Salesforce.com Best Practices

BUSINESS CHALLENGE
Many organizations struggle to realize the full value of CRM technology investments because they’re hastily launched without fully accounting for the specific needs and attributes of the organization. Although speed to deploy is a key feature of Salesforce.com CRM products, rarely do businesses consciously choose to restrict or jeopardize the success of the technology investment by launching on Tuesday instead of Friday.

But that’s exactly what happens with typical “quick start” implementation services. By simply relying on a commoditized deployment package, many organizations underestimate the importance of carefully integrating the tool with the business, rather than vice versa. Understanding the business and CRM function that the technology is supporting is only a surface level step at best in implementation packages designed for high volume and low differentiation. The result is an ongoing investment that’s “deployed,” but not adopted or integrated into the business, leading to project failure or further “fix” investments.

COVESTIC'S SOLUTION
Salesforce.com’s growing market presence combined with the general inadequacy of standardized implementation services inspired Covestic’s development of focused best practices for Salesforce.com implementation and delivery methodologies to better serve clients that choose Salesforce.com CRM solutions. Covestic offers three primary services:

• Express Implementation
• SharpStart™ (right-sized implementation)
• Customization & Optimization

Acknowledging even in the simplest of implementation scenarios it’s rare for CRM tool optimization to be entirely “plug and play,” Covestic builds an understanding of the basic business processes, objectives and needs of the overall CRM function. This enables us to deliver two key and unique benefits:

1. Our implementation won’t paint clients into corners that require re-work to further optimize the CRM function or application post-deployment.
2. Delivery of a CRM Optimization Roadmap including prioritized and realistic modifications, enhancements and/or integration steps that are specific to the individual CRM needs of each client.

SharpStart is an effective approach for organizations that value the “fast and easy” deployment benefit of Salesforce.com, but also realize their needs are unique. SharpStart’s advanced discovery and planning helps drive an efficient implementation that’s more relevant to the needs and goals of each client, typically without dramatic impacts to project length.

Whether a client is looking to migrate to Salesforce.com for the first time, or save a failed or stalled deployment initiative, Covestic’s SharpStart service is a customer-centric and complete solution for getting the most value out of the Salesforce.com investment.

The custom configuration, data mapping/integration, business process optimization and other available components in the SharpStart service are also available independently of our core implementation services. Our individual approach enables clients to make more informed decisions about prioritizing and selecting an optimal scope of work for implementation, versus what can be pushed out to post-launch Customization & Optimization work. This is extremely useful to clients when speed of deployment is a top priority, as it provides a detailed roadmap for what must be included to be successful, while logically scheduling and grouping other work into realistic incremental phases – right-sized to every client’s specific objectives.

OUR APPROACH
Because the vast majority of Salesforce.com implementations to date have been in the SMB market, that size and type of service has been the premise and focus for generally available implementation packages. But the reality is that even in SMB organizations, one size doesn’t fit all.

CRM technologies are a core component of the overall CRM function within an organization that requires a thorough understanding of the desired customer experience of an organization to be implemented and integrated into the business successfully. Like any technology that facilitates core business processes, deploying CRM technology without a customized plan for integration and optimization within an organization’s unique business processes is like shooting in the dark.

Covestic’s Salesforce.com services are based on proven best practices, but take a client-centric and individual approach to implementing, customizing and enhancing Salesforce.com solutions to optimize client CRM functions and maximize the return on Salesforce.com investments.