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Top 10 IT Companies in Pune

The need for IT is growing every hour. Every business now needs an IT department for various purposes like taking care of the software infrastructure, government policies, network maintenance, customer needs, and security testing. Hence choosing the right IT Company for your business would ensure the safeguard of confidential information and boost productivity.

As a lover of technology, if you looking for the best IT companies to take care of your business needs, you are at the right place. We have carefully formulated the list of the best IT companies in Pune that will serve as an asset to you.

 

1. Techila Global Services

Every business needs a tailored CRM that would help them to scale and Techila global services fit into that picture perfectly. With more than a decade of experience in salesforce CRM, the professionals present in this company would help you migrate your data, integrate third-party applications with salesforce and give you a seamless user adoption platform.

 

When you are connected with this company you don’t have to worry about every changing business need as they are always connected with the latest technology trends to streamline your business process. If you are unable to upsell, cross-sell or fail to develop personalized campaigns for your consumer, Techila Global Services would mitigate this issue effortlessly. They are capable of both mobile and web-based platforms so you don’t waste time in marketing and promotions as they will have it handled for you. They have their offices both in US and India.

 

2. Mind Browser

A youth-based company that is known to deliver projects on the timeline and provide the customer with high-income returns has been the highlight for Mind Browser. Their customer testimonials have been featured in Discovery channel, Cosmopolitan magazine, TechCrunch, and Product Hunt. Their customer base has also been known to receive million dollars funding from Simons foundation


3. Tech Mahindra

Tech Mahindra is spread across 90 countries and has a net worth of $5.2 billion. It is known for providing tailored IT services and has been providing BPO services along with it. They serve in a variety of industries like artificial intelligence, banking, manufacturing, and many more.

 

4. Cyient

A technological and engineering company that has been able to stay ahead since it let customers stay focused on their core innovative technology.  The professionals present in this company have great domain knowledge, analytics capacities, and technical experience to solve any complex business problems.serves a variety of industries like defense, aerospace, telecommunications, and railway.

 

5. BMC software company

This company handles booth mainframe computing and software solutions. They have a wide  range of cloud services that have helped several customers to streamline their business and make their presence known worldwide

 

6. Synechron

With its headquarter in New York this company has a total of 22 offices across the world.  Their service is mainly focused on the banking sector, which tells us that they help asset managers, insurance companies, and banks to get accustomed to technology and boost their online presence.

 

The annual revenue of this company is estimated at 650 million and they improve each passing day. Their main investment goes into developing finance technology so that it could solve ever-growing customer problems. Also, the management in this company brings the best side of you, since they care a lot of the development of the employees

 

7. Pubmatic

The main goal of the company is to promote biz technology. They have a cool IT space to work in. the company gives employees growth from time to time and makes sure that employees have job satisfaction while working with them. They are new to Pune but have already managed to come in our top ten list

 

8. Talentica

If you are a business owner that has an innovative idea but struggling to make it to reality. Then this is your key company. They are a company that takes immense pride in turning clients’ ideas into a global sensation. Their main target is the startup companies who need support to make their idea known to the world.  By making the client outcomes successful they have hit the bull’s eye in terms of ownership, creativity, and performance

 

9. Cisco

needs no introduction as they come as a giant when we talk about hardware and telecommunication. Did you know the idea of LAN was invented by them? Their services are divided into three areas known as networking, IoT, and data security

 

10. Cybage Pvt Ltd

If you need a company that takes care of your engineering of making a particular product then this company should be your first choice.   Their team is known for productive breakthrough services and products that why their client retention is 100 percent.

They follow a 1:1 approach with the client, to understand the client’s needs and then come up with an organized plan to execute it.  By knowing the client insights, they can price a successful product in the market

 

Final thought

We have listed the best IT companies in the market today so that your business needs can find a place where it can get executed successfully. These IT companies have talented professionals who are the best in  their profession and they treat you as their family. We would love to know any company that you think should make this list of Top 10 IT companies in Pune. If there is one please feel to comment below and let us know

Salesforce Vs Workday: Which Cloud-based Platform Is The Best?

Cloud-based services and platforms have seen a significant rise over the last few years and more and more businesses are switching to digitized processes. Legacy data and platforms are no longer relevant for staying in sync with the ongoing trends and technologies in the industry. In the realm of cloud-based services, Salesforce and Workday are both major players that have helped organizations operating at all scales streamline their business processes. In order to make the right choice, it is important to look into Workday vs Salesforce in detail.

 

Both Salesforce and Workday provide users with flexible, scalable, and personalized services based on the specific needs and preferences of the organizations they work in. They leverage process automation and seamless data management to help users make the most of their business records and attain the desired objectives.

 

To obtain a better understanding of Workday vs Salesforce, it is important to understand the essence of both the platforms and the features they offer to users.

 

What Is Workday?

Workday is a renowned cloud-based platform that specializes in the realm of enterprise resource management, human capital management, and financial management. Essentially known for its human capital management (HCM) features, Workday provides users with a centralized platform and a range of different features packed into the same. Workday is designed to suit the requirements of medium and large enterprises, especially the ones that operate from multiple locations.

 

Workday allows organizations to manage, recruit, develop, and optimize their human resource and manage the most valuable asset possessed by a company – the people. The cloud-based platform focuses on catering to the personalized needs of the employees working in an organization by managing their records seamlessly. Workday aims at helping companies bring their human resource to the center of all their processes. It is driven by the intention of increasing the overall engagement and productivity within an organization by helping the management handle the employees well.

 

What Is Salesforce?

Salesforce is a pioneer in the world of CRM and has been delivering its services for more than the last two decades. It allows organizations to record, store, assess, track, and share their business data to provide personalized services to the customers they cater to.

 

Salesforce is designed to suit the needs of organizations operating at all scales with its editions starting at the rate of $25/user/month. The CRM giant has divided its offerings into different categories, commonly known as Salesforce Clouds. Every Cloud provides users with a specific set of tools and features that are dedicated to a specific department or industry. Some of the most popular Salesforce offerings include Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and Community Cloud.

 

Salesforce is driven by the intention of helping organizations reach out to their clients in the best way possible and provide their employees with powerful tools to streamline their business processes. It is a fairly vast CRM platform with a plethora of features, tools, add-ons, and integrations.

 

Now that we have understood the basics of Salesforce and Workday, let us have a look at the features offered by each of the cloud-based platforms.

 

Important Features Of Workday

Human Resource Management

Human resource management (HRM) is the highlight feature of Workday. The cloud-based platform allows companies to organize and optimize their workforce effectively. Along with providing employees with the self-service functionality to make them increasingly self-reliant, Workday helps managers undertake seamless compensation management, absence management, and a range of other practices relevant to managing the employees.

 

Streamlined Recruitment

Workday provides organizations with automated and centralized recruitment solutions to help them get the right people on board the right way. The platform is designed to help users in finding, engaging, sharing, and selecting the most suitable internal and external candidates for the company they work in.

 

It allows the management to keep track of the entire recruitment lifecycle of every application received and every candidate shortlisted until they officially join the organization. The recruitment solution also allows users to analyze the positions that are open at any point in time and the type of candidates the organization is looking for.

 

Talent Management

This Workday feature is dedicated to managing, acknowledging, and rewarding the employees working in an organization. Right from personalized performance management to succession planning and career counseling, a single unified platform can be used for storing and managing the data pertaining to every employee working in an organization.

 

Payroll Management

With streamlined payroll management, Workday allows organizations to carry out multiple payroll calculations, perform batch calculations, consider flexibilities and deductions, and run audit reports using automated tools. If the employees working in an organization span across multiple countries, Workday facilitates integration with third-party payroll provides via Cloud Connect for Third-party Payrolls.

 

Time-tracking

This simple yet important Workday feature allows employees working in an organization to keep track of their time spent on specific projects on a daily basis. Being a cloud-based platform, Workday provides flexible services to users, allowing them to keep track of time on their desktops and mobile devices.

 

Big Data Analytics

The feature of Big Data Analytics by Workday allows users to combine Workday data with suitable non-Workday data sources to provide them with a bigger picture of their business. The platform comes with in-built analytics templates that can be used for addressing key business issues faced by specific departments operating within an organization.

 

Important Features Of Salesforce

Lead Management

Lead management is one of the most commonly sought-after features of Salesforce. The CRM platform allows your sales reps to manage their leads from the moment they are acquired until they get converted into customers. Users get an automated sales pipeline where they can add their sales leads and track their journey across multiple stages. Salesforce also allows sales reps to score the leads based on their behavior. This helps them prioritize and nurture them based on the response they are likely to get.

 

Campaign Management

Salesforce CRM allows users to create and manage sales and marketing campaigns from a centralized platform. It provides your team members with automated tools and features that can be used for reaching out to your customers across multiple platforms, including mobile, web, email, and social media. With seamless campaign management, your marketing and sales reps can create a robust communication strategy to reach out to the right people at the right time.

 

Salesforce App Development

Along with helping users manage their customer database, Salesforce allows businesses to build targeted and robust applications to streamline their business processes. Building applications in the Salesforce environment helps you create business-specific platforms that use your Salesforce data for providing personalized services to your customers.

 

Salesforce Integration

Salesforce is a highly customizable platform. Its functionality can be altered based on the specific processes you want to streamline, the customers you want to target, the users you want to work on CRM, and the tools you want to implement. The customizable nature of Salesforce allows users to integrate it with suitable third-party applications and services.

 

Salesforce integration provides users with an ideal combination of features offered by two different platforms on a single user interface. It prevents your team members from switching between platforms and synchronizing data between them manually.

 

Salesforce Communities

Salesforce allows organizations to build branded communities with their partners, employees, and customers. This provides a common meeting ground to all Salesforce users for carrying out discussions that matter. Salesforce Partner Communities allow organizations to interact and collaborate with their business partners on matters regarding common objectives to be achieved. On the other hand, user communities allow different Salesforce users to share important suggestions and resolutions of problems that are common between them.

 

Mobile Customization

Salesforce provides increased flexibility to users through seamless mobile customization. The mobile application of Salesforce allows users to access records, make necessary changes, view dashboards, create reports, and carry on with all their tasks on the go. In the age of digitization where the trends of working remotely and setting up hybrid workplaces are on the rise, customizations like these help organizations ensure that everyone is on the same page.

 

 

The Final Word

Looking at the different features offered by Workday and Salesforce, it is not fair to say that one platform is superior to the other. Both platforms allow organizations to optimize their business data and use the same to streamline their processes.

 

If you are willing to focus on managing your workforce and drive employee engagement within your organization, it is advisable to implement Salesforce. On the other hand, if your focus lies in providing personalized services to your customers and reaching out to your target audience across multiple channels, you should go ahead with Salesforce implementation.

 

Irrespective of the cloud-based platform you choose to implement, it is advisable to make the much-needed shift to the digital infrastructure. If you are willing to carve your niche in the industry you operate in and make your business reach new heights, it is important to ride the digital bandwagon.

 

 

How To Hire A Salesforce Administrator?

Salesforce implementation and operation depends a lot on the Salesforce professionals you hire. The services provided by skilled and reliable Salesforce experts help you in meeting your business objectives and optimizing Salesforce for your organization. When it comes to working on the CRM platform, the role of a Salesforce administrator is of the utmost importance.

 

What Does A Salesforce Administrator Do?

A Salesforce Administrator is responsible for carrying out an array of technical and managerial processes on a daily, weekly, monthly, and annual basis. Right from creating user profiles and assigning roles to maintain data quality and adding fields to the CRM platforms, a Salesforce Administrator shoulders multiple responsibilities. When you Hire A Salesforce Administrator, always make sure that they are well-versed with the nitty-gritty details of Salesforce and its various offerings.

 

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Here are some of the most important tasks performed by a Salesforce administrator:

 

1. Resetting passwords and unlocking user accounts

2. Handling SSO, two-factor authentication, and other security aspects

3. Adding white-listed IP addresses to the system

4. Helping Salesforce users develop customizable reports to obtain metrics that matter

5. Troubleshooting email campaigns, approval cycles, workflows, and auto-responders

6. Fixing data records on a real-time basis

7. Storing and running the snapshot of data export on a weekly basis

8. Running data de-duplication tools

9. Running adoption dashboards on the CRM platform

10. Scheduling APEX cues

11. Examining errors in SFDC and debugging logs

12. Deactivating users as and when required

13. Importing leads and contacts

14. Running monthly field utilization reports

15. Refreshing Salesforce sandboxes

16. Installing high-priority updates within the system

17. Running data extraction tools

18. Adding and removing members of Salesforce Communities and Partner Portals

19. Archiving weekly data snapshots older than 90 days

20. Creating an archive of the system’s field history tables to ensure a smooth audit trail

21. Archiving Chatter history for auditing and regulatory purposes

 

Tips For Hiring A Salesforce Administrator

Owing to the importance of a Salesforce administrator within an organization, it is important to be patient, precise, and critical while hiring a professional for your company. Although a simple Google search would provide you with a plethora of Salesforce administrators, it is important to do your research before making the final choice.

 

Here are some of the most important tips to keep in mind as you hire a Salesforce administrator:

 

Never Settle For The First Option

Organizations often make the mistake of hiring the first prospect they come across, especially in the case of an emergency. No matter how good the candidate is, it is never advisable to settle for the first option you come across while hiring a Salesforce administrator. The best way of making hires is to shortlist the ideal candidates and select the best from the lot. Never hurry in making decisions as it may cause trouble for your organization in the long run.

 

Look For Good Training Experience

A well-trained Salesforce administrator would help you make the most of the CRM platform and train other members of your team. For example, if you are willing to work on customizable applications installed from AppExchange, make sure you Hire A Salesforce Administrator who can help users work on new applications.

 

Test Their Workflow Automation Capabilities

Process automation is the need of the hour and several businesses rely on Salesforce to automate their workflows. This makes it important to test a Salesforce administrator’s workflow automation capabilities before hiring them. Especially in the case of small and medium enterprises, process automation makes a lot of difference in their approach towards handling business data.

 

Always make sure that your Salesforce administrator is able to identify the tasks that need to be automated and help you create automated workflows. Moreover, an ideal Admin would assist you in setting up automated reporting processes with complicated datasets. This would give you a better look at how your business is doing and what changes you need to make.

 

Give Priority To Salesforce Certification

As there is no specific degree or educational qualification that helps you assess the capability of a potential Salesforce administrator, it is advisable to prioritize Salesforce administrators that are certified. Salesforce certification adds a significant amount of credibility to the services provided by a Salesforce professional and makes your hiring decisions easier.

 

When a candidate is certified to become a Salesforce administrator, it can be implied that they have all the practical and theoretical knowledge for taking on the responsibility as the Admin. Certified administrators would help you manage your CRM platform well and work towards leveraging its functionality.

 

Look For The Right Passion

Salesforce administration requires the right amount of technical and managerial knowledge about the platform. If a professional is doing his job just for the sake of getting paid by the end of the project/month, it is difficult for your organization to grow. When you hire a Salesforce administrator, make sure you look for candidates who are genuinely passionate about the job and industry you operate in. This would make them work harder and be in sync with all the objectives you are willing to attain as an organization.

 

Give Importance To Soft Skills

The criteria for hiring a Salesforce administrator should never be restricted to the technical skills possessed by the professional. While technical acumen is extremely important, so are soft skills. A Salesforce administrator is required to communicate with a variety of people on a daily basis, making it important for them to be effective communicators. Administrators with good communication skills are capable of getting their points across in the best way possible.

 

Also, Salesforce Admins with good soft skills are capable of training the members of your team, especially the non-technical employees. No matter how technically sound they are, a project would not come to fruition if they are not able to share their expertise and ensure that everyone is on the same page.

 

What Should You Look For In A Salesforce Administrator?

The hiring process for getting a Salesforce administrator on board should include specific KPIs to consider that allow you to assess the capabilities of your future Admin. The role of a Salesforce administrator in Salesforce implementation and maintenance is immense and it is important for the recruiters to know exactly what they are looking for.

 

Here are some of the most important qualities and services you should look for while hiring a Salesforce administrator:

 

Flexible Work Hours

Now that more and more businesses are setting up remote workplaces and giving a thought to making remote work permanent, it is always advisable to look for Salesforce administrators who are willing to work for flexible hours. While managing your clients’ accounts, you never know when you would require the help of Admins to have a look into the system and make necessary changes.

 

Working flexible hours is a relevant work model today and allows you to work with Salesforce administrators around the world. Even if you are willing to hire an administrator operating from a different country, flexible work hours can be managed effectively.

 

Expert Assistance Beyond Administration

It is advisable to look for a Salesforce administrator who is ready to provide you with expert assistance that goes beyond administration services. It is always fruitful to have a Salesforce expert in your team who can be relied on by the employees. Salesforce administrators possess complete knowledge of the CRM platform and are well-versed with all of its aspects. If they provide you with seamless assistance and support, it would help you optimize the CRM platform.

 

Flexible Mode Of Engagement

Always make sure that a Salesforce administrator provides you with a flexible model of engagement, allowing you to scale your platform up or down based on your specific requirements. Especially if you are considering partnering with a Salesforce company, it is advisable to check how many cooperation and engagement models they provide.

 

Immediate Start Of Services

Especially if you are willing to hire Salesforce contractors, ask if they are able to start their services on an immediate basis. This would help you save time in explaining the work to be done and waiting for them to get trained. Look for administrators who are well-trained and in sync with the trends relevant in the industry. This would help them start with their services without any unnecessary delays.

 

Important Questions To Ask A Salesforce Administrator While Hiring Them

While hiring a Salesforce administrator, make sure you ask them screening questions to assess their capabilities. Here are a few important questions that you should as a Salesforce administrator before hiring them:

 

1. How would you help us achieve our specific business goals?

2. Which industries have your previous clients belonged to?

3. Which methodologies do you follow while providing your services?

4. What is your work experience in the field of cloud computing?

5. How will you help us train non-technical personnel within the organization?

 

The Final Word

These were some of the most important aspects to keep in mind when you Hire A Salesforce Administrator for your organization. While making the final decision, make sure that you do not hurry and conduct thorough research before bringing a suitable Salesforce professional on board.

 

Pega Vs Salesforce: Which CRM Is The Best?

In the wake of steady digitization at a global level, the number of CRM platforms and solutions available in the market is increasing at a substantial rate. A simple Google search would provide you with a plethora of CRM platforms and service providers to help you manage your customer databases. While everyone claims to be the best, it is important to be objective and choose the right CRM solution for your business.

 

Pega and Salesforce are two highly popular CRM platforms preferred by organizations around the world. They allow users to handle their customer records to provide personalized services to the clients. If you are confused in choosing between the two platforms, make sure you consider the nitty-gritty details about their features and look at Pega vs Salesforce from an objective point.

 

However, before getting into Pega CRM vs Salesforce, let us have a glimpse of the two platforms.

 

Pega CRM: An Overview

Pega CRM is an enterprise-level CRM platform that allows users to integrate sales, customer services, and marketing capabilities within a centralized platform. It allows you to capture the actions undertaken by your customers throughout their buying journeys and help you tailor your services based on their specific needs and preferences.

 

Pega CRM is designed to be deployed on a public cloud or in the Pega Cloud. It provides users with a range of advanced and automated tools that help them attain specific business objectives and streamline important processes. The CRM platform is developed to help users save their time and efforts in performing business processes and getting the desired results.

 

Salesforce CRM: An Overview

Salesforce is a cloud-based CRM platform that has been catering to organizations across the world for more than two decades. It helps users in recording, storing, analyzing, and tracking their business records to personalize the services provided to their customers.

 

The offerings of Salesforce are divided into different “Clouds” based on the departments they cater to and the users they are designed for. Some of the most popular Salesforce offerings include Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, Financial Services Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and Community Cloud.

 

Salesforce also allows organizations to build business-specific applications using its environment. These applications help you use your business data to provide customized services to your customers.

 

Now that we are through with the essence of both the CRM platforms, let us get into the details of Pega CRM vs Salesforce CRM.

 

Pega Vs Salesforce: A Comparison

In order to compare the two platforms, it is important to understand the features provided by them and the utility you can derive by implementing them.

 

Here are some of the key parameters that can be used to understand Pega vs Salesforce:

 

Pricing

It is a common assumption that Salesforce is a high-priced CRM and is suited only for high-end enterprises. However, when it comes to comparing Salesforce with Pega CRM, Salesforce costs fairly less.

 

The basic edition of Salesforce starts at the price of $25/user/month with Salesforce Essentials. The price keeps increasing up to $300/user/month with Salesforce Unlimited. On the other hand, Pega CRM charges you anywhere between $97/user/month for running a single-tenant cloud platform for case management to $295/user/month for getting an omnichannel experience. However, third-party vendors list Pega CRM for the price of $200/user/month, which is still higher than a couple of editions of Salesforce.

 

Looking at the pricing plans of both the CRM platforms, Pega CRM is not an ideal option if you run a startup or a small business. On the other hand, spending as little as $25/user/month would provide you with the seamless functionality of Salesforce and its offerings.

 

Ease Of Operation

In the age of digitization, more and more non-technical users are switching to cloud-based platforms. This increases the need for CRM platforms that are easy to understand and operate. Although Salesforce started off as a CRM platform that was difficult to operate, it kept updating its user interface to improve the ease of operation. Today, the CRM platform provides users with a clean UI that is easy to navigate and understand. Also, the introduction of a mobile application has provided greater flexibility to users across the board.

 

On the other hand, Pega CRM revolves majorly around case management. It allows users to treat every customer as a separate case being handled by the organization. Once a customer is added to the database, data from multiple external systems relevant to the concerned customer flows into their case in near real-time. The goal of Pega CRM’s user interface is to allow sales reps to close customer engagement in the best and the most effective way possible.

 

However, comparing the two CRM platforms in terms of ease of operation, it is can be concluded that Salesforce provides users with a better and simpler UI. Especially with the introduction of Salesforce Lightning, both technical and non-technical users can operate on the CRM platform and perform their tasks seamlessly.

 

Platform Implementation

When it comes to platform implementation, both Salesforce and Pega CRM require organizations to hire dedicated experts to set them up. Salesforce is considered to be one of the earliest pioneers of SaaS applications being used as CRM. The CRM platform has always stuck to its cloud-based approach for providing flexible services to its customers.

 

However, although the cloud-based nature of Salesforce makes buying a license easier, it is different from actually implementing the CRM platform and starting working on the same. This makes it important for businesses to undertake Salesforce implementation by hiring in-house Salesforce developers or contractors for setting up the platform. Either way, it is always advisable to rely on someone with Salesforce expertise to implement the CRM platform within your organization.

 

When it comes to Pega CRM, the platform is designed for being deployed on-premise, on a public cloud, or through Pega Cloud – a single-tenant cloud computing environment handled by Pega systems. To ensure a robust implementation of Pega CRM, you would need the expertise of professionals with integrator-level skills. This would further add to the overall cost of implementation.

 

CRM Customization

CRM customization allows organizations to tailor the functionality of their CRM platforms based on their specific needs and preferences. It provides you with a clear direction to head towards for attaining the desired objectives.

 

Salesforce is certainly one of the most customizable CRM platforms in the world as it provides users with a plethora of tools and features that can be customized according to their needs. Especially in the domain of low-code app development, Salesforce helps users use their data and knowledge to build robust applications that are in sync with their business needs. Recently, the CRM platform has also started making the elements of the low-code platform available as open-code for better and more customizable development.

 

When it comes to Pega systems, the CRM platform has employed a set of visual tools that allow organizations to customize specific Pega applications. As compared to Salesforce, these tools are more accessible to average end-users of the platform. This makes it easier for organizations to customize Pega CRM as compared to Salesforce.

 

Although Pega is easier to customize than Salesforce, the functionality of Salesforce tools is better than the ones offered by Pega CRM. If you are able to afford to hire Salesforce implementation partners for customizing the platform based on your needs, you should always go ahead with Salesforce implementation.

 

Customer Support

Both Pega and Salesforce provide personalized support to the customers and help them get their issues resolved on a timely basis. However, over time, Salesforce has built a big user community using which sales reps, customers, and administrators can interact with each other and share valuable insights. This makes Salesforce a more preferred CRM platform if you are looking for holistic customer support.

 

Variety Of Features

Pega CRM has followed more or less the same path when it comes to providing users with tools and features. All the applications offered by the CRM platform share the same code base to provide a seamless experience to the users.

 

However, when it comes to the variety of features offered, it is very difficult to beat Salesforce. Salesforce CRM has a substantial edge over its competitors as it provides users with a wide range of tools and features across the board. Along with the fundamental features, the CRM platform provides users with a variety of modules and add-ons such as marketing automation tools, document management tools, sales management tools, and more.

 

Salesforce has adopted the strategy of keeping a common customer record that allows all its add-ons and third-party applications to be invoked through a common object model. This ensures that Salesforce users are provided with a seamless experience along with a wide variety of features.

 

Pega Vs Salesforce: The Final Word

While comparing Pega CRM vs Salesforce CRM, it is difficult to say which is a clear winner. Both the platforms have their own set of benefits and drawbacks. The right platform to be implemented depends on the specific needs and preferences of an organization. The best way to make the right decision is to go through all the parameters discussed above (and more), see which CRM platform ticks all the boxes regarding your business requirements, and go ahead with the alternative that takes the lead!

 

How To Choose A Salesforce Implementation Partner?

Owing to the vast and dynamic nature of the CRM platform, Salesforce implementation can get tricky. Especially if you are new in the realm of CRM are not familiar with the tools and features of Salesforce, implementing it may get tedious and confusing. While Salesforce implementation is possible on your own, it is always advisable to have reliable Salesforce implementation partners on board.

 

Who Is A Salesforce Implementation Partner?

Salesforce implementation partner is a Salesforce professional who helps organizations design, deploy, and adopt the CRM platform. These partners guide companies throughout the implementation process and ensure that the project is executed in the best way possible. Salesforce implementation partners shoulder the responsibility of helping their clients choose, implement, and nurture the right solution for their organizations to achieve the desired objectives.

 

These partners can also be referred to as Salesforce consulting partners as they provide personalized consultancy regarding the implementation, use, and optimization of the CRM platform. Right from selecting the right tools for your Salesforce org to helping you allocate your budget,Salesforce implementation partners assist you in all aspects that revolve around Salesforce.

 

Moreover, implementation partners make sure that the CRM platform is technically sound and prevents you from facing challenges regarding data modeling, security, over-customization, and more. They help you make the right call when you are confused between going with custom development and installing AppExchange applications to get your work done.

 

A Salesforce implementation partner can be an individual or a company. However, it is important to note that these partners are not associated with Salesforce. They are independent service providers that help you optimize the potential of Salesforce.

 

How To Choose A Salesforce Implementation Partner

How you choose your Salesforce implementation partners affects the overall functionality of the CRM platform and the benefits you reap from the same. It is always advisable to be patient, selective, and analytical while selecting your implementation partners. A healthy and fruitful Salesforce partnership helps you attain all your objectives and get the desired traction.

 

Here are some of the most important aspects to keep in mind as you choose your Salesforce implementation partner:

 

Know Your Requirements

Although Salesforce implementation partners provide you with end-to-end implementation solutions, it is important to be well-versed with your key requirements before you have a partner on board. Make sure you know exactly what you want and are able to explain the same to your implementation partner.

 

Knowing your requirements allows you to provide a clear sense of direction to your team and your partners in terms of implementing Salesforce. Have a clear idea about the customers you are willing to cater to, the issues you are willing to resolve, and the objectives you are willing to attain through Salesforce implementation. When you have enough data and context to provide to your Salesforce implementation partner, it becomes easy to choose them.

 

Find Partners That Are Ideal For Your Industry

Irrespective of how qualified and skilled an implementation partner is, they would never be an ideal match for your organization if they do not possess the expertise to work in your industry. Always make sure that you engage with Salesforce implementation partners that have sufficient experience in working with the industry you belong to.

 

Being well-versed with your industry allows implementation partners to provide holistic and wholesome services to organizations. They understand the trends, technologies, risks, and challenges prevalent in your industry to provide you with quality services. Especially if you belong to super-specific niches like the real estate industry or capital markets, you would need someone who understands the nitty-gritty details about the sector to help you with Salesforce implementation.

 

Give Priority To Certifications

Technically, there is no specific University course or degree that makes an individual eligible for becoming a Salesforce professional. The most common and effective way of ensuring the credibility of a  Salesforce expert is to see their Salesforce certifications.

 

Salesforce certifications provide individuals with an official stamp of approval from Salesforce regarding their expertise and skills. They imply that the concerned individuals are well-versed with the domain and capable of providing quality services in the same. It is, therefore, always advisable to look for a Salesforce implementation partner or a partner company that possesses certified professionals.

 

Although engaging with certified professionals may cost you a little more, the results you obtain from the same would be worth the decision. A Salesforce implantation partner company with certified professionals would be able to provide you with robust and scalable solutions that help you make the most of Salesforce. Based on the specific processes you want to automate, the departments you want to focus on, and the ROI you aim at, they would provide you with personalized assistance throughout the Salesforce implementation process.

 

Never Let Geographical Distance Affect Your Decision

In the age of digitization, the world has certainly become a global village. With the increasing prevalence of global outsourcing of services, almost all IT services can be provided without worrying about the geographical distance. As you look for Salesforce implementation partners, make sure that you do not let the location of your partners affect your final decision.

 

Being a cloud-based platform, Salesforce can be developed, adopted, and optimized remotely. It does not require Salesforce professionals to physically interact with or your system in order to provide you with their services. Do not hesitate before engaging with Salesforce implementation partners working away from your headquarters. Make sure that you prioritize the skills of Salesforce professionals and the quality of services provided over the location they work from.

 

Do Not Settle For The First Option

Choosing the right Salesforce implementation partners requires a good amount of research and it is never advisable to zero in on the very first option you come across. Make sure you look for multiple alternatives, assess their abilities, compare their services, and choose the best implementation partner. Finalizing the first prospect would restrict your choices and prevent you from exploring other options. Even if you are absolutely certain that your first choice would be your final, conduct thorough research before finalizing the same.

 

Look For Partners Who Are Critical

Having a Salesforce implementation partner who agrees with everything you do or say is never an advisable option. It is important to look for partners who are critical of your approach and do not hesitate before disagreeing with you. Salesforce implementation partners shoulder the responsibility of helping your business grow and steering you away from making errors. For them to provide their services effectively, it is necessary to disagree with you on certain matters. Always look for an implementation partner who believes in healthy discussions and critical analysis.

 

Important Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Salesforce Implementation Partner

As you choose your Salesforce implementation partner, it is important to ensure that their vision and objectives are in sync with your organization. As discussed earlier, make sure you are critical in making your decision and understand the scope of your project before selecting an implementation partner.

 

Here are some of the most important questions you should ask the prospects you shortlist before you zero in on your Salesforce implementation partner:

 

1. Have you worked on a similar project? If so, can you discuss the results obtained from the same?

2. Can you provide us with some of your case studies?

3. Can you talk about one of your previous projects that did not go well? What do you think went wrong?

4. What is the technical and managerial skill-set that you (or your team) can provide us with?

5. Which industries are you capable of working in?

6. How would you describe the culture of your company?

7. What are the metrics used for measuring the effectiveness of your services?

8. How do you help your clients deal with unforeseen challenges?

9. Can you provide training to our administrators and developers?

10. Would you help us in user adoption?

11. Do you think Salesforce implementation is restricted to large-scale enterprises?

12. What are the methodologies used by you (or your team) for implementing Salesforce?

13. What is the approximate lead time required for staffing my Salesforce implementation project?

14. What resources would you need from our end?

15. What is the level of commitment that you are willing to provide?

16. What level of commitment are you looking for?

17. How much access would you need from our SMEs (subject matter experts)?

18. Have you catered to an organization having similar goals before?

19. You can always add more questions to this list based on the specific requirements of your organization. Asking questions like these would help you ensure that everyone is on the same page and allow you to make the right decision. Ultimately, this would make it easier for you to partner with the best Salesforce professionals.

 

The Final Word

These were some of the important ways in which you can choose a Salesforce implementation partner. Before you go ahead with the selection process, always keep in mind that prioritizing quality services over a plethora of parameters would help you optimize Salesforce in the best way possible.

 

 

Salesforce Console Implementation Guide

Digitization is all about process automation and streamlines business processes. Salesforce has been providing cloud-based CRM services to organizations around the world for more than two decades.

 

Over the last few years, businesses have realized the importance of digitized processes and virtual organizations. As the need for data management increases, so does the need to undertake businesses processes from a centralized platform. Salesforce console allows you to make the most of the CRM platform and your team to perform their tasks in the best way possible.

 

In this Salesforce console implementation guide, we would discuss the importance, relevance, and tips regarding the Salesforce console.

 

What Is Salesforce Console?

Salesforce console is referred to as a set of tab-based workspaces ideal for a fast-paced work environment. These applications help Salesforce users in managing multiple records simultaneously from a single screen and undertake a range of business processes from a centralized platform. As opposed to scrolling and clicking on multiple tabs, Salesforce console helps your team search, update, and create Salesforce records with ease and efficiency.

 

Salesforce console is ideal for the sales and service departments within an organization. While the sales console helps your sales reps in streamlining their processes, the service console helps your customer executives to provide quick and personalized support to your clients. The centralized platform allows your team members to use multiple applications at once and prioritize the cases to be handled. While the sales console helps users prioritize the leads to be managed based on their behavior, the service console allows users to route the right cases to the right agents.

 

Organizations around the world implement Salesforce consoles to close more deals, increase conversion rates, automate a range of processes, and build a healthy relationship with the customers. It provides users with all the required data and tools at their fingertips.

 

With the help of the Salesforce console, administrators can customize the platform for determining a range of elements – from Salesforce objects in the navigation tab to the possibility of making calls with a softphone. It also allows Salesforce administrators to display suitable knowledge base articles along with the cases to be handled by the support agents. Moreover, the service console helps users create custom actions via keyboard shortcuts and chat with customers over the web. All these practices allow your team to leverage their processes and help you achieve your business objectives effectively.

 

Salesforce Lightning Console applications are available with Salesforce Platform user licenses for an additional cost. Contacting your Salesforce account executive would help you with precise pricing based on your specific requirements.

 

Important Salesforce Console Planning Questions

 

Whether you are willing to implement a sales console or service console, here are some important questions you should ask yourself before planning Salesforce console implementation:

 

By whom will the Salesforce console be used?

The first aspect to consider while implementing the Salesforce console is the team/individual that would be using it. Ideally, a Salesforce console is designed for users who need to access and manage multiple records quickly. You can have specific users access the console by assigning their profiles to the application.

 

Before creating the console, clearly identify the users who would be accessing it and the processes they would be carried out using the same. This would help you add the tools that would benefit the concerned users.

 

Do you have the required feature licenses?

It is important for Salesforce users to have a feature license for using a console. Once you implement the Salesforce console, you can assign these licenses to specific users. Always make sure you have purchased enough feature licenses before going ahead with Salesforce console implementation.

 

Who would help you implement the console?

Implementing Salesforce console requires thorough knowledge of app development in general and Salesforce in specific. Make sure you choose the right professionals to implement the console based on your needs and preferences. Ideally, it is advisable to reach out to individual developers or Salesforce development companies that are capable of building custom Salesforce applications.

 

Which objects need to be accessed by users in the console?

Through the navigation bar in Salesforce Lightning and navigation tab in Salesforce Classic, users can select cases, accounts, contacts, and other specific Salesforce objects as per their requirements. Make sure you are well-versed with the objects you need users to access within your Salesforce console. It is advisable to choose the objects that are central to the tasks to be performed by the users.

 

For example, if you are willing to implement a sales console, you should focus on providing users with access to objects like contacts, accounts, and opportunities.

 

Which features should you use in the console?

In the case of Salesforce Classic, the available Salesforce console features include Interaction Logs, Chat, Knowledge sidebar, Highlight Panels, whitelisting domains, push notifications, choice of list display, keyboard shortcuts, and more.

 

For implementing the Salesforce console in Lightning Experience, you can choose from features like Split View Placement, Resizable Split View, Dynamic List Updates, Forget Open Tabs, and more.

 

In both cases, you can choose the features to implement based on the users accessing the console and the processes you are willing to streamline.

 

Important Tips For Salesforce Console Implementation

Here are a few of the most important tips to keep in mind to ensure smooth implementation of the Salesforce console:

 

1. Refresh your browser if you need to see the setup changes for your console

2. Make sure you assign the users to the Service Cloud User feature license for using a service console

3. Make sure you assign the users to the Sales Cloud User feature license for using a sales console

4. Make sure you assign users to the Chat User feature license for using the Chat console

5. If you have set up Salesforce Knowledge, make sure you turn on the Knowledge sidebar to make the console users access suitable articles with the cases they are working on

 

Benefits Of Salesforce Lightning Console

If you are willing to implement Salesforce Lighting console within your organization, have a look at some of the key benefits offered by the same:

 

Working On Multiple Records

Irrespective of the scale of your organization, it becomes tedious for your employees to manage multiple records manually using different tools. This makes them put in much more time and effort that could be used for performing more productive tasks.

 

Salesforce Lightning console allows users to work on multiple Salesforce records simultaneously on a centralized platform. This provides your employees with greater control over your customer database and a better perspective of the tasks to be completed. Without having multiple windows open, the Salesforce console allows users to work on multiple records in a hassle-free way.

 

This helps your team to reduce clutter while working and increase their overall efficiency.

 

Access To Recent Tabs And Bookmarks

As trivial as it may seem, Salesforce console makes the work of your employees a lot easier by helping them access recent tabs and bookmarks. Whether your sales reps are willing to access the leads nurtured or support executives who want to follow up to specific customers’ requests, the centralized platform allows them to work more efficiently. With Salesforce console, users can simply choose to bookmark specific records to jump to them at once when required.

 

Customizing Controls

Being highly customizable in nature, the Salesforce Lightning console allows administrators to provide more or fewer controls to the customer service agents to perform their activities. Moreover, the platform allows users to resize pinned lists for seeing more information regarding specific contacts, eliminating the need for your service agents to jump around the database.

 

Faster Navigation With Keyboard Shortcuts

Salesforce console provides users with a range of keyboard shortcuts, making their processes faster and more efficient. The standard keyboard shortcuts prevent users from making multiple scrolls and clicks to perform specific tasks.

 

Rearrangement And Customization Of Components

Users can easily rearrange or customize Lightning components using the Salesforce Lightning console. This helps you provide users with an efficient layout based on your specific business needs.

 

Key Elements Of Salesforce Lightning Console

Here are some of the key elements of the Salesforce Lightning console that help users navigate the platform seamlessly:

 

1. App Launcher – This is an icon located on the top left of the console window with nine dots. It allows users to switch between different console applications.

2. Navigation Menu – This is the menu that displays the navigation item currently selected by a user.

3. Records – This is the section that displays records currently open in workspace tabs and the related records opened from within a workspace tab that is open in subtabs.

4. Split View Panel – This panel helps users view multiple records on a single screen.

5. Utility Bar – The utility bar allows users to access common processes and tools such as notes, history, and more.

 

The Final Word

This was a comprehensive Salesforce console implementation guide that would help you get started with getting a console built. In order to obtain the best results, make sure that you take help from your Salesforce implementation partners, consultants, or any trusted Salesforce professional.

 

Salesforce Implementation Cost – The Ultimate Guide

Implementing Salesforce within your organization requires you to take into consideration several aspects – the objectives you are willing to attain, the customers you cater to, the Salesforce users you are aiming at, the business processes you are willing to automate, and many more. Of all the aspects, arguably the most important one is the Salesforce implementation cost.

 

Cost always plays an important role in implementing the CRM platform within your organization. “How much is Salesforce implementation worth?” is one of the most common questions asked by organizations before developing the CRM platform. Depending on your requirement, the Salesforce implementation cost for your company can range from $10,000 to $100,000.

 

However, it is important to note that Salesforce is not a CRM platform that is restricted to high-end enterprises. People often assume that it is an extremely expensive platform to develop and use as a CRM. However, that is not true. Looking at the needs and preferences of startups and small businesses, Salesforce has rolled out the Essentials edition where organizations can avail themselves of sales and service cloud features at the starting price of $25/month/user. This busts the myth of Salesforce being a CRM platform exclusively designed for large enterprises.

 

Salesforce has been successful in helping businesses generate decent returns on their investments for over two decades. This proves that the CRM platform allows users to optimize their business processes and drive more revenue home. This makes it important for businesses operating all scales and belonging to all industries to make smart investment decisions when it comes to deciding the Salesforce implementation cost.

 

What Does Salesforce Implementation Cost Include?

Calculating an ideal cost for implementing Salesforce can be a challenging process. Several factors play a role in a Salesforce implementation partner finalizing their price and businesses allocating their budget.

 

Here are some of the key elements that make up your Salesforce implementation cost:

 

Salesforce License

This is the cost you need to pay for obtaining one or more Salesforce licenses. Based on your business processes and goals, you can choose the license(s) that best suits your needs. Salesforce licenses can be paid for on a monthly or yearly basis.

 

Salesforce Consultancy

Most Salesforce implementation partners also act as effective Salesforce Consultants for their clients. These services include providing all possible assistance to the concerned organization throughout the course of Salesforce implementation. This cost differs for different service providers and is often included in the final proposal made to the clients.

 

Data Migration

Whether you are willing to move legacy data to Salesforce or transfer records from one Salesforce org to another, Salesforce implementation partners help you do the same. The cost of data migration involves the price of helping you organize your database and move the same from one storage platform to another. If you are willing to purchase specific ETL tools for migrating your data, you will need to pay for the same as well.

 

CRM Customization

The needs of every organization are different and unique. This involves Salesforce developers customizing the CRM platform based on the specific needs and preferences of their clients. From choosing the right tools to add to deciding upon the functionality of the CRM platform, Salesforce customization revolves around tailoring the platform based on your requirements.

 

Salesforce Integration

Being a highly customizable platform, Salesforce can be readily integrated with a range of third-party platforms. If you are willing to merge the functionality of Salesforce with a suitable application, you would be charged for Salesforce integration by your implementation partners.

 

Salesforce integration allows you to blend the functionality and data of two different platforms and provide users with a centralized system. For example, if you are willing to use Salesforce for data visualization, you can integrate it with platforms like Tableau.

 

Admin Training

If you are new to Salesforce or CRM in general, your Salesforce partner may train your administrators to use Salesforce in the best way possible. This would allow you to optimize the CRM platform and achieve your business goals in the best way possible.

 

User Adoption

Salesforce implementation is not limited to designing and developing the CRM platform. It also includes training users to work on the platform and get them used to its features. Whether you are switching from an alternate CRM platform to Salesforce or upgrading your Salesforce org, your Salesforce implementation cost is likely to include the cost of user adoption.

 

After-launch Support

Once the CRM platform is developed and launched, your Salesforce implementation partner would maintain the same via after-launch support. This includes conducting regular checkups, providing updates about newer versions, adding new tools to the platform, and much more. When you are charged for implementation services, you may have to pay your developers/implementation partners for after-launch support.

 

The Cost Of Salesforce Licenses

The Salesforce license you purchase forms a large chunk of your overall Salesforce implementation cost. Salesforce offerings are divided into different “clouds” based on the processes they help you streamline and the departments they are ideal for.

Here, we would discuss the prices of the two most commonly used Salesforce offerings – Salesforce Sales Cloud and Salesforce Service Cloud.

 

How Much Does Salesforce Sales Cloud Cost?

The cost of Salesforce Sales Cloud is divided into four distinct editions – Essentials, Professional, Enterprise, and Unlimited.

 

Salesforce Essentials ($25/user/month)

This is the most basic Sales Cloud edition that provides users with fundamental features for managing their leads, contacts, accounts, and opportunities. The Essentials edition also offers features like email integration and mobile customization to the users.

 

Salesforce Professional ($75/user/month)

This edition is ideal for small and medium businesses willing to streamline their sales processes. Along with the features of Salesforce Essentials, it provides users with additional features like lead scoring and sales forecasting.

 

Salesforce Professional ($150/user/month)

Taking Salesforce services a notch higher, this edition helps medium and large enterprises to leverage their sales processes. It provides users with the additional features of workflow and approval automation.

 

Salesforce Unlimited ($300/user/month)

The final edition of Salesforce Sales Cloud is designed for large enterprises with complicated processes and larger volumes of data. Along with all the features offered by the previous editions, the Unlimited edition of Sales Cloud provides users with configuration services and 24/7 support.

 

How Much Does Salesforce Service Cloud Cost?

Just like Salesforce Sales Cloud, the cost of the Service Cloud is divided into four different editions – Essentials, Professional, Enterprise, and Unlimited.

 

Salesforce Essentials ($25/user/month)

This is the most basic Service Cloud edition that provides users with fundamental features like cross-company collaboration, multi-channel management of cases, case mapping, and other basic features. The Essentials edition is designed to cater to the needs of a small service team.

 

Salesforce Professional ($75/user/month)

This edition is ideal for small and medium businesses willing to streamline their customer service processes. Along with the features of Salesforce Essentials, it provides users with additional features like service contracts, entitlements, and order management.

 

Salesforce Professional ($150/user/month)

Taking Salesforce services a notch higher, this edition helps medium and large enterprises to leverage their customer service processes. It provides users with the additional features of service analytics with AI-based functionality.

 

Salesforce Unlimited ($300/user/month)

The final edition of Salesforce Service Cloud is designed for large enterprises with complicated processes and larger volumes of data. Along with all the features offered by the previous editions, the Unlimited edition of Service Cloud provides users with configuration services, training services, and 24/7 support.

 

How Much Does Salesforce Consultancy Cost?

The cost for Salesforce consultancy essentially depends on the manner in which you avail of consulting services. Broadly, there are two different ways in which you can avail yourself of Salesforce consulting services – hiring in-house consultants and hiring Salesforce contractors.

 

Hiring in-house Salesforce Consultants would require you to pay them fixed salaries which may range from $130,000 to $180,000 annually. This would lead to you having to pay a fortune every year just to obtain consultancy services.

 

It is, therefore, always advisable to hire Salesforce contractors who provide consultancy services on a contractual basis. Here, the price of Salesforce consulting services would differ from one individual (or agency) to another. However, as you would not be required to pay these services providers fixed salaries and the job is done on an on-demand basis, this is a more cost-effective option for Salesforce implementation.

 

Other Salesforce Implementation Expenses

Although the exact cost would be different for different service providers, here is how much you can expect to pay for different services related to Salesforce implementation:

 

1. Data migration – $10,000 – $35,000

2. Salesforce Customization – $5,000 – $60,000

3. Salesforce Integration (for a complex project) – $30,000 – $50,000

4. Admin Training (for a mid-sized company) – $10,000

5. After-launch Support – $10,000 – $40,000

6. Salesforce QuickStart Packages – $1,000 – $14,000

 

The Final Word

This was a comprehensive guide to make you well-versed with your potential Salesforce implementation cost. Before you finalize setting up the CRM platform within your organization, make sure you take all the above-mentioned aspects into consideration and chart out a detailed budget.

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Implementation Partners

Salesforce Marketing Cloud is a robust CRM platform that help you streamline a range of marketing processes. Designed specifically for your marketing team, the Salesforce offering helps you identify the key prospects for your marketing campaigns and reach out to them across multiple platforms. Hiring reliable Salesforce Marketing Cloud partners helps you make the most of the platform and optimize your marketing processes.

 

Who Is A Salesforce Marketing Cloud Partner?

A Salesforce Marketing Cloud partner is an individual or an agency that helps you implement the platform within your organization. The partner understands your specific needs and preferences to provide you with a tailor-made Salesforce solution.

 

Salesforce Marketing Cloud partners help you throughout the implementation process and guide you every step of the way. Right from analyzing your business needs to suggest you the best tools to implement, these Salesforce partners ensure that you make the most of the marketing automation platform.

 

Offerings By A Marketing Cloud Partner

An ideal Salesforce Marketing Cloud helps you implement the most suitable offering of the CRM platform within your organization. Based on the audience you are targeting and the channel of communication you prefer, they help you reach out to your prospects in the best way possible.

 

Here are some of the major offerings by a Salesforce Marketing Cloud Partner:

 

Journey Builder Implementation

Marketing Cloud helps you cater to the individual journey of all your customers by keeping a track of the same. Based on your business needs, your Marketing Cloud partner facilitated Journey Builder implementation within your organization. They help you use the CRM platform to provide a one-on-one connected experience to your customers.

 

With Journey Builder, your Marketing Cloud partners help you understand the specific likes, dislikes, needs, and preferences of your customers by analyzing their actions across multiple platforms. They help you create personalized journeys for different customers on the basis of their engagement with your business.

 

Your Marketing Cloud partners also help you connect different channels with the help of Journey Builder to create a seamless and unified experience for your customers. This way, you can reach out to your prospects across platforms like social media, email, web, and more using a centralized CRM platform.

 

Email Studio Implementation

As the name suggests, Email Studio is a platform that allows users to create targeted email marketing campaigns. Based on the messages you are willing to circulate and the customers you are targeting, Salesforce Marketing Cloud partners help you tailor the platform for your organization.

 

They also allow you to automate your marketing campaigns to relieve your executives from sending and analyzing emails manually. Whether you want to send mass emails or targeted ones, your Salesforce partner would suggest the most ideal tools to work on.

 

If you are willing to take your marketing processes a notch higher, your Marketing Cloud partner would help you increase email conversions via Salesforce Einstein – the AI component of Salesforce. This would help you predict the segments from your audience that are most likely to respond positively to your emails and engage with your business.

 

Advertising Studio Implementation

For several years, advertising has been one of the most effective means of reaching out to the target audience. Your Marketing Cloud partners help you leverage your processes by helping you implement Advertising Studio based on your needs. Through the automated platform, they help you create targeted and personalized ad campaigns across multiple channels.

 

Advertising Studio can be used to make the most of your customer data stored across Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Marketing Cloud. Whether you are willing to propagate your promotional messages via Instagram, Facebook, Google, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, or any other suitable platform, Salesforce Marketing Cloud partners help you display ads and keep track of the same from a centralized platform.

 

Moreover, your Salesforce partners assist you in automating the process of sending leads acquired through your ads to your CRM database for getting nurtured. This leads to the creation of robust marketing-to-sales funnels, leveraging your business processes.

 

Interaction Studio Implementation

With Interaction Studio, your Salesforce partners help you unify the interactions you have with each of your customers across multiple channels. They also assist you in synchronizing digital and offline interactions by taking into consideration touchpoints like ATMs, POS, on-premise/in-store engagement, call centers, and more.

 

Salesforce Marketing Cloud partners help you use features like rule creation and frequency capping to facilitate the delivery of personalized content and customize all your ongoing campaigns.

 

Salesforce DMP Implementation

Implementing Salesforce Marketing Cloud Data Management Platform (DMP) helps you collect, store, and use valuable customer data to personalize your marketing processes. Your Marketing Cloud partner assists you in creating unique customer profiles to store all relevant details about specific customers at a single location. This helps you deliver personalized and consistent campaigns to obtain the desired traction.

 

Through Salesforce DMP implementation, your Salesforce partners also help you configure data settings to control consent management and stay in tune with the consumer rights management regulations across the board. This allows you to stay ethical in collecting and using data pertaining to your customers/prospects.

 

Mobile Studio Implementation

Through seamless Mobile Studio implementation, your Salesforce Marketing Cloud partner helps you connect with your customers by sending them personalized messages on their phones. Just like sending emails, the Marketing Cloud offering allows you to create and send mass text messages to multiple contacts at once, saving your employees time and effort.

 

The Salesforce partners shoulder the responsibility of building targeted and engaging SMS marketing campaigns to provide you with the desired traction. They assist you in compiling user profiles by gathering customer behaviors and preferences on a centralized platform. This captured data can be used to craft tailor-made text messages and deliver the same to all your prospects and customers.

 

The Mobile Studio can also be used for scheduling alerts and trigger messages to interact with the right customers at the right time. With the help of Einstein, you can seek the assistance of your Salesforce partners in using the CRM platform to predict the engagement and behavior of specific customers.

 

Social Studio Implementation

As the name rightly suggests, Social Studio allows you to create personalized, targeted, and interactive social media marketing campaigns. Based on your business requirements, your Marketing Cloud partners guide you in implementing and using the platform to obtain a 360-degree view of your customers across multiple social media platforms. With such a holistic view of your customers, you can make robust marketing decisions and reach out to all your customers in the best way possible.

 

Moreover, your Salesforce partners provide you with a collaborative space for creating engaging content for different social media platforms. In the age of digitization and immense competition, creating unique, quirky, and stimulating content is the only way to sustain your presence on social media. With the Social Studio, you can create, schedule, and post specific content on specific social media platforms using simple drag-and-drop tools.

 

Data Studio Implementation

Data is rightly referred to as “digital gold” in the age of information and digitization. Data Studio is a Marketing Cloud offering that allows you to connect with a range of marketers and publishers in the industry to acquire valuable data and obtain insights about your customers.

 

Salesforce Marketing Cloud Partners help you implement Data Studio in a way that provides you with valuable audience insights by partnering with some of the world’s best providers of data. The reporting, provisioning, and data management tools of the platform allow you to maintain the consistency of your data strategy and share relevant data while complying with privacy regulations and consumer rights.

 

Important Considerations Before Hiring Marketing Cloud Partners

It is never advisable to hurry while looking for the right Salesforce Marketing Cloud partners for your business. A lot rides on your marketing campaigns and the decision should be made with precision.

 

Have a look at some of the most important considerations to keep in mind before hiring Marketing Cloud partners:

 

Know Your Marketing Objectives

Always make sure that you are aware of the marketing objectives you are willing to attain through Salesforce Marketing Cloud implementation. This would allow you to work in unison with your partners while creating your marketing campaign(s).

 

Identify The Marketing Channels To Be Used

At the very least, have a rough idea about the marketing channels you are willing to use for reaching out to your prospects and customers. This would provide you with a sense of direction and help you explain your objectives to your Salesforce partner better.

 

Never Prioritize Budget Over Quality

Finally, avoid making the mistake of finalizing the Marketing Cloud partner offering the cheapest services as opposed to choosing quality services. It is always better to spend more and aim for a higher ROI instead of spending less and fear losses.

 

The Final Word

Marketing Cloud partners provide you with end-to-end implementation and consulting services when it comes to the  Salesforce product. With their assistance, you can leverage the potential of your marketing team and carve your niche in the market.

 

Who Is A Salesforce ISV Partner?

When it comes to optimizing Salesforce, simply implementing the CRM platform is never enough. It is always advisable for Salesforce users to make the most of the cloud-based platform by developing business-specific applications.

 

These applications allow you to use your database to provide personalized services to your customers and prospects. By getting these apps developed and deployed, you can reach out to a wider range of audiences and persuade them to engage with your business. If you are willing to develop a responsive and robust Salesforce application, make sure you take the help of a Salesforce ISV partner.

 

Who Is A Salesforce ISV Partner?

In simple words, a Salesforce ISV (independent software vendor) partner is a Salesforce partner who helps Salesforce users develop and deploy Salesforce applications. They take the responsibility of helping an organization develop business-specific software applications and get the same listed on Salesforce AppExchange. A Salesforce ISV partner can also be called a Salesforce AppExchange partner.

 

On partnering with a Salesforce ISV, they understand the objectives you are willing to achieve, the customers you are willing to cater to, the datasets you are willing to use for the applications, and all relevant details about your organization before building your applications. In essence, the role of a Salesforce ISV is similar to that of a custom software developer, the major difference being that a Salesforce ISV develops apps using the Salesforce environment and gets them listed on AppExchange.

 

These Salesforce partners aim at helping businesses optimize their Salesforce CRM and use their database in the best way possible. Their services revolve around taking the customizable platform of Salesforce and creating unique software applications that are not provided out-of-the-box with Salesforce. Salesforce ISV partners can develop applications with a wide range of complexity. Whether you are willing to create a simple calculator that can be used along with your Salesforce data or a complicated data visualization platform, you can partner with a reliable ISV to get your work done.

 

Before you get associated with a Salesforce ISV partner, it is important to note that these partners do not work for Salesforce. As their name suggests, they are independent service providers that help you optimize the CRM platform based on your specific requirements.

 

What Is The Difference Between ISV And SI Partners?

It is common for organizations to get confused between Salesforce ISV partners and SI partners. Although both parties help you optimize Salesforce and tailor their services based on your specific business needs, it is important to understand the difference between the two.

 

A Salesforce ISV partner is a partner who helps you use the Salesforce environment for building business-specific applications. On the other hand, the SI partners of System Integrators are the partners who provide you with end-to-end Salesforce consultancy. SI partners are also known as Salesforce consulting partners.

 

While Salesforce ISV partners are responsible for building, listing, and selling applications, SI partners deliver consulting services that revolve around Salesforce implementation, integration, customization, configuration, and more.

 

Benefits Of Working With An Salesforce ISV Partner

 

Here are some of the major benefits of working with a dedicated Salesforce ISV partner:

 

Efficient Execution Of Events

The increasing digitization of processes calls for keeping an efficient track of events taking place on a daily basis. Irrespective of the scale of your organization, scheduling your events and monitoring them in an organization makes things easier for you and your team. A Salesforce ISV partner helps you use your Salesforce data for creating apps dedicated to scheduling and managing your business events.

 

Instead of maintaining multiple spreadsheets and hiring more employees to help you manage your events manually, a simple Salesforce application helps you incorporate your Salesforce database within a centralized application.

 

Seamless Creation Of Quotes And Contracts

One of the biggest reasons behind companies failing to achieve their sales target is delays in generating and sharing quotes. This increases the sales cycle for every client, limiting the sales conducted over a specific period of time.

 

By partnering with a reliable Salesforce ISV, you can streamline the process of generating quotes with the help of responsive applications. They help you build applications that use the contacts and accounts stored within your CRM for creating and sharing personalized quotes. This allows you to reach out to your clients and close sales deals in the best way possible.

 

Salesforce ISV partners also help you develop and deploy applications for drawing out contracts and sharing them with your customers and prospects. This allows you to expedite your sales processes and reduce the overall turnover time.

 

Reaching Out To More Prospects

A Salesforce ISV partner takes up the responsibility of getting your application listed on Salesforce AppExchange. This helps you put your business-specific applications on the digital marketplace for the users to discover and install. As your organization and application get listed on AppExchange, you can reach out to more prospects looking for your services. Also, getting listed on Salesforce AppExchange officially puts you on the map and provides your company with the desired recognition.

 

Improved Lead Management

Salesforce is known for its automated and streamlined lead management features. Being associated with ISV partners helps you leverage this feature and manage your sales leads effectively. From the moment you capture a lead and add it to your CRM until the lead is converted into a loyal customer, Salesforce ISV partners help you build applications nurturing all your leads in the best way possible.

 

Encouraging Process Automation

In 2022, manual processes can rarely be proven effective in carrying out most business processes. Business-specific Salesforce applications help you increase the accuracy, efficiency, and effectiveness of your tasks through process automation.

 

A Salesforce ISV would understand the process that needs to be automated and build applications that help you streamline the same. Moreover, these Salesforce partners relieve your team members from spending more time and effort than required in getting their work done. In order to stay ahead of the curve and survive amidst intense competition across industries, it is always important to ride the bandwagon of process automation.

 

Challenges Faced By A Salesforce ISV Partner

Along with being well-versed with the benefits of partnering with a Salesforce ISV partner, it is important to understand the common challenges faced by them. Here are some of the major challenges encountered by a Salesforce ISV partner while providing their services:

 

High Time To Market

The Salesforce ecosystem allows ISV partners to build and deploy applications at a faster rate. However, they still face the challenge of higher time to market in most cases. This is commonly due to the reluctance of the clients to switch to newer platforms, time is taken for user adoption, and the tendency to hold on to legacy application architecture. As the transition from traditional platforms to cloud-based applications often takes time, Salesforce ISV partners often find themselves stuck for a long between conceptualization and final execution.

 

As a Salesforce user, this issue can be resolved by bringing Salesforce experts on board that help you and your team get used to the new and evolving technology. Also, make sure that the partners you work with help you blend into the Salesforce ecosystem without having to compromise with the core value of the application to be built.

 

Tackling Competition

As more and more businesses are switching to digital and cloud-based platforms, the number of Salesforce ISV partners has significantly increased. This makes it challenging for the ISVs to market their offerings and get organizations to work with them. It becomes important for the service providers to stand out from the clutter, think out of the box, and carve their own niche in the market. Not every Salesforce ISV partner is able to break out from the clutter of competitors and get the desired traction.

 

Strict Review Process

Once an application is built and set to be listed on Salesforce AppExchange, the marketplace conducts a thorough review process for the concerned application. This process is fairly strict as Salesforce is extremely quality-conscious about the applications listed on the marketplace. Even if the application built by a Salesforce ISV partner falls short of a single parameter, AppExchange may not get it listed on the marketplace.

 

This often makes the deployment process fairly long. It often takes 4 to 6 weeks for the review AppExchange review to be completed. If the app is rejected by Salesforce, it would take another 2 to 3 weeks for the follow-up review to be completed. This often makes the job of Salesforce ISV partners tedious and risky.

 

However, once the app is listed on  Salesforce AppExchange, it certainly adds to the credibility of an ISV partner as it implies that their application passed through a stringent review process successfully.

 

The Final Word

If you need to develop and deploy a business-specific application using the Salesforce environment, always look for a Salesforce ISV partner who is in sync with all your requirements. Being associated with a reliable ISV partner helps you make the most of the CRM platform and achieve all your business goals effectively.

 

 

Salesforce Admin Vs Consultant: What Is The Difference?

If executed well, Salesforce implementation can be one of the best decisions taken by your organization. The CRM platform helps you manage your customer database with the help of a centralized and automated platform, allowing your team to provide personalized services to your customers. For more than twenty years, Salesforce has been catering to organizations operating in all major industries around the world. However, despite being in the market for so long, organizations confuse themselves when it comes to Salesforce Admin vs Consultant.

 

The roles of a Salesforce Administrator and a Salesforce Consultant often confuse businesses when it comes to hiring them. Especially if new companies are willing to implement the CRM platform, they often find themselves in a fix between hiring administrators and consultants.

 

To make Salesforce Admin vs Consultant clearer, let us start by understanding who is a Salesforce administrator, an accidental (in-house) Salesforce administrator, and a Salesforce consultant.

 

Who Is A Salesforce Consultant?

In simple words, a Salesforce consultant is a professional who helps an organization implement and optimizes Salesforce. They are often the first points of contact when Salesforce users are in a fix and the organization needs help in matters regarding the implementation of Salesforce in the best way possible.

 

The scope of a Salesforce consultant is fairly vast as it may cater to the entire implementation process – right from ideation to user adoption. Salesforce consultants often act as bouncing boards for their clients’ ideas and help make the most of the CRM platform. This involves helping them allocate their budgets, identifying KPIs, defining their objectives, creating an implementation plan, and much more.

 

In most cases, companies prefer engaging with external Salesforce consulting partners on a contractual basis. This prevents them from letting any bias hamper the implementation process and ensures smooth and effective use of the CRM platform. Salesforce consultants can also be hired for a long-term basis if the scope of the project is larger and requires more dedication from the concerned Salesforce professional.

 

Salesforce consultancy services can be provided by an individual as well as a dedicated company. Although they are not associated with Salesforce in any way, Salesforce consultants are the “Jacks of all trades” and are aware of a range of functionalities pertaining to the CRM platform.

 

Now that we are clear about the role of a Salesforce consultant, let us understand who an accidental Salesforce Admin is.

 

Who Is An Accidental Salesforce Administrator?

As the name suggests, an accidental Salesforce administrator is a professional who has become an Admin by chance. These in-house professionals are commonly found in the IT industry. A lot of organizations end up appointing their skilled and capable Salesforce professionals as Salesforce administrators if they are looking for a change in their roles. Also, professionals having experience in managing CRM platforms in the past are often made Admins by small and growing organizations.

 

In the case of an accidental Salesforce administrator, the burden of responsibilities lies on the management’s shoulders to ensure that the right person is chosen for the right job. If you are appointing an in-house Salesforce administrator, always make sure that it is not simply a cost-effective decision and the concerned professional is well-versed with the duties of a Salesforce Admin.

 

In most cases, accidental Salesforce administrators are appointed by organizations that do not require managing complicated databases and workflows. One of the best ways to solidify the eligibility of an in-house employee of becoming a Salesforce administrator is to get them certified. This would provide them with an official stamp of approval from Salesforce regarding their skills and capabilities as an Admin.

 

Who Is A Salesforce Administrator?

In general, a Salesforce administrator is a professional who knows the CRM platform inside out. They are well-versed with the nitty-gritty details about the platform and are familiar with its core essence. A Salesforce administrator often takes on multiple roles and performs different tasks, including project management, employee training, business analysis, and general administration.

 

If companies are looking for dedicated Salesforce administrators to manage their CRM, they can either hire full-time administrators or work with Salesforce contractors. As opposed to accidental administrators, a dedicated Salesforce Admin can be shouldered with the responsibility of managing complicated business processes, handling complex workflows, and overlooking efficient data management on a regular basis.

 

The Difference Between A Salesforce Admin And Consultant

Now that we have understood the roles of a Salesforce consultant, an accidental administrator, and a dedicated Salesforce administrator, we can dive a little deeper into Salesforce Admin vs Consultant.

 

Here are some of the major parameters that can be used to understand the differences between the two professions:

 

Time Spent On Salesforce Projects

When it comes to the time spent by Salesforce professionals on specific projects, the focus on time is more in the case of a Salesforce consultant as compared to a Salesforce administrator.

 

A Salesforce Consultant is judged (and billed) on the basis of the time they spent on a specific project. This is also a common trend as most businesses hire Salesforce consultants on a contract basis. On the other hand, the job of a Salesforce administrator is largely ongoing and they are not judged (or billed) by the hours they spend on a project. Their work is more managerial in nature and their services are availed of as and when the need arises.

 

Duration Of Business Relationships

As compared to the relationship between an organization and a Salesforce consultant, the relationship between an organization and a Salesforce administrator lasts longer. As mentioned in the previous point, the job of a Salesforce Admin is largely ongoing, making them stick around with their clients for a longer period of time.

 

On the other hand, especially in the case of consultants responsible for Salesforce implementation, their job is finished once the implementation project is completed. Unless an organization is specifically looking to stay associated with a Salesforce consultant for a longer period of time, its relationship with them is short-lived. This provides greater flexibility to Salesforce contractors providing consulting services to multiple organizations.

 

Knowledge About The CRM Platform

As opposed to a Salesforce consultant,  Salesforce administrator often has more knowledge about the CRM platform. This is essentially because the job of an administrator is more specific than a consultant.

 

A Salesforce consultant largely plays the role of an advisory for their clients. This may or may not require in-depth knowledge about different Salesforce offerings, features, and tools. Also, based on the specific expertise possessed by consultants, they can be hired for implementing different Salesforce offerings.

 

On the other hand, a Salesforce administrator is expected to have a way deeper and more specific knowledge about Salesforce as a whole. While consultants can gain expertise in one or more aspects of the CRM platform, administrators often do not have the liberty to do so.

 

Midway Change Of Scope

Salesforce implementation and operation are dynamic processes and there may be several changes along the way. Although both administrators and consultants encounter changes in the scope midway, Salesforce administrators are more likely to afford the changes as compared to consultants.

 

This is essentially because of the time-bound nature of  Salesforce consultancy services. Especially in the case of implementing the CRM platform, Salesforce consultants strictly follow the project timeline and can rarely afford to take a detour. In case there is a midway change of scope, they may not always be up for it.

 

On the other hand, Salesforce administrators can accommodate such changes as their services are not so bound by the hours they spend. Even if it takes longer for them to get the work done, administrators can afford to adapt to changing scope during the execution of a Salesforce project.

 

Important Questions To Ask Before Hiring A Consultant Or An Admin

Before you go ahead with hiring a Salesforce Consultant or an Admin, it is important to be well-versed with your objectives, vision, and purpose of Salesforce implementation. Clearly defining your business needs and objectives would help you get the right professionals on board.

 

Here are some of the most important questions you should ask yourself before hiring either a Salesforce Admin or a Salesforce consultant:

 

1. How many Salesforce licenses does your organization have?

2. How many Salesforce licenses are currently in use? Is your company running out?

3. Do you need to migrate to Salesforce Lightning?

4. Have you migrated from an alternate CRM platform to Salesforce?

5. What is the complexity of your business processes?

6. Which departments are you willing to cater to through Salesforce implementation?

7. Is there a need for custom coding?

8. Are the KPIs of your organization run out of Salesforce?

9. Do you need to integrate Salesforce with a suitable third-party application?

10. Are you aiming at scaling up your business?

 

The Final Word

These were some of the most important aspects to consider for understanding Salesforce Admin vs consultant. Irrespective of the professional you hire for helping you manage your CRM platform, make sure that your decisions are in sync with the inherent objectives to be achieved by your organization.