<strong>The Ultimate Checklist When Choosing a Technology Partner</strong>

With the unexpected current challenging situation coming up, one might have hesitated about whether it was the right time to make some bold moves in your business. Organizations these days have been striving to accelerate service delivery and drive their digital transformation.

There's always a suitable time for ideas that can reshuffle and make your business more phenomenal. Hence, a trusted technology partner with a proven track record becomes a requirement. While Salesforce is a technology that needs no introduction, the leading cloud-based CRM platform has gained immense popularity in recent years. Also touted as "The King of CRM," it has rightly emerged as the preferred choice for businesses aiming to optimize their digital engineering and insights efforts. However, implementing Salesforce can be challenging.

It's no secret that adopting any enterprise application is a risk, and customer relationship management (CRM) systems are no exception. CIO magazine reported that around one-third of all customer relationship management (CRM) projects fail. They also noted that the failure rate is closer to 90%. Despite being the most impactful platform for businesses, what makes an integrated CRM system fail?

Of the many reasons for this failure, the one that comes out as the most crucial is the wrong selection of the Salesforce Partner. Let's identify the essential qualities and factors businesses should consider when selecting a technology partner for implementing Salesforce as they navigate their path toward digital transformation.

1. Ready-to-Deploy Experts:

Like any tool/platform, Salesforce's effectiveness relies on the expertise and deep understanding of those who implement it. Effectiveness in using tools/platforms like Salesforce hinges on the expertise and in-depth understanding of those tasked with its implementation. Salesforce offers a robust network of certified experts through their Salesforce Partner Ecosystem, comprising professionals with the requisite skills and knowledge to configure and tailor the platform adeptly. These experts boast extensive experience across diverse industries and sectors, supported by comprehensive training programs that span various roles and specializations, such as Salesforce Administrator, Developer, Architect, and Consultant.

This rigorous training equips professionals with the technical acumen to effectively deploy, customize, and optimize Salesforce to address a range of business needs. Their expertise ensures a seamless integration of Salesforce into existing systems and processes, facilitating swift adoption and harnessing the platform's capabilities on a large scale. The bottom line is businesses must opt for a technology partner that can ensure a seamless and hassle-free implementation process.

2. Thorough Domain Expertise:

The success of a truly valuable partner hinges on its capacity to cater to a diverse array of industries and sectors. Salesforce provides industry-specific solutions, such as Health Cloud for healthcare, Salesforce Customer 360 for retail, and many more. These solutions come equipped with pre-built industry-specific data models, workflows, and analytics, enabling organizations to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives with industry-specific features. The platform offers functionalities designed to tackle each industry's distinctive challenges and specific requirements. Leveraging Salesforce's domain expertise, organizations can access custom-tailored solutions and best practices that propel digital transformation within their particular industry.

It is crucial for businesses to seek partners who possess an in-depth understanding of their industry and can adapt Salesforce solutions to meet industry-specific requirements. This expertise ensures seamless alignment between the CRM system and the company's operations.

3. Consulting-Led Approach:

Businesses often prefer a "Consulting-Led Approach" when choosing a technology partner for Salesforce. This means partnering with experts who provide strategic guidance and consulting services throughout the implementation process. Such partners not only execute the technical aspects but also offer valuable insights to optimize Salesforce for long-term success. 63% of consumers expect businesses to know their unique needs and expectations, while 76% of B2B buyers expect the same (Salesforce Research). The technology partner should collaborate closely with organizations to deeply understand their individual needs, current systems, and pain points.

With this knowledge, they can apply their technical prowess to thoroughly assess the company's infrastructure, existing CRM systems, and data architecture. The objective is to craft an optimized Salesforce solution, encompassing tasks such as integrating Salesforce with other systems via APIs, configuring data models and workflows, and, when necessary, implementing custom development to automate business processes using Salesforce's declarative tools. According to Salesforce’s “State of the Connected Customer” report, 84% of business buyers are more likely to buy from a company that demonstrates an understanding of their business goals.

4. Faster Implementation with Accelerators:

Speed is crucial in today's competitive business landscape, and businesses seek technology partners who offer "Faster Implementation with Accelerators."  Salesforce provides a vast library of pre-built accelerators and templates, including data models, workflows, and reports, that can be readily deployed and expedite the implementation process. A potential partner leverages these pre-built tools, templates, and best practices to expedite the Salesforce implementation process, reducing time-to-market and enabling businesses to realize ROI sooner. In simple words, these accelerators give organizations a head start, streamlining the configuration, saving valuable time during implementation, and reducing the effort required to build custom functionalities from scratch.

5. Delivery Excellence:

"Delivery Excellence" is a fundamental requirement for businesses when selecting a technology partner for Salesforce implementation. They look for partners who consistently meet deadlines, maintain high-quality standards, and ensure a smooth transition to the new Salesforce system. Delivery excellence instills confidence in the partnership and ensures the project's success.

The Outcome

Salesforce implementation can be a complex process that requires expertise and experience. Choosing the right consulting partner and platform is critical to the success of your implementation project.

Teaming up with the right Salesforce partner is more than just signing a deal with an external party; it's about putting your faith in a crew that can revolutionize your business. It's also important to treat your partners as true collaborators, as they will support you in making smarter choices and advise you on the best approach, keeping your requirements aligned. Considering the points mentioned above, you'll discover a Salesforce Partner worth trusting with your business.

By Prabhat Mehrotra, AVP – DES, Movate