November 12, 2024 - Many executives spend considerable time evaluating and justifying the benefits of new IT investments, particularly during an economic downturn. However, once the decision to invest is made, they often devote far less time to ensuring these investments yield returns and this oversight can be costly.

Below are some steps to help drive and measure success in IT investments. These methods are proven to maximize the value of technology investments, regardless of the company's size, maturity level, or industry. Without these steps, organizations risk missing out on powerful Salesforce features or key platforms like Analytics Cloud, Service Cloud, and Experience Cloud.

1. Gaining user adoption

   Getting stakeholder buy-in is vital if a company wants to maximize its return on investment (ROI) from Salesforce. When users fully engage with the customer relationship management (CRM) system, businesses benefit from increased productivity, reduced overhead costs, and a higher ROI. Metrics such as post-implementation team achievements, login frequency, and data accuracy and completeness can help assess user adoption, a critical factor in realizing the full value of CRM investments.
   
   To improve user adoption, companies can:
   • Support self-service features
   • Offer real-time personalization of content
   • Provide comprehensive training and support with the assistance of a dedicated support team
   • Leverage automation wherever possible
   
   These tactics improve customer experience and ensure that staff members have the tools and knowledge necessary to use Salesforce to its fullest potential, resulting in a seamless, efficient, and data-rich user experience.
   
   

2. Taking advantage of Salesforce’s multi-cloud offerings

   Salesforce has embraced a multi-cloud approach since the early days of Sales Cloud versus Service Cloud. Today, it offers a much broader range of specialized clouds and products. Salesforce operates in multiple layers, and the complexity of these layers can make it challenging for a single administrator to be proficient in the setup and best practices across all the available clouds and products. This is why many organizations benefit from partnering with third-party implementation and optimization firms to maximize the value of products such as:
   
   • Sales Cloud
   • Service Cloud
   • Manufacturing Cloud
   • Experience Cloud
   • Commerce Cloud
   • Analytics Cloud
   • Financial Services Cloud
   • App Cloud
     
     

3. Crafting a roadmap for success

   Embracing change is essential for sustained success, but its true effectiveness depends on how it is implemented and rolled out. This process requires a carefully planned roadmap that aligns with critical factors such as business growth, user adoption, and change management—all rooted in the principles of continuous improvement.
   
   A well-defined roadmap is essential to maintaining stability for users while minimizing the risks associated with the proposed changes. This roadmap must be closely aligned with business objectives and user needs and serve as the guiding framework for the transformation.
   
   Investing time in developing this roadmap centralizes decision-making within a core group, ensuring best practices in design and development standards are followed. This method provides a structured way to manage change, facilitating smooth implementation and promoting an environment where stability remains a top priority.
   
   A roadmap centered around continuous improvement within a Salesforce strategy is crucial for scaling Salesforce's ROI.
   
   

4. Focusing on functionality expansion

   Customer relationship management gives companies a 360-degree view of their customers, consolidating up-to-date data to provide valuable insights. This empowers teams across sales, marketing, service, and commerce to work more productively and efficiently, ultimately elevating the quality of customer service.
   As CRM technology has evolved, the range of available features has expanded. The following are some of the critical features Salesforce offers to help organizations optimize their investment:
   
   

   Einstein Agentforce (formerly Copilot)

   Einstein Agentforce is a conversational AI assistant built to support users within Salesforce applications by handling a variety of tasks. It can answer questions, generate content, automate actions, provide insights, summarize records, and aggregate data. Integrated directly into Salesforce, Einstein Agentforce is accessible on both mobile devices and desktops, ensuring users can seamlessly leverage its capabilities across platforms.
   
   

   Collaboration tools like Slack

   When team members operate from a single data source, they can collaborate and communicate more efficiently. Tools like Slack enable this by integrating with CRM systems to support seamless teamwork, search, summarization, task automation, and workflow building. With the addition of conversational AI, employees can interact with the CRM using natural language, as if speaking to a colleague, to ask questions and direct actions.

Maximizing your Salesforce ROI for the future

By implementing the right strategies—such as aligning Salesforce with your business goals and utilizing the various functions available within the platform—your organization can unlock the full potential of its Salesforce investment. Long-term success depends on a proactive approach to managing your Salesforce ecosystem, ensuring it evolves alongside your business needs.

If you’re ready to enhance the value of your Salesforce platform, Citrin Cooperman’s Digital Services Practice is here to help. Request your free Salesforce assessment today!