How to Sustain Success
Strategies to Succeed During Staff Transitions
Losing a key member of your Salesforce team, especially the admin who possesses an intricate knowledge of your organization’s roles, processes, and business logic, can be a daunting experience. The departure of a Salesforce admin can disrupt your business operations, potentially affecting revenues and tarnishing your reputation. However, with the right strategies in place, you can navigate this challenging situation and even use it as an opportunity to improve your Salesforce management practices. In this blog post, we’ll explore effective steps to take when your Salesforce admin has given their notice, and we’ll introduce an additional option to ensure uninterrupted business processes— managed services offerings through partners like V2.
Assess the Situation: The first step in responding to a Salesforce admin’s departure is to assess the level of impact on your organization. Determine the criticality of their role, the scope of their responsibilities, and the potential risks and challenges that may arise. Oftentimes admins are playing a more strategic role, and carrying a much heavier set of responsibilities above and beyond Salesforce day-to-day maintenance. Admins may possess not only Salesforce subject-matter expertise but expertise around business users and teams leveraging Salesforce and their specific processes. This evaluation will help you understand the urgency of finding a solution and guide your subsequent actions.
Focus on Knowledge Transfer and Documentation: Ensure that your departing admin leaves behind comprehensive documentation detailing the organization’s Salesforce configurations, customizations, and related business processes. Process flow diagrams, system entity relationship diagrams (or ERDs), SOP documentation, and training documentation will be valuable for business continuity. Ideally, this type of documentation is already in place and has been maintained, but if not, make this a top priority during the last couple weeks of your admin’s tenure to support effective knowledge transfer. This knowledge transfer process will assist your team in understanding Salesforce’s intricacies and enable them to continue managing it effectively.
Empower Internal Resources: Look within your organization for individuals who possess a solid understanding of Salesforce or have the potential to learn and take on the role of an admin. If there are no immediate backfills, think about dividing key aspects of the role such as different individuals or functions. As an example, a bridge strategy could be empowering a business analyst to manage basic user setup and day-to-day maintenance needs, whereas someone from your IT team could support with reporting. Offer training and support to upskill these employees, equipping them with the necessary knowledge and tools to handle the Salesforce system proficiently.
Leverage External Expertise: While developing internal resources is crucial, it might not always be feasible or immediate. That’s where partnering with a trusted Salesforce managed services provider like V2 Strategic Advisors can prove invaluable. Consulting partners like V2 come equipped with industry and Cloud-specific expertise and experience, and can seamlessly step in to help manage your Salesforce system for the short, mid, or long-term depending on your needs, ensuring business continuity without interruption. V2 Strategic Advisors offers comprehensive support, including administration, customization, integration, and development support, user support and training, system enhancements based on your backlog or existing projects, and more, providing you with peace of mind during a transition period.
Perform a System Audit and Reset the Roadmap: Take advantage of the departure of your Salesforce admin to conduct a comprehensive system audit. Identify areas for improvement, assess existing processes and workflows that may require optimization, and reset the overall roadmap. Exercises like these will help you maintain a well-organized and efficient Salesforce system, maximizing its potential to drive business success. Partners like V2 can also assist by helping you take a step back, understand your usage, and identify areas for optimization through advisory services that focus on road mapping and creating a blueprint for an optimization required out of the gate.
Immerse Your Team in the Salesforce Community: Connect with Salesforce user groups, forums, and online communities to seek advice, learn from others’ experiences, and share your own insights. Engaging with the Salesforce community can provide valuable support, guidance, and innovative ideas to overcome challenges associated with admin turnover.
Foster Environment of Continuous Learning and Professional Development: Encourage your Salesforce team, including new admins, to stay updated with the latest Salesforce trends, features, and best practices. Salesforce provides a wealth of resources, such as Trailhead, which offers free online training modules and certifications. Embracing continuous learning will enhance your team’s skills and contribute to long-term success.
Losing your admin doesn’t have to spell disaster for your organization. By implementing a proactive strategy and following the steps outlined in this post, you can navigate the admin exodus successfully. Additionally, by leveraging V2 Strategic Advisors’ managed services, you can ensure uninterrupted business processes and maintain the highest level of Salesforce proficiency. Remember, change presents opportunities for growth and improvement, and with the right mindset and support, you can thrive even in the face of a Salesforce admin’s departure.
Building Trust Starts With A Conversation.
To learn more about how V2 Strategic Advisors’ managed services can help your organization maintain uninterrupted Salesforce operations during admin turnover, visit our Managed Services page for more details, or connect with our team to discuss what this program might look like for your organization.
