6 Steps to Salesforce Zen

Does your Salesforce give you a sense of Database Zen?

Do you revel in the calm assurance that your Salesforce is well-understood, the data is consistent, and your analytics are driving smart, timely business decisions?

If your answer is “no”, Cloudy is here to help. Here are six mantras to boost your Salesforce karma:

1) Clean Up Dirty Data. Dirty data (Duplicates, blank fields, and incorrect values) mean your reports are incorrect and unhelpful.

2) Fix Bad Meta-Data. “Meta-Data” is the setup of your unique Salesforce Database; are you using records and fields in a way that is clean, strategic, and aligned with best practices? 

To guide your data and meta-data cleansing practice, start with Cloudy’s two part series on the topic: Clean All the Data!! Part I & Clean All the Data!! Part II

3) Simplify. Your Salesforce must, first and foremost, be usable! Establish clean, consistent, excellent processes. This will lead to meaningful data, which can be used to make great business decisions.

(Are you feeling the Zen yet??)

4) Use Standard Functionality. The ability to Customize Salesforce gives it huge potential and power, but “customization for customization’s sake” is not the right approach. Cloudy’s Best Practice is to use standard functionality whenever it is reasonable to do so.

• By following this best practice, you harness the power of the busy Salesforce Developers who are releasing enhancements to standard functionality 3x/year! (every 2 weeks for NPSP updates)
• You also will find that you are best able to access the help of the Trailblazer Community – thousands of users around the world asking and answering questions, publishing blogs and self-help tutorials, etc., mostly focused around standard functionality.

5) Analyze. What analytics results do you need to see to make better business decisions? Create the reports and dashboards you need to understand your daily work and your key business decisions. **Remember: You tend to get what you measure!**

If you find gaps in your ability to access the metrics you need, it’s time for the final step:

6) Strategize: Now it’s time to customize the data model to fit your unique business. As you create your custom development plan:

• Follow database best-practices
• Use your desired Analytics results as a guide
• Add process automation to take it to the next level!

Here are a couple more resources from Redpath:

•  Spring Cleaning checklist: This checklist is an essential guide to basic Salesforce hygiene.
• Redpath has developed an in-depth guide and process called the “Path to Success” to help you through these steps and beyond. Click here to download this guide.

If you would like to talk to a consultant about any of the above steps Contact Us!