For many vendors, integrating into an existing technology environment is an essential operational requirement. Increasingly these vendors are asking for a list of the marketing technology stack components prior to generating a proposal and implementation recommendations, and they are learning a lot about stack architecture and implementation along the way. Some of these vendors are now beginning to offer stack audit and recommendation services and are willing to work with prospective customers to map their stack environments. However, if you engage them for these services, be sure to ask if they are compensated for recommending certain vendors. Some vendors, like Salesforce and Marketo, earn commissions on the sale of products on their exchanges, and this can bias their recommendations. If you need help with stack development or just with identifying all the tools in use across your organization, have a conversation with your vendors. You might find that they have a professional services team ready to step in and assist.
