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Commit 6b4d4c27 authored by Ancil McBarnett's avatar Ancil McBarnett
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Updated Success Plans descriptions and process in the SA Handbook

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content/handbook/customer-success/csm/success-plans/_index.md
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The success plan starts during the pre-sales phase, driven by the [Solutions Architect](/handbook/customer-success/account-team/#solutions-architect-sa). Throughout the product evaluation process the SA and the [Account Executive](/handbook/customer-success/account-team/#strategic-account-executive-sae--account-executive-ae) define customer objectives, and use these to demonstrate GitLab value aligned to these objectives. The SA documents these [objectives](#customer-objectives) in the [success plan slide deck](#success-plan-slide-deck) with all of the requisite details. This information is part of what is used for a [Proof of Value](/handbook/solutions-architects/tools-and-resources/pov/), and ensures that we have a clear understanding of the customer’s needed business outcomes.
To understand the full process between Pre-sales and Post-sales, please read about the [mutual customer success plan process](/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/customer-success-plan/).
### Post-sales transition
Once the AE and SA close a customer, the transition to post-sales takes place. The customer goes through [onboarding](/handbook/customer-success/csm/onboarding/), during which the CSM uses the success plan to outline a plan for adoption and aligns with the customer on the details of this plan. This includes a review of the already-listed objectives to ensure accuracy and initiatives for each of those objectives related to enablement, implementation, and other actions needed for the customer to achieve their objectives using GitLab.
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content/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/_index.md
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[Technical Close Plan](/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/technical-close-plan/)
[Mutual Customer Success Plan](/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/customer-success-plan/)
[Business Value Consulting](/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/business-value-consulting/)
content/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/customer-success-plan/_index.md 0 → 100644
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---
title: Customer Success Plan
description: A Customer Success Plan is a customer-facing and mutually agreed roadmap for achieving value through GitLab adoption. This is an outcome of collaboration between GitLab Solution Architecture and the customer with the primary objective of ensuring customers are successful. The process is designed to support shifting from product scoped conversations (focusing on specific features or functions and limited to a specific subset of DevSecOps stages) towards solution (addressing specific pain points) or strategic (shaping business outcomes through holistic organizational process innovation and transformation tied to top strategic initiatives ) scopes. This Success Plan starts in the pre-sales process and is intended to carry through to the post-sales Success Plan. The Customer Success Plan is intended to be dynamic and should therefore be regularly reviewed on an agreed-upon cadence.
---
## What is the Mutual Customer Success Plan
The [**Mutual Customer Success Plan Template**](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VCzXDiwJAwLu9e_JKTWCFkKbbviUWbtRySyTs75Uldc/edit#slide=id.g2a9229693f5_0_5) is a merging of the [Pre Sales Customer Success Plan](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1npyhUebp68YkccLlJP5R_6gmtQjfELpB1mBGWfroVmY/edit#slide=id.g24cd733349c_7_898) and the [Post Sales CSM Customer Success Plan template](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1T-Y2WJ-mRqGey7b1YQMTKE3tVbBTnyY3a9HzaOpxPQ4/edit#slide=id.g27c03c31d08_1_500). It contains the following:
- Customer Background
- Elements from the Technical Close Plan i.e.
- Customer Business Outcomes
- Key Business stakeholders
- Current and Desired State/ Workflows
- Technical Activities Planned or Completed
- Technical Evaluation Plan List
- Customer Phased Success plan & Adoption Journey
- Proposed Initiatives and Milestones
Please use the [**Mutual Customer Success Plan Template**](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VCzXDiwJAwLu9e_JKTWCFkKbbviUWbtRySyTs75Uldc/edit#slide=id.g2a9229693f5_0_5) for all Strategic and Enterprise opporttunities.
Please use the [**Commercial Customer Success Plan Template**](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18D2cGJKH5_qIPBwcoy24ORfiBNqw_sKr9VGnOxeqwOc/edit#slide=id.g24cd733349c_7_898) for all High Velocity or Commercial opportunities.
## Why Use a Mutual Customer Success Plan (CSP)
### Primary Objectives
As a follow on to the [Technical Close Plan process](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/technical-close-plan/), the Technical Close Plan can be converted into, or utilized as a Mutual Customer Success Plan, with these aims:
1. For the **Customer**: To be prescriptive on a phased successful adoption of GitLab, including architecture recommendations, deployment, migration, integration, onboarding users and applications at scale, along with recommendations for any automation processes as well as dashboards and monitoring. As an SA you should always collaborate with the customer, to create the Mutual Success plan and help them understand, preliminary, what is involved in adopting GitLab as their AI powered DevSecOps Unified Platform, from not only a technological or deployment pont of view, but from a people and process point of view.
2. For the **Customer Success Manager (CSM)**: Collaborate with CSMs for all deals over the appropriate threshold (current 300k Net ARR), as it transitions from pre to post sales. It is important to provide the CSMs with all the relevant context as they take over the relationship. As an SA, you collaborate with the CSM to help them understand the customer's objectives and milestones for the next 30, 60, 90 days as well as for the next 6 months. The CSM can then formulate a cadence and enablement plan. The CSM will be responsible to update and maintain the Mutual Customer Success Plan after the sale. It will serve as a customer facing document, helping to facilitate the customer achieving their initiatives, and objectives.
3. For the **Professional Services Team**: Present the Customer Success Plan with the scope of initiatives that can be used to determine a Statement of Work.
4. For the **Go To Market Team**: When a GitLab executive sponsor or anyone in the GTM or customer support needs to be engaged, the Mutual CSP acts as a source of truth to provide context between the customer's and Gitlab's interactions.
## When to Create a Mutual Customer Success Plan
A Mutual Customer Success Plan should be initiated once the opportunity has completed Stage-3 Technical Evaluation, with a technical win. This is when an SA begins to prescibe what woukld a phased adption and customer adoptuon journey looks like, in collaboration wih the customer.
### Which Opportunities Should Have a Mutual Customer Success Plan?
1. All opportunities with an [SA Validated Tech Evaluation](/handbook/solutions-architects/processes/activity-capture/#sa-specific-opportunity-fields)
2. First Order opportunities for accounts with [LAM](/handbook/sales/field-operations/sales-systems/gtm-technical-documentation/#landed-addressable-market-lam) over $2M in Proposal stage (Stage-4) and beyond.
3. All New or Growth Opportunities over $300k net ARR, in Proposal stage (Stage-4) and beyond. *(The SA is the DRI, which is handed over to the CSM)*
4. All existing customers with upcoming Renewals, over $300k in ARR basis. *(The CSM is the DRI, to create a Mutual Customer Success Plan. In these cases the SA may optionally create a Technical Close Plan to capture necessary context if one did not exist, or add to the CSM's Mutual Customer Success Plan as needed.)*
SA Managers have discretion for additional opportunities to be included or excluded
## How Does This Differ From a Technical Close Plan
In many instances, the Technical Close Plan can be used as-is for a Customer Success Plan, where the only real difference is the timing.
In other cases, there may be additional adoption information to capture, like other known tools, migration plan, adoption plan, adoption risks, etc.
There also may be parts of the original Technical Close Plan that are no longer relevant to share with the customer, like internal relationship notes, sales or GitLab terminology, or mitigated risks.
Here is a quick reference on what content elements are in a Technical Close Plan vs. a Customer Success Plan:
||**Content Element**|**Technical Close Plan**|**Champion’s Deck/ Proposal**|**Mutual Customer Success Plan**|**Kick Off Call/ Onboarding EBR**|
|--|--|--|--|--|--|
|1.|Company Background|X||X||
|2.|What Have We Heard||X|X||
|3.|Key Stakeholders/ Project Team|X||X|X|
|4.|Business Outcomes/ Strategic Initiatives|X|X|X|X|
|5.|Current & Proposed Workflow Diagrams|X|X|X|X|
|6.|Applications & Use Cases/ Risks & Mitigations|X||X|X|
|7.|Activities Planned/ Completed|X||X||
|8.|Technical Evaluation Plan & Activities|X||||
|9.|Value Outcome Map/ Metrics|X|X|X|X|
|10.|Economics/ Pricing||X|||
|11.|Users/ What was bought/ recommended||X|X|X|
|12.|Phased Success Plan and Adoption Journey|||X|X|
|13.|Outcomes, Objectives & Activities - Bus/Technical Milestones (3/6/12 month)|||X|X|
|14.|Enablement Plan|||X||
|15.|Architecture Notes:Producer (Deployment, Configuration, Integration); Consumer (Onboarding, Management,Monitoring)|||X||
### At a High Level What is the Customer Success Plan Process
The Customer Success Plan process is outlined [here](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/solutions-architects/processes/#customer-success-plan).
Please pay attention to the responsibility of the SA to update the opportunity in Sales Force with the Customer Success Plan URL as appropriate.
### How To Build a Technical Close Plan and Transition to a Customer Success Plan
Let's describe in more detail the Day on the Life of an SA, as you progress through a opportunity and how do you build a Technical Close Plan and transition to a Customer Success Plan.
1. **Technical Close Plan** **(Stage-1:Discovery to Stage-3:Technical Validation )**
- **Meeting 1 -Discovery** - Discover the Desired ~~Challenge~~ Outcome [Why Change?]
- Research and confirm **"1. Company Background"**
- Understand who are the **"3. Key Stakeholders"**:
1. Executive Decision Maker/ Economic Buyer,
2. Technical Champion/Coach/ Buyer,
3. Process or Operational Owner, and get introductions
- Ask about the **"4. Business Outcomes/ Strategic Initiatives"**
- Start Discovery on any Tool Chain per Stage/ Processes etc.
- Whiteboard or Present very high level GitLab value
- After Meeting create a Technical Close Plan with
- **"1. Company Background"**
- **"2. What We have Heard"**
- **"3. Key Stakeholders"**
- **"4. Business Outcomes/ Strategic Initiatives"**
- **VERY IMPORTANT: Update the Technical Close Plan URL in the opportunity in Sales Force.**
- If you don't have any of the above information, because most of the time was spent answering the customer's technical questions, schedule another discovery meeting to gather the info.
- Next Steps:
- Current and Desired Workflow Discussion
- Can also do a brief "Drive by" Demo, which is a shr=ort 5 minute demo to faciliate more discovery
- **Meeting 2 -Scope** - Scope the Workflows to Achieve Desired Outcomes [Why Now?]
- Present **"2. What We have Heard"** so far
- Continue any Discovery on any Tool Chain per Stage/ Processes etc. that would form the foundation of a **"5. Current and Proposed Workflow Diagrams"**
- Ask about all **"6. Applications & Use Cases/ Risks & Mitigations"** if all desired Use Cases are not accomplished.
- Present or Whiteboard GitLab Use cases and Value
- After Meeting update the Technical Close Plan with
- **"2. What We have Heard"**
- **"5. Current and Proposed Workflow Diagrams"**
- **"6. Applications & Use Cases/ Risks & Mitigations"**
- Start a **"8. Technical Evaluation Plan & Activities"** on what will be done to achieve a Technical Win and Decision.
- Next Steps:
- Present Current and Desired Workflow Diagrams
- Optional (Propose Workshop or Demo).
- **Meeting 3 -Scope** - Qualify the Value [Why GitLab?]
- For Meeting Prep, work with your Account Executive, to shore up **"2. What We have Heard"** so far.
- Start to develop your **"8. Technical Evaluation Plan & Activities"**, that is, what exactly will be done to achieve a Technical Win and Decision.
- During the third meeting Present an updated **"2. What We have Heard"** so far
- Present the **"5. Current and Proposed Workflow Diagrams"** and solicit feedback and discussion.
- Present the **"6. Applications & Use Cases/ Risks & Mitigations"** and solicit feedback and discussion.
- Make sure the customer understands our value in meeting their outcomes and processes.
- Determine how a Technical Decision would be made and document in **"8. Technical Evaluation Plan & Activities"**. Get agreement from Customer on the path to making a Technical Decision.
- Next Steps:
- SA and AE to propose the next steps for Business and Technical Validation: Workshop/ Demo/ POV/ Value Stream Workshop/ Business Value Assessment
- **Meeting 4 - Business & Technical Validation Activities** - Validate the Business and Technical Value
- For Meeting Prep, work with your Account Executive, review the **"8. Technical Close Plan Activities"** on what will be done to achieve a Technical Win and Decision.
- Conduct your [Technical Evaluation Plan and Activities](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1GnUqWluULPz_rJmwK2mno3KbzYcu1kM11tXTAZXivkg/edit#slide=id.g12b319f6181_0_0) as was decided between GitLab and the customer, e.g. Workshop, POV, Demo, Reverse Demo, Day in the Life
- Update **"7.Activities Planned/ Completed"** in the Technical Close Plan
- After the Technical Win, create a **"9. Value Outcome Map/ Metrics"**, that traces the Customer's Outcomes to be achieved, with their Strategic Initiatives, mapped to GitLab's capability and what value will it bring. This would be used in the proposal.
- Next Steps:
- After securing Technical Win, work with AE on a Proposal
- Initiate the Customer Success Plan (see below)
2. **Mutual Customer Success Plan** **(Stage-3:Completed )**
- Once Technical Validation is completed, initiate and complete. the [Mutual Customer Success plan](vhttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VCzXDiwJAwLu9e_JKTWCFkKbbviUWbtRySyTs75Uldc/edit#slide=id.g2a9229693f5_0_5) with the Following elements from the Technical Close Plan
- **"1. Company Background"**
- **"2. What We have Heard"**
- **"3. Key Stakeholders"**
- **"4. Business Outcomes/ Strategic Initiatives"**
- **"5. Current and Proposed Workflow Diagrams"**
- **"6. Applications & Use Cases/ Risks & Mitigations"**
- **"7.Activities Planned/ Completed"**
- **"9. Value Outcome Map/ Metrics"**
- **VERY IMPORTANT: Update the Customer Success Plan URL in the opportunity in Sales Force.**
3. **Meeting 5 -Proposal** - **(Stage-4:Proposal and beyond )** - Proposal and Recommendations to Achieve Customer's Outcome
- Prep with your AE on a Proposal/ Champions Deck that includes the following from the Technical Close Plan
- **"2. What We have Heard"**
- **"4. Business Outcomes/ Strategic Initiatives"**
- **"5. Current and Proposed Workflow Diagrams"**
- **"9. Value Outcome Map/ Metrics"**
- After Proposal Presentation, continue to update and complete the [Mutual Customer Success plan](vhttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VCzXDiwJAwLu9e_JKTWCFkKbbviUWbtRySyTs75Uldc/edit#slide=id.g2a9229693f5_0_5)
- **VERY IMPORTANT: Update the Customer Success Plan URL in the opportunity in Sales Force.**
- Next Steps:
- While Negotiation occurs, As the SA, set up meetings with the customer and with the CSM to add the following to the Mutual Customer Success Plan:
- **"11. Users/ What was bought/ recommended"**
- **"12. Phased Success Plan and Adoption Journey"**
- **"13. Outcomes, Objectives & Activities - Bus/Technical Milestones (3/6/12 month)"**
- **"15. Architecture Notes:Producer (Deployment, Configuration, Integration); Consumer (Onboarding, Management,Monitoring)"**
4. **Mutual Customer Success Plan handoff to CSM for over 300k/ Or AE and SA maintain after close**
- The CSM would take the Success Plan started by the SA and add or update the following:
- **"13. Outcomes, Objectives & Activities - Bus/Technical Milestones (3/6/12 month)"**
- **"14. Enablement Plan"**
- The CSM for Renewal opportunities with ARR basis over 300k may also start a Mutual CSP from **"13. Outcomes, Objectives & Activities - Bus/Technical Milestones (3/6/12 month)"**.
- In those cases, CSM is the one responsible to **update the Customer Success Plan URL in the Renewal opportunity in Sales Force.**
- The SA may optionally create a Technical Close Plan after the fact to add all he remaining context, to understand why was GitLab bought previously and what was the customer's expectation of value from Gitlab
- In addition the CSM, when conducting cadences with the Customer, is expected record the following in the Mutual Customer Success Plan:
||**Content Element**|**Technical Close Plan**|**Champion’s Deck/ Proposal**|**Mutual Success Plan**|**Kick Off Call/ Onboarding EBR**|
|--|--|--|--|--|--|
|1.|Utilization per Features/ Capabilities|||Update Utilization upon Cadence|X|
|2.|Use Case Adoption in Prod|||Update Use Case Adoption upon Cadence|X|
|3.|Support Tickets/ Enhancements/ issues|||Update Tickets/ Issues upon Cadence|X|
|4.|OnGoing/ Planned Initiatives w/ Status|||Update Milestones upon Cadence|X|
|5.|Outcome/ Metric Updates|||Update Metrics/ Customer upon Cadence|X|
|6.|PS SOWs and RunBook|||Attached|X|
### The CSM and the Customer Success Plan
[Click here to learn more about the CSM's responsibity with respect to Customer Success Plans](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/customer-success/csm/success-plans/).
## Resources
This [Google Drive Folder](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1Bl6I8XCzjhJsr2qIxKPvFpgxYrQFwR9U) contains the [Mutual Customer Success Plan](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VCzXDiwJAwLu9e_JKTWCFkKbbviUWbtRySyTs75Uldc/edit#slide=id.g2a9229693f5_0_5) starting template, an [instructional walkthrough](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-siKID2qN_HN3X2CirGSAirAsFcUsJ_t/view), and example Customer Success Plans for [Ultimate](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/16qs1aWshwzMViPN7esP9yvRt4KyJBAfTHxuW1x4NOcs/edit#slide=id.g2a63ef65412_0_150) and [Dedicated](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1n-YodJE6ZGOJ1LTT53Vk6PwwOlBf0h-XvVAVotTonf8/edit#slide=id.g24cd733349c_7_898) as a reference.
content/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/technical-close-plan/_index.md
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A Technical Close Plan is primarily focused on opportunity rigor by capturing customer business outcomes and a plan to meet their needs, whereas a Customer Success Plan is primarily focused on successful customer adoption of GitLab after successfully evaluating GitLab against their needs.
As both are customer-centric, the Technical Close Plan can and should feed into a Customer Success Plan. See [Converting to a Customer Success Plan](#converting-to-a-customer-success-plan) for more information.
As both are customer-centric, the Technical Close Plan can and should feed into a Customer Success Plan. See [Converting to a Customer Success Plan](https://handbook.gitlab.com/handbook/solutions-architects/sa-practices/customer-success-plan/#how-does-this-differ-from-a-technical-close-plan) for more information.
![Sales Process](sales-process.png)
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## Regular Review
Since the Technical Close Plan is used to progress a technical evaluation, the scope and definition could be fluid. It's important to regularly review the plan during 1:1s, account plans, and opportunity consults.
## Converting to a Customer Success Plan
In many instances, the Technical Close Plan can be used as-is for a Customer Success Plan, where the only real difference is the timing.
In other cases, there may be additional adoption information to capture, like other known tools, migration plan, adoption plan, adoption risks, etc.
There also may be parts of the original Technical Close Plan that are no longer relevant to share with the customer, like internal relationship notes, sales or GitLab terminology, or mitigated risks.
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