Your organization invested valuable time and money to implement your Salesforce CRM platform. But what if you are not seeing the ROI you expected? Before you jump into complex Salesforce customizations and technical solutions, take another look. You might not have a Salesforce problem – you might have a process problem. Here, we’ll help you take steps to use Salesforce effectively.
In many cases, your frustrations with Salesforce could be solved by identifying process issues and unifying procedures across departments. Through standardized procedures and Salesforce best practices, you can avoid costly customizations and countless hours of manual work.
A 2023 Salesforce report stated that, due to manual work caused by broken processes and tool management, “sales reps spend only 28% of their week selling, down from 34% in 2018.” Although that may seem counterintuitive given the significant advancements in efficiency-maximizing technologies, it is a sobering reminder that technology alone does not free up your time; processes are equally important.
So how do you use Salesforce effectively? Performing a Salesforce Process Assessment is a strategic way to identify and resolve problem areas. After identifying issues, your team can develop a remediation plan to improve processes and optimize your Salesforce instance, freeing your salespeople up to do what you hired them to do: make sales.
Indicators That Your Organization Would Benefit from a Salesforce Assessment and Process Optimization
If the current state of your Salesforce reminds you of a modern-day wild west, that is likely a sign your Salesforce landscape needs attention. More specifically, the following warning signs may signal process problems are hindering your sales effectiveness:
Warning Signs of Salesforce Process Problems
1. Each Department Is Using Salesforce Differently
Does this sound familiar? Maybe your sales team is using a particular Salesforce field for one purpose and another team is using it for something different. Not only is this confusing for users, but it also leads to the second warning sign…
2. Data is Inconsistent Across Reports and Dashboards
Inconsistent data is the direct result of a lack of standardized processes to guide Salesforce usage. Data inconsistencies result in misleading or inaccurate reporting as opposed to actionable insights you can trust.
3. User Adoption Is Low
If your sales representatives are bogged down in manual tasks, skipping steps, or working outside of Salesforce to complete tasks, then you may have the right tool but lack the right processes.
How to Improve Salesforce Performance
For issues like those listed above, the best way to improve Salesforce performance is to evaluate and adjust your existing processes. This will require a thorough Salesforce Current State Analysis, Optimization Roadmap, and Roadmap Execution.
What is a Salesforce Process Assessment?
A Salesforce process assessment is the process of doing a current state analysis to evaluate how each business unit is using the Salesforce platform. The goal is to identify areas of weakness and strength, where users run into issues, and if teams are in alignment with each other and the organization.
Our process experts will work with your stakeholders and Salesforce users to understand your current business processes and understand the pain points within your Salesforce landscape. Our technical experts will review your Salesforce configuration, integrations, licenses, and analytics to help identify opportunities for Salesforce optimization. Together, our experts will produce a roadmap for an optimized Salesforce environment and guide you through the implementation.
Interested in seeing how this plays out? Our team conducted a Salesforce assessment for a technology services company that revealed key reasons they were missing sales. Read more about it here: Salesforce Optimization Assessment Case Study.
What Are the Benefits of Salesforce Optimization?
At a minimum, Salesforce optimization and business process improvement will address the three warning signs we mentioned earlier. However, those just scratch the surface.
Key Benefits of Salesforce Optimization:
- Increase efficiency of day-to-day business operations
- Streamline business processes and reduce wasted effort
- Automate workflows leading to faster and more accurate processing of data
- Improve user productivity
- Automate workflows to increase productivity
- Improve user interfaces to make navigation and task completion easier
- Reduce administrative tasks to allow more time for value-add activities
- Allow sales reps to focus on sales!
- Enhance data accuracy
- Guarantee consistent reporting across functional areas by standardizing KPIs
- Build trust in your data for better decision-making
- Eliminate obsolete data
- Provide cost savings
- Automate repetitive tasks to reduce labor cost
- Lower operational costs by eliminating redundancies
- Increase adaptability and scalability to allow for flexibility as your business grows and needs evolve
- Improve customer experience
- Provide customer support with necessary data to allows for faster response times to customer inquiries
Optimize the Value of Salesforce Through Process Improvements
If your team suffers from poor user adoption, data inconsistency, and inaccurate reporting, it may be time to consider Salesforce process optimization. By identifying your process issues and implementing clarity, standardization, and best practices, you will help your team use Salesforce effectively and position your organization to be more effective and agile. By integrating Salesforce with optimized business processes, your organization can streamline operations, adapt to changing markets, and increase revenue.
Let InfoWorks Lead You Through Salesforce and Business Process Optimization
Our Salesforce and process experts can guide you through improving your Salesforce organization. We can help you standardize business processes and optimize Salesforce, including Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Service Cloud, and Experience Cloud, to work seamlessly throughout your organization. We have proven ourselves as a long-term partner and will work with you to achieve the Salesforce ROI you expect. Contact us about Salesforce process improvements today.
