Any business can go to Salesforce.com and sign up as a member and start reviewing and selecting applications from the Salesforce AppExchange to enhance business operations. And some businesses try a DIY path with their internal I.T. Department, before realizing that there is more to integrating a successful migration to Salesforce, than choosing the right apps.
Our talented team of Salesforce Certified Developers have assisted hundreds of organizations with strategic planning, selection and implementation of Salesforce as a replacement for C.R.M., E.R.P. and other software systems.
What can you expect when you work with our team at 6 Street Technologies for your Salesforce custom SaaS integration? We would like to share the six key steps involved in our process, that guide our B2C and B2B clients to successfully onboard and enjoy the full benefits of Salesforce.
Step One: Discovery Analysis of Siloed Business Processes
Does your business utilize different software platforms, for different departments? Its not the best and most effective way for businesses to see overall activity and review analytics, but it is very common, particularly for manufacturers, to have added new software specific to the unique needs of each department over time.
And none of those software platforms may talk to each other, effectively. Each one of them may require extensive steps to run reports. Aggregating global data and metrics from the organization may be quite manual, as there is no centralized system to pull the information together, and capture data trends.
For our team at 6 Street Technologies, the first step in our consultation services is to define your current SaaS infrastructure, and determine the ‘pain points’ or areas that are not working well for the growing needs of your business. We map out the software, networks and users to create an accurate profile for each department, and recommendations for customizable solutions within Salesforce.
Step Two: Evaluation of Organizational Goals and Departmental KPIs
Executives and managers already know how they want different departments to function. And they have a profile on the productivity of the team in each business unit, the overall expense management of the division, and the profitability equation. How much does each department contribute to the revenue growth of your organization?
When we have helped our business, client develop these accurate departmental profiles, we then go through an exercise of visualizing the goals for each team. What areas of improvement should be realized after the implementation of a new E.R.P., intranet and global software solution for your organization? What measurables will determine whether the ROI for a new CRM, E.R.P. and data management system?
Our consultants at 6 Street Technologies will help you build those profiles as part of our strategic plan for your new Salesforce integration. And you will be able to track those measurables as an organization, throughout all the stages of implementation, employee onboarding to full utilization of your new systems across every function of your business.
Step Three: Determining Data Migration and Augmentation Needs
The next step in the strategic plan for a Salesforce B2B software integration, is to effectively protect and manage the migration of existing data into the new system. As you know, older SaaS products and E.R.P. systems may have very rudimentary database export features. Our team will work with you to successfully archive data, and then provide expert advice and assistance to migrate important data sets into your new Salesforce system, without compromising the safety, security or privacy of the data within all legal compliance requirements.
Step Four: Choosing the Right Tools to Implement from the Salesforce AppExchange
One of the most exciting moments for business executives and teams, is the selection of Salesforce applications from the AppExchange, that can help solve problems, reduce manual processes, improve customer response and problem resolution times, new employee onboarding… the list goes on ad infinitum.
As we help finance, manufacturing, e-commerce or retail, healthcare, logistics or distribution businesses select new software solutions, our team is able to customize the apps in Salesforce to work for you. The way your teams work and in alignment with your specialized processes. And we provide expert consulting every step of the way to guild our business clients to the best suite of software solutions available in Salesforce.
Step Five: Implementation of Salesforce Cloud and Collaborative Software
Once the initial integration of Salesforce to the organization has been complete, user profiles and business units are identified in the software, to allow for company wide versus team communications, project management, secure data sharing and more.
Each project for our B2B clients varies, according to the unique needs and culture of the business. Setting up an intranet is a standard service within Salesforce, but some B2B businesses may require the development of a secure extranet for customer support and sales.
Our team at 6 Street Technologies designs qualitative digital ecosystems in Salesforce for our business clients. Customized to optimize operational management and apply artificial intelligence (A.I.) applications for advanced analytics and predictive modeling.
Step Six: Training and Support for Employee Onboarding
Once you have completed your integration project and the new Salesforce Cloud solutions are in place for your business, the next step is to successfully onboard your team to use the new tools provided. This is where many businesses benefit from the decades of experience, we’ve acquired at 6 Street Technologies; our team will help you overcome software adoption obstacles.
It is important to remember that many employees may be hesitant to start using Salesforce tools because it is something entirely different. There can be a lot of fear and apprehension when employees are required to disconnect with procedures and methods they have used for years within the organization. People like the confidence that familiarity with the CRM, intranet, business and communication skills provide.
When a business has adopted a new software system, you can expect some subtle ‘push-back’ from employees; but remember that this is a reaction to fear and worry. In many business functions, even the smallest error can result in a loss of revenue or increased expense for the enterprise. And no employee wants to be responsible for that or accountable as a result of learning a brand-new digital data management system.
One of the best and most effective ways that businesses can push-pull new software and procedures through their teams, is to find the early-adopters. These are the 1-2% of employees who are actually excited about new improvements to procedures and software. They are enthusiastic, and many early adopters not only enjoy mastering the new software but teaching it to their peers and colleagues.
If you are fortunate to have one of these enthusiastic early adopters in every department where Salesforce is now deployed, make that individual the front line in helping other employees develop knowledge and comfort utilizing the apps and systems. Identify ways that the new software will actually improve productivity and reduce errors, while making the employee’s job far easier.