The volume of data organisations generate doubled between 2018 and 2021 alone, with BCG estimating this number to increase at a compound annual growth rate of 21% from 2021 to 2024. As companies accumulate more data, understanding and using it becomes a significant challenge. The same report by BCG stated that 50% of this is ‘dark data’, meaning it remains unused for business insights and decisions.
Salesforce is one platform that can help your organisation uncover and unite data. However, many organisations struggle to fully capitalise on their investment and strategically use their data. What challenges stand in their way? What solutions enable companies like yours to reduce the amount of ‘dark data’?
You have integration issues
Salesforce is more than a CRM; it’s a platform that unites your entire technology ecosystem, including customer service portals, marketing tools, and ERP systems. Without proper integration, you will likely not leverage Salesforce to its full potential and maximise your investment.
Integrating Salesforce with various existing systems, each with its own architecture and data format, is a key challenge. This is particularly true for legacy systems, which may not easily align with Salesforce’s modern cloud-based environment.
Effective integration connects Salesforce with various data sources across your business to make data accessible and consistently usable, no matter who accesses it. Proper integration enables real-time decision-making that every business layer, from leadership to the front line, can use to inform decisions and maximise results.
Your data exists in silos
Data silos arise when business departments use different applications and platforms to store and manage data. According to MuleSoft’s 2022 Connectivity Benchmark Report, 90% of organisations cite data silos as a major challenge.
In Salesforce, isolated data limits the platform by preventing your team from gaining a complete view of customer behaviour and interactions. Silos result in a fragmented understanding of customers and the organisation, which hinders customer service, marketing and business agility.
A 360-degree view of the customer enhances understanding by integrating various data and enabling personalised marketing and sales strategies. Breaking down data silos gives everyone a shared customer view that they can use to improve customer experience and provide a competitive advantage by offering more tailored services and products.
You underutilise Salesforce’s capabilities
Many businesses often underutilise Salesforce by relying on it solely as a CRM rather than a data hub that unites the organisation. If your business does not use the breadth of Salesforce’s capabilities, you could miss out on data that guides the business strategy and revenue-related decisions.
Features like advanced analytics and Einstein could greatly help your business maximise revenue. Einstein uses your business data to build predictive models and provide insights such as revenue forecasts and customer churn.
Working with a Salesforce implementation partner can help you get the most from underutilised features and more from your Salesforce investment. Salesforce consultants can offer best practices for using Salesforce’s features. With the right tools, you can build a data-driven culture that uses Salesforce insights to make informed decisions about sales, marketing, customer service and the organisation.
Tailor Salesforce Customer 360 to maximise ROI
If any of the abovementioned challenges persist in your organisation, you likely need a tailored Customer 360 solution that transforms it from a data repository to a powerful growth and customer engagement tool.
Customisations should align with your business’ unique processes and goals. Tailoring Salesforce to these specific requirements ensures that it effectively supports organisational growth and customer engagement strategies. Setting clear objectives guides this customisation and ensures the platform’s features align with and support business goals. Using Salesforce’s customisation tools, such as workflow automation and data integration features, allows your company to create a solution catered to your unique needs.
Regularly updating and revisiting these customisations is critical to aligning with evolving business strategies and maximising ROI. Partnering with experts that specialise in transforming Salesforce challenges into opportunities can significantly enhance this process. This partnership ensures a seamless Customer 360 view, enhances customer engagement, and drives business growth, turning Salesforce from a basic CRM into a comprehensive tool for understanding and engaging customers.
Conclusion
Salesforce’s value extends beyond its role as a CRM to a platform that unifies business data and enables data-driven decision-making. Addressing integration challenges and dismantling data silos helps your business get the most from your Salesforce investment. Seamless integration enables a connected business environment that supports real-time decisions and efficient operations.
To fully utilise Salesforce, businesses should make the most of its tools, including features like Einstein for predictive analytics that inform marketing, sales and business strategies. Tailoring Salesforce Customer 360 to specific business needs ensures it becomes a platform for substantial growth. Regular customisation updates and expert partnerships transform Salesforce from a basic CRM to a comprehensive platform for customer engagement and business development, significantly increasing ROI.
MakeSense can maximise your Salesforce investment
Is your business struggling to unlock the full value of Salesforce? At MakeSense, we turn these challenges into opportunities for growth. Our Salesforce and MuleSoft integration expertise unifies data, so your team can leverage it to enhance internal processes and customer engagement strategies.
We guide you through implementing, adopting, and optimising Salesforce to fit your unique business needs. Our solutions streamline sales processes, boost your digital presence, and start your journey to accelerated growth and success. Visit our Salesforce Integration Solutions page for more information.
