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Are You Underutilizing Salesforce, Part I

Your team may have been working in Salesforce for a while. Now is the time to ask: are you getting the most value from your subscription? How can you tell if you are underutilizing Salesforce?

How to Start a Digital Transformation and Legacy System Migration

Signs in your org data and apps that you’re underutilizing Salesforce

As a Salesforce administrator, take a look at your org setup. Both data and metadata can help you spot ways in which you’re underutilizing Salesforce.

Of course, the first place to look is at user adoption data. If users aren’t working in Salesforce, start there! You can find tips on assessing user adoption here.

If user adoption is in good shape, here are some other things to look at in your Salesforce org. Are you:

  • using sandboxes to develop and test changes?
  • making reports and dashboards available for users?
  • running scheduled backups?
  • checking the AppExchange first when you need to add new features?
    • Rather than building new features yourself, search the AppExchange. Someone else may already have built what you want.
    • Remember, the AppExchange isn’t just for third-party apps. It also includes many free apps by Salesforce Labs.
  • using Chatter for team communication?
    • Remember, even non-CRM users can have Chatter Free licenses.
    • You may also have Chatter External licenses available for key partners outside your company.
    • Think of Chatter as your own internal social media!
  • leveraging Salesforce’s built-in automation features?
    • For example, Workflow rules, Process Builder, and Visual Flow are powerful tools to streamline your work without writing code.
  • using Salesforce1?
    • Use Salesforce1 for team members in the field or making sales calls.
    • Salesforce1 lets mobile users connect to your org from anywhere.
  • integrating Salesforce with your email provider?
    • Salesforce provides out-of-the-box integration for the most common email providers.
    • Email from Salesforce lets you track sales activity at a glance.
  • branding your email templates in Salesforce using uploaded company logos?
    • Salesforce allows you to build custom HTML and plain-text email templates.
    • You can select colors and styles to match your company’s branding.
    • You can upload logos and other assets to build fully branded templates.

 Other signs you may be underutilizing Salesforce

You can also look at your overall processes to assess Salesforce utilization. Human activity is important, too! Are the people in your organization:

  • using the Salesforce Knowledge Base and available Help & Training Materials?
  • staying abreast of Critical Updates?
  • keeping up with seasonal releases as administrators?
    • Each release cycle includes a wealth of material for administrators and users, in the form of webcasts, Trailhead units, and online documentation.
  • holding frequent training sessions for users?
    • Annual refreshers may not be enough. Ideally, you should plan to train users at least three times per year to coincide with seasonal releases.
  • connecting with other Salesforce users via user groups?
    • There are groups available by region, industry, nonprofit, product, affinity, and more.
    • For more information about user groups, see Featured Groups in the Salesforce Trailblazer Community.

TL;DR

Are you underutilizing Salesforce? Look at your business processes as well as your org data and apps to tell whether you’re getting the most value from your Salesforce subscription.

This list is just a start. I’d love to hear your ideas about maximizing the value of your Salesforce org.

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