Certification Decay

Certification decay is the gradual loss of current skills and product knowledge among partners who have previously earned a certification. It can happen when partners don’t regularly use what they’ve learned or when a company’s products, features or implementation processes change after the partner earns their certification. As a result, a partner may still hold a valid certification but no longer have the knowledge or practical skills needed to do the work.

For example, a partner certified on an earlier version of a software platform may not know how to use features introduced in a later release. Even if their certification hasn’t expired, they may need additional training or hands-on experience before they’re ready to implement the updated product. Skills can also fade when partners go a long time without using them.

In B2B SaaS, certification decay can make it harder for companies to know whether certified partners are still prepared to sell, implement or support their products. Partner teams can address this through refresher training, updated certification requirements and opportunities for partners to demonstrate their skills as products change.