
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