Using automation, process optimization and contact management, Salesforce makes collaborations between teams more efficient and increases productivity. With the Sales, Marketing and Service Cloud, Salesforce gives you an extensive range of services that can be optimally adapted to your needs. The system advertises, among other things, adaptability and usability. But is Salesforce really suitable for companies of all sizes?
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In the third and last part of our article series “Is Salesforce the CRM system for you?” we check if every company can use Salesforce and what the advantages or disadvantages for different company size such as start-ups or enterprises are.
In case you haven’t read our first two parts of the article series: Is Salesforce the CRM system for you? Part 1 & Is Salesforce the CRM system for you? Part 2
Enterprise or large business is a term for companies with more than 250 employees and total assets of more than 40 million euros. There are some characteristics compared to small businesses such as start-ups. Large companies have higher financial resources at their disposal, but at the same time they can also be characterized by complex organizational structures and long decision-making paths. This also plays a role when introducing and maintaining new systems such as Salesforce.
What are the advantages of Salesforce as a CRM system for a large company?
Easy implementation: Since Salesforce is a cloud-based solution, implementation is relatively easy compared to on-premise systems and also uses less resources, even though a large business has many users.
Individual adjustments: In contrast to start-ups, large companies often have a sophisticated IT infrastructure. Salesforce can be optimally adapted to the individual needs of the company and can be configured according to the specifications. The various tools and apps offer great flexibility in terms of combinations of different clouds and apps.
What are the disadvantages for lager companies using Salesforce?
Price per user: Even if large companies have more financial resources than small companies, the price can be very high, because Salesforce bills per user. A large company has more employees who use Salesforce and, because it is billed annually, as a consequence therefore high running costs.
Connection of third-party system: A large business uses more than one system. Not all third-party systems can be integrated into Salesforce. Therefore, you should get a consultation in advance whether all systems can be connected to Salesforce. Even if the connection of third-party systems is possible, this can cost a lot of resources for individual systems.
Complicated change: If Salesforce is going to be removed as a system in the future, you will face a challenge. Getting started with Salesforce is easy, but getting out of it is way more difficult. All the data stored in Salesforce has to be transferred or distributed across different systems. However, it has to be said that every change from a large system is very time-consuming.
A small business is a company with less than 250 employees and total assets of no more than 45 million euros. In the case of start-ups, there is also the aspect of establishing a new business and opening up a new market with the help of an innovative business idea. Small businesses don’t have the same financial resources as enterprises, but is it still worth purchasing a system like Salesforce?
What are the benefits of Salesforce for a small business?
Easy implementation: One of the advantages of Salesforce is that it is easy to implement through the cloud, since there is initially no great need for IT resources that may not even be available in a small company.
Company-specific pricing models: The price and scope of the models can be adapted to current requirements. Salesforce offers sales and service solutions for 25 € per user for companies with up to 10 users. This creates a more cost-effective option for smaller businesses.
Optimal customer engagement: Salesforce enables small businesses to have complete data collection. Using the CRM system, you can personalize the interactions and solve your customers’ problems better. This will give you satisfied and long-term customers.
Maximum use of resources: Small companies have way less resources available than large companies, which is why it is important to use the available capital and your own employees as efficiently as possible. The process optimization and automation of Salesforce in many areas gives you the opportunity to use your resources optimally.
What are the disadvantages of Salesforce for small businesses?
Out-of-the-box-solution: Salesforce offers many options, tools and apps to ideally adapt to the respective requirements of your customers. For companies that are still young, these options can go far beyond the requirements, which is why it might make sense to start with a small out-of-the-box solution and, if necessary, switch to Salesforce later.
Scarcity of resources: The resources in the form of capital, employees and time are clearly limited in small businesses. Accordingly, there are only limited resources available to take advantage of a comprehensive development or consulting service for the introduction of Salesforce.
With company-specific pricing models and optimal adaptation to individual requirements, Salesforce is a CRM system that can be a useful investment for any company. However, both small and large businesses face various difficulties. Large companies have enough resources, but also many employees and various systems that need to be integrated into Salesforce. Small companies usually have less complicated organizational structures, but also have less resources available. In both cases, consulting can be helpful. At Actonic, we can support large companies in connecting their systems and advise small companies on how to use their resources.
Have we piqued your interest? If you need help introducing Salesforce in your company, please do not hesitate to contact us.