Salesforce projects are notorious for requiring extensive time commitments across multiple departments. IT teams, business analysts, project managers, and end-users all need to be involved in the setup, customization, testing, and training process. This pulls key resources away from other critical tasks, causing disruptions that ripple across the organization.

When considering your renewal or additions of Salesforce products or additional Clouds, it’s essential to think ahead. What happens if you decide to add an ERP system or another key technology in the next few years? Integrations are complex, costly, and require rethinking existing Salesforce configurations. These downstream impacts often complicate your tech stack, leading to unexpected expenses and project delays.

Salesforce should not be considered in isolation. As your business evolves, your tech stack will too. Future-proofing your Salesforce implementation means accounting for potential additions like ERP systems, marketing automation tools, and data lakes. Without proper planning, adding these technologies becomes a logistical nightmare, creating data silos, broken workflows, and excessive costs.

Many Salesforce customers don’t place ongoing User Adoption as a top tier consideration when looking at the additions of clouds or even in the renewal of needed users.

For every dollar spent on Salesforce licenses, businesses often spend three times that amount on customization, implementation, and ongoing support. Custom workflows, tailored dashboards, and specialized reports all require professional services, whether internal or external.

Salesforce sales representatives may gloss over the need for professional services. They focus on the allure of the platform’s capabilities without fully disclosing the extensive support required to unlock those capabilities.

One common pitfall is over-licensing, where companies pay for more seats or features than they actually use. Regular audits of license usage reveal bloat, allowing you to adjust your subscription and save costs.

Use tools like Elements.cloud to identify underused features, system inefficiencies, and bottlenecks. User reports also show who is engaging with the system and who isn’t, helping you target training efforts where they are needed most.

Establishing a Salesforce governance committee helps ensure consistent data management, aligns Salesforce with evolving business strategies, and oversees change management efforts.

Inconsistent data leads to conflicting reports and undermines decision-making. Regular data hygiene checks, deduplication efforts, and standardized reporting protocols are essential for maintaining data integrity.

Common assumptions about Salesforce, such as data cleanup and deduplication being part of the package, are often incomplete. Clearly outline what is included in your implementation and what will require additional effort.