How will the A-Score Program help me with my Appian Project?

The A-Score Program allows our customers to evaluate an individual’s proficiency in building business solutions in Appian.

Who are you evaluating for A-Scores?

Individual practitioners from partner organizations. Customers and Appian employees are not evaluated.

What do the Appian A-Score Levels mean?  

The simplified A-Score Levels indicate a Partner practitioner’s Appian knowledge, current credential, and relevant customer project experience.

What are Appian Credentials?

Appian Credentials are part of our training program during which practitioners are assessed and tested on their knowledge of Appian. We require each practitioner to maintain an active credential status to ensure that their knowledge of Appian includes recent software releases. Some credentials require exams, while other credentials may include exercises, submission of built applications, or interviews with experts.

What defines relevant experience?

Individuals with recent field experience with Appian customers.  Relevant experience includes:

1. Appian customer implementations that are released into production for a customer by a practitioner’s organization.
2. Is calculated based on accumulated time spent in a hands-on role on an implementation project.
3. Must include at least one (1) validated project go-live on the Appian platform within the past year.

What does the Appian Architect Interview include?

This is a live interview with a staff architect from Appian Professional Services. During the interview, the practitioner must apply his/her knowledge of Appian, similar to a case interview. Practitioners must also demonstrate their ability to lead the delivery of a customer project and consideration for critical aspects of enterprise application development.

Who do I contact if I have questions?

If you have questions about the A-Score Program or ideas for improvement, please contact your Account Executive.

What is the difference between the old A-Score model and new A-Score model?

Prior to January 7, 2019, we assigned numeric A-Scores (0-100) to practitioners based on several components. As the A-Score program evolved, we received valuable feedback from our customers and partners. We have leveraged this feedback to enhance our A-Score Program, highlighting the most critical components. The new model is simple and focuses on two main components:  (1) knowledge of Appian technology; and (2) relevant experience applying such knowledge. The new model is also more transparent for both customers and partners.

How do I request an A-Score Report?

A-Score badges denoting levels (1, 2, or 3) are displayed on the user profile of practitioners on the Appian Community site. Customers can request a more detailed report by visiting the Appian Community site and completing the Request Form. The report will include more information about the practitioner including their credential status, projects, and industries in which they have worked. You may request reports for as many practitioners as you need, and you’ll receive an email with your report within two (2) business days. If you have questions, please contact your Account Executive.

Can I get a report from my partner?

Partners do not have full access to the additional details that we include on the official A-Score Report. Please use the Request Form.

What are some recommendations on how to use A-Scores?

Every customer implementation is unique, and each customer may prioritize resource skills differently, sometimes valuing non-Appian skills highly. With this in mind, we provide the following recommendations that apply to team members who build solutions hands-on in the Appian Designer environment:

• All team members should be certified A-Score Level 1 or higher.
• To build a robust business solution on Appian, at least one team member should be certified A-Score Level 2 or higher.
• For large, complex, or enterprise-scale solutions, at least one team member should be certified A-Score Level 3 (highest certification).

Beyond the A-Score levels of individuals, we recommend considering the following:

• If domain knowledge is required, you may choose some team members with experience in your industry.
• To ensure resources are familiar with the latest version of Appian software, check the certification date. Appian releases updates to our software quarterly.
• For teams with mixed A-Score levels, the highest certified practitioner(s) should demonstrate the ability to lead, coach, and review the work of other team members.

What does A-Score currently exclude?

• Direct assessment of knowledge, skills, and experiences necessary for success outside of Appian implementation, including critical thinking, systems analysis, communication, teamwork, dedication, enterprise architecture, methodology, dev ops, etc.
• Assessment of team support programs available to the individual provided by our partner organization. For example, some organizations have internal support structures that provide expertise to different implementation teams.
• Qualitative references for a resource from previous engagements. While we make an effort to validate the relevant experience logged by practitioners, we do not yet directly weigh customer feedback for individuals.