There are multiple businesses across the globe with a growing preference for Salesforce as their preferred cloud platform. This is for developing tailored solutions that are suited to their client-facing business needs. With Salesforce implementation, businesses are able to automate marketing communications, streamline sales operations and improve customer relationships.
Using the Salesforce system to its full potential requires you to take a look at whether you want to outsource the maintenance and support of the system to a Salesforce Managed Service Provider or hire your own team of Salesforce technology experts, including Salesforce developers and Salesforce administrators, to handle your Salesforce operations.
Implementing Salesforce generally involves a few different strategies.
As a user, there are 2 traditional methods you can utilize when it comes to implementing Salesforce in your environment:
Many companies consider hiring third-party Salesforce teams whenever their system fails to function properly or they face a complex technical or functional challenge. Because you only use the services when you experience a problem with your Salesforce system, you will only have to pay for services when you get in touch with the team to fix the problem. There is no doubt that this is a cost-effective way of solving the problem, but it does come with a number of limitations as well. There are some downsides to this approach as you may have to wait for a long period of time for your issue to be resolved if the service provider is also busy resolving another client’s issue at the same time. When you are faced with a problem that requires urgent attention, you may feel helpless and may suffer enormous losses as a result. In addition, it will not be possible for you to prevent problems proactively from occurring, but only to fix issues when and if they do occur.
Most companies turn to their existing IT team for help with Salesforce issues that are related to their existing system. It can be very challenging and burdensome for the technology team to gather the know-how of the Salesforce platform early on, especially since they already have to manage everyday IT tasks as well as multiple applications at the same time.
Additionally, CRMs are associated with a steep learning curve and IT professionals are often not equipped with the requisite skills, knowledge, and abilities to implement Salesforce seamlessly without disrupting their businesses in some way or another. As IT teams focus on mastering Salesforce, other vital tasks can be placed on hold. This can result in business losses as the IT team loses focus on other significant tasks. As a result of the long and time-consuming implementation process, the IT department is also put under a lot of pressure.
It is common for large organizations to hire their own Salesforce consultant, administrator, or team to manage their Salesforce instance. With the help of a Salesforce professional placed on site, your organization will be able to implement Salesforce more strategically, create timely performance reports and ensure the system is running smoothly by providing the necessary feedback and guidance as needed.
The downside, however, is that hiring in-house can turn out to be a very expensive affair for businesses. As soon as the implementation process is complete, the Salesforce instance must be operating at its peak efficiency as soon as possible. In situations like this, the in-house resources may not have the end-to-end knowledge that is needed to address a certain critical or complex scenario or requirement in Salesforce. A lot of companies cannot afford to hire, maintain, and retain experts because of the high costs associated with doing so. In such a case, Salesforce Managed Services are able to prove to be effective as a solution.
Indicators | Salesforce MSP | In-House |
Scalability | High | Limited |
Communication and Control | Lesser | Higher |
Cost of hiring talent | Low | High |
Data security risks | Moderate | Lesser |
Availability | Round the clock | Business hours |
Company knowledge | Less, as the professionals don’t work within the company premises | More, as the professionals work as per the guidelines of your company |
Knowledge and expertise | Access to diverse professionals | Depends on your in-house team |
Management | Communication is easy and streamlined | Challenges with team handling and attrition can arise |
Work approach | Multiple projects and deadlines to deal with | Single-minded dedication on the project at hand |
Salesforce Managed Services consist of a wide range of services, from Salesforce implementation, enhancements, integrations, and customer support, to everything in between. This provides businesses with the opportunity to decrease their operating costs and maintain their systems efficiently without hiring full-time employees. By choosing Salesforce Managed Services from a trusted Service Provider, you will be able to access the expertise and skills needed to deal with any challenges that you might encounter within the Salesforce product, including the most critical and complex issues.
Both large and small businesses find there are a number of advantages to using Salesforce Managed Services instead of hiring an in-house team to handle their CRM needs. Here are a few of the most important advantages that you can enjoy:
There are some skill gaps that every organization has, regardless of its size. You can fill the skill gaps quickly and easily when you opt for Salesforce Managed Services, as it will help you access customized solutions. With customized and demand-based hiring solutions, you’ll be able to find the right resources at the right time at a reasonable price, so that you can get the job done on time.
An organization is likely to spend quite a bit of money hiring Salesforce developers. A Salesforce Administrator in the U.S. is typically compensated on an annual basis between $80,000 and $90,0000, based on the current market data, according to the US Department of Labor. As a result, assembling an in-house Salesforce team could be quite a costly affair if it is done on your own. The main benefit of hiring Managed Service Providers is that they help you reduce costs and avoid additional expenses that would otherwise be required. These expenses include hiring talents, recruitment, training, retention, and fixed costs such as increments, salaries, etc.
In order for your Salesforce system to operate effectively, it is imperative that you have regular updates performed by your Managed Services provider. In this way, you will be able to ensure that no interruptions will occur in your business processes. Additionally, the team will tell you which version of the update actually benefits your processes, so you can decide which one to use.
With the growth of your business, your business’s requirements are going to increase as well. It is important to understand that when you choose the in-house team model for Salesforce, you are required to engage in the hiring process repeatedly to make sure that it meets your business’s growing needs. In addition to being time-consuming, the process can also be expensive. The Managed Service Provider model is the most convenient way to access resources. By upgrading or updating your contact information, you are able to gain quick access to resources. Salesforce Managed Service Providers are responsible for integrating and hiring new talent into Salesforce. The bottom line is that you can easily scale up or down the team as per your business requirements in a hassle-free manner.
Managed Service Providers of Salesforce are able to access the most seasoned talent in the world. Thus, organizations will be able to easily leverage their Salesforce CRM expertise to make the most of their talent pool. As part of your package, you will have access to a variety of talents such as Salesforce Developers, Project Managers, and System Administrators. It is also possible to hire resources with knowledge of new Salesforce products if the need arises in the future.
Both Salesforce Managed Services as well as hiring an in-house team comes with a set of benefits and drawbacks which may influence which option you choose. Nevertheless, there is a misconception that Managed Services can only be used by organizations who cannot afford to hire an in-house team because of the costs associated with it. There are many large-scale organizations these days that opt for Managed Services due to the numerous benefits that they offer, which makes them a popular choice.
For any further information or assistance regarding Salesforce or any of the following Salesforce products and platforms: Salesforce Sales Cloud, Field service lighting, Salesforce Service Cloud, Einstein Analytics, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Mulesoft Cloud, etc., reach out to us today.
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About the Author:
The author of this blog is Nandini Pathak with an area of expertise in technology. Uniquely blending her legal background to create engaging content. An avid dog lover, her warmth and empathy enrich her writing style. Nandini’s passion for learning and her SEO proficiency ensure her work stays relevant and visible, making her an impactful content creator who seamlessly integrates personal passions with professional expertise in the technology domain.