In order to choose the right Appian consulting and implementation partner, start with self-reflection. Before evaluating vendors, take time to assess your own organization and project. Understanding your team’s strengths and weaknesses will help you select a partner that complements your culture and fills in the gaps where your internal expertise may be limited.
If your organization is new to agile development or digital transformation, find a partner that can guide you through requirements gathering, refinement, and agile delivery practices.
If your IT department is already stretched thin or working through a backlog, consider a partner experienced with adjacent technologies and system integrations to help prevent project delays.
For projects that are highly specialized—or if your business users are too busy to act as effective subject matter experts—look for a partner with deep industry experience. Their familiarity with your sector’s unique challenges and regulatory requirements can help avoid bottlenecks during development.
Even your organization’s culture and working norms matter. For example, if your teams prefer afternoon meetings, choose a partner in a compatible time zone to simplify scheduling and communication.
Before you begin outreach, identify the success criteria for your project. Are you trying to speed up an end-to-end process, improve data quality, or increase throughput? Having clear and measurable goals will help you evaluate whether potential partners can deliver the outcomes you’re targeting.
While it’s not essential to have all the answers upfront, having a general idea of your objectives will provide clarity as you progress through the partner selection process.
When you begin meeting with Appian consulting firms, use these questions to assess capability, fit, and long-term value.
Some partners focus exclusively on professional services; others are also Appian resellers who can provide licenses. Understanding the model helps you plan your procurement and support strategy.
Ask about industry background, regulatory knowledge, and relevant use cases. Even if your project isn’t industry-specific, experience in your space often improves speed and accuracy.
Request case studies or examples of projects with similar complexity, goals, and scale—inside and outside your industry.
Notice whether everyone you interact with understands process design, or whether you’re repeatedly redirected to “the one expert.” Strong partners embed process optimization throughout their practice.
Look for a high ratio of Appian Certified Senior Developers and Lead Developers. Ask about ongoing education and how the firm keeps talent up to date with new Appian features.
Many strong partners bring frameworks, accelerators, or tools that speed development and improve consistency. These assets give you insight into their expertise and engineering priorities.
Look for repeat business, multi-year partnerships, and sustained value—not just initial delivery. Satisfied customers are the best indicator of a partner’s reliability.
If your organization plans to expand Appian usage, verify that the partner can help you scale—through center-of-excellence design, DevOps best practices, or roadmap development.
After go-live, ongoing support becomes crucial. Determine whether you’ll retain the same partner for sustainability and maintenance, or if your internal IT team will take over. Some partners offer enablement services to train your team in supporting Appian applications independently. Choose a partner that considers your long-term success and offers flexible post-implementation support options.
Selecting an Appian consulting and implementation partner is about more than technical capability—it’s about finding a team that aligns with your culture, complements your strengths, and supports your organization’s goals both during and after implementation. Taking the time to self-assess and ask the right questions will set you up for a smoother project and a stronger partnership.