Use Case | Schaeffler
Successful Salesforce Onboarding
How Improved Apps turned around a failed Salesforce implementation with our in-app onboarding solution
Previous Salesforce implementation ends in the pits
Before bringing in Improved Apps, this leading German automotive parts manufacturer had tried but failed to roll out Salesforce across its 3 lines of business.
Each of these businesses had individual requirements and challenges but all depended on users being able to engage with Salesforce to drive digital transformation, and steer the business towards its overall goals.
After poor adoption, disengaged users and failed attempts to correct the installations to meet expectations, the manufacturer was close to assigning the whole experience to the scrap heap.
Urgent need for better onboarding to increase Salesforce adoption & see a return on investment
The common challenge across all three lines of business was for intuitive onboarding that would fast track users towards effective and comprehensive use of Salesforce.
Based on their processes and Salesforce set-up, senior executive leadership recognized that the businesses could not continue as they were.
Inertia and confusion
Each of the 3 separate businesses had its own Sales Cloud orgs with little common ground between them. Attempts were made to centralize and standardize too many core processes across all orgs. For example, deploying one page layout across all 3 lines of business creating complex page layouts where many fields were not relevant, causing user confusion.
They could not use standard Salesforce help features and did not have a digital adoption solution to aid end users through complex page layouts and any new processes. They also had an external knowledge base that no one ever used.
Without a method of helping new recruits become proficient within their environment, or helping them locate and use data effectively in all areas of their job function, attempts at onboarding for most users had failed.
To transform their workforce towards digital adoption, the manufacturer recognized that new recruits and existing users needed a solution that encouraged, nurtured and empowered their users.
The competition
After a commitment to retain Salesforce within their business, the manufacturer identified solutions which could enhance the functionality of their environments and start their digital transformation journey.
With onboarding and transformation at the heart of their requirement they considered MyTrailhead and WalkMe alongside native apps Improved Help and Improved Noticeboard by Improved Apps.
There was a clear winner.
PROCESS COMPLIANCE
DYNAMIC, EMBEDDED, RICH CONTENT IN CONTEXT
ONBOARDING
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
COMMENTS AND SENTIMENT LOGGING
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
NUDGING AND TARGETED CRITICAL ALERTS
RELEVANT CONTENT WITH LEARNING PATHS
MULTI-PURPOSE CONTENT APPS
GUIDED LEARNING AND TRAINING REINFORCEMENT
WIKIPEDIA STYLE KNOWLEDGE BASE
NO BROWSER EXTENSION REQUIRED (OR WEB SCRIPTS)
Our target picture:
- Three separate Salesforce Clouds (one per business) and one commonly used Salesforce Marketing Cloud
- One common core with functionalities to be reused in the separated Salesforce Sales Clouds for leveraging synergies
- Integrations via a middleware with the manufacturers existing systems plus Salesforce standard connector integrations
- One common approach for defining, developing and improving the manufacturers functionalities
Project approach and required governance
- Individual business sub-projects with dedicated development team for business specific requirements and priorities
- Same project methodology across all sub-projects
- Dedicated solution governance body (architecture board) to drive harmonization and efficiency
- Focus on individual business strategic goals based on results from Salesforce’s goal setting framework V2MOM (Vision, Values, Methods, Obstacles, and Measures) to maximize business value
Proof of concept
To demonstrate an effective solution, the program set-up focused on one of the individual businesses, covering an initial 100 users.
The proof of concept needed to demonstrate that the business could own a non-technical solution to reduce costs and enforce process compliance within each business unit, whilst sharing best practice and content in areas where there was common ground.
Integral to this proof of concept were Improved Help and Improved Noticeboard, both of which are 100% native Salesforce apps which don’t require browser extensions or technical complexities to run.
The objective of the solution was to empower each Salesforce user with up to date, personalized, contextual information and critical alerts, precisely when and where they needed it.
For new recruits and existing users, onboarding works exclusively within Salesforce where training can drive continuous improvement of each user, and drive feedback and sentiment gathering to support the business.
Embedded Help and Training with Improved Help
Embedded Help and Training with Improved Help
Improved Noticeboard gives power back to the publisher to control when information is sent, consumed and acknowledged. It improves Salesforce user efficiency with publishing tools which can deliver important notifications or critical alerts, and helps publishers manage who gets which messages, and when.
The challenges of POC that lead to success
Proof of concept success criteria was based on:
- Installation and configuration success
- Business owned and able to create content without the need of IT assistance
- Showcase and feedback via interviews with pilot super users
- Be inline with company-wide digital transformation project covering embedded training/content and change management help
- Work with the incumbent implementation partner (a global system integrator)
The challenges after installation, setup and configuration were kept to a minimum including form speed issues which were quickly resolved.
Three months after configuration, the POC was exposed across all lines of business for buy-in…
the feedback was positive.
Deployment and launch dates for all lines of business were agreed with a potential expansion to 2500 users
Final deployment screenshots
The utility bar is used to gain access to process centric help and guidance, varying page by page and individual business specific; quick access to any bookmarked content; and Critical alert pop ups, targeted to each user.
2 of 2
Lead process and qualification guidance present right where it’s needed to help qualify, nurture leads better
1 of 1
"Congratulations on your recent award! That is a great recognition of how and where Improved Apps is differentiating from Salesforce´s own toolset and seamlessly complementing functionality for ‘Digital Adoption’. And – it underpins that we have made the right choice to embark with you on the joined journey in setting up a new way of digitally supporting, helping, guiding and learning for our Salesforce users. I am excited to get this off the ground together as a team and generate a happy and “enabled” user base."
Head of Sales Processes, Schaeffler
Improved Apps Demo
Boost your organisation’s digital adoption today
