Our Consulting Methodology
One question I get frequently when discussing our services with a new client is how we will be proceeding with their implementation. Every Salesforce.com consultant that you might have the opportunity to work with will have to base their consulting approach on some basic methodology. Consultants in general develop their approach to Salesforce.com implementations based on their prior experience, i.e, what is their background?
Our Salesforce Consulting implementation approach uses what we call - "The Iterative Consulting Process". We feel it works best for the smaller client that wants quick gains at a low cost and doesn't have a heavy bureaucracy in place within their company that has to be dealt with to make improvements to their Salesforce.com system.
The Salesforce.com Iterative Consulting Process
Our consulting method uses an iterative approach to customize Salesforce.com to your business model. While we start out with the general roadmap as defined during pre-project interviews the actual steps taken day to day will be based on meetings we have with you where the highest priority project tasks identified at that point are undertaken. As our consultants understanding of your business model grows and as your understanding increases of what Salesforce.com can do and how it functions, the desired outcomes and list of requirements will become better defined. We will continue to iterate through a 4 step process with you where we: 1) Discuss the roadmap, current state of the system, and highest priority requirements, 2) Identify the next customizations, 3) Build those customizations, and 4) Review and continue again with step 1.
Changes to the system produce questions and insights that would not have been thought of at the beginning of the project. As those questions get answered, our understanding grows of your real needs. Our consultants find that the end result is much more suited to your business model than a process whereby an attempt is made to define the entire scope of the project in advance.
Immediate End User Value and Continuous Improvement
The main idea behind the Iterative Consulting Process is to provide immediate and continuous end user value. Out of the box, Salesforce.com functions as a highly capable CRM system. Almost no development needs to take place for users to begin using the standard functionality. Our goal is to strive for continuous improvement, building on inherent functionality with business-model-specific improvements. At no point during the process should your users find that they cannot use the system. As our development process moves forward, the system becomes increasingly automated, increasingly useful, and increasingly tailored to the exact set of tasks your users are engaging in and providing the exact information your leaders require.
It's Like “Home Improvement”
Since the users have continuous access to and value from the system, there is no requirement to rush improvement. Move forward as your budget and time constraints allow. The Iterative Consulting Process is much like home improvement in that regard. There is always something that will make your home more to your liking, more efficient, more comfortable, more desirable, but not all of these things are required immediately. Pick the projects that are most pressing, and do those first.
The Estimating Process
At no point should a Snapptraffic Consulting invoice surprise you. When we first engage you, we will develop a roadmap together. This will serve as a guide to keep us moving in the right general direction, and our initial estimate is prepared from that. You will not; however, be billed for this amount. You are billed for whatever work is accomplished on your behalf during a given calendar month.
During the Iterative Consulting Process, you are in control and well informed of the time being spent. Our consultants are continually estimating the time involved as each project step along the roadmap is undertaken. During each call we note specific items that need to be done. When the call is over, an “Action Item” will be created and sent which details the work to be done and estimates the time required to do it. If you approve that Action Item, we begin.
Where possible, and if desired, we will identify work that does not require our Salesforce.com expertise and which can be accomplished by your company internally to cut down on hours required. We are happy to train you to do anything that we might otherwise do for you.
The Project Lifecycle
We are not an implementation company in the typical sense. Our consulting is not geared towards simply designing, building, delivering, fee collection, and moving on to the next client. We intend to join you in the process of continually improving your salesforce.com system. We hope to be an on-going resource to you and a long-term member of your team.
With that said, we recognize that the improvements will be front-loaded. In general, our initial setup, customizations, and improvements will take a month or two of frequent consultations and regular effort. Following that your users will settle into the new system and our focus shifts to training, adoption, and answering questions. Reporting tends to take on greater importance in the months that follow as users are adding increasingly useful data to the system. As time goes by, we meet occasionally to make refinements or add new functionality.
For the project phases that were postponed due to budget or time constraints, these get initiated when you are ready – for the typical client we’ll tackle one or two of these a year. Of course, we are always available to help with problems that come up occasionally.
Our Commitment and Guarantee
Our commitment to our clients is to provide the most value possible for the expense incurred. Our underlying guarantee is to only charge clients for that which they agree adds value to their system. If you are not satisfied with the work accomplished, you will not be billed.
Speak to Us
If you would like to discuss working with Snapptraffic Consulting on your implementation, please visit our website at www.snapptraffic.com. One of our consultants would be glad to discuss your project and the estimated time and expense that might be involved. It's cheaper than you think, go ahead and ask us, we think you'll be surprised.
