We’ve done our fair share of Salesforce implementations, and we’ve found the same questions come up again and again, from clients and from Salesforce reps alike. We thought it might help to document our answers for anyone considering an implementation.
Implementation basics
1. How long will it take?
It depends on the shape of the work. For simpler builds with a clear scope, our Quick start delivers to a fixed cost and date. Work that spans teams, systems or operating models runs as a phased implementation, which we scope in detail before committing to a timeframe.
2. What is involved?
Every implementation is unique, with different goals and needs. The framework is consistent, though: each one involves a build, data migration, testing, training and integrations.
The set-up
3. What information do we need for implementation?
A client once asked us to confirm every resource needed at the start of their Salesforce implementation so they could set it up in as little time as possible. It’s a great goal, but we rarely know all of the requirements at the outset, because much of the detail is learnt along the way. This is where we have a conversation about phasing, preparation and adapting during the process.
4. What is the structure of an implementation?
Salesforce implementations follow four key stages:
- Scoping and design
- Delivery and implementation
- Client testing and fine-tuning
- Go-live and user adoption
Integrations can happen as part of the initial project or in a later phase, depending on the complexity of the project. Once the requirements and dependencies for each stage are clear, it’s easier to set the timing of the overall implementation.
5. What is the best way to phase an implementation?
There are a few questions to consider when timing a Salesforce implementation. This list is a good place to start when confirming your phasing plan:
- What are your objectives?
- What is the budget?
- Do you have a target go-live date or delivery timeline?
- Do you have any unique requirements to consider?
- Who in your team needs to be involved, and when are they available?
- Are other projects underway that could distract your business from the implementation?
- Are there periods when people will be unavailable, such as holidays or the end of the financial year?
- Have you confirmed and documented your current sales processes?
6. How much of the design should you do upfront, and how much can be worked out along the way?
Some clients want to start and see how it goes. Others prefer a detailed design before they pick up the tools. We find the best approach sits somewhere in the middle. It’s important to be prepared so you implement efficiently, but you also need to be open to the new information you will inevitably discover along the way.
7. What are the main risks and red flags to consider?
The most common issues we come across are:
- Getting to the scoping stage and realising that processes either aren’t defined or no longer suit the business. Always, always, always define your sales processes before starting an implementation.
- Not having the right people involved to support the implementation from the outset.
- Not having consensus on what the implementation should achieve.
- Not thinking about the state of the existing data, such as trying to work with unstructured data in Excel spreadsheets.
Data migrations
8. What data can we migrate from an old system to Salesforce?
If you have an existing CRM, the data in it is usually structured, which means it can very likely be migrated.
If data is spread across many individual spreadsheets, it can be extremely challenging to migrate, because there is rarely a common data structure. Each source would have to be migrated on its own.
9. What do we need to think about for data migrations?
The two critical considerations when preparing for a data migration are:
- How will you be supplying the data?
- What is the core schema in Salesforce, for example for invoices, emails, tasks, contacts, leads, opportunities, accounts, cases and campaigns?
Integrations
10. What integrations are right for me?
It depends on several things: your requirements, how complex the project is, your budget and the technology you already have. We encourage you to gather as much of this information as possible to work out your integration requirements. Keep in mind that the solution design needs to be finalised before any integrations can be completed.
Reporting
11. What reports can I get from the new system?
Rather than investing in dashboards delivered externally, we recommend implementing a standard series of reports and equipping your team to build and modify reports and dashboards themselves. That gives you the independence to manage your reporting over the long term.
Implementation team
12. Which departments should be included?
Departments commonly involved in implementations include sales, operations, marketing, IT and leadership. It’s important to include every department the solution will affect, not just the ones that will use it most. Involving everyone affected from the very beginning is the only way to avoid wasting time and money.
Consider a marketing team itching to introduce automation, so they implement a tool without consulting any other department. Once they start using it, they realise it doesn’t align with the sales team’s processes, so they can’t integrate the customer data they need to automate their marketing. The next six months go on trying to fix the issue, and often an entirely new system has to be implemented in the end.
13. How should I engage with these departments?
Each department needs a different approach to get behind the solution. Some teams will be tech-savvy and support the new system immediately, while others would rather stick with their trusty spreadsheets or notepads. We tailor each implementation to the requirements and preferences of the teams we work with, to maximise adoption and the success of the change overall.
Training
14. How do we train people?
We take a train-the-trainer approach. We start by identifying the people in leadership positions who will directly or indirectly manage the team moving onto Salesforce. We then train those leaders to train their team, which has proven to improve user adoption and overall confidence in the new solution.
15. How do I access ongoing training?
We use Salesforce’s Trailhead learning modules from the outset to create consistency and efficiency. These self-paced modules include hands-on activities and practical assessments that can be completed in a training sandbox, and Salesforce updates them with each release, so they reflect the latest features and functionality.
We also stick to the standard Salesforce data model for all core processes in our implementations. That means we never customise the solution to the point where your team can’t use the Trailhead modules.
Support and maintenance
16. What ongoing support and maintenance is required after implementation?
Smaller businesses can use our ongoing support until they grow large enough to justify a dedicated Salesforce resource. Fluent Care keeps your system maintained month to month, and support hours cover the changes and improvements on top.
For high-growth businesses, we recommend appointing sales operations or marketing operations leaders who own revenue, conversion optimisation and the administration of Salesforce from the outset. These roles are more valuable to a growing business than a dedicated system administrator, because they are multi-skilled and the business gets more for its money. For businesses with internal IT teams, we can also supplement in-house resources and capability until they are up to speed.