Co-Sell Deal Execution: Roles and Accountability
RACI Chart and Swim Lane  |  FY27  |  Intelligent Modern Solutions

Most partners understand the mechanics of the co-sell program. Fewer have mapped who in their organization is accountable for each step, and who on the Microsoft side has actual authority versus advisory influence. The result is referrals that expire because no one owns the 14-day window, registrations rejected because the customer account check happened too late, and deals that stall because the hand-off between PDM and field seller was never planned. This chart maps every phase of the co-sell deal execution motion, from origination through deal registration, across six roles on both sides of the engagement.

Key:
R Responsible — does the work
A Accountable — owns the outcome
C Consulted — provides input
I Informed — kept in the loop

Swim Lane Timeline

PARTNER SIDE MICROSOFT SIDE PHASE 1 Deal Origination and Validation PHASE 2 Referral Submission and Acceptance PHASE 3 Qualification and Development PHASE 4 Proposal, Negotiation, and Close PHASE 5 Deal Registration and Incentive Capture Alliance Manager Alliance Manager Alliance Manager Alliance Manager Alliance Manager Field Sales Field Sales Field Sales Solutions Engineer PDM (facilitation) PDM (facilitation) PDM (escalation) Field Seller (14-day window) Field Seller Field Seller PTS (tech validation) Microsoft (validates registration) 14-day inbound response (partner obligation) 14-day accept/decline (Microsoft seller obligation) 72-hr minimum before marking Won (registration rejection risk) Validate Microsoft-managed account FIRST

Critical Failure Points in This Motion

RACI Matrix

Task Partner
Alliance Mgr		 Partner
Field Sales		 Partner
Solutions Eng.		 Microsoft
PDM		 Microsoft
Field Seller		 Microsoft
PTS
01Deal Origination and Validation
Identify co-sell opportunity in active deals Field sales surfaces; alliance manager qualifies for co-sell candidacy A R — I I —
Validate customer is Microsoft-managed Must occur before deal creation. Determines deal registration eligibility. A/R C — C I —
Assess co-sell candidacy (selective submission) Only submit deals where Microsoft engagement changes the outcome A/R C — C — —
Confirm Solution Area and Solution Play alignment Match to Microsoft FY27 scorecard priorities: Copilot, Azure AI, Security, Fabric A/R C C C I —
02Referral Submission and Microsoft Acceptance
Create deal in Partner Center (all mandatory fields) Solution Area, Solution Play, estimated value, close date, customer need required A/R C — I — —
Submit co-sell referral specifying help type requested 7 help types available; be specific. Verify Marketplace Intent field if using API. A/R C — I I —
Monitor Microsoft 14-day accept/decline window No response = auto-expired. PDM can nudge field seller if window is approaching. A/R I — C I —
Respond to inbound Microsoft referrals (14-day window) Target: same business day acknowledgment. Microsoft tracks response time; slow response reduces future referral volume. A/R C — I I —
Microsoft seller accepts or declines co-sell engagement Field seller decides independently based on account priorities and scorecard alignment. PDM has no authority over this decision. I I — I A/R —
03Deal Qualification and Development
Qualify customer requirements and opportunity fit C A/R C I C —
Develop joint messaging and partner value proposition A/R C C C C —
Provide technical architecture, POC, and validation Reference architecture diagram required for most IP co-sell eligible offer types C I A/R I C R
Update deal stages in Partner Center A/R I — I I —
Escalate stalled deal via PDM for field seller nudge PDM can facilitate re-engagement but cannot compel field seller participation A I — R I —
04Proposal, Negotiation, and Close
Prepare and present formal customer proposal C A/R C I C —
Position MACC eligibility and Marketplace procurement path A/R C — I C —
Handle pricing objections and negotiate final terms C A/R — I C —
Mark deal won or lost in Partner Center A/R C — I I —
05Deal Registration and Incentive Capture
Verify 72-hour minimum since deal creation before registering Deals registered before 72 hours have elapsed are rejected. No exceptions. A/R I — I — —
Verify all deal registration criteria are met IP co-sell eligible solution, $25K+ deal value, Microsoft-managed account, won status, partner-led or co-sell deal type A/R I — I I —
Submit deal registration in Partner Center A/R I — I I —
Respond to Microsoft requests for additional documentation A/R C C I C —
Monitor registration validation status and incentive claim A/R I — I I —