Introduction

Before jumping to the use cases of the Salesforce Platform, Let’s start with a pretty straightforward question: Why use Salesforce?

At its very core, Salesforce works to accelerate business processes by replacing those tasks we would have been doing manually with automated, streamlined processes. Salesforce has a mantra to learn to build on the platform – High Impact, Low Effort – i.e., address those projects that are easy to build but create a huge impact. An obvious example would be Chatter; those important conversations in the hallway or scraps of paper with important data that’s usually misplaced or e-mails in multiple threads can now have a secure permanent home to reside as soon as Chatter is put into effect.

Now, let’s take a look at some of the reasons to choose Salesforce for our CRM needs, following which, we’ll look at various use-cases for the platform.

Reasons for using the Salesforce Platform

Salesforce is the world’s leading cloud-based for all your CRM needs. But what makes Salesforce special? Let’s go through some of the reasons why Salesforce is the way to go!

• Easy to use
• Cloud-based
• Easy to customize
• Multitenant Platform
• Mobile CRM
• AppExchange eco-system
• Integration Options
• One platform for all
• It has Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• You can learn through Trailhead
• Secure and Safe
• Perfect for non-profit activities
• Constantly Evolving Platform

Use cases of the Salesforce Platform

Long gone are the days when Salesforce was a CRM-only company; the platform has evolved to serve an array of business needs ranging from HR to Operations. Let’s look at how Salesforce can work to serve the different departments in a business.

HR Use case of the Salesforce Platform

The HR department has quite a lot to manage, from keeping track of employee requests to the hiring managers; a lot is going on there. Salesforce to the rescue! There’s so much that HR, in conjunction with IT, can do to automate HR processes. Let’s look at a fraction of what can be implemented to make the lives of our friends in HR a breeze!

• Employee communities for collaboration
• Use Service Cloud for an HR help-desk for self-service on HR-related issues
• HR analytics
• Track employee time off
• List job openings
• Store applicants for each job opening
• Automated reminders to hiring managers
• Manage any equipment orders
• Store orientation and training plans

IT Use case of the Salesforce Platform

With the level of technological integration into virtually every facet of your business, the IT department becomes indispensable for the smooth functioning of most businesses. From installing the proper software and hardware necessary to maintain those systems, the IT department is bombarded with several requests. There’s so much Salesforce can do to facilitate a smooth-sailing journey for the IT department.

Since all your users and their information are already in Salesforce, integrating the IT department with your CRM should be a seamless experience. Here are a few things we can do:

• Create a knowledge base for common issues
• Keep track of employee hardware assets
• Reports and Dashboards to analyze requests
• Maintain a ticket queue
• Send confirmation when requests are received, completed, or updated

Finance Use case of the Salesforce Platform

Salesforce came out with Financial Service Cloud tailored for financial services organizations. This could be ideal if you are part of an insurance company, a bank, or a wealth management company, but if that’s not the case and if you just need your Finance Department to be a part of your CRM, Salesforce can make that a reality too! These are a couple of businesses processes you can automate to improve Productivity for finance teams:

• Pricing
• Budget Management
• Real-time data leads to making more accurate financial decisions
• Single-Source for finance management
• Integration of Sales and Finance ensures everyone is on the same page
• Leverage the power of AppExchange to enhance the platform for Finance needs. E.g., AccountingSeed

Supply Chain Use case of the Salesforce Platform

Supply Chain Management(SCM) starts from sourcing the right raw materials to ensuring the right product reaches the right customers. Here’s how you can leverage the Salesforce platform for all your SCM requirements.

• Procurement
• Logistics
• Vendor Management
• Inventory Management
• Warehousing

Operations Use case of the Salesforce Platform

The Operations Management ensures that the production process is complete from start to finish in line with the goals and functions of the other departments within the company. From assessing the value of business processes to ensuring compliance with government agencies, there’s a lot to be done here. Here’s how your Ops team can use the Salesforce platform:

• Use the power of AI for forecasting
• Quality Management
• Assets and facilities management
• Planning and Organizing