Servio Consulting CEO Nancy Cooper proudly announces the firm received Premium Partner status from Salesforce.org®, the world’s leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. “It is so exciting to see our team recognized for their excellent solution design and implementation services,” Ms. Cooper said. “We are thrilled that our Premium Partner status has been achieved.
Founded in 2016 by Ms. Cooper, Servio Consulting primarily focuses on the education sector. “Our services are geared for educational institutions from pre-school through multi-campus higher education,” Cooper shares. “That also includes foundations and non-profits operating within the education sector. We are grateful for the trust and confidence our clients and the salesforce.org team partners have shown in our service delivery framework and performance. Elevating Servio to the Premium Partner level demonstrates our approach and commitment are appreciated and generating positive results for our partners and clients alike.”
Salesforce.org reserves Premium Partner status for select implementation partners who successfully contribute platform implementation services. Especially those with a proven capacity for simplifying what can seem like complex technology solutions while accelerating time-to-value and optimizing user adoption rates.
According to Ms. Cooper, “non-profits and education perceive CRM solutions as expensive and difficult to use. Our Servio 360º framework coupled with an exclusive Relationship Building Continuum enable organizations to experience the value of CRM fast. And once they recognize that value in meaningful metrics and performance improvement use of the solution increases well above industry averages.”
Servio Consulting expends significant resources focusing on helping educational institution’s make better informed decisions when considering use cases and tailoring service offerings to satisfy those specific needs. Following are seven helpful considerations, previously shared by Salesforce.org, for planning a CRM implementation and choosing the right partner for achieving your organizational goals and objectives:
- Discuss your project with a Salesforce.org Account Executive — Salesforce.org account executives are a valuable knowledge base for understanding partner capabilities, technical expertise, and operating principles. They can help you align goals, objectives, and business outcomes with partners that best fit your specific use cases.
- Request input from your professional network. Discuss your project with trusted colleagues from organizations of similar size or who have implemented a solution of similar scope and requirements. Moreover, research the multitude of information available online about potential consultants and the processes and procedures they employ in standing-up a solution.
- Don’t overemphasize the RFP — An RFP represents concepts and critical thinking from an organizational or centralized perspective. So, think of your RFP as an informed starting point. Salesforce.org Premium Partners have deep experience in every area of CRM integration. They have encountered a breadth of unanticipated challenges and issues. In addition, there are a number of apps that can extend and elevate the power of your CRM solution. Premium Partners like Servio Consulting utilize a proprietary framework and market-tested processes that ensure a successful implementation.
- Evaluate your potential partner’s expertise and skill set in terms of collaboration. How will their team mesh with yours? Establish criteria for a successful engagement. Assess whether a firm provides expertise working with your type of organizational model.
- Allocate the necessary resources for a successful implementation. That means setting a budget from the outset, even if it is just a range. You will also need to understand what human and technological resources are required and how you will make them available. Make sure you discuss budget ranges and resource needs as soon as possible so your potential partners have a complete understanding of your requirements and expectations. Doing so ensures there will be no future surprises that negatively impact your project.
- Cooper adds that data migration is a necessary step in every CRM solution implementation. “Data migration is a mission critical aspect of digital transformation.” Do not underestimate the value and difficulty of transferring legacy data into Salesforce. That doesn’t suggest data migration into Salesforce is difficult, but data is complicated, especially when you are merging data from multiple environments, applications, or other sources. Data accuracy is imperative. If you cannot trust your data the value of the CRM system is diminished.
- Review Project Management Methodologies – Understand the project management methodology of your consultant and be sure you are comfortable with the amount of input you will have on the project from start to finish. Agree on a schedule for demonstrations of completed work product. Doing so provides an ongoing learning experience relative to how the system works while maintaining a collaborative environment.
Selecting a consulting partner may seem like a daunting task, but Salesforce.org simplifies the process by recognizing different levels of expertise. “Premium Partner represents the highest, most qualified status,” Ms. Cooper said. “Time and again our team of highly motivated consultants has delivered on our commitments. We are thrilled that Salesforce.org, our clients, and other channel partners believe it is worthy of the Premium Partner status.”