5 Key Inclusions for Success with Salesforce

Salesforce is the number one CRM platform in the world, its ability to grow and transform businesses is undeniable. But its power is only realised if you’re using it the right way. Your business's unique set of variables and risks determine your project's success. Your data and your understanding of the platform are also significant contributors. However, there are some universal ways that can contribute to the completion of a project successfully for everyone.
 

1. Have a Well-Defined Vision
   
   This gives your project a distinct purpose, with a defined beginning and end, even when it is part of a bigger piece of work. Be clear on your vision and make sure all members of your team and your implementation partner are on the same page. This will ensure you are all working towards the same goal and using the same criteria when making decisions and prioritising.
   
   To get the most out of your Salesforce implementation, you will need to spend some time reflecting on the core values of your organisation, and the areas where the Salesforce platform can help you best. Once every member of your team is truly invested in your vision, only then will you be able to reap the true benefits of Salesforce.
    

2. Identify Your Salesforce Champions
   
   Knowledge is power and having dedicated Salesforce champions within your business is imperative to unleashing the full ability of the platform. Identifying and designating a project manager and subject matter expert (SME) to work with your implementation partner ensures that the knowledge intrinsic to your products and processes is considered and prevalent in your Salesforce design. Typically, the project manager then becomes the system administrator once deployed, which is a preferred scenario given the knowledge bank they have amassed through development.
   
   Ensuring Executive Leaders within the business have visibility over the development, end product and platform potential helps ensure the ongoing focus (and funds) that help ensure Salesforce success. Where some businesses stumble is by not engaging their leadership team and presenting the Salesforce solution in a consumable way and with room for input.
    

3. Drive User Adoption
   
   User adoption, and in turn advocacy, is the most important element in any Salesforce implementation. Only when your employees believe in and utilise the power of Salesforce will you reap the rewards that the programme can deliver. Robust training is imperative to understand the depth of the tool and to ensure comfort and confidence in your users. The knowledge that this tool will assist them to do their job better and deliver results is key to buy in.
    

4. Plan Integration
   
   Ensuring that investment and time are allocated to integrating Salesforce with your other systems as part of the initial project ensures that your data works as hard as possible for you from day dot. Data duplication is a frustrating and time-consuming process and is often where inaccuracies creep in. But with proper planning and sufficient time allocated to undertake this properly, your Salesforce deployment can integrate with other business applications and back-office data in a streamlined manner. Efficiencies in time and data distribution as well as increased productivity are the by-products of investing in this upfront.
    

5. Create Roadmaps and Release Schedules
   
   At CloudinIT we believe that CRM is not a big-bang event but a continuous improvement model. Of course, a successful launch is vital and certainly the most significant milestone, but we believe it marks the beginning of the journey not the end. Being able to deliver enhancements and new features after go-live is equally important, as is your feedback loop. Users, management and technical employees will all be able to provide feedback on how the product is working and being responsive to this is imperative to getting the best out of Salesforce for your organisation. Our development methodology is based on agile development principles and to this end we are constantly working with our clients on their monthly or quarterly release schedule to ensure their product is the best it can be.
    

We believe these five principles are crucial to Salesforce success. Of course, more traditional project management fundamentals also contribute like budgets, prioritisation, success measures and an identified decision making and approval team. Incorporate these in your planning and the true strength of the Salesforce platform will be realised.