What is a Salesforce Implementation Partner and Why Do I Need One?

What is a Salessforce Implementation (SI) partner? 

Implementation partners are experienced professionals who know the ins and outs of Salesforce products. A Salesforce implementation partner, also referred to as a Salesforce consulting partner or Salesforce implementation consultant, is a company or organization that specializes in helping businesses and organizations adopt and effectively use Salesforce, a popular customer relationship management (CRM) platform. These partners should be certified and registered with Salesforce’s partner program, and have a deep understanding of the platform's capabilities and best practices for its implementation.

As a registered Salesforce implementation partner, Nimbus Tech’s team of certified consultants, administrators, and developers use their expertise to ensure your new Salesforce system is set up and customized according to both industry best practices and your unique needs.

What do SI partners typically do? 

At their core, SI partners help other businesses and organizations install, setup, and customize their new Salesforce products and technology. To dig into more detail, here are common functions and services that SI partners typically provide:

• Assessment and Planning: SI partners work with the client to understand their specific business needs, goals, and processes. This involves conducting a thorough assessment of the current CRM systems (if any) and business operations.
• Customization and Configuration: Based on the assessment, SI partners customize and configure Salesforce to align with the client's unique requirements. This may involve creating custom fields, objects, and workflows, setting up automation, and integrating with other software systems.
• Data Migration: Some SI partners are equipped to assist in migrating existing data from legacy systems or spreadsheets into Salesforce while ensuring data quality and integrity.
• User Training: Salesforce implementation partners provide training to the client's users, ensuring that they understand how to effectively use Salesforce for their specific roles and responsibilities.
• Integration: Many SI partners can integrate Salesforce with various other business systems, such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, marketing automation tools, or e-commerce platforms, to create a seamless flow of data and information across the organization.
• Custom Development: If the client has unique requirements that cannot be met with standard Salesforce features, implementation partners can develop custom solutions using Salesforce's development capabilities.
• Analytics and Reporting: SI partners help clients set up and configure dashboards, reports, and analytics tools within Salesforce to gain insights into their data and make informed business decisions.
• Compliance and Security: Salesforce implementation partners assist in setting up security measures and ensuring that the implementation complies with relevant data privacy regulations.
• Optimization: Over time, SI partners may work with clients to optimize their Salesforce implementation, making adjustments and enhancements as needed to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
• Ongoing Support: Many implementation partners offer ongoing support and maintenance services, ensuring that Salesforce continues to meet the evolving needs of the client's business. This includes troubleshooting issues, making updates, and providing guidance on new Salesforce features and updates.

Choosing the right Salesforce implementation partner is crucial for a successful CRM implementation. It ensures that Salesforce is tailored to the organization's specific needs, helps maximize the return on investment, and supports ongoing growth and success. These partners often have various levels of expertise and certifications from Salesforce, so businesses should consider their experience, track record, and compatibility with their business culture when selecting a partner.

Do all nonprofit organizations need an SI partner?

No, not all organizations or businesses need SI partners, but the majority do. Partnering with an SI team is the best way to ensure the most frictionless rollout of your new Salesforce org. Especially if your organization is new to Salesforce, an SI partner will be essential. The few organizations/businesses that forgo an SI partner do so because they already have a dedicated staff member who is trained and certified in Salesforce. 

How do I know if my organization needs an SI partner? 

We’ve prepared a few key questions for you and your team to reflect on when it comes to determining if working with an SI partner will benefit your Salesforce implementation. 

Do you have someone on your staff that already knows how to set up Salesforce?

Knowing how to use Salesforce differs from knowing how to set up and configure it. Think about: how much Salesforce experience does this individual have? Do they hold an active Salesforce Administrator certification at the minimum? Have they trained new users before?

If your organization does have a knowledgeable, certified individual, does that person have the capacity to take on a Salesforce implementation? How will this additional work impact their ability to perform their other duties? 

Salesforce implementation projects can range widely in scope, but with an SI partner like Nimbus Tech, we cover those long hours to get your system up and running. With us, your time commitment to getting your project to go-live is vastly reduced. Instead of anyone on your team devoting dozens or hundreds of hours to the implementation, your team will only need to attend a handful of discovery, review, and training meetings with our team. Our Nimbus Tech consultants willl guide you throughout the entire process, providing support and helpful resources. 

What timeline does your organization have in mind for implementing Salesforce? Is this timeline achievable given your responses to the previous two questions with an in-house staff member?

If your organization is hoping for a quick turnaround or on a time crunch, we highly recommend partnering with an experienced implementation consultant. Because our Nimbus Tech team specializes in working with nonprofits and configuring Salesforce products to fit their needs, we are able to work efficiently without sacrificing quality. This means that working with Nimbus Tech as your SI partner may help you achieve your desired timeline. 

Some quick-start implementations can be completed as quickly as 4-6 weeks once building begins, while complex projects may take a few months. A general idea of a partnership timeline includes a discovery phase, a design phase, a development phase, and a delivery phase. Here's a quick overview of what often occurs at each phase of a project lifecycle:

• In the discovery phase, your SI partner will meet with your team to gain a deep understanding of your organizational processes that need to be handled or incorporated into your Salesforce platform. This may take one or a few meetings. 
• In the design and development phases, your SI partner will begin building and implementing the components of your project with cyclical review sessions with your team. 
• Finally, in the delivery phase, you SI partner will ask you and your team to test out your new Salesforce org. At Nimbus Tech, we also provide customized user training for your team along with recorded videos and documentation for how to use and navigate through your new Salesforce system.

Succeed with a Salesforce Implementation Partner

Still have questions about Salesforce implementation projects or partners? Send us a message today at https://www.nimbustech.com/contact!