[PLAYBOOK]
THE FORWARD DEPLOYED PLAYBOOK
Forward Deployed is widely discussed but often misunderstood. In some organizations it is framed as an elite engineering team embedded with customers. In others it is a go-to-market motion designed to accelerate adoption, drive product innovation, or close complex enterprise deals.
The purpose of this guide is to move beyond the mythology and help you understand what Forward Deployed actually is, and what it isn’t, and provide further clarity on:
• Why the model is emerging now across the AI and SaaS ecosystem
• How different companies are implementing it
• What organizational trade-offs and risks leaders must consider
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WHAT'S INSIDE.
THE TRUST PARADOX
IN AI
Why the rise of AI has created a new trust crisis in enterprise technology, and why customers increasingly demand evidence of value before committing to large-scale deployments.
WHAT IS FORWARD DEPLOYED
A clear explanation of the Forward Deployed model, including how it differs from traditional professional services, sales engineering, proof-of-concepts, and pilot programs.
STRATEGIC CONSIDERATIONS & RISKS
Examine the operational, financial, and product implications of adopting a Forward Deployed strategy, including topics such as margin pressure, roadmap alignment, talent density.
MARKET EXAMPLES FROM REAL COMPANIES
Three distinct interpretations of Forward Deployed from companies actively operating the model today:
MongoDB | PagerDuty |
Zendesk
ACCELERATE THE VALUE OF YOUR SERVICES TEAM.
SDA SERVICES DELIVERY BENCHMARK
A first-of-its-kind snapshot into the evolving state of professional services across SaaS, technology, and high-growth enterprises.
BUILDING & MANAGING PARTNER ECOSYSTEMS
Setup, manage and scale services partner programs and put in place the building blocks that allow an ecosystem of partners to flourish and succeed.
SDA SERVICES
VALUE MAP
Helps services teams you connect what your team does every day to the outcomes your CFO and CRO are responsible for delivering.
PROVING VALUE OF SERVICES IN AGE OF AI
Challenge the romanticised view of forward deployed engineering. It’s about building trust, enabling adoption, and creating long-term partnerships.