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Most organizations selling through a channel don\u2019t realize that partner onboarding is not a one-time event but an ongoing activity. This is where partner relationship management software, or PRM software, can greatly help. The purpose of PRM software is to automate four core workflow activities related to partner recruitment, partner engagement, partner enablement and partner management. The major step between partner recruitment and partner engagement is proper onboarding. In this article, we will explore how PRM software can significantly streamline this onboarding activity.\nBefore we explore in detail how PRM software can accomplish this, let\u2019s start with a basic question: What is onboarding, and how can it impact your partner base? Wikipedia defines onboarding as \u201cthe process of bringing a new employee on board, incorporating training and orientation.\u201d Pretty comprehensive\u2014right?\n\nWhen we apply this to channel marketing, \u201cemployee\u201d would refer to employees from the partner organization across marketing, sales, technical and support areas. Since a channel partner is essentially an indirect sales and services organization, getting partner employees on board, trained and oriented to a vendor program is incredibly important in order for the partner to be able to sell successfully. PRM software can play an essential role in these three core areas\u2014onboard, train and orient.\n\nWith this as a backdrop, let\u2019s take a look at how onboarding existing partners is different from onboarding new partners. Then we will discuss how PRM software needs to be able to adapt to a broad range of onboarding-related circumstances. We\u2019ll start with the process of recruiting and onboarding new partners.\n\n\n \t\nNew partner onboarding \u2013 When it comes to onboarding a new partner, the process of engagement starts with partner recruitment campaigns and programs. (While we will not discuss how to drive partner recruitment here, there are multiple articles on the ZINFI website that you can explore on partner recruitment using PRM software.)Let\u2019s assume for the moment that a partner has been recruited, and has been invited to the partner portal to log in and start filling out a new partner agreement form. This is almost always the first step for new partners. Once a partner logs into an existing partner portal, the PRM software needs to be able to show only the forms and contractual agreements that are relevant for this particular partner. That means if a vendor has different agreements for different types of partners distinguished by various competencies or verticals, or by the nature of business they are in\u2014and has different forms that reflect those differences\u2014then the PRM software needs to be intelligent enough to differentiate one partner from another and provide only applicable contracts.Now, once this new partner has signed forms and applied, the partner will have to be approved by the vendor organization, and that may involve various cross-functional teams, such as channel sales, channel operations, channel marketing, marketing, finance and, in some cases, even human resources. If the contract is being modified by the partner, perhaps because it is a very large organization, then legal may also have to be involved.It is almost impossible to manage this process manually using simple email and office software like Word. PRM software not only streamlines this activity significantly, but also keeps a history of all changes. This kind of documentation\u2014which can capture the entire contract negotiation process digitally\u2014may become important later for a variety of legal reasons and historical verification purposes. If your organization should ever need to refer back to what you have agreed upon with your new partners, all of these back-and-forth conversations (as well as the intent of the partnership) will be fully captured in digital form, even if there are personnel changes in the interim. Without PRM software you simply cannot do that.