Partner tiers — certification as channel currency
Tier your partners by how many of their people hold a live credential, with the exact gap to the next tier always visible to both sides.
- Tiers become mechanical and earned, not negotiated
- Every partner can see exactly what they still need
- Headcount is computed by the platform, never self-reported
- Extra requirements — per-track minimums, specialisations — are supported without a schema change
Tiers that are earned, not negotiated
Declare one rule per tier: the certified headcount it needs, plus any extra requirements. A partner's tier is then the highest rule they fully satisfy — mechanical, visible, and the same for everyone.
What counts
Distinct people in the partner organization holding a live credential: issued, not revoked, not expired. Five credentials held by one person are one certified head. The platform computes this; a partner never supplies it.
Extra requirements
Beyond headcount, a rule can require:
- a minimum certified in a specific track,
- a minimum number of active members,
- named specialisations.
A tier is met only when every requirement is met — headcount alone never buys a tier that asks for more.
The gap is the product
The evaluation always reports exactly what is missing — "three more certified people, one more in Security". That sentence is what drives a partner to train their team, and it is why the ladder should be shared, not hidden.
What a tier is not
Commercial channel status. Not accreditation, not a qualification, and not a statement about any individual's competence.
Frequently asked
How is 'certified' counted?
Distinct people in the partner organization holding a live credential — issued, not revoked, and not past its expiry. Five credentials held by one person count as one certified head.
Can a partner report their own numbers?
No. The headcount is computed by the platform from issued credentials. A partner cannot supply it, and the rules themselves are readable only inside the vendor organization that wrote them — a partner never sees your thresholds.
What if a partner meets several tiers?
The highest one they fully satisfy wins. Meeting a headcount alone is not enough when a tier carries extra requirements — every requirement must be met.
Can I stage a change before it takes effect?
Yes. A rule is draft, active or archived, and only active rules move anyone's tier. Draft the new ladder, then activate it.
Is a partner tier a certification?
No. It is commercial channel status describing a company's investment in training. It is not accreditation and says nothing about any individual's competence.
Related guides
Four deeper ways to establish that someone can actually do the work: an adaptive viva, in-product Journey runs, LTI launches from your LMS, and partner tiers that follow certified headcount.
ReadDesign credential templates, issue them to your people, and let anyone verify them at a public link — signed and endorsed by miatz.
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