Bain, one of the world’s largest management consulting firms, has been named as an Elite Partner by OpenAI.

The designation is the highest credential that the AI vendor issues as part of its newly inaugurated channel program. There are also two lower partner tiers. OpenAI determines which credential to issue based on a partner’s revenue, technical know-how and certain related metrics.

Bain’s promotion to Elite Partner status is not particularly surprising. The company started working with OpenAI shortly after the launch of ChatGPT three years ago. This past May, Bain invested in the OpenAI Deployment Company, the AI vendor’s consulting business. The venture provides forward deployed engineering services that help clients adopt products such as ChatGPT.

OpenAI’s forward deployed engineering teams usually focus on setting up an initial AI implementation. Partners such as Bain help with subsequent tasks such as optimizing infrastructure costs. The consulting firm has a dedicated OpenAI practice, the aptly named OpenAI Center of Excellence, that works with clients in major verticals such as retail and finance.

One way Bain differentiates its value proposition is by providing pre-packaged software tools powered by OpenAI models. For retailers, the firm offers a tool that eases tasks such as setting product prices. Another Bain-developed AI program helps healthcare companies draft regulatory disclosures. That go-to-market approach seems to be working: Bain has won AI consulting deals with numerous major brands including Coca-Cola and Target.

A few weeks ago, OpenAI announced a $150 million plan to upgrade its channel program. The company will launch specialized credentials for partners that demonstrate expertise in using its Codex tool, AI agents and related technologies. OpenAI is also ramping up its training efforts. The company has set a goal of issuing AI-related certifications to 300,000 consultants by the end of the year.