Category: Blog

SUMO Scheduler Alliance Partner Program lets you earn money by referring clients to our appointment booking platform. If someone you refer becomes our customer, you get 30% commission.

It’s great for people working in tech, sales, consulting, or marketing — especially in industries like finance, education, retail, non profit, and wellness. You’ll get access to free software, training, marketing materials, and support. Most importantly, you can offer real value to your clients — all while earning commission. 

In this post, we break down everything you need to know about the program, and all the benefits you’ll receive as a partner.

SUMO Scheduler Alliance Partners earn a recurring 30% commission when they become customers.

For over 16 years, our Alliance Partners have leveraged SUMO’s Salesforce-native appointment scheduling software to deliver cutting-edge scheduling solutions to their clients.

Are you a good fit to become our Alliance Partner? 
Here’s everything you need to know. 

WHO is this Program for?

SUMO’s Alliance Partner Program includes professionals that specialize in the following industries:

• Banking & Financial Providers 
• Education
• Wellness
• Government
• Retail
• Non Profit Organizations

If you are a tech entrepreneur, a business influencer, an affiliate marketer or a specialist in between, SUMO’s Alliance Partner Program is for you.

Built on a “customer-first” approach, SUMO aims to deliver an outward-facing, user-friendly solution, values that are reflected in the Alliance Partner Program.

“I’ve worked with SUMO on several engagements. They’ve always been very collaborative and customer-focused”– says Jim, a Consulting Director and Alliance Partner.

WHY should you Partner with SUMO? 

SUMO Scheduler is an all-in-one scheduling platform that provides automated Appointment, Event & Field Sales scheduling tools to Salesforce users.

Our platform offers meeting, event, and field sales scheduling features, and works across websites, social media, email, text, and more, allowing clients to self-schedule appointment bookings on any device, at any time, with the right person, at their convenience. 

From Workday, to AstraZeneca, to revered institutions such as Cornell University, SUMO has built a repertoire of esteemed clients, and you too can help deliver cutting-edge solutions
to clients across the world. Learn more about SUMO’s capabilities.

HOW many options are there?

SUMO currently offers two distinctive partnership programs.

Referral Partner Program:

• Best fit for Salesforce-based companies & solution integrators
• Co-target prospects with referrals & bring leads to SUMO Scheduler
• Get a commission for new customers based on total 1st year revenue!
• You lead the *creative* charge − we provide scheduling solutions

Technology Partner Program: 

• Best fit for SaaS companies & technology resellers
• Use SUMO’s API to integrate scheduling into your software technology 
• Purchase licenses from SUMO Scheduler at special pricing 
• Resell licenses to clients or bundle them as part of your service

WHAT are the benefits?

Not only does SUMO’s Partner Program provide comprehensive tools & resources,
it is specifically designed to align with your unique sales, solutioning, and implementation processes, giving you room for creative input.

Here are the key benefits of SUMO’s Partner Program:

Profit Sharing: Gain a 25% commission on SUMO license revenue when someone becomes a SUMO client through your referral.

Comprehensive training & product certification: A detailed program that will help build confidence with your clients & ensure top-tier service that your brand can support. 

Free Software & Product Access: Gain complete access to the same SUMO products
used by Fortune 500 companies worldwide, including all features and early access updates.

Tailored Marketing Resources: Access to SUMO’s marketing materials & collateral that will help you to position SUMO to your customers.

Personalized Support: Receive dedicated support parallel to SUMO’s Premier Program without any charge.

Solution Development: Leverage your unique skill-set and experience to build unique market solutions that meet your customers’ unique needs.

Professional networking: Join SUMO’s Alliance Partner community for networking
& knowledge-sharing opportunities.

WHERE can you start?

Here is how you can sign up to become an Alliance partner:

Start your customer engagement journey.

“In the last three years, the retail industry has experienced growth that would normally take almost a decade to achieve.”

Did you know that Retail contributes $3.9 trillion to annual GDP and supports one in four U.S. jobs? In the last three years, Retail, the largest private-sector employer in the US
has experienced growth that would normally take almost a decade to achieve.

On the other hand, the Manufacturing industry has faced large-scale changes due to disruptions in global supply chains and shortages, with a range of roles & responsibilities
left having to grapple with our developing world’s geopolitical climate. 

Interestingly, professionals within the Retail and Manufacturing industries currently face similar challenges that demand prompt assistance from managers and technology.
In this blog, we look at the most common operational challenges in the Retail and Manufacturing industries and explain how SUMO’s scheduling software for retail solves them, allowing providers and the industry to step into a new era of efficiency, growth, and revenue.

Who Keeps Retail and Manufacturing Running?

Before diving into the challenges, let’s explore the diverse landscape of jobs in Retail and Manufacturing, shedding light on the roles, challenges, and transformative solutions defining these industries. 

The most common roles in the Retail industry are:

• Sales Associates
• Cashiers
• Customer Service Representatives
• [Store/Chain] Managers
• Inventory Specialists
• Clerks & Assistants
• Cleaning & Maintenance

The Manufacturing industry includes job titles such as: 

• Production Managers
• Quality Controller
• Specialist Roles (Carpenter, Machinist, etc.)
• Engineers
• [Assembly] Supervisors
• Operational Managers
• Shipping/Receiving Clerks

With such a wide range of roles and responsibilities, each of these industries aims to utilize a specialist workforce to deliver products and service in an efficient manner.

From addressing health concerns to optimizing supply chains, the Retail & Manufacturing industries must stay atop consumer needs, all while balancing their long-term objectives.

Yet, large industries bring larger challenges that, if mishandled, can jeopardize operational efficiency and business growth.

5 Key Challenges For Retail & Manufacturing Professionals

Let’s look into the main obstacles faced by professionals within the Retail & Manufacturing industries.

1. Issues with Workforce Management 

With the Retail industry requiring more employees, and the Manufacturing industry losing them, managers have had to face rapidly changing standards, with topics such as salary range, benefits and healthcare becoming key motivators for a professional’s job search. 

As such, optimizing staff workloads and managing workforce hours has become a hurdle
for Managers to overcome. 

2. Lack of Production Scheduling

This challenge is consistent across the industries, as a disruption in global supply chains
has left many manufacturers without raw materials to complete products… which are then supplied to retailers for profit. The cycle is disrupted, and delays continue to occur.

Supervisors & Inventory Specialists need to grapple with the challenge of adjusting production schedules and managing client meetings to accommodate delays.

3. Struggles with E-commerce & Logistics

Moving from brick-and-mortar to the online world, both industries have struggled with tackling a plethora of e-commerce related issues, such as managing inventory, tackling international logistics, and coordinating the consumer demands.. 

Logistics managers must face the unenviable task of coordinating with transportation services, and adapting to the demands of an evolving digital marketplace.

4. Weak Automation Management

Manufacturing and Sales employees don’t just use their hands, but they also supervise the technology within their business operations. This “machinery” can range from heavy-duty pressers to a digital scheduling platform, which require round-the-clock management.

Quality Controllers and Customer Service Representatives thus must find innovative solutions without compromising operational efficiency.

5. Integration with Modern Technology

Speaking of innovative solutions; 3D printing, advanced materials, and Artificial intelligence present a wealth of opportunities for Manufacturing. Ditto for Sales. Yet 41% of salespeople believe their days are numbered due to AI automation.

Many employees are still hesitant when it comes to integrating technology with their day-to-day operations, and thus require an informative, reliable and consistent alternative.

What Changes are Necessary?

In 2023, the Retail & Manufacturing workforce encountered different circumstances,
yet the similar management structures and industry-wide challenges have underscored
the need for a reliable, advanced and customizable solution. 

The key issues within the industries consists of these key calls to action:

• The workforce management needs to be efficient & satisfactory for employees
• The schedule management must improve, including the communication with clients
• The integration of technology with manual labor needs to be seamless
• The solution(s) must balance business objectives & operational efficiency
• The workforce requires solution that is easy to learn, trustworthy, and adaptive

How Scheduling Software For Retail Bridges the Gap

In 2023, the Retail & Manufacturing workforce encountered different circumstances,
yet the similar management structures and industry-wide challenges have underscored
the need for a reliable, advanced and customizable solution. 

The key issues within the industries consists of these key calls to action:

• The workforce management needs to be efficient & satisfactory for employees
• The schedule management must improve, including the communication with clients
• The integration of technology with manual labor needs to be seamless
• The solution(s) must balance business objectives & operational efficiency
• The workforce requires solution that is easy to learn, trustworthy, and adaptive

The right scheduling software helps retailers and manufactures cut down on missed shifts, double-bookings, and enable consistent customer communication. Among its capabilities:
 

• Real-time calendar sync 
• Automated reminders
• Self-scheduling pages and automated confirmations
• Templates
• Team-wide scheduling and availability tracking

SUMO Scheduler brings all these features and more together into one powerful software platform.

SUMO Scheduler For Retail: Smarter, Faster, Reliable Operations

Time-sensitive tasks are a requirement for any profession, and efficiency is a target for every industry. Scheduling Software possesses the ability to provide a seamless link between day-to-day management and task execution. 

SUMO’s Appointment Booking Software For Retail can provide round-the-clock assistance regarding above-mentioned issues.

Features such as Online Scheduler and Assignment Engine allow businesses to create sufficient meeting time between employees and clients, making sure the prospect meets with the right salesperson or production manager.

The Reminder Engine ensures every target employee receives automated emails, text messages, and phone reminders, reducing the chance of no-shows. Coupled with the Analytics Builder,  the platform can create and schedule unlimited data-rich reports, providing you and your business with on-demand metrics. 
Finally, with seamless integration to modern technology through its Salesforce native platform, and Certified ISO Compliance, SUMO is a reliable addition to any
Retail or Manufacturing business.

Why Retailers Choose SUMO Scheduler

From efficient workforce management, to round-the-clock automation, SUMO Scheduler’s  Customer Engagement Platform can assist your retail or manufacturing business across various departments.

It can efficiently moderate e-Commerce related issues faced by managers, and provide seamless integration with modern technology for skeptical employees. 

SUMO can even assist with lead nurturing and customer engagement growth through personalized campaigns, as this luxury retail client found out.

The reliable, consistent platform can foster an environment of trust and ensure that the retailer’s or manufacturer’s technical needs are met across all channels and roles within
the business.

Ready to simplify scheduling and boost productivity in your retail or manufacturing business? Book a free demo with SUMO Scheduler today.

Provide your Retail & Manufacturing Business with an industry-backed, automated scheduling solution.

Warren Buffet prioritizes time management above all else. Here’s how his (and your) Bank can do the same with Schedulers.

When asked in business school about what the most valuable asset for a company is,
a majority of students usually respond with money or capital. While both answers are fine, the true asset of any organization, company or institution around the world is time.

Warren Buffett, currently the fifth richest man in the world according to Forbes, once quoted that “the rich invest in time; the poor invest in money”, recommending the strategic use of our time to better organize and manage our business objectives.

For professionals working in Banking, time is (literally) a commodity that can either improve or impair day-to-day operations, depending on how well it is saved, redistributed and prioritized.

Let’s look at how the dynamic world of banking operates, and what can be done to improve a Bank’s time management, efficiency, and data security practices through industry-leading solutions. 

Why is Time Scheduling Important in Banking?

Across multiple apartments, roles and responsibilities within a Bank, time management and scheduling are factors which help efficiently conduct day-to-day business.

A Bank Teller is responsible for helping members cash checks, withdraw money, move transactions to different accounts, and much more. This position requires the professional to be strict with time, and utilize time-sensitive methods to assist as many clients as possible.

Bankers are in charge of meeting with bank stakeholders (both individual clients or enterprises) and helping them acquire assistance such as how and when to schedule follow up appointments regarding loans. As the bulk of their day is spent meeting appointments, having a meeting scheduler greatly enhances their efficiency.

(Mortgage) Consultants help companies or individuals identify their (mortgage) needs, by assessing their financial records, inflow and outflow of finances. Similarly to Bankers, they require a well-managed and tightly-organized schedule to efficiently handle their clientele. 

Bank Managers are in charge of efficiently handling administration, operations, communication, training, and security within a branch, a role that requires them to be efficient with their time management and meeting prioritization.

A Financial Advisor’s priority is to maintain relationships with clients as he/she meets with clients on a regular basis to ensure their portfolio is meeting financial goals. Therefore, smart time management is of immense value when managing a variety of customers and portfolios.

Insurance Brokers are responsible for finding new customers, promoting and selling our insurance plans. Since their goal is to steadily forge long-term relationships to secure the company’s revenues and growth, they focus their efforts on attracting new clients by inviting them to virtual or in person financial planning events.

Merchant Services Specialists are in charge of processing services that enable a business to accept a transaction payment through a secure (encrypted) channel. Thus, they hold a highly important responsibility that requires onboarding meetings with potential customers who purchase payment, loan, or line of credit products. 

Across its multiple departments, from operation responsibilities to technical ones, a well-managed scheduler can not only enhance employee productivity, but maximize the efficiency of the Bank, improving its value as a whole. 

Benefits of a Scheduler for Banking:

With a time-sensitive profession focused on the efficient handling of sensitive resources, a Bank’s internal ecosystem can greatly benefit from using modern, technological, and secure solutions, such as Schedulers.

Here’s how a Scheduler can assist the aforementioned bank employees in their day-to-day operations: 

1. Bank Tellers can use the highly configurable “smart matching” systems that match specific customers with the right teller, at the right time. For instance, If a client only communicates in Spanish and requires assistance, that client can simply choose a prompt in the sign-in system (ex: “spanish-language assistance”), and will then be added into the on-location waitlist of a teller that communicates in Spanish.

2. Bankers can use a Scheduler to schedule any type of appointment: in-person, phone, video, and web conference, in advance. Say a client desires a meeting in three days from now but is not sure about the time; the Banker can immediately send a prompt through the Scheduler highlighting his (her/their) available hours, thus greatly reducing the need for back-and-forth correspondence. 

3. Consultants, who require regular contact with their client regardless of location, can smartly handle the time conversions by using support for GMT (Global Time Zones) or DST (Daylight Savings Time), reducing the risk of missed opportunities and providing their global clientele with consistent support. 

4. Bank Managers can quickly cut down on bureaucratic and organizational challenges by automatically insert web conference details into the calendar invitations, seamlessly setting up regular meetings with department heads and evenly managing each sector of their branch efficiently.
   
5. Financial Advisors can take charge of multiple portfolios and support evolving needs by integrating the Scheduler into their Finance Cloud platform, or seamlessly integrate it with other solutions.
   
6. Insurance Brokers can efficiently build long-term relationships with viable clients by managing an unlimited number of profiles and availability across multiple locations.

7. Best of all, Salesforce Native Platforms are easy to implement & use, but if there is any assistance required, bank employees can quickly receive assistance from SUMO’s implementation and support team.

Additional Benefits for Salesforce Users:

Additionally, for Salesforce users or administrators looking to run their business smoothly, an in-built, Salesforce native platform such as SUMO Scheduler can work to improve efficiency and cut down on lost time, by allowing them to: 

• Create Rules & scheduling links for meetings, events, or client queues.
• Use the Salesforce Infrastructure, Security, and Reliability for their objectives
• Maintain a secure, persistent access with their client database.
• Gain complete visibility & organizational control over the entire workforce. 

This, coupled with the previously-mentioned benefits, means that an all-in-one automated scheduling platform as SUMO Scheduler supports its users with a dynamic, round-the-clock time management software at their fingertips, with additional utilities and solutions for Banking services that you can learn more about here.

Data Security and Regulatory Compliance:

Data security is vital, especially in such a delicate sector such as Banking, where individual and organizational finance need to be safeguarded and protected against cyberattacks.
That is why, Transparency and Compliance are not only important, but absolutely essential.

The only data SUMO Scheduler stores using itsPublic API are free/busy appointment availability and user IDs, which can not be used to identify a SUMO user’s real contact details.  The SUMO cloud platform uses “HTTPS only”, which means all data in transit uses TLS 1.0 (and higher) encryption.  

SUMO has also put a ton of security features in the hands of its customers, enabling them to protect their account through two-factor authentication, account lockout, password policies, and more.

Finally, SUMO applications are hosted on the Salesforce.com and Amazon AWS platforms that are maintained with 100% uptime guarantee. Our infrastructure is classified with military grade security to guarantee our technology is protected against potential threats.

Get Started Today.

This global financial services client credits the SUMO Platform for helping them save up to 25% of the time by eliminating manual effort and minimizing scheduling errors.

This National Bank’s implementation of SUMO Scheduler allowed customers to schedule appointments with advisors at their convenience, increasing efficiency and positively affecting revenue.

Join these and 100s of other businesses that use SUMO Scheduler’s secure, reliable, and game-changing scheduling platform within the financial services.

Book your free demo to learn more about SUMO Scheduler, and always stay two steps ahead of everything that comes your way.

Did you know that the insurance and financial services industry makes up almost $2 trillion of the total U.S. GDP?

For context, a trillion has twelve (!) zeros. 

As reported by Zippia, there are over 374,000 jobs currently available in the finance industry in the U.S. alone, while positions such as Financial Administrator, Transfers Supervisor, and Account Analyst are reported to earn up to $100,000 per year.

This, coupled with the international expansion of financial institutions such as Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan has increased the opportunities for an educated professional to earn a white-collar job in financial services across the world.

However, before embarking on a journey into the world of financial services, it is important to identify the key challenges currently faced by professionals within the industry, in order to be prepared and ready for the job.

Whether you are a bank manager, a customer team lead, or simply preparing for your interview, here are the most common issues that financial service professionals face.

Find out which key techniques, tools and software professionals use to stay on top of their day-to-day responsibilities.

What are Financial Services?

But, let’s start with the definition.

Financial services are a variety of economic services provided by the finance industry, which incorporate a broad range of service sector businesses that provide financial management.

The financial services can include solutions, such as:

• Private & Corporate Banking
• Taxes & Accounting
• Credit Cards or other Payment services
• Investment Funds
• Mortgages & Real Estate

These financials services are provided by the service sector businesses, which include

• Accounting Firms
• Funds and investment Corporations
• Insurance Companies
• Brokerage Firms
• Central Banks/Retail Banks
• Credit Unions

And within the above-mentioned service sector businesses are professionals that, through little fault of their own, face similar day-to-day challenges related to time mismanagement, lack of communication, and technology adaptation, among others.

Challenges Within the FinServ Industry

Let’s look at the four most prominent job positions among financial sector businesses in the U.S., their key responsibilities, and the challenges they can face. 

Investment Banker

According to Investopedia, investment bankers are financial advisors who help their clients raise money through actions such as issuing stocks, negotiating the acquisition of a rival company, or arranging the sale of company assets, among others.

Investment Bankers are put in charge of multiple clients at once, and are required to conduct time-sensitive tasks efficiently, a lack of which can lead to a snowball effect, such as:

→ Lack of time to conduct in-depth industry research 
→ Lack of time to invest in a personalized experience with the client
→ Lack of detailed analysis of the clients’ financial statements
→ Lack of time to develop investment solutions for the client

Financial Analyst

According to Robert Half, A Financial Analyst is responsible for the key financial planning and analysis of a company, allowing the organization to make well-informed decisions.
They deal with sensitive business data, and are tasked with creating detailed spreadsheets, providing investment opportunities, and developing lucrative growth policies.

Thus, a Financial Analyst’s responsibilities can be jeopardized if the core data used to create solutions is incomplete or lacking information from a business channel, which can lead to:

→ Incomplete spreadsheets with partially-missing key data
→ Incorrect financial performance and trend reports
→ Misaligned suggestions regarding budgets and improvements
→ Inaccurate investment opportunities presented to the client

Insurance Advisor

Adroit Insurance defines the key responsibility of Insurance advisors as such;
Individuals that are responsible for advising clients on how to protect against risk.
These Advisors work with clients to assess their financial situation and analyze information to implement suitable insurance policies on behalf of the client.

Since Advisors are tasked with improving financial results, and are thus required to drive key metrics such as conversions and revenue, the portfolio of a client must be meticulously analyzed. A lack of clear analysis can lead to situations such as:

• Faulty conversion metrics from the client’s financial portfolios
• Incorrect capture of results from the wrong metrics
• Erroneous data analysis and reporting
• Misguided attempt to negotiate new insurance premiums

Accountant

Accountants are in charge of analyzing a company’s accounts and ensuring compliance with financial regulations of the region. According to Indeed, an Accountant’s tasks revolve around preparing financial reports that track a client’s assets, liabilities, profit and loss,
tax details, and other related financial activities necessary for accurate analysis.

Since factual data is so vital to an Accountant, a lack of such can have disastrous consequences for the firm (and the client), as exemplified below:

→ Miscalculated data from bank statements and bookkeeping ledgers
→ Incorrect analysis of the client’s expenditures
→ Imprecise reporting of client’s income and expenditure data
→ Inaccurate analysis of client’s overall company finances 

Solutions backed by Technology and Results

As explained above, even the most experienced professionals within the FinServ industry can struggle with tasks due to a lack of proper time management or an unnecessary workload of manual processes…. Something that Scheduling Softwares help with.

SUMO Scheduler is a powerful scheduling software that automates record creation and maximizes performance. The Online Appointment Scheduler allows clients to book appointments at their leisure while guaranteeing that the meeting would take place at the correct time with the correct professional that meets the specific needs of the client.

With Appointment Scheduling, organizations can automate tasks such as phone call reminders, email confirmations, SMS notifications, and automate follow-up for unconfirmed appointments. 

Thus, clients with an Omnichannel strategy receive accurate metrics across all digital and physical properties, including website, social media, retail locations, call centers, email signatures, and more.

Take the Next Step Towards Success

In conclusion, the use of a Scheduling Software for the previously mentioned roles can help in this way:

More time for Investment Bankers to to focus on the client’s personalized needs
More detailed data points for Analysts to study and recommend growth opportunities
More focused metrics for Insurance Advisors to suggest better insurance premiums
More accurate data for Accountants to report to the client

This global financial services client credits the SUMO Platform for helping them save up to 25% of the time by eliminating manual effort and minimizing scheduling errors.

This National Bank’s implementation of SUMO Scheduler allowed customers to schedule appointments with advisors at their convenience, increasing efficiency and positively affecting revenue.

Join  100s of other businesses that use SUMO Scheduler’s secure, reliable, and game-changing scheduling platform within the financial services.

Book your free demo to learn more about Scheduling Softwares, and learn how SUMO Scheduler can help you and your financial institution thrive.

Last week, the education community came together at #SalesforceEduSummit to explore the future of student engagement and institutional success. As an ISV partner, SUMO Scheduler was thrilled to be part of the conversation, connecting with education leaders, technology innovators, and the Salesforce ecosystem.

🚀 Top 5 Takeaways from the Summit:

🔹 Agentforce is Here – Salesforce’s AI-powered platform is revolutionizing student engagement and operational efficiency.
🔹 AI Agents to the Rescue – From addressing staffing challenges to personalizing student support, AI is transforming how institutions serve learners.
🔹 Agents for Impact Initiative – Salesforce is investing in AI-driven solutions to expand access to education worldwide.
🔹 AI Skills Are the Future – The new Agentblazer Status program empowers educators with AI skills, keeping institutions ahead of the curve.
🔹 Stronger Together – With 1,800+ attendees, the event fostered invaluable networking, collaboration, and innovation across the education sector.

🌟 SUMO Scheduler in Action

Our team showcased how AI-powered scheduling helps institutions streamline operations, enhance student engagement, and optimize resources. A big thank you to everyone who stopped by for a live demo and insightful discussions!

🤝 Celebrating Partnerships & Community

Beyond the summit sessions, we co-hosted an unforgettable Happy Hour with Appiphony and PFL.com, bringing together Salesforce teams, SI partners, and customers. Strengthening relationships over great conversations made this event even more special!

💡 What’s Next?

As AI continues to shape the future of education, SUMO Scheduler remains committed to empowering institutions with seamless scheduling solutions within Salesforce. Ready to see AI-powered scheduling in action?
Let’s connect – schedule a demo today!