Executives have signed on the dotted line, or more realistically, within the DocuSign box. The whole world is now in front of you with this turnkey, ever-evolving Salesforce solution ready to fit any business need.<\/p>\n
To get to this point, though, you have undoubtedly sat through countless proposal meetings and have put together enough facts, figures, and diagrams to make anyone\u2019s head spin. It\u2019s already been a journey, but now, how do you bring it to life and ensure you get the most out of Salesforce?<\/p>\n\n
Learn from those who have set up Salesforce and avoid the common pitfalls. Implementations fail because of a lack of adequate planning and road mapping, lack of ownership or clear lines of responsibility, and a mismatch between stakeholder expectations and subsequent results.<\/p>\n
This pain and frustration can be avoided, and the list below will lay out the best ways to plan for success. Deep breaths, you\u2019ve got this!<\/strong><\/p>\n Many clients realize immediate value from Salesforce when the implementation is broken into phases<\/a>. We recommend you take the time now to lay out short and long-term goals and build your roadmap.<\/p>\n Spend the time to ensure you have the right resources in key roles. Implementations can span long periods of time, employees can leave, but if the team\u2019s structure and roles are defined, these changes will be a lot less impactful.<\/p>\n Set expectations early \u2014 an implementation will require dedicated resources. Work to identify and cultivate talent internally. These folks are your rock stars who will foster adoption and even facilitate internal testing and training. Salesforce-provided training is incredibly accessible \u2014 it just takes time and a desire to dig in and learn.<\/p>\n There are many nuances to a Salesforce implementation, so find a partner with resources who has already solved problems similar to yours. Ask them about failures they have experienced and the favorite things they have learned.<\/p>\n The best partners will have stories to tell and will do anything they can to make sure your implementation goes as smoothly as possible. You aren\u2019t alone in this.<\/p>\n Here are some of the main roles to consider:<\/p>\n Using a partner will ensure access to other types of key resources<\/a> on the team, such as architects, business analysts, seasoned developers and administrators, as well as deployment tools and resources.<\/p>\n Gather requirements by pairing key team members who understand current business processes and those who understand the Salesforce platform to ensure the most effective solutions.<\/p>\n Does your company have processes that have been around for years, built around a previous platform\u2019s capabilities? This low code, high configuration platform means you may need to adjust business processes to make the most of out-of-the-box features.<\/p>\n Define what matters most upfront. If you aren\u2019t sure what Salesforce is capable of, consider using a partner to help guide requirement gathering and solution design.<\/p>\n Every company is different, so we recommend being as thorough as possible when defining the scope and gathering those requirements.<\/p>\n Consider:<\/p>\n Be sure to spend the time understanding the answers to these questions.<\/p>\n Everyone has a custom code horror story. Upgrades that couldn\u2019t be completed, conversions or redesigns that became unexpectedly necessary, hundreds of thousands of dollars \u2014 or sometimes more \u2014 wasted because of poor design and over-customization.<\/p>\n Using standard features is the top priority, but, as with everything, you must find the balance. Many companies don\u2019t fully use the platform because key processes don\u2019t leverage Salesforce \u2014 to do so would be custom.<\/p>\n However, if building a custom object or component means that other beneficial standard features can be used, it is well worth it. Do the analysis upfront and make an informed decision.<\/p>\n Once you determine that a custom solution is necessary, peruse that awesome AppExchange for something that could suit your use case. The AppExchange is a searchable store that showcases pre-built solutions \u2014 some are paid and others are even free.<\/p>\n These solutions come in two types:<\/p>\n If neither of these are an option, look at building a custom solution from scratch. Custom objects and components can be designed so that an internal administrator can manage future changes. Identify where there might be a high velocity of change, and make sure it is flexible and scalable enough to ensure you aren\u2019t custom coding every time your company needs to add a new option.<\/p>\n How will you know the implementation has been successful? Sit down with your key stakeholders and set a clear plan for how success will be measured. Sometimes the data will be naturally occurring. Other times it will need to be baked into the solution.<\/p>\n Plan early. Take baselines for things like productivity and production, and use those to compare post-implementation. Leverage Salesforce dashboards and reports \u2014 use the solution to show the effectiveness of the solution.<\/p>\n Establish your key project metrics, time, scope and budget. If budget shifts, how does that impact the return on investment (ROI)? Play out a few scenarios, including a phased approach versus big bang. What type of information will your executives want to see?<\/p>\n Once your company spends the money, your leaders will want to start seeing that value.<\/p>\n When building the timeline, keep in mind that a phased approach can consistently deliver value to your users while reducing the pressure and risk of a large delivery. Also, don\u2019t forget to include resource availability, adequate time for training and organizational change management in your timeline.<\/p>\n Many times, the last thing executives want to hear after making a large purchase is that you need to spend more money to get it to work. There are intricacies to the Salesforce platform, and it isn\u2019t always easy to foresee what could drive additional costs at the time of implementation or even into the future.<\/p>\n Assess your individual needs based on the list below so that you can properly plan and budget:<\/p>\n This was likely discussed during the sales cycle before the purchase. Ensure you understand the difference between editions<\/a>, the features and limits of each<\/a>, and your company breakpoints that would cause a need to upgrade.<\/p>\n There are variable costs for each edition, such as user API calls, number of custom apps or custom fields per object, and recycle bin and data storage capacity, that could impact your business.<\/p>\n Understand by cloud what features are included and what may need to be purchased separately<\/a>. For instance, purchasing Sales Cloud licenses will not provide access to inbound support channels.<\/p>\n Get support directly from Salesforce and ensure timely resolution to cases and other features like admin assist. This can be especially helpful if you are supporting your instance with a small team.<\/p>\n1. Identify and Prioritize Goals<\/h3>\n
Key Questions:<\/em><\/h4>\n
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2. Organize Your Salesforce Implementation Team<\/h3>\n
Internal Talent<\/em><\/h4>\n
Find a Great Partner Who Has Done This Before<\/em><\/h4>\n
Structure the Team<\/em><\/h4>\n
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3. Understand Current State and Gather Requirements<\/h3>\n
Common Areas of Complexity<\/em><\/h4>\n
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Find the Balance<\/em><\/h4>\n
Buy Versus Build<\/em><\/h4>\n
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4. Decide on Metrics and Measurements of Success<\/h3>\n
5. Build the Timeline<\/h3>\n
Understanding Costs<\/h2>\n
1. Salesforce Editions<\/h3>\n
2. Key Feature Licensing<\/h3>\n
3. Support and Success Plans<\/h3>\n