Switching to Salesforce is often touted as a transformation panacea — and usually, it is. When implemented well, innovative CRM tools empower businesses to remain efficient, effective, and competitive in today’s fast-paced digital era. But sometimes, organizations don’t receive the immediate value they expect from their investment. 

According to a recent report from McKinsey, the average digital transformation has a 45% chance of delivering less profit than anticipated, and only 10% of initiatives surpass profit projections. Forward-thinking executives might roll out new systems only to find that they don’t appeal to employees or provide as much functionality as expected. This can be a frustrating realization, given how much money and time organizations typically need to invest in a transformation initiative.

At Gerent, we regularly help clients make the most of their Salesforce implementations — and occasionally, we connect with organizations who need a second opinion after completing a roll-out with another partner.

“Sometimes, a new client just wants to understand why their existing CRM isn’t providing the benefits they expected,” Scott Filchak, Gerent’s Vice President of Customer Success, explained in an interview. “Our team helps them identify and address any problems that might be undermining their transformation success.” 

Innovative organizations don’t need to “make do” with underperforming infrastructure. In this blog, we’ll walk you through how your organization can make the most of its Salesforce investment.

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Connect with the Right Implementation Partner

No matter your organization’s specific concerns, your priority should be finding a transformation partner who will be a true collaborator. Digital transformations aren’t off-the-rack experiences — applying a generic approach inevitably leads to an ill-fitting result. If your executive team feels that it hasn’t gotten the results it expected from a Salesforce investment, it may be time to look for an implementation partner who will take your company’s needs and goals into consideration. 

“You need to find a partner who knows your business like the back of their hand,” Rich Fusinski, CIO for the H.W. Kaufman Group, reflected on his organization’s recent transformation with Gerent in a webinar. “I can’t stress how important it is to work with your technology partner to find a software vendor that truly meets your needs. Interview them incessantly until you’re satisfied, and then make sure they’ll stick with you, because transformation is a long-haul process.”

It’s also crucial to find an implementation partner with experience performing implementations for organizations in your industry. Given that digital transformation priorities are distinct across sectors, implementations that don’t consider industry factors generally won’t provide optimal value. 

Gerent understands this, which is why we’ve taken the time to assemble a team of veteran industry experts to lead our Manufacturing, Education, Healthcare, Insurance, Quality, and Travel & Hospitality verticals. Our practice leads know what matters to your organization because they have spent decades in the industry as high-level decision-makers. Their deep experience gives them invaluable insights into what your business needs — and how Salesforce can help. 

(For more information on our practice leads and their qualifications, please visit our Team page.)

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Introduce Your Organization

No two companies are the same — so why would their digital transformations follow identical blueprints? It’s critically important to help your implementation partner develop a clear and comprehensive understanding of your organization and its pain points before implementing any fixes. 

Filchak likens that first connection to an Urgent Care visit. 

“If a new patient comes in with pain, doctors will need to do some research — you know, get the patient’s history, check for previous conditions, run a few tests,” Filchak explained. “The same idea holds for Salesforce implementations. When we get a new customer, we don’t know anything about their previous implementation. We need to start from scratch and review everything from their Salesforce environment to the implementation’s business roll-out.”  

Plus, building a thorough understanding of a client’s organization can help make providing additional Salesforce support more efficient down the road. 

“To use the same metaphor, it’s like when a current patient comes in. You already know their medical history and conditions; you don’t need to do as much digging to figure out what might be wrong,” Filchak said. “If we already have a relationship with a client, we know what work we’ve done and can identify potential issues pretty quickly.” 

Find an implementation partner who will take the time to understand your business — their knowledge may determine whether your Salesforce implementation falls flat or goes off without a hitch.

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Together, Build a Flexible Plan for Transformation Success

Find an implementation partner who will take the time to understand your business — their knowledge may determine whether your Salesforce implementation falls flat or goes off without a hitch. 

After the initial introduction, company leaders should work with their implementation partner to identify pain points and their causes. According to Filchak, this process usually involves a conversation and, in some cases, an environment review. 

“When we’re dealing with a customer who already has Salesforce, we generally want to get a temperature check on their current situation — you know, where they feel their implementation is falling short, if it’s getting good user adoption, etc.,” he explained. 

Once your implementation partner finishes their review, they will develop a proposal that outlines their recommended solutions and improvements. These recommendations can vary widely. For some businesses, the fix might be technical, like uncomplicating an overly complex tool or adding specific functionality. For others, proposed solutions might address business problems such as low employee adoption. 

In either case, Gerent’s team is well-positioned to guide your organization towards its ideal Salesforce implementation. The process isn’t long; it typically concludes within a few weeks and sets the groundwork for real, meaningful improvements. 

“These reviews are all about identifying opportunities for better usage of your Salesforce investment,” Filchak concluded. “You’re getting the most out of what you have and planning for the future.”

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Keep Communication Lines Open Post-Improvement

It’s important to remember that transformation isn’t a one-and-done project. Even when your implementation improvement concludes, you may find that you need to refine or improve your Salesforce infrastructure in the future. Good implementation partners will occasionally reach out to see if your organization needs a tune-up. 

“It can be as simple as a 30-minute conversation every year or so,” Filchak said. “Keeping those lines of communication open and making sure that a client continues to have a positive Salesforce experience is crucial.” 

At Gerent, we want to be a true partner in your Salesforce implementation journey. Don’t settle for a subpar implementation; let us help you make the most of your transformation investment. Contact us today to schedule a consultation!