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Salesforce is a global leader when it comes to providing businesses of all industries with tools to improve their sales, service, marketing, and more. However, realizing its full potential often requires specialized expertise and resources that may not be readily available in-house, and this is where outsourcing your Salesforce becomes a viable option.

In this article, OMI will shed some light on the benefits and important considerations of Salesforce outsourcing. On top of that, being a certified Salesforce partner ourselves, we know and can tell you all about how to find the right outsourcing partner for all your needs. 

Understanding Salesforce Outsourcing

Outsourcing Salesforce support services and operations involves delegating various tasks and responsibilities to external partners, from basic ongoing system maintenance to complex custom app development  Through this approach, companies can focus on their core operations while ensuring their Salesforce needs are met both efficiently and effectively.

Common Services Provided by Salesforce Outsourcing Companies

Typically outsourced Salesforce-related tasks can be divided into five major categories: Salesforce development, consulting, implementation, integration, and administration.

Salesforce Development 

Salesforce development involves creating customized applications and solutions within the Salesforce ecosystem. Outsourcing partners provide experienced developers who can tweak Salesforce in a way that can satisfy specific business needs. Here are some practical examples:

• Custom Objects and Fields: Developers create custom objects and fields tailored to capture unique business data that standard Salesforce objects cannot accommodate.
• Apex and Visualforce Development: Apex is Salesforce’s proprietary programming language, used for building complex business logic, while Visualforce is used for designing custom user interfaces. Developers use these tools to create a wide range of advanced features and functionalities.
• Lightning Components: Building reusable components using Salesforce Lightning will improve user experience and interface functionality.
• Integration with External Systems: Developing APIs and middleware to ensure seamless data exchange between Salesforce and other enterprise systems.

Salesforce Consulting

Salesforce consulting services are designed to help businesses optimize their use of Salesforce:

• Business Process Mapping: Consultants work with stakeholders to map out current processes and identify how Salesforce can improve efficiency.
• CRM Strategy Development: Helping businesses develop a CRM strategy that aligns with their overall business objectives.
• Platform Evaluation: Assessing which Salesforce products (Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, etc.) best meet the company’s needs.
• ROI Analysis: Estimating the return on investment for different Salesforce implementations and suggesting ways to maximize value.
• Training and Adoption Strategies: Developing training programs and adoption strategies to ensure that users fully leverage Salesforce capabilities.

Salesforce Implementation

Implementing Salesforce involves setting up and configuring the platform according to the specific needs of a business. Key elements of implementation are:

• Data Migration: Transferring data from existing systems to Salesforce, ensuring data integrity and accuracy – this often involves data cleaning and de-duplication.
• Customization: Setting up Salesforce to match business processes, including creating custom objects, workflows, and validation rules.
• User Setup: Configuring user profiles, roles, and permissions to ensure secure and appropriate access to data.
• Integration: Connecting Salesforce with other business systems like ERP, marketing automation tools, and customer support platforms.
• Training: Conducting training sessions for end-users to ensure they understand how to use Salesforce effectively.

Salesforce Integration

Integration services focus on connecting Salesforce with other systems and applications used within the organization:

• ERP Integration: Synchronizing Salesforce with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to provide a unified view of financial and customer data.
• Marketing Automation Integration: Connecting with marketing platforms like Marketo or HubSpot to streamline lead management and campaign tracking.
• Customer Support Integration: Linking with customer service platforms such as Zendesk or ServiceNow for a seamless flow of support tickets and customer interactions.
• Custom Middleware Solutions: Developing middleware solutions to bridge gaps between disparate systems.
• Real-Time Data Synchronization: Implementing solutions for real-time data synchronization to ensure that all systems have up-to-date information.

Salesforce Administration

Salesforce administration encompasses the ongoing management and maintenance of the Salesforce platform. Practical administrative tasks involve:

• User Management: Creating and managing user accounts, defining roles, and setting permissions to ensure data security.
• Data Security: Implementing security measures such as two-factor authentication, data encryption, and field-level security.
• System Maintenance: Regularly updating the Salesforce instance with the latest features and fixes.
• Performance Monitoring: Continuously monitoring system performance and addressing any issues to maintain optimal operation.
• Reporting and Dashboards: Creating and maintaining custom reports and dashboards to provide high-quality insights.

Benefits of Outsourcing Salesforce

Working with Salesforce outsourcing companies offers several compelling benefits that can significantly enhance a company’s efficiency and flexibility, among other things. Here’s an in-depth look at the key advantages:

Cost Savings

Outsourcing Salesforce can lead to substantial cost savings for businesses, primarily by eliminating the need for extensive investments in infrastructure, hiring, and training:

• Reduced Overheads: Companies can avoid the costs associated with maintaining an in-house Salesforce team, including salaries, benefits, office space, and IT infrastructure.
• Predictable Costs: Outsourcing partners often offer fixed-rate contracts or pay-per-service models, providing predictability in budgeting and avoiding unexpected expenses.
• Economies of Scale: Outsourcing companies use economies of scale by spreading costs across multiple clients, allowing them to offer services at a lower cost compared to in-house solutions.

Access to Expertise

Accessing specialized expertise is another significant advantage of outsourcing Salesforce support services and tasks to experienced providers:

• Skilled Professionals: Outsourcing partners employ certified Salesforce professionals with expertise in development, administration, integration, and consulting.
• Industry Knowledge: Many outsourcing firms specialize in specific industries, bringing deep domain knowledge that can enhance Salesforce implementations for industry-specific needs.
• Latest Technology and Best Practices: Outsourcing partners stay updated with the latest Salesforce features, technology advancements, and industry best practices.

Flexibility and Scalability

With a Salesforce partner by your side, you can also benefit from the flexibility to scale resources up or down based on your changing needs:

• Resource Flexibility: Outsourcing allows companies to adjust the size and composition of their Salesforce team quickly in response to project demands or seasonal fluctuations.
• Access to Specialized Skills: Businesses can access specialized skills on-demand without the time and expense of hiring and training new employees.

Faster Implementation

Outsourcing Salesforce implementations can accelerate project timelines and time-to-market for new initiatives:

• Expedited Project Launch: Outsourcing companies bring extensive experience and efficient processes, reducing the time required for project planning, development, and deployment.
• Rapid Scaling: With access to a scalable workforce, they can ramp up projects quickly to meet even the tightest of deadlines.
• Avoiding Internal Bottlenecks: Outsourcing minimizes internal bottlenecks that can delay projects, allowing for smoother and more efficient implementations.

Focus on Core Business Activities

Outsourcing Salesforce tasks allows you to redirect internal resources and focus on core competencies and strategic initiatives:

• Enhanced Productivity: Outsourcing frees up time and resources, enabling internal teams to innovate and focus on high-value, revenue-generating activities.
• Risk Mitigation: Outsourcing mitigates risks associated with skill gaps, turnover, and technology obsolescence, allowing you to maintain operational continuity at all times.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Salesforce Outsourcing Company

Some of the must-have qualities of respectable Salesforce outsourcing companies are extensive experience, technical excellence, effective communication, competitive pricing, robust security measures, and reliable support services, just to name a few. Now let’s take a look at each of those traits individually:

Experience and Expertise

When evaluating Salesforce outsourcing companies, prioritize experience as a fundamental criterion. Look for a provider with a proven track record in implementing Salesforce solutions across diverse industries and organizational sizes. Experience not only demonstrates technical proficiency but also indicates the ability to navigate complex problems that may arise.

Also, remember that expertise isn’t only about technical skills – it also encompasses industry knowledge, best practices, and the ability to foresee and mitigate potential challenges.

Range of Services

Beyond basic implementation, look for a partner that offers a broader range of capabilities including development, consulting, implementation, integration, and ongoing support and maintenance. For instance, a good array of consulting services should include strategic planning, business process optimization, and Salesforce roadmap development to align CRM initiatives with your organizational objectives.

Worth mentioning separately is custom application development – utilizing Apex, Visualforce, and Lightning Components to tailor Salesforce for you is another vital skill set.

Technical Proficiency

A potential outsourcing partner should demonstrate expertise across various Salesforce platforms such as Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Community Cloud, as well as proficiency in development tools like the aforementioned Apex, Lightning Web Components, and Salesforce APIs.

Understanding your industry-specific requirements is equally important. A proficient partner will have experience working within your industry’s regulatory frameworks (HIPAA, GDPR, etc.) and compliance standards. 

Communication and Collaboration

Choose a Salesforce outsourcing company that prioritizes clear and transparent communication channels. They should establish structured communication protocols, including regular project updates, milestone reviews, and solid issue-resolution processes.

Make sure the partner is closely familiar with common tools and platforms used for project management and collaboration –  Slack, Microsoft Teams, Jira, and Asana are all integral for real-time communication, task tracking, and documentation sharing. 

Cost and Value

Understand their partner’s pricing structure, including upfront costs, ongoing maintenance fees, and any additional charges for customization, integration, or additional services. A reputable provider will offer transparent pricing models that provide detailed cost estimates and breakdowns.

On top of that, consider the value-added services – customized training programs, ongoing support, system optimization, and strategic guidance. Assess how these services align with your objectives and contribute to achieving the result you wish to see.

Security and Compliance

Ensure the outsourcing company adheres to strict data security measures, including encryption protocols, access controls, and regular security audits to protect sensitive customer data. Also verify their compliance with industry standards and regulations relevant to your business, such as GDPR, HIPAA, SOC 2, or PCI-DSS.

Support and Maintenance

Lastly, look at the company’s capacity to provide responsive support, including helpdesk availability, issue resolution times, and proactive system monitoring and maintenance. Carefully study their SLAs – they should clearly outline vital performance metrics, escalation procedures, and uptime guarantees to guarantee continuous system availability.

Questions to Ask Potential Salesforce Outsourcing Companies

Asking the following questions will help you gauge the capabilities, reliability, and compatibility of potential Salesforce outsourcing companies. Our list is made in accordance with the aforementioned key qualities of a good Salesforce outsourcing partner:

• Experience and Expertise
• Can you provide examples of projects similar to ours that you’ve successfully completed?
• What industries do you primarily serve, and do you have experience in our industry?
• Range of Services
• What specific Salesforce services do you offer (development, consulting, implementation, integration, administration)?
• Can you customize Salesforce to fit our business processes?
• How do you handle data migration and system deployment?
• Technical Proficiency
• What Salesforce certifications and credentials does your team possess?
• Are you proficient in integrating Salesforce with other systems and applications?
• Communication and Collaboration
• What is your approach to communication during project implementation?
• How often will we receive updates and progress reports?
• Can we expect regular meetings and access to project documentation?
• Cost and Value
• What is your pricing structure, and what factors influence costs?
• Are there any hidden fees or additional charges we should be aware of?
• Security and Compliance
• How do you ensure data security and privacy within Salesforce implementations?
• Can you provide documentation or certifications regarding your security measures?
• Support and Maintenance
• What ongoing support and maintenance services do you provide post-implementation?
• What are your response times for addressing critical issues or system downtime?
• Do you offer service level agreements (SLAs)?

Conclusion

Outsourcing your Salesforce will allow you to leverage specialized expertise and advanced technical skills without the overhead costs associated with maintaining an in-house team. It also offers flexibility and scalability, enabling you to adapt resources swiftly in response to changing market demands. Not to mention, you can accelerate your project timelines, enhance your productivity, and mitigate your operational risks.

At the same time, choosing the right outsourcing partner is crucial for all of the above and involves assessing factors such as experience, technical proficiency, effective communication protocols, transparent pricing structures, robust security measures, and comprehensive support services. And if you feel that your team may benefit from collaborating with such a partner, don’t hesitate to reach out to OMI – we will make your Salesforce work better than ever.