FastTrack Partner Community: FY24 Partner Call FAQ

General​

Q: What's the Partner Community Portal link?

A: https://m365-specialty-partner.powerappsportals.com/

Q: What's the plan for delivering the program updates to existing FastTrack customers where engagements commenced well before October 1, 2023?

A: We are not planning on proactively contacting the existing 29,000 customers. We are updating the Microsoft Field and are in the process of producing a customer-facing video that you can share with customers to help land the messaging regarding the new expectations.

Q: If I want to invite colleagues to join Viva Engage (formerly Yammer) or newsletter how can they?

A: Please direct partner team members to this knowledge article, Program Communication Channels and Resources.

Q: Could you upload the FRP Viva Engage thread with the campaign deck and invitations message?

A: This is the link to the FRP Viva Engage thread with the campaign deck and invitations.

Q: Program capacity was always considered a limited amount. Has this changed?

A: Yes, we are revising the model to look at partners globally. Partners will have an Partner Success Manager (PSM) but may not have PSM in each region that they are engaged with customers in. This will be the decision of the regional leadership.

Q: What do you mean by the phrase, "Customize the approach to meet your specific needs" is a bit dangerous? Customization for a customer can take a partner quickly out of the FastTrack scope and into the weeds.

A: Our intention is that we want the customer to fully consider what is needed to deploy and adopt services in their environment. We are trying to open the door to value-added service sales opportunities.

Q: I appreciate the program evolving and adapting to current needs. We struggle explaining it to our team members who work with clients. The FT Playbook and other available assets can be out of date and do not reflect the "new vision" to execute. Our big request is to have it up-to-date resources and have all irrelevant resources retired.

A: We continuously work with groups we have dependencies on to get updated content to our partner’s as soon as we can. For the resources that we own, as the program has matured so have our tools, we continue to make progress towards keeping our content fresh.

Q: Could Microsoft help us understand the volume of RFAs we will be getting as partners so that we are better prepared to not only receive them but action them within SLAs? As we will be receiving an increasing amount of RFAs, is there a minimum forecast on the number of RFAs that we will be getting per month?

A: We will be ramping up the volume of referrals over this year. However, since each one is matched on specific criteria requested by the customer, it is not possible to forecast specific numbers by partner. The more options you provide (language, location, etc.) the more likely you will receive a higher number of referrals.

Q: Are referrals going to include the information on the High-Water Mark? Are the referrals going to be vetted before the customer is engaged so partners can determine if we are going to accept? Is there an amount of referrals that must be accepted to remain in the program?

A: We will not be sharing High-Water Mark data in the referral notification message. We assume all referrals are non-incentive since we are no longer looking at this as partner of referral routing decisions. We will expose the High-Water Mark data in the FPX (FastTrack Partner Experience) section of Partner Center, that is available to our FPC program partners.

Q: I'm assuming the two distinct Security Partner tracks aren't going to be discussed here, but will there be a communication coming about changes specific to Security Partners?

A: We are taking a new approach with specializations moving forward. More on this shortly.

Q: How do MCI Engagements intersect with FastTrack in FY24?

A: We collaborate closely with the MCI team, and they assume the FPC partners will be the primary ones to use these programs. However, we do not have specific FPC requirements in FY24 regarding the MCI programs.

Q: Any in-person events for FY24?

A: We are campaigning for these to be funded in FY25.

Q: Are we finally going to have a FastTrack Badge?

A: Although we will not have a FastTrack logo, we do our FastTrack Partner Community Qualification badges.  These are great to add to your signatures, and also share as part of your FastTrack web pages within your company site.

Q: When will we have FastTrack for Azure Program guidance by partners?

A: the FastTrack for Azure program is a completely different program not related to us.

Q: Will there be a place available to partners where we can research whether the customer has benefits and what their current consumption is?

A: You will have access to all M365 usage data for customers you are associated with in the FastTrack Partner Experience module within Partner Center. FPC partners will be the only ones with this level and type of data access. To view: Partner Center, Incentives Overview, Tenant Insight.

Q: Are there plans to improve missing workload reporting? Sometimes another partner claimed and when we take workloads back it takes a long time to get the claim approved and see data to fully understand potential.

A: There are no current plans to change this. In the FastTrack Partner Experience, a partner will see workloads they have claimed and unclaimed workloads. Workloads claimed by another partner will not appear on the list. All workloads are available in the FRP Dashboard as long as one workload has an approved claim or referral assignment.

Q: Please cover FM/FE role changes.

A: If you mean guidance for what an FM/FE looks like if you and you want to establish the roles internally within your business, you should meet with your PSM to discuss.

Q: I need to understand the role of the FM and FE. If we are not earning FT incentives to offset those labor costs, trying to decide how to proceed.

A: Other partners have incorporated their FM/FEs into their Customer Success Teams for Modern Work & Security, for example, as a working practice.

Advanced Deployment Guides​

Q: Can you provide more details on which Advanced Deployment Guides are able to assess existing configuration items that the customer has already completed?

A: The FastTrack Playbook and Advanced Deployment Guides serve a broad variety of interests and that can slow down the rate of updates to these resources.

Q: Are Microsoft sellers being trained on the new guidelines (i.e. deployment guides at no-cost vs customized consultative services that may come with a fee)? It would be great if the right expectation is set when sending the referral.

A: The program team is actively engaging with internal MSFT internal to educate and ensure awareness of the changes to the FastTrack Benefit Service Description. The Service Description language has been simplified and states that Advanced Deployment Guides are the delivery mechanisms, and if a client requires additional services (value-added services), the client will be charged a fee by the partner for the additional services.

Q: Do we have to update from delivery perspective for FT? For example, kick off, and on-going delivery?

A: The service description is being updated to make this much more formulaic and based on the Advanced Deployment Guides. Less “we will help you understand” and more “we will help you follow the process to success.” If you [the customer] need more than that, your partner will be happy to sell you services to customize your experience.

CPOR​

Q: Does the usage telemetry of referred customers show up before the CPOR claim is approved?

A: If there is any approved association, CPOR or other, and it is not a CPOR claimable service, you can see all the M365 usage data for that customer.
If the claim is the first association for your firm with the customer, you will not have access to the data until it is approved. We cannot share the data for customers until we have a confirmed CPOR claim.

Q: Do partners get assigned in CPOR automatically (for the workloads) when a RFA gets assigned?

A: CPOR claiming requirements are not changing for the FY24 program year. We are not allowed to automate claims as it requires customer "approval" in the form of a signature.

Q: Will CPOR POE differ for referral engagement?

A: No, the CPOR POE applies to all workloads claimed, and are not changed by a referral.

Q: Regarding the customer claim process, it would benefit partners if the process changed and made it easier for FRPs. Partners are dependent on the agent that handles the claim and their special requests and other issues.

A: We have certainly advocated for changes in this system and the support provided for CPOR claims. This is managed by another team, and they have made decisions on how best to manage that program that do not align with our feedback. Your best bet to create change is to raise this issue with your PDM. We will continue to advocate for change in CPOR but partners escalating through PDM's will be a louder voice.

Q: Will CPOR Incentives be changing?

A: OSU (renamed Microsoft Commercial Incentive (MCI)) FY24 incentive overviews: Microsoft Commerce Incentive Resources

Q: Will the FastTrack customer/workload claiming process be the same? Or what happens when we receive a referral/or want to onboard a customer?

A: The CPOR claiming process is not changing. The process will be the same in the new program year. Customer signature required, etc.

Q: If a partner has a CPOR claim for other services (but not Intune specifically) and if no other partner has claims on the tenant, would the RFAs come to the partner with the existing claims?

A: If an RFA comes in, we assess language/location, segment, endorsement, existing relationship (in that order). If the Intune RFA arrives and your firm is endorsed and you have an existing relationship with that customer for another service, like SPO, you would receive the Intune RFA. If you did not have the Intune endorsement, we would introduce a new partner that does have the endorsement.

Endorsement​

Q: Are the customers that we are view the only ones that match with our specialization or can we see all the workloads of that customer?

A: Our data access policies are not changing. As a FastTrack Partner, you will have access to all of the M365 usage information for any customer you have and approved association for. If they are available to you in FastTrack Partner Experience, you will be able to see all of their usage info, etc. This is a HUGE value prop of being in our program.

Q: Are the endorsements that are currently shown on our Community Portal today being updated in October or are these our endorsements going forward?

A: Most endorsements are updated weekly according to the Specialization data fed to our system. If a partner earns a Specialization, the corresponding endorsement will show in the Community Portal within one week. Similarly, if a partner loses a Specialization, the endorsement will also be removed from the profile.

If the endorsement is instead relying on custom criteria, there are different refresh cycles for the various data, but it is all updated quarterly. If a partner is expecting an endorsement but does not see it in the Community Profile, please contact your PSM or file a Support ticket.

FastTrack Benefit​

Q: In the case where the partner is not part of FPC is there any impact on FRP Benefits and programs?

A: If partners are not in our program community, they will not have access to the benefits or obligations. They are not eligible for referrals, nor can they redeem deployment offer vouchers.
 

Q: Is FastTrack Viva included in FY24?

A: Yes, all Viva modules will be included in the FT Benefit.

Q: FTOP will update with new workloads?

A: If you mean will FTOP show Viva Glint when it is included in the Benefit, the answer is yes. We add services to FTOP as they are approved to be included in the FT Benefit.

FPX​

Q: Are FPX issues handled by Partner Center Support team or by FastTrack Support?

A: FPX is part of the FastTrack Partner Community. Please use the existing articles in the knowledge base to look for answers, or reach out to your PSM.

Q: Regarding the FPX/Insights, today it shows 6 months of data (unless going into the dashboard) and shows potential earning which is false if a customer used the workload and then removed it, will that be fixed?

A: The FPX does not display six months of data. We plan to bring historical data into the FPX in a future release. Potential earnings are being removed from the FPX while it’s being updated to incorporate the new High-Water Mark (HWM) logic.

Incentives and QTM​

Q: With the change of the High-Water Mark to 300 seats and the Fast Track Program supporting customers with more than 150 seats, how will partners gain incentives with customers with 200 seats who engage in Fast Track?

A: Partner members of the FastTrack Ready Program within the FastTrack Partner Community have agreed, by signing the T&Cs, to deliver the benefit to customers with 150+ seats at no cost to the client. It is correct that there are no Online Services Usage incentives for clients below 300 seats, however, we encourage partners who can offer value-added services for work that falls outside of the FastTrack Benefit Delivery.

Q: Will FRP-only incentive programs be available at a global level as a global partner or is that regional as it is now?

A: Incentives remain at a global level.

Q: For the voucher program, if the voucher has already been offered to the customer and they reach out to you as the FT partner to use as services credit, can you work with the customer?

A: The voucher tells the customer they can only redeem it through one of our Partners and points them to the list of partners. They will then contact the partner of their choice and give the partner their voucher information to be redeemed.

Q: With the overall change to the Fast Track Program, FT delivery and many of the workloads no longer have incentives, will all Security & MW partners get the same referrals and pay rate for referred customers as Fast Track partners?

A: We are investing in supporting the sale of value-added services to customers to make it more likely for partners to monetize a customer referral.

Only FastTrack Partners will receive referrals from our program. FPC partners have access to enhanced customer usage and licensing data, FT SME support, FT Partner Manager support, and exclusive access to programs like the Modern Work Deployment offer.

After October 1, 2023 all FastTrack-specific incentives ceased to exist. The FastTrack Benefit remains important, though it is being revised. FastTrack Ready Partners must agree to execute the Benefit for RFA's.
Note: There is no specific incentive for delivering the benefit. The value is in the referral and the cost of customer acquisition is the delivery of the benefit outcome.
 

Onboarding​

Q: For initial onboarding, where can we go for some help? Onboarding has been delayed.

A: Please reach out to PXPartnerOnboarding@microsoft.com

Partner Center​

Q: Will there be a separate Business Profile that will be distinct to FastTrack vs the main business profile for the rest of the business?

A: No, there is just one profile in Partner Center, and we do not have a plan to request an FPC-specific profile.

Q: Where can I configure the language? In the Partner Center business profile I do not see an option.

A: The capability is not in the profile, so we will collect that data as a separate activity. We would prefer to have it all in one place and will see what we can do to get Partner Center to add the capability.

Q: When are reports available in Partner Center?

A: Please talk to your PSM about the specific reports you are looking for. You will be able to find customer information and referrals in the FPX.

Q: Please provide specifics on Business Profile in Partner Center updates.

A: Please review this article in the Knowledge Base on the FastTrack Community Portal.

Referral​

Q: Will the Fast Track customer/workload claiming process be the same? Or what happens when we receive a referral?

A: The process remains the same. You must claim the customer in CPOR for workloads that you have endorsements for. To understand the referral process, please review the Referral FAQ to understand the referral delivery process.

Q: Currently when we get a referral, the information we receive and what the customer actually wants done can be different. I would like to see the MS consultants and Sales get more training on what is actually in scope for FastTrack.

A: Thanks for the feedback, we recognize that this has been a challenge with referrals. We are implementing, in the coming months, processes to improve this situation. I do expect to see improvement in this area significantly.

Q: How do we submit "preference" of referrals (from the language and/or workload perspective)? Is it through PSM or can the partner submit themselves?

A: Partner Business Profile in Partner Center will be used for Industry (Edu/Nonprofit/Gov) and seat size. PSMs will support partners in October to opt into language. Partners will be able to opt-in to “countries covered” directly in the profile. Specific steps to take coming soon!

Q: If a partner is assigned a referral/RFA from a customer who has an active AE/CSAM and the accounts team hasn't been made aware of the new program or messaging, can the accounts team then choose to have the request/referral assigned to internal FastTrack?

A: The policy is that for either the customer or field, preference is not grounds for reassignment of a referral to FastTrack Direct resources. There are scenarios that could lead to reassignment, but if that happens it will be to a different partner, not to FT Direct. This is the policy we are currently operating under and enforcing.

Q: Will the new messaging and program scope still apply to internal FastTrack resources not assigned to S2200 customers?

A: The FT Benefit description and required changes to the FT Playbook and associated expectations are already being conveyed to the FT Direct delivery team. FastTrack has increased their focus on customer self-serve and automation to improve ROI for FT Direct as well as FPC Partners. The Strategic 2000 customers with FTAs assigned will continue to receive a differentiated engagement experience, which is by design. FTAs will start to pull partners into more engagements this year. We are in the process of landing the partner program changes with FT Direct and the FTAs to avoid confusion. This is the best alignment we have had in the last 6 years of the program.

Q: How will partners handle any objections from accounts teams who don't understand the changes to the program (or are not aware)? 
A: When you run into objections or confusion from the Microsoft field, please engage your PSM to reiterate the program changes and updated expectations. We want to support you in these conversations as well as identifying areas where we need to do more field education.

Q: Will the preferences be reflected when the assignment team assign the referrals to a specific partner? E.g., the Field team/FTA thinks Partner A is a match to a referral and recommends a customer to Partner A when they nominate this referral.

A: We will leverage our referral matching business logic to make partner assignments. If the Field, or customer, has a specific partner preference, they should contact that partner directly to engage rather than following the RFA process.

Q: Will you consider resellers/non-resellers when using the Round Robin rules for referrals?

A: Only partners that are in the FPC community are eligible to receive referrals. The Round Robin approach looks at the pool of partners that are "eligible" for that specific customer need and we assign the referral to the partner that has not received a referral in the longest time of that group. 

Q: We were in the process of becoming referral-ready when the changes started. We are looking at what is needed to become referral ready. Is there any documentation or anything we get to see what steps are needed under the new program?

A: Please review this article on the Knowledge Base and meet with your PSM.

Q: Has the rate card for the workloads been released for when we achieve the HWM for a customer?

A: The rate card will be updated to reflect on achieving the High-Water Mark when the new FastTrack Partner Community Terms and Conditions are available at the beginning of October. The link to OSU (now MCI) info for their FY24 incentives overviews: Microsoft Commerce Incentive Resources

Q: Is there a way we can set a minimum seat size for referrals? For example, only clients with over 300 seats?

A: We use the Partner Center business profile for this analysis and there is some capability built in to help with this.

Q: Are RFAs going to be published in Partner Center so that we can keep track of what we get throughout the year? Maybe integrated with the buttons capabilities that we are currently getting on emails.

A: This can be found in the Referrals tab within FPX. Please review this article.

Q: Are non-incentives referrals still a thing in FY24 or it's going to be Standard Referrals and Benefit Referrals the only two kind of referrals we'll be getting?

A: All referrals are assumed to be non-incentive and we will not be checking incentive eligibility. There are a variety of incentives available and the referral may well qualify; if so, you will be eligible to make the claim and earn the incentive. We are just not checking before sending the referral. If there is incentive eligibility that is a bonus for you.

Q: Do we get any referrals through emails?

A: Please review the Referral FAQ to understand the referral delivery process.

SMC​

Intune

Q: Intune Go Back means, Intune Adoption Increase or launching Intune with a new name?

A: This is intended to increase adoption for customers that own Intune but have low usage and leverage that as a conversation starter to re-engage the customer and bring value.

Q: What does Microsoft consider an SMC customer? Is there a seat count or just if an account is unmanaged?

A: SMC Corporate segment at Microsoft typically represents customers with 300-10000 seats.

Q: Intune Go Back Campaign, do you have to have the specialization?

A: For the SMC program we are using data informed lists rather than soliciting partner input. However, you should be able to invite your customers to the workshops if you think that will be helpful for them. Also, we will not send a referral to a partner that does not have the required endorsement/specialization.

Q: Which CSI engagement should be used for Intune usage expansion?

A: MCI Engagements are mostly Microsoft demand driven. Partners cannot nominate customers for pilots and there are no MW or Security BIW.

T&Cs​

Q: If today a partner is part of CSI (FY23 MSSP) but not FPC, does this mean they will be invited to onboard?

A: Yes.

Q: When will the FastTrack Partner Community T&Cs be sent out?

A: Invitations to join as FastTrack Partner Community member and accept the FastTrack Partner Community Terms and Conditions will go out October 2, 2023.

Q: We need to ensure customer-facing Microsoft employees understand the scope of FastTrack Ready intricately. We've had examples of over promising from Microsoft sellers or technical SMEs recommending a FastTrack Ready Partner to overcome roadblocks or hurdles which are way outside the standard scope. We're always happy to help where we can, but it can lead to awkward conversations with customers around the exact scope and where we can and can't cover work under the FastTrack Ready Benefit. How can this be improved?

A: We have seen this and it continues to be an area that we try to address through Field training. I believe we are making significant progress this year with the Benefit Description updates, etc. We will continue to invest in this area.

Q: Are there plans to improve missing workload reporting? Sometimes another partner claimed and when we take workloads back it takes a long time to get the claim approved and see data to fully understand potential.

A: There are no current plans to change this. In the FPX, a partner will see workloads they have claimed and unclaimed workloads. Workloads claimed by another partner will not appear on the list. All workloads are available in the FRP Dashboard as long as one workload has an approved claim or referral assignment.

Q: Do we need to actively go in and sign or accept new FPC T&Cs for FY24 or reviewing them is enough?

A: The changes are so large this year we are asking partners to explicitly accept the new FastTrack Partner Community Terms and Conditions. You need to sign them. Moving forward they will work like always and your acceptance will be assumed unless you explicitly opt out.

Q: Any partners recently onboarded as MSSP or FRSP FastTrack partners will essentially become FastTrack Partner Community members by accepting the new FastTrack Partner Community Terms and Conditions, FPC supersedes FRSP and MSSP FastTrack status?

A: Yes.

Q: To be clear, existing FRP Partners will automatically be part of FastTrack Ready Partner Opt-In?

A: You must re-sign the FRP T&Cs in October 2023.