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Quest to be Data-Driven
14Jul

Quest to be Data-Driven

“Data-driven” is a business term that refers to the utilization of data to inform or enhance processes, decision making, and even the revenue model. The quest to be data-driven is afoot. In recent years, a data-driven business approach has gained a great deal of traction. It is true that every business deals with data — however, data-driven businesses systematically and methodically use data to power business decisions. Incorporating the notion of being a data-driven enterprise enriches the understanding of how data can profoundly impact business operations. Leveraging data not only offers valuable insights but also enhances adaptability, thereby sharpening the competitive edge of an organization. These insights serve as a foundation for making market predictions and adapting business strategies accordingly, often leading to revenue growth. While data may not provide solutions to all organizational challenges, embracing a data-driven approach lays a solid groundwork for achieving organizational goals. Data-driven contrasts with decision making that may be driven by emotions, external pressure, or instinct. So, what exactly constitutes a data-driven enterprise? It transcends mere number-crunching; it involves creating sustainable value for customers and innovating efficiently in the digital economy. Encouraging a data-driven approach across all facets of the business is paramount to success. Gaining data insights from data is invaluable. It allows organizations to reshape customer interactions, provided the data is accurate, accessible, and integrated into existing processes. However, many struggle to extract value from their data due to the complexity of transforming raw data into actionable insights. Understanding the hierarchy of data, information, and insights is crucial, as actionable insights drive data-driven success. Furthermore, adaptability emerges as a crucial factor in today’s rapidly evolving landscape. The ability to swiftly respond to changes and leverage data for informed decision-making is paramount. Data-driven insights serve as powerful tools for facilitating change and fostering agility, ensuring organizations remain competitive. Moreover, data serves as a catalyst for revenue generation through various business models such as Data as a Service (DaaS), Information as a Service (IaaS), and Answer as a Service (AaaS). By putting customer satisfaction at the forefront and leveraging data-driven insights, organizations can evolve their products proactively and drive growth. Building a data-driven enterprise involves a strategic approach encompassing nine key steps, including defining end goals, setting tangible KPIs, and fostering a data-driven culture across the organization. However, challenges such as deciding what to track, lack of tools or time for data collation, and turning data into meaningful insights may arise. Overcoming these challenges requires a cultural shift towards data-driven decision-making and the adoption of modern data architectures. Walking (or perhaps running) the data-driven journey with Tectonic involves connecting and integrating various data sources to ensure seamless data flow. By embracing a data-driven approach, organizations can unlock the full potential of their data, driving innovation, enhancing customer experiences, and achieving long-term success in today’s dynamic, rapidly evolving business landscape. Expanding upon this foundation, let’s go deeper into the transformative power of data-driven enterprises across various industry sectors. Consider, for instance, the retail industry, where data-driven insights revolutionize customer experiences and optimize operational efficiency. In the retail sector, understanding consumer behavior and preferences iscrucial to daily, quarterly, and annual success. By harnessing data analytics, retailers can analyze purchasing patterns, demographic information, and social media interactions to tailor marketing strategies and product offerings. For example, through personalized recommendations based on past purchases and browsing history, retailers can enhance customer engagement and drive sales. Moreover, data-driven insights enable retailers to optimize inventory management and supply chain operations. By analyzing historical sales data and demand forecasts, retailers can anticipate fluctuations in demand, minimize stockouts, and reduce excess inventory. This not only improves operational efficiency but also enhances customer satisfaction by ensuring products are readily available when needed. Furthermore, in the healthcare industry, data-driven approaches revolutionize patient care and treatment outcomes. Electronic health records (EHRs) and medical imaging technologies generate vast amounts of data, providing healthcare professionals with valuable insights into patient health and treatment efficacy. By leveraging predictive analytics and machine learning algorithms, healthcare providers can identify patients at risk of developing chronic conditions, enabling early intervention and preventive care. Additionally, data-driven approaches facilitate personalized treatment plans tailored to each patient’s unique medical history, genetic makeup, and lifestyle factors, improving treatment outcomes and patient satisfaction. In the manufacturing sector, data-driven strategies optimize production processes, enhance product quality, and reduce operational costs. By implementing Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and connected devices on the factory floor, manufacturers can collect real-time data on equipment performance, energy consumption, and production efficiency. Analyzing this data enables manufacturers to identify inefficiencies, minimize downtime, and proactively schedule maintenance to prevent costly equipment failures. Moreover, data-driven insights inform process improvements and product innovations, enabling manufacturers to stay competitive in an increasingly globalized market. The ultimately transformative impact of data-driven enterprises extends across various industry sectors, revolutionizing business operations, enhancing customer experiences, and driving innovation. By embracing a data-driven approach and leveraging advanced analytics technologies, organizations can unlock new opportunities for growth, efficiency, and competitive advantage in today’s data-loaded digital economy. Becoming data-driven requires harnessing the full potential of your data, transforming it into actionable insights, and iteratively refining your processes. Remember, data itself is not the ultimate goal but rather a powerful tool to drive informed decision-making and organizational growth. To establish a truly data-driven organization, consider the following nine steps: By following these steps, your organization can effectively harness the power of data to drive innovation, improve decision-making, and achieve sustainable growth in today’s data-driven landscape. Tectonic recognizes the challenges in the quest to be data-driven. We’ve launched a Data Cloud Salesforce Implementation Solution to help you. Content updated May 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing,

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July 14, 2021in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Health and Life Sciences Solutions, Salesforce Hospitality Travel and Transportation, Salesforce Manufacturing Automotive Energy, Technology
Business Card Scanner App for Salesforce
16Apr

Business Card Scanner App for Salesforce

Can I Scan a Business Card into Salesforce? Yes, you can scan a business card into Salesforce if your scanning system can create a CSV file or import data into Excel, which can then be saved as a .csv file. This resulting file can be uploaded to Salesforce. And there are several Business Card Scanner App for Salesforce solutions. Business Card Scanner App for Salesforce Does Salesforce Have a Business Card Scanner? Yes, Salesforce can utilize CamCard for Salesforce, a top OCR software that allows you to batch scan and digitize multiple business cards with unrivaled accuracy. Does CamCard Sync with Salesforce? Yes, CamCard perfectly integrates with customized Salesforce fields, making lead and contact management easier and more efficient on mobile. With a standard subscription, you can save unlimited cards to your Salesforce account. Is the CamCard App Free? CamCard offers many features, such as dating when you received a card, grouping cards received at one location, writing notes on each card, and searching by keywords, locations, or dates. The app is free, which is an added benefit. Is Scan to Salesforce Free? Yes, Scan to Salesforce allows you to instantly and accurately scan business cards and upload data to Salesforce for free. You can keep contacts in the iOS/Android app or sync them to your phone. How Do I Install Scan to Salesforce? Other Business Card Scanning Solutions: Using Outlook for Business Card Scanning: If you prefer more tools, consider those that import to Outlook and then use Salesforce’s Outlook integration tool to sync with Salesforce. This adds an extra step but offers more flexibility in choosing business card scanning software. Direct Integration with Salesforce: These options provide a variety of ways to seamlessly integrate business card data into Salesforce, ensuring efficient and accurate data management. Content updated March 2023. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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April 16, 2021in Public Sector Solutions, Salesforce Development Services, Salesforce Financial Services Solutions, Salesforce for Nonprofits, Salesforce Health and Life Sciences Solutions, Salesforce Hospitality Travel and Transportation, Salesforce Manufacturing Automotive Energy, Salesforce Public Sector Solutions, Salesforce Sales Cloud
Salesforce Trailheads
04May

Salesforce Trailheads

Salesforce (or “sforce”) is open to all, whether you’re an admin, user, or developer, with dedicated learning paths available for each role. Salesforce Trailheads Trails are curated learning journeys consisting of modules and projects, designed to guide users through various topics, develop relevant skills, and gain hands-on experience with Salesforce products. Modules break down complex subjects into manageable units, offering insights into features, their functionalities, and step-by-step instructions. Interactive challenges provide opportunities to test your comprehension. Salesforce Trailheads are an integral part of the company’s free online learning platform. This resource assists developers in transitioning from Salesforce Classic to Salesforce Lightning Experience, a modern development platform that utilizes declarative code, making it accessible to individuals with limited coding knowledge. Trailhead’s guided learning paths are freely available, aligning with Salesforce’s commitment to democratize industry knowledge. While some specialized courses are offered through Trailhead Academy for a fee, the majority of content is accessible at no cost. Salesforce’s official learning platform, Trailhead, offers comprehensive interactive learning paths called “trails.” Covering basic to advanced topics, these trails are free and often include hands-on practice through projects and challenges. The time required to learn Salesforce varies based on the area of focus. For Admin skills, it may take three to four months, while Salesforce Developer and Consultant skills may require five-plus months and six or more months, respectively. Trailhead, utilized by over 3 million individuals, is a recommended platform to embark on this learning journey. Trailhead is accessible to anyone with an internet connection, regardless of background, age, gender, or beliefs. Creating a free Trailhead account (no Salesforce CRM account required) is quick and easy at Trailhead.com. Operating on a gamification model, Trailhead awards badges and points to users as they progress through ranks. Achieving the highest rank, ‘Ranger,’ requires earning 100 badges and accumulating 50,000 points, signifying a significant accomplishment for Trailblazers. Trailhead empowers individuals to become Trailblazers by providing in-demand skills for career transformation, globally recognized credentials, and opportunities for connection within the vibrant Trailblazer Community. Learning is made flexible with the Trailhead mobile app, enabling users to upskill anytime and connect from anywhere. Content updated November 2023. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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May 4, 2020in Salesforce
The Evolution of Industrial Revolutions
03Jul

The Evolution of Industrial Revolutions

History of First Four Industrial Revolutions Throughout history, humanity has always relied on technology. Although the technology of each era looked different from today’s, it was groundbreaking for its time. People consistently used available technology to simplify their lives while striving to enhance and advance it. This ongoing pursuit of innovation laid the groundwork for the industrial revolutions. Today, we are in the midst of the fourth industrial revolution, also known as Industry 4.0, marked by the rise of tech and web design companies. The Evolution of Industrial Revolutions. Here’s an overview of the three previous industrial revolutions that have led us to this point: The First Industrial Revolution (1765) The first industrial revolution followed the proto-industrialization period, starting in the late 18th century and extending into the early 19th century. This era was characterized by mechanization, which transformed industries and shifted the economic backbone from agriculture to industry. The massive extraction of coal and the invention of the steam engine introduced a new type of energy, accelerating manufacturing and economic growth through the expansion of railroads. This led to the enlarging of cities where factories and industry took place. The Second Industrial Revolution (1870) Nearly a century after the first, the second industrial revolution began in the late 19th century, marked by significant technological advancements. New sources of energy—electricity, gas, and oil—emerged, leading to the development of the internal combustion engine. This period also saw the rise of steel demand, chemical synthesis, and new communication methods like the telegraph and telephone. The invention of the automobile and airplane at the turn of the 20th century solidified the second industrial revolution’s profound impact on modern society. This led to the growing mobility of humanity. The Third Industrial Revolution (1969) In the latter half of the 20th century, the third industrial revolution introduced nuclear energy as a new power source. This revolution brought forth the rise of electronics, telecommunications, and computers, paving the way for space exploration, advanced research, and biotechnology. In the industrial sector, the advent of Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) and robots led to an era of high-level automation, revolutionizing manufacturing processes. This, in turn, led to a time of greater lesiure and freedom. Industry 4.0 Many consider Industry 4.0 to be the fourth industrial revolution, unfolding right before our eyes. Beginning at the dawn of the third millennium with the widespread use of the Internet, Industry 4.0 represents a shift from physical to virtual innovations. It encompasses developments in virtual reality, augmented reality, and other digital technologies that reshape our interaction with the physical world. The four industrial revolutions have fundamentally shaped global economies. Numerous programs and projects are being implemented worldwide to help people harness the benefits of the fourth revolution in their daily lives. From digital flipbooks to augmented reality gaming, the future is bright. For instance, the EU-funded RESTART project aims to transform vocational education and training (VET) systems to meet the digital skill demands of modern industries, ensuring that the workforce is equipped to thrive in this new technological landscape. What’s next? Look out as we are already into the Fifth Industrial Revolution. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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July 3, 2019in Salesforce, Technology
Salesforce
10May

Who is Salesforce?

Who is Salesforce? Here is their story in their own words. From our inception, we’ve proudly embraced the identity of a customer-centric company. Since the very day we opened our doors, customer focus has been the guiding force behind every decision we make. It’s the catalyst for our growth and the driving factor behind our customers’ success. Our commitment involves developing technologies, fostering partnerships, and building communities that enable companies to establish profound connections with their customers, transforming every business into a customer-centric entity. While the world evolves, our unwavering commitment to customer focus remains constant. New technologies, social trends, and immediate priorities may emerge, but the essence of the customer—discerning, demanding, and eager to be impressed—endures. Our mission is to assist you in meeting your customers where they are, fostering unwavering loyalty to your company through thick and thin. Our role is to construct bridges between companies and customers, recognizing that meaningful connections are the linchpin of business success. We are dedicated to delivering on this mission. Empowering every department to prioritize customers is our goal, facilitated by Customer 360—the world’s leading CRM. We provide a platform where every team member can access a unified source of truth, enhancing collaboration with integrated capabilities that facilitate crucial conversations and decisions where they matter most. With Tableau, we empower companies to unearth profound insights and take data-driven actions to better serve their customers. Every product in our portfolio plays a pivotal role in establishing connections that drive success, with the potential to channel that success into positive change. HISTORY In 1999, Salesforce founders launched a revolutionary customer relationship management (CRM) system from a small San Francisco apartment. Their groundbreaking approach involved hosting all software and critical customer data on the internet, pioneering the “software as a service” (SaaS) model that quickly spread across the tech industry. Cultivating Trust Early adopters took a leap of faith in embracing our cloud-based model, and trust became a cornerstone. Over the decades, our product has evolved, becoming an essential service for some of the world’s most significant businesses, governments, and organizations. Trust and relationships have become invaluable commodities. Core Values Our core values drive our actions and unite us as a company: This content was updated in 2023. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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May 10, 2019in Salesforce
Salesforce Job-Training Initiative
13Apr

Salesforce Job-Training Initiative

Salesforce.com Inc, a San Francisco-based cloud software company, announced on Thursday that it is joining a White House Salesforce Job-Training Initiative to provide new skills training for U.S. workers. The company, known for its internet-based software used by sales and marketing departments, plans to offer online training to up to 500,000 workers for jobs involving Salesforce’s software systems. However, the company did not disclose the financial commitment for this effort. The White House’s “Pledge to America’s Workers” initiative, launched last year, has over 200 participating companies. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff is set to announce the news at an event in Indiana with Ivanka Trump, where Salesforce employs nearly 2,000 people. Benioff, who purchased Time magazine last year, is recognized for his support of progressive policies. Notably, he supported a tax increase on large businesses in San Francisco to fund homelessness solutions, a measure that San Francisco voters approved. Salesforce faced criticism from a Texas immigrant rights group last year for providing software to U.S. Customs and Border Protection. In response, Benioff highlighted that the company’s philanthropic arm donated over $1 million to organizations aiding migrant families at the U.S.-Mexico border. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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April 13, 2019in Salesforce
Salesforce Cloud Hosted CRM
25Mar

Is Salesforce Hosted in the Cloud?

Is Salesforce cloud hosted? What about Salesforce data? Salesforce Cloud is a suite of cloud-based customer relationship management software solutions that help businesses connect with customers, close deals, and deliver service. Was Salesforce always cloud based? Salesforce was founded in 1999 by Marc Benioff, a sales executive at Oracle, one of the largest software companies in the world. The company was founded on a single, bold premise – that software should be made available to the masses, on a 24/7 basis, over a global cloud computing infrastructure. Marc Russell Benioff is an American internet entrepreneur and philanthropist. Benioff is best known as the co-founder, chairman and CEO of the software company Salesforce, as well as being the owner of Time magazine since 2018. (Salesforce), a leading customer relationship management (CRM) company, chose Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its primary cloud provider in 2016. Today, Salesforce and AWS have a global strategic relationship focused on technical alignment and joint development. Salesforce remains a cloud hosted solution. Where is Salesforce data hosted? It depends on whether your org is on Hyperforce or not. If you’re on Hyperforce, then it will be stored on AWS. If you’re not on Hyperforce, then it will be stored in Oracle Database within Salesforce Data Centers. In both cases, Salesforce is cloud hosted. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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March 25, 2019in Data, Hyperforce, Salesforce
Salesforce Telephony
15Mar

Salesforce Telephony

Salesforce Telephony Integration. Get on the phones faster with out-of-the-box telephony integration with Amazon Connect or a range of partners on the Salesforce AppExchange. Embed the phone into your digital channels in Service Cloud to provide a holistic view of your customer conversations. Can we call through Salesforce? A phone lets your team take and make calls alongside their other work in Salesforce. You can create a phone with Salesforce using Sales Dialer or Dialer for Essentials, or you can integrate a third-party phone product. CTI, or computer telephony, is a key element of an omnichannel customer service strategy. Salesforce CTI is one of the most popular methods used to connect organizations’ telephone and computer systems. What is telephony in Salesforce? Telephony integration enhances communication and streamlines workflows by allowing users to handle calls, track call data, and access customer information all in one place. Telephony in Salesforce is done through a VOIP (voice over internet protocol) service. “With Talkdesk, I can focus on what is important to customers, instead of fighting with our phone system. Not having to worry about your technology is half the battle.” Megan Miles Customer Service Manager at Zumiez Using the Telephony Integration API The Telephony Integration API allows you to programmatically manage a voice call. The provided Amazon Connect Lambda functions automatically use these endpoints to perform telephony functions, but you can also use these APIs separate from the provided Lambda functions. Like2 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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March 15, 2019in Data, Google, Salesforce, Salesforce Sales Cloud, Technology
Cloud Managed Services
17May

Cloud Products

Cloud solutions, also known as cloud computing, cloud products or cloud services, deliver IT resources on demand over the Internet. What is a cloud product? What is a cloud product? Cloud products provide a wide range of cloud-based services including computation, storage, databases, analytics, networking, mobile, developer tools, management tools, Internet of Things (IoT), security, and enterprise applications. There are several examples of cloud computing applications used by both businesses and individuals. One type of cloud service would be streaming platforms for audio or video, where the actual media files are stored remotely. Another would be data storage platforms like Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or Box. Even personal storage like iCloud. What is cloud in simple words? The definition for the cloud can seem murky, but essentially, it’s a term used to describe a global network of servers, each with a unique function. The cloud is not a physical entity, but instead is a vast network of remote servers around the globe which are hooked together and meant to operate as a single ecosystem. Why do they call IT the cloud? The name comes from the fact that the data gets stored on servers – in the cloud. So, I guess it’s safe to assume that the cloud is a slang term used by tech industry people to describe the servers and networking infrastructures that allow users to store and access data through the internet. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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May 17, 2018in Data, Enterprise, Google, Salesforce, Salesforce Communications Cloud
Connected Culture
31Oct

How To Build a Connected Culture

Building a connected culture has become increasingly important because mobile devices and applications have changed the landscape of the IT world. No longer are business users tied to their desks or offices. They can be productive anywhere, thus the content must be updated much more quickly. Reports don’t take weeks to compile, nor do they require the IT organization to deliver the information. The most successful companies are building and deploying solutions that a business user can access from any type of device, at any time, and display the data in the format that they want. To facilitate this type of solution most companies are in the process of migrating their data into the cloud, reducing their infrastructure costs, and allowing a much more enhanced end user experience. The Internet – and more specifically Social Media – has changed how the public’s perception of a particular business or company is viewed (thus directly impacting sales). It used to be said that a happy customer would tell 10 people about their experience and would tell 100 if the experience was bad. With Social Media, the number of people that you tell has grown exponentially. One customer’s angry post can be shared and reposted to 100’s of others, impacting prospective clients. This means that business’s need to be more focused on each client rather than lump all clients in one big basket (a 5% negative rating might have been OK in the past, but no longer). As a business moves to focus on clients, it is imperative that they have great insight to the individual customer, their preferences, and even their desires. Companies have had this data for years but not had the ability to quickly or easily leverage it in order to better serve the client while they are in the middle of a transaction. A connected culture does not come without its downfalls; the information technology groups must change how they do projects. Building and delivering technology changes can no longer be an IT only event. Business users must be more engaged during the entire project, rather than only be engaged through the rollout. Companies must have business stake holders that can spend time each day with the project team. This is hard for many since business users all have full time jobs. In addition, each business must design a cultural process change roadmap as projects move along this drives adoption and make the end product much stronger. Without developing process changes, new technology or a new system will not provide the benefits that the business sponsor is looking for and will be a roadblock to complete adoption of a new technology. While these changes are hard in some organizations, the benefits of a connected culture outweigh the problems and make for smooth transitions and better return on the investment. Given that technology continues to change, it is important for companies to remain agile in their process and recognize the importance technology has in delivering a seamless customer experience. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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October 31, 2017in Salesforce
Salesforce roles and responsibilities
11Apr

CRM Cloud Salesforce

What is a CRM Cloud Salesforce? Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform for Salesforce clients to provide service and support to their business customers. Salesforce based Service Cloud on its Sales Cloud product, a popular CRM software for sales professionals. Salesforce Sales and Service Clouds are considered core products. Numerous other Salesforce cloud-based products exist. Cloud-based CRM is customer relationship management software that is hosted on the CRM provider’s servers and accessed by its customers through the internet. This kind of software is also called software as a service (SaaS). What is Salesforce Service Cloud, a cloud-based CRM? Salesforce Service Cloud stands as a robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform tailored for Salesforce clients, facilitating seamless service and support for their business clientele. Rooted in Salesforce’s renowned Sales Cloud product, Service Cloud caters to the needs of sales professionals. In essence, a cloud-based CRM, like Salesforce Service Cloud, operates as CRM software hosted on the provider’s servers, accessible to clients via the internet. This software-as-a-service (SaaS) model simplifies access and usage, offering flexibility and scalability to businesses. The SaaS model also makes for ease of implementation and managed services by a third party as everything is accessible in the cloud. Understanding CRM Cloud Salesforce: CRM, or customer relationship management, represents a technology aimed at efficiently managing all interactions and relationships between a company and its customers. The overarching objective is to enhance business relationships, achieved through streamlined processes and improved profitability. When referring to CRM, it typically encompasses a CRM system or platform—a multifaceted tool facilitating contact management, sales management, productivity enhancements, and more. This software zeroes in on nurturing organizational relationships with individual entities, be it customers, service users, colleagues, partners, or suppliers, throughout their lifecycle, spanning from acquisition to support and beyond. The Role of CRM Software: CRM software empowers sales and marketing teams to track and optimize customer interaction journeys, thereby enriching the overall customer experience. By meticulously mapping each touchpoint in the customer journey, CRM solutions bolster customer engagement and satisfaction, fostering long-term relationships. Who Benefits from CRM Software? A CRM system extends its benefits across various business functions, including sales, customer service, business development, marketing, and more. It serves as a centralized repository for customer and prospect information, enabling comprehensive contact management, opportunity identification, service issue resolution, and campaign management. With heightened visibility and data accessibility, teams can collaborate effectively, boosting productivity and driving business growth. The Significance of CRM for Businesses: As the largest and fastest-growing enterprise application software category, CRM software holds increasing importance in modern business operations. Forecasts suggest a substantial surge in worldwide spending on CRM, underlining its pivotal role in organizational strategies centered around customer-centricity and technological enablement. Key Functions of CRM Systems: CRM solutions play a pivotal role in acquiring, retaining, and nurturing customer relationships by organizing and synthesizing customer and prospect data from diverse sources and channels. These platforms facilitate a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and preferences, driving informed decision-making and personalized engagement strategies. Moreover, modern CRM platforms offer seamless integration with complementary business tools, such as document management, accounting, and surveys, providing businesses with a holistic view of their customers and empowering them to forge stronger relationships and accelerate growth. When people talk about CRM, they usually refer to a CRM system or platform, a tool that helps with contact management, sales management, productivity, and more. Who is CRM software for? A CRM system gives everyone — from sales, customer service, business development, recruiting, marketing, or any other line of business — a better way to manage the external interactions and relationships that drive success. With visibility and easy access to data, it’s easier to collaborate and increase productivity. Everyone in your company can see how customers have been communicated with, what they’ve bought, when they last purchased, what they paid, and so much more. CRM software is increasing in importance as it is the largest and fastest-growing enterprise application software category. Worldwide spending on CRM is expected to reach USD $114.4 billion by 2027. If your business is going to last, you need a strategy for the future that’s centered around your customers and enabled by the right technology. You have targets for sales, business objectives, and profitability. But getting up-to-date, reliable information on your progress can be tricky. How do you translate the many streams of data coming in from sales, customer service, marketing, and social media monitoring into useful business information? More administration means less time for everything else. An active sales team can generate a flood of data. Reps are out on the road talking to customers, meeting prospects, and finding out valuable information – but all too often this information gets stored in handwritten notes, laptops, sticky notes on laptops, or inside the heads of your salespeople. Details can get lost, meetings are not followed up on promptly, and prioritizing customers can be a matter of guesswork rather than a rigorous exercise based on fact. And it can all be compounded if a key salesperson moves on. But it’s not just sales that suffers without CRM. Your customers may be contacting you on a range of different platforms including phone, email, or social media — asking questions, following up on orders, or contacting you about an issue. Without a common platform for customer interactions, communications can be missed or lost in the flood of information — leading to a slow or unsatisfactory response. Salesforce Data Cloud unifies all the data and provides a 360 degree customer view. Even if you do successfully collect all this data, you’re faced with the challenge of making sense of it. It can be difficult to extract intelligence. Reports can be hard to create and they can waste valuable selling time. Managers can lose sight of what their teams are up to, which means that they can’t offer the right support at the right time – while a lack of oversight can also result in a lack of accountability from the

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April 11, 2017in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud, Technology
abc
05Mar

Alphabet Soup of Cloud Terminology

As with any technology, the cloud brings its own alphabet soup of terms. This insight will hopefully help you navigate your way through the terminology, and provide you the knowledge and power to make the decisions you need to make when considering a new cloud implementation. Here’s the list of terms we will cover in this article: Phew—that’s a lot. Let’s dig in to the definitions and examples to help drive home the meanings of the list of terms above. SaaS (Software as a Service) This is probably the most common implementation of cloud services end users experience. This is software that users access through their web browser. Some software may be installed locally to help augment functionality or provide a richer user experience, but the software installed locally has minimal impact on the user’s computer. Figure 1 provides a high-level overview of this concept. Figure 1 High-level overview of Software as a Service You are probably a user Facebook, Google docs, Office 365, Salesforce, or LinkedIn either at home or at work, so you’ve experienced SaaS first hand and probably for a long time. What SaaS tools are you using outside of those mentioned here? Reach out and let me know—I’m very curious. PaaS (Platform as a Service) PaaS allows a developer to deploy code to an environment that supports their software but they do not have full access to the operating system. In this case the developer has no server responsibility or server access. When I first started writing about cloud technology three years ago, this was kind of primitive service. The provider would just give you access to a folder somewhere on the server with just a bit of documentation and then you were on your own. Now there are tools, such as CloudFoundry, that allow a developer to deploy right from their Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or from a command line production release tool. Then CloudFoundry can take the transmitted release and install it correctly into the cloud environment. With a little trial and error, anyone with a bit of technical skills can deploy to a tool like CloudFoundry where the older style of PaaS took a lot of skill and experience to deploy correctly. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) Originally IaaS dealt with a provider giving a user access to a virtual machine located on a system in the provider’s data center. A virtual machine is an operating system that resides in a piece of software on the host computer. Virtual Box, Parallels and VMWare are examples of software that provide virtualization of operating systems called Virtual Machines (VM) Virtualization of servers was all the rage for a while, but when you try to scale within the cloud with multiple virtual servers there are a lot of drawbacks. First, it’s a lot of work to make VMs aware of each other and they don’t always share filesystems and resources easily. Plus, as your needs grow, VMs with a lot of memory and disk space are very expensive, and very often an application on a VM is only using a portion of the OS. For example, if you are deploying a tool that does data aggregation and runs as a service you won’t be taking advantage of the web server that might be running on server too. The issues mentioned in the previous paragraph are common headaches for those moving their on-premise implementations to the cloud, and those headaches gave rise to Docker. Docker is a lighter weight form of virtualization that allows for easier sharing of files, versioning, and configuration. Servers that could only host a few VMs can host thousands of Docker images, so providers get better bang for the buck for their server purchases. Further explanation of Docker is an article all by itself, but for now it’s import to realize that Docker needs to be part of any discussion of moving your applications to the cloud. DaaS (Desktop as a Service) Desktop computers are expensive for large corporations to implement and maintain. The cost of the OS, hardware, security software, productivity software, and more start to add up to where it makes a major impact on any corporation’s budget. Then just as they finish deploying new systems to everyone in the company, it’s time to start upgrading again because Microsoft just released a new OS. Another fact with most desktop computers is that they are heavily underutilized, and DaaS allows an IT department to dynamically allocate RAM and disk space based on user need. In addition backups and restores are a breeze in this environment, and if you are using a third party provider all you need to do is make a phone call when a restore of a file or desktop is needed. Plus upgrades to new operating systems are seamless because the DaaS provider takes care of them for you. The main advantage I see with DaaS is security. With one project I was involved with, we restored the state of each Desktop to a base configuration each night. While this did not affect user files, it did remove any malware that might have been accidently installed by a user clicking on the wrong email. Documents from Microsoft Office or Adobe products were scanned with a separate antivirus program residing on the storage system they were a part of, and the network appliance that we used did not allow for the execution of software. That made it very secure for the client I was working with. So what does a user have on their desktops? Luckily in recent years there has been an explosion of low cost computing devices, such as a Raspberry PI, that support Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) so your users could access a windows desktop from the linux-based PI which you can get for a measely . DaaS is awesome for your average information worker, but for a power user like a software developer this setup in my experience doesn’t work well. Your average developer needs

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March 5, 2016in Data, Google, Salesforce, Technology
Salesforce Jigsaw
28May

Salesforce Jigsaw

Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for $142 million. This agreement also includes an incentive component, allowing for a 10% increase in the purchase price contingent upon meeting specific performance milestones. Cloud computing stands out as the leading trend in the business software realm, attracting attention from established players such as Microsoft (MSFT), SAP (SAP), and Oracle (ORCL). By leveraging internet technologies, cloud computing enhances application usability while reducing costs associated with server and hardware investments. With annual revenues surpassing $1 billion, Salesforce.com (CRM) continues its remarkable growth trajectory. However, to further augment its capabilities and revenue streams, the company is likely to concentrate on strategic acquisitions like Jigsaw. Originating in 2003, Jigsaw embarked on a journey common to high-tech startups, continually refining its business model and securing substantial venture capital funding. The company’s mission was ambitious: leveraging cloud computing and crowd-sourcing to develop a cutting-edge business database to rival established players like D&B (DNB). Overcoming challenges related to data accuracy, duplicate information, and user participation, Jigsaw devised innovative tools and incentive models, resulting in a thriving community of over 1.2 million members and a database comprising 21 million professionals from 4 million companies. By integrating with Salesforce.com, Jigsaw anticipates further enhancements to its database, given the latter’s access to extensive customer data. With approximately 800 existing customers, including notable names like New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, Hackett Group, and Sales Performance International, Jigsaw stands to benefit from Salesforce.com’s expansive customer base and cross-selling opportunities. While the transaction is expected to temporarily impact Salesforce.com’s GAAP earnings by approximately 20 to 22 cents per share for fiscal year 2011, this is a common occurrence in rapidly growing markets. Salesforce.com estimates the market opportunity to be $3 billion, signaling significant growth potential. As Salesforce.com’s stock price has doubled over the past year and the company has secured $575 million in debt financing, it is well-positioned for an assertive merger and acquisition strategy. The acquisition of Jigsaw likely marks the beginning of a series of strategic moves for Salesforce.com in the near future. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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May 28, 2010in Data, Salesforce

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