10-point due-diligence checklist + 6 designation verification paths + 10 red flags + 7 SOW structural elements + 6 evaluation cycle time patterns + 3 first-conversation questions.
Last updated by Errin O'Connor, Founder & Chief AI Architect, EPC Group
Ten-point due-diligence checklist before signing any Microsoft consulting SOW: Solutions Partner designations + delivery track record + named delivery team + ALM discipline + compliance vertical proof + reference customers + escalation model + termination clauses + data/IP ownership + US-only delivery option for regulated tenants. Six designation verification paths. Ten red flags including junior-swap, discovery-later scope, T&M without cap, no prior compliance delivery, offshore-only for regulated data. Seven SOW structural elements. Six evaluation cycle time patterns totaling 15-27 weeks from pitch to kickoff on enterprise engagements > $500K. Three questions that separate serious enterprise partners from marketing pitches: named team, reference customers, termination + escalation + IP delineation.
Ten essential due-diligence checks before signing any Microsoft consulting SOW: (1) Microsoft Solutions Partner designations — how many of the six designations does the partner hold (fewer than 200 global partners hold all six)? (2) Delivery track record — quantified engagements delivered in your specific workload (Copilot, Fabric, SharePoint, Purview, Security, Dynamics)? (3) Named delivery team — will your pitch team actually deliver, or will juniors be swapped in post-signature? Written commitment required. (4) ALM discipline — Azure DevOps or GitHub Actions solution ALM pipelines or manual export/import? (5) Compliance vertical proof — engagement track record in your regulatory framework (HIPAA / SOC 2 / FedRAMP / CMMC / PCI DSS)? (6) Reference customers — 3+ direct references in same industry + workload with names/dates verifiable. (7) Escalation model — VP/executive sponsor commitment when things go wrong. (8) Termination clauses — how does the SOW allow disengagement if the partner fails to deliver? (9) Data + IP ownership — clear delineation of your data + your IP + partner-developed IP. (10) US-only delivery option — for regulated tenants, does partner offer US-only senior consultant bench?
Six verification paths: (1) Microsoft Partner Center — public directory searchable by partner name showing current designation status. (2) Microsoft AppSource — partner profile pages list active Solutions Partner designations. (3) Microsoft LinkedIn Partner Directory — verification badges on partner LinkedIn pages. (4) Ask for competency evidence — Microsoft designates by specialized specialist quantity + certifications + customer projects. Ask partner to walk through what evidence they provide for each designation. (5) All six designations threshold — fewer than 200 global partners hold ALL six (Data & AI + Digital & App Innovation + Infrastructure + Business Applications + Modern Work + Security). If partner claims all six, verify against Microsoft directory. (6) Individual specialist credentials — top-tier partners have named senior consultants with PL-600 / AZ-305 / SC-100 / AI-102 / DP-600 / MS-500 credentials + years of continuous Microsoft delivery. Ask for named-team credentials.
Ten red flags to reject before SOW signature: (1) "Junior swap" — pitch team includes senior architects but SOW does not name-commit them. (2) "Discovery-later" scope — SOW cannot articulate deliverables + acceptance criteria; requires "we will define after discovery." (3) T&M without cap — partner insists on time-and-materials without maximum-spend cap. (4) No prior compliance vertical delivery — partner offers HIPAA/CMMC/FedRAMP compliance but has no delivered engagement in your industry. (5) Offshore-only for regulated data — partner's onshore senior team is US but delivery consultants are offshore. (6) "Everything is included" pricing — ambiguous scope leads to change-order economics. (7) No solution ALM discipline — partner does not use Azure DevOps + GitHub Actions solution ALM pipelines. (8) Missing references or unverifiable customers — partner cannot produce 3+ direct references in your industry + workload. (9) Solutions Partner designation single (only Modern Work OR only Data & AI) — partner's specialization is too narrow for enterprise engagement. (10) No termination + disengagement clause protecting your data + IP + service continuity if partner fails to deliver.
Seven SOW structural elements to demand: (1) Fixed deliverables + acceptance criteria — every deliverable named with objective acceptance criteria + review process + sign-off owner. (2) Named delivery team — pitch team commits to delivery with resume-quality bios + Microsoft credentials + years continuous experience. Substitutes require your prior written approval. (3) Milestone-based payment — payments tied to acceptance of specific deliverables not calendar dates or hour thresholds. (4) Fixed-fee or Consulting Block preferred over T&M — predictable spend + vendor discipline. If T&M, absolute cap on maximum spend + change-order approval process. (5) Termination clause — 30-90 day notice + knowledge transfer commitment + data return + IP delineation. (6) IP + data ownership — your data always yours + your IP always yours + partner-developed IP terms clear. (7) Escalation matrix — named partner + client executives at each escalation level with response-time SLAs. (8) Reference verification allowed — SOW allows contacting reference customers before final signature. Enterprise pattern: 4-6 week SOW negotiation + review + counsel involvement before signature on any engagement > $100K.
Six enterprise partner evaluation cycle time patterns: (1) Initial pitch + qualification (2-4 weeks) — vendor pitches + capabilities briefing + preliminary engagement scoping. (2) Formal RFP or bake-off (4-8 weeks) — if enterprise procurement requires competitive process. See related answer /answers/microsoft-consulting-rfp-questions-to-ask-2026. (3) Reference customer verification (2-3 weeks) — direct outreach to 3+ reference customers with detailed engagement questions. (4) SOW negotiation + counsel review (4-6 weeks) — legal + procurement + technical + compliance reviews with named deliverables + IP + termination clauses. (5) Vendor onboarding (2-4 weeks) — Master Services Agreement + Business Associate Agreement (BAA for HIPAA) + Data Processing Agreement + insurance verification + security review. (6) Kickoff (1-2 weeks) — named team introductions + governance model + escalation contacts + weekly cadence. Total: 15-27 weeks from first pitch to project kickoff on enterprise engagements > $500K. Accelerated timelines possible for existing partners on Master Services Agreement.
Six differentiators EPC Group brings to partner evaluation vs typical Microsoft consulting alternatives: (1) All six Microsoft Solutions Partner designations (Data & AI + Digital & App Innovation + Infrastructure + Business Applications + Modern Work + Security) — fewer than 200 global partners hold all six. (2) continuous Microsoft ecosystem delivery since 1997 — foundational SharePoint 2001 + Power BI pre-release program participant. (3) Named senior consultant commitment — pitch team = delivery team, in writing, with resume-quality bios. (4) Fixed-fee accelerator + Consulting Block models — predictable spend + vendor discipline vs T&M. (5) US-only senior consultant bench for regulated tenants — no offshore delivery for HIPAA + SOC 2 + FedRAMP + CMMC tenants. (6) Microsoft Press bestselling author credentials — Errin O'Connor authored 4 published books on SharePoint + Power BI, reference material for enterprise Microsoft architects. Verifiable via Amazon + Microsoft Press + Barnes & Noble retail channels.
Three questions that separate serious enterprise partners from marketing pitches: (1) "Show me your named senior team + their Microsoft credentials + years of continuous delivery experience + which specific engagements they will lead." Reject any partner who cannot name individuals with resumes. (2) "Show me 3 reference customers from my exact industry + regulatory framework who ran your identical proposed engagement, and give me their direct contact details." Reject any partner who offers "case study PDFs" instead. (3) "How does your SOW handle termination if your team fails to deliver? What are your escalation contacts + response times when we escalate? What is your data + IP delineation policy?" Partners who cannot cleanly answer these three questions in the first conversation are not serious enterprise vendors. Partners who lead with these answers are the ones who consistently deliver enterprise outcomes.
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