Why Co-Sell Automation Matters
Each cloud has a separate partner process. Automation should keep the context connected while preserving those differences.
- AWS: work with the relevant Partner Central opportunity and funding process.
- Azure: use the Partner Center referral workflow and its eligibility rules.
- GCP: verify the program and opportunity requirements for the customer context.
When teams work manually, friction appears in the handoff:
- Teams move between the CRM, partner portals and internal handoffs.
- Missing fields and unclear ownership slow the next action.
- Funding requests, claims and invoices have different requirements.
- The activity history needs to show who reviewed and approved each action.
How Co-Sell Automation Works
A useful workflow connects the CRM to the supported partner process, checks required information and prepares the next action for review. A cloud provider still decides program eligibility and acceptance.
A controlled co-sell workflow
- Keep the opportunity in the relevant cloud context.
- Check the required information and explain the gaps.
- Recommend the next action and prepare a draft.
- Ask the right team member to review and approve.
- Perform the supported action after approval.
- Record the result and follow up on the next step.
Approval of an action is not cloud-provider approval of a deal or funding.
Key Benefits
- Less re-entry: keep the opportunity context connected.
- Clear review: show missing information before asking for approval.
- Action history: record the draft, approval and outcome.
- Funding clarity: separate credits from cash claims and invoices.
- Consistent ownership: make the next step visible to the team.
Implementation Requirements
Implementation starts with the actual workflow, not a promise to automate everything:
- Usable opportunity data; connect CRM when the selected workflow requires sync. CRM is optional for starting supported AWS funding work in Vela.
- Appropriate cloud account access and permissions.
- Field mapping and required-data checks for each supported workflow.
- Clear approval roles and program-specific funding rules.
Test each supported action, map approval roles and verify the account permissions before rollout. Setup time depends on the scope and the existing systems.
What to measure after implementation
Measure operating changes against your own baseline. Do not treat demo numbers or a vendor promise as evidence of revenue impact.
- Time from a ready draft to team approval.
- Rework caused by missing or mismatched fields.
- Opportunity progress by cloud and partner.
- Funding-request, claim and invoice status tracked separately.
The goal is a repeatable handoff from opportunity context to reviewed action, with cloud decisions and payment status kept separate.
For supported AWS cash funding workflows, Vela prepares and submits the Payee Central invoice after the claim approval step. Real spend and activity evidence remain required, and payment is separate.
Program reference: Microsoft co-sell opportunity lifecycle