Nowadays, systems hardly work in isolation, so we must develop an integrated solution to serve the customer experience effectively. In this interview, we dive into how integrating Salesforce can alleviate the most common integration and quality issues, leading to transformation.
We’ve invited our Chief Operating Officer, Adnan Uzunalić, to explain how Salesforce integration works, how it can help tackle challenges related to the interconnected world, and the current best practices in this area.
Adnan UZUNALIĆ: Hardly any system today works in isolation. Organizations need their applications to communicate effectively with one another to keep data in sync, power end-to-end automation and enable accurate decision-making considering all business aspects. However, integrating different systems, making data unification while maintaining accuracy, and preventing data leaks can be daunting. Especially when systems speak different data languages.
Moreover, regulatory compliance, data privacy, and security standards must also be considered. Failure to meet these standards can lead to severe consequences, including legal penalties and reputational damage. Salesforce can definitely help you achieve all these goals and drive innovation.
Adnan UZUNALIĆ: Moving the business to the cloud allows for faster innovation. Cloud applications, by their nature, provide connectivity with other systems. There were some concerns about opening businesses to cloud solutions in the past. However, today it has become the choice number one in many areas. In fact, it is essential to remain competitive in the modern digital world.
Cloud solutions offer agility, are digital-native, and are easy to use for business users. These solutions are feature-rich and can accommodate advanced workflows like AI. Of course, it is crucial to maintain security alongside. Salesforce is top of the class here, and it ensures our customers benefit from the following:
- the platform’s stringent information security,
- various role-based security,
- access options that provide only the right people can view sensitive data,
- and audit controls that enable admins to track what is accessed and edited, by whom, and when.
You can read more about how being part of the outstanding Salesforce community as the leading partner in the Adriatic helps us build security awareness and data safety into our culture and processes.
Adnan UZUNALIĆ: Salesforce takes an API-first approach to build its platform. Everything you do in Salesforce has the same logic behind it, making it connectable with any other system capable of consuming Salesforce APIs.
You can integrate your 360 data structures and processes with existing applications like Payroll, ERP, PSA, etc. You can consume the APIs directly or connect through other Salesforce tools such as integration platform MuleSoft or Salesforce Connect, which bring already made connectors for different purposes together. This way, all your data is in one place, including contract value, open accounts, payment terms, complaints, and more, and your processes are thoroughly interconnected.
To sum up, APIs are a modern, robust, and secure way for digital systems to communicate, making it essential for dynamic data that requires fast and accurate reporting. With APIs, two or more systems can send data directly to and from each other in real time.
Adnan UZUNALIĆ:
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- When discussing CRM and Sales Cloud solutions, the most common integration is building a 360 view of customer data by gathering information from disparate systems across different departments and assembling it in a single location. In addition, APIs directly connect ERP, billing, customer systems, and third-party payment processors, eliminating manual data import/export, streamlining the process across different systems, and improving data accuracy for faster decision-making.
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- If we focus more on Marketing Cloud solutions, the most common integration tasks are to build marketing automation to utilize customer data to provide personalized messages and content to customers. The data is integrated from various sources, such as transactional databases (e.g., purchase history) and engagements (e.g., browsing behaviors on the web/app), to build a framework for nurturing and building customer loyalty. The various communication channels (e.g., email, SMS, Chats) are integrated to broadcast the same personalized message.
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- When using Service Cloud, 360 view integration is one of the crucial ones here, too. To know the customer better, enabling a better customer experience when she contacts us. Another important integration is with phone systems to help agents operate without leaving the application during phone calls.
Adnan UZUNALIĆ: I would like to emphasize the significance of a customer-centric approach in any integration project using Salesforce. Salesforce is a “Customer Experience” platform. A 360 view of the customer is the foundation for success in delivering a seamless customer experience. It’s also essential to derive insights from all areas of a company’s infrastructure to better serve customers and drive profitability.
If I had to highlight the top five benefits, they would include the following:
- Improved data management: With Salesforce integration, you can centralize customer data in one place, ensuring it’s up-to-date and consistent across all systems.
- Increased efficiency: Salesforce integration can help you streamline processes and reduce manual data entry, improving operational efficiency.
- Better insights and reporting: By integrating Salesforce with other systems, you can gain a 360-degree view of customer data, enabling you to gain insights and make data-driven decisions.
- Improved team collaboration: Salesforce integration can enhance cooperation by providing shared data and real-time information.
- Enhanced security: Salesforce integration can help you manage security and compliance requirements better. With a fully integrated system, you can ensure that customer data is protected and handled following regulatory requirements.
