When choosing to start a Salesforce implementation, it can prompt feelings of excitement, just as much as trepidation. There can be a lot of moving parts to consider, and how you implement your instance can set you up for success down the road. Oftentimes, many companies aim to do it themselves without guidance, and this can mean choosing an internal employee that doesn’t have the experience or bandwidth to make the best choices. This is usually influenced by a motive to save money, but unfortunately, can be more costly in time and energy.
One of the best things you can do as a company is to choose a consultant to advise you in your Salesforce implementation. But, even more importantly, you need to make sure you choose the right consultant. Making a hasty decision because you feel pressed for time without thoroughly interviewing your candidates can be just as bad, if not worse, than attempting an implementation yourself. You also need to consider value over cost -- even if money is tight, choosing the cheapest option may also lead to headaches. A poor choice can lead to thousands of dollars of additional cost, pushed deadlines months past your goal time, and can eat away at your manpower as you try to correct a shoddy job.
There are many things to consider when choosing a consultant to ensure they are the right fit for your project. Let’s take
a look at 7 considerations for choosing the right consultant for your Salesforce implementation.
Can they stick to the plan? It is understandable that delays may pop up, but you want to make sure you choose a consultant who is sensitive towards timelines and delivery. There should also be a bit of a buffer around delivery dates, as well, to make sure that even with delays, the whole backend of your project can still be delivered in full near the proposed time. Choosing someone who doesn’t show promise of this can lead to major delays resulting months without the full use of your Salesforce instance as you’d hoped.
Always follow Best Practices. Choosing a consultant that doesn’t follow best practices is a sure way to find major issues either along the way, or months or years into the future. If they take shortcuts, or are negligent in doing research for best practices before implementing solutions, you can end up with an inflexible org that cannot grow with your company. At best, this results in ripping out what they implemented and re-doing some of the work, which is surely not an efficient use of your time or money. You want a consultant who advertises that they are cognizant when it comes to utilizing Salesforce features as they are intended.
Consideration for errors and mistakes. The right consultant should also consider the big picture, even when making small or changes specific to a certain area of Salesforce. They must understand the whole ecosystem, and not just the one piece they’re developing. A consultant with tunnel vision is a surefire way to find parts of your org broken and in need of repair. They should fully understand how to roll out changes safely, and have a plan in place should the changes need to be reversed if issues do occur. Consultants aren’t always perfect, but knowing that they are at least thinking about how to keep your org functioning and healthy, is a positive sign.
Drive User adoption. The consultant you choose for your Salesforce implementation should have a plan in place to help drive user adoption. If they’re just looking to turn it on and go, that may be a red flag. User adoption is a huge indicator of Salesforce success, and after all, you want your company to embrace the tools they’re paying for. Many employees may feel reticent to new changes, especially if migration is involved from another platform, and that is to be expected. However, choose a consultant that has experience with how to excite your end users and can provide documentation to make their transition as smooth as possible.
Stay Within your Budget. The right consultant will always aim to stay within the predetermined budget, or communicate thoroughly if there is anticipation of going over that budget. There should be no surprises here. When it comes to money, you also want someone who can suggest the best option, even if it doesn’t result in more money in their pocket. For example, if part of your requirement can be done for low cost with a package from the AppExchange, they should be willing to propose that for you to consider as an option.
Offers Advice. The right consultant will offer advice and counsel you with some of the decision making regarding your Salesforce implementation. They should be able to offer you a roadmap, as well, which can help you see the big picture of your implementation, with steps along the way. If you find someone who just wants you to hand over a list of requirements without much conversation, it sounds like you’ve found a contractor, and not a consultant. This is someone you want to build a healthy, professional relationship with, and can trust their guidance with how you handle your org.
Other customers with similar issues. When doing your research, it’s also important to consider someone who has other customers with similar issues to your own. Has this consultant done the same type of implementation before with others, and can you find reviews to back this up? If someone does not have experience with your type of implementation, they should be forthcoming with that information. If you’re migrating from another platform, they should have experience with that type of migration, as well. This should not necessarily be a deal breaker, however, you want to make sure they can present examples of quality work before taking them on for your project.
The right consultant can make your Salesforce implementation experience pleasant and efficient, leaving you with a tool to appreciate for years to come.
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