Streamlining Sales & Support Systems By Modernizing A Legacy Salesforce Instance

The client encountered several challenges with their legacy Salesforce instance, which impacted overall operational efficiency and user experience.

These issues spanned various areas, from data accuracy and reporting to sales and revenue operations, workflow management, and administration.

• Inaccurate Data And Reporting

The client faced challenges with outdated data models, leading to inaccurate and inconsistent reporting. These issues hampered the effectiveness of decision-making processes and hindered strategic planning within the organization.

• Inefficient Sales And Revenue Operations

Inefficient sales processes were a major concern, with manual tasks causing delays in creating and closing opportunities. The sales performance dashboards were often ineffective, making it difficult for the team to focus on strategic objectives instead of managing daily operations.

• Process Overlaps And Complicated Workflow Management

The reliance on multiple third-party tools created process overlaps, complicating workflow management and efficiency.

• Poor User Experience

The client struggled with a legacy system design with burdensome technical debt, a poor design, and an ineffective navigation system, leading to a frustrating user experience for internal and external users. Additionally, long load times were often encountered by the support team due to extensive system customization.

• Complicated Administration

The Salesforce administration team had to manage a large, unstable instance due to insufficient documentation and frequent changes in methodologies. This instability contributed to a lack of consistency in the Salesforce environment.

• Support Team Challenges

The support team faced difficulties accessing knowledge base articles quickly, which contributed to time-consuming searches. There was also an absence of metrics and user friendly dashboards to measure and improve support operations.

To address the challenges faced by the client due to the outdated Salesforce instance, Axelerant and Advance Velocity developed a comprehensive solution for the client.

• Data Model Streamlining

The team streamlined the Salesforce data models to remove redundant processes, inaccuracies, and inconsistencies that hampered reporting and decision-making. This optimization involved refining record types, layouts, and fields, thereby reducing complexity and enhancing data reliability.

Additionally, the entity-relationship (E-R) models for custom objects were redesigned to simplify processes and ensure that data access is restricted to relevant teams and users with appropriate permissions.

• Sales Automation

Integrating Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) and Deal Desk facilitated automated sales processes, making the creation and closure of opportunities simpler and more efficient. By consolidating multiple renewal opportunity types into a single, standardized process, the sales team experienced smoother workflows and better insights.

• Migration To Salesforce Lightning

The transition from Salesforce Classic to Salesforce Lightning significantly improved the overall user experience on mobile, desktop, and other devices. This modernization allowed for quicker load times and a more intuitive interface, enhancing usability and productivity. 

• Third-Party Tool Consolidation

The solution included consolidating and rationalizing third-party tools, reducing workflow overlaps and optimizing operational efficiency. By integrating these tools more seamlessly into the Salesforce ecosystem, the overall workflow management became more streamlined and cohesive.

• Data Governance And Reporting

Implementing data governance practices ensured accurate and reliable reporting across the organization. The solution also involved cleaning up and rationalizing unwanted reports, ensuring that executive teams had access to meaningful insights for strategic decision-making.

• Project Management And Financial System Integration

Third-party solutions were integrated to streamline project management and financial systems, further improving operational efficiency and offering better oversight.

By addressing these challenges through a holistic and strategic approach, the client was empowered to optimize its workflows and provide insightful data to its end-clients.

The client’s initiative to modernize its Salesforce instance yielded tangible improvements across critical operational areas:

• Enhanced Data Integrity

Streamlining the client’s Salesforce data models helped improve accuracy and consistency. Reliable reports and analytics facilitated strategic decision-making.

• Efficient Sales Processes

Integrating Salesforce CPQ and Deal Desk automated workflows helped reduce manual effort and accelerate the sales cycle. Consolidation of renewal opportunity types simplified operations and boosted productivity.

• User Experience And Performance

Transition to Salesforce Lightning enhanced system performance and usability, reducing load times and improving efficiency.

• Unified And Actionable Reporting

Implementing data governance and report rationalization provided unified insights for strategic decision-making.

• Optimized Third-Party Tool Integration

Rationalizing and integrating third-party tools minimized workflow complexities and enhanced operational effectiveness in project management and financial systems.

These enhancements collectively enabled the client to operate more efficiently, deliver better customer experiences, and position itself for sustained growth in the knowledge management platform sector.