There are several different types of Salesforce consulting services.  This can make finding the right consultant to work with a challenge.  Do you go with a specialist?  Do you go with a generalist?  What do you look for when deciding and what do you ask?  We’ll cover these items and more in this post.   First off, what are the most common types of Salesforce Consulting Services?

1. Implementation Services: Helps organizations set up and configure Salesforce for the first time to meet their specific business needs.
2. Integration Services: Assist with connecting Salesforce to other systems, such as ERP, Accounting, and Marketing Automation platforms.
3. Customization Services: Involve tailoring Salesforce to meet the unique requirements of an organization.
4. Data Migration Services: Movement of data from source systems into Salesforce.
5. Training and Adoption Services: Helps users learn how to use Salesforce effectively and ensures that the platform is adopted throughout the organization.
6. Managed Services: Provides ongoing technical support and maintenance for Salesforce products.

These services help organizations set up and configure Salesforce to meet their business needs.  Implementations are key to getting the most out of Salesforce.  In most cases, Salesforce provides a broad base configuration that can be helpful to most businesses.  An implementation partner will take time to understand your business so that they can set up Salesforce to work with your industry, needs, and processes.  Most of the time, businesses start with Salesforce CRM implementation services, however, that’s not a requirement.

A common offering among Salesforce Consultancies is to offer a quick start package.  These packages typically provide a foundational implementation of whatever product is being implemented.  As a result, they’re normally implemented in a short amount of time and tend to cost less than a custom implementation.

Here are some things to consider when choosing your implementation partner:

• The scope of the implementation project and your specific business needs to be addressed.
• The size and complexity of your organization and the existing systems that need to be integrated with Salesforce.
• The timeline for the implementation and the resources available for the project – on both sides.
• The change management plan for your employees, and customers if applicable.

These services assist with connecting Salesforce to other systems and are one of the more common Salesforce consulting services aside from implementation services. Integrations can help businesses to have better visibility across multiple systems, resulting in better decision-making, better workflow, and time savings.  Integrations are a necessity now given the propagation of SaaS products and the rise in cloud services in general.

Here are some things to consider for these types of services:

• The specific systems that need to be integrated with Salesforce.
• The type and amount of data that needs to be transferred between systems.
• The security requirements for the data and systems being integrated.
• Which system will be the system of record?

Customizing Salesforce to business-specific needs can help your business streamline processes, increase efficiency, and improve customer satisfaction to name a few.  Typically, customization will come after implementation as a separate phase or project.  This is where you leverage the power of Salesforce’s platform to extract the most value out of it.

• The specific business process or processes applicable
• The specific business requirements that need to be addressed through customization.
• The level of customization required and the complexity of the customization.
• The timeline for the customization and the resources available for the project.

Unless you’re just starting out with a particular system, you’ll need to have your data migrated over when you purchase a new Salesforce product.  This can be challenging based on how the data is presently structured and how that structure will change in Salesforce.

Some things to consider are:

• The specific systems and data sources that need to be migrated to Salesforce.
• The amount and complexity of the data that needs to be migrated.
• The timeframe of the data. Do you need to spend time and money moving over data that’s 5 years old?
• The classification of the data.
• The cutover process so that data isn’t left in the old system.
• The timeline for the migration and the resources available for the project.

Transitioning to any new system has its challenges and Salesforce is no different.  If you have a large workforce or are implementing a change that impacts your customers or partners, getting some outside assistance can lead to better adoption, less resistance, and better utilization.

Here are some things to consider:

• The specific training needs of the organization and the users of Salesforce.
• The level of experience and familiarity of the users with Salesforce.
• The timeline for the training and the resources available for the project.
• The format in which the training will be provided

So you’ve implemented Salesforce.  What’s next?  This is where managed services come into play.  Even if you have a Salesforce Admin, managed services can bring value post-implementation by giving you access to a broad team of varying skill sets.

Some things to consider:

• The type and level of support and maintenance required.
• The specific products and customizations that need to be supported.
• The SLAs included with the services
• The contract length and terms

In conclusion, Salesforce consulting services can offer a wide range of benefits to businesses of all sizes and industries. Whether it’s implementing, integrating, customizing, migrating, training, supporting, or developing, these services can help organizations to increase efficiency, improve collaboration, gain valuable insights from their data, and more. However, it’s important for businesses to consider the specific needs and resources of their organization when considering purchasing these services, and to choose a consulting firm that has the experience and qualifications to meet those needs. With the right consulting services, businesses can unlock the full potential of Salesforce.