In the ever-evolving business landscape, it's crucial to ensure that every investment delivers maximum value. Many companies invest heavily in Salesforce licenses but don't fully utilise all the included features. At Arcturious, we specialise in helping businesses unlock hidden value from their existing Salesforce licenses, empowering you to innovate and achieve more by fully utilising your existing resources.
This article is the second in a series where we share our top tips for maximising your investment in Salesforce.
3 More Expert Tips to Maximise Your Salesforce Investment
If you have read our first article of this series and followed our tips 1 through 4, you should now have a clear understanding of what has been purchased, what this makes you entitled to, and you’ve hopefully had the chance to set up a few out-of-the-box (OOB) features.
Below are additional expert tips to get more from the Salesforce platform.
Expert Tip 5: Don’t Let Anything Go to Waste (While Leaving Wiggle Room)
To make the most of your Salesforce licenses and avoid unnecessary expenses, it's crucial to monitor your usage.
Go to: Setup > Company Information > Related Lists
Jot down the raw usage for each of the following:
User Licenses: Includes Salesforce, Platform, Integration Licenses, etc.
Permission Set Licenses: Provides custom access to objects and functionalities for specific managed packages or applications/products.
Feature Licenses: Additional products purchased to supplement regular Salesforce licenses, such as Knowledge, Live Agent, and others.
Calculate Usage: Usage = Used Licenses / Total Licenses
By tracking this information, you can gauge the extent of your usage and identify any discrepancies or unused licenses. Aim for a balance where you have some flexibility, but not so much that it drains your budget.
Expert Tip 6: Ensure Proper License Assignment and Access
In our first article of this series, Expert Tip #3 focused on helping you set up out-of-the-box features quickly. This tip focuses on ensuring licenses and features are actually being used, and that users are properly equipped and informed to leverage the licenses and features available to them.
Check Actual Usage:
Run Active Users Report: Identify active users who are assigned a license.
Run Last Logged In Report: Identify active users who have not logged in recently.
A few things we've learned over the years:
Inactive Users Consuming Licenses: Inactive users can continue to consume licenses, resulting in significant wasted costs on products that are not being used. This can quickly add up to substantial financial losses.
Improper Permissions Providing Invalid Access: Users might be missing out on essential features of certain licenses because they haven't been given the proper permissions. This not only wastes money but also prevents your team from fully utilising the tools they need to succeed.
Daunting Login Process Resulting in Non-Use: Logging in to Salesforce for the first time can be daunting for new users, especially with MFA. Users who find the login process too challenging may become discouraged and stop attempting to access the system, leading to underutilisation of purchased licenses. Incorporate user setup into your onboarding process to ensure they are properly set up and enabled.
And finally, remember, you can't use what you don't know you have. A simple way to ensure features are leveraged is to routinely communicate and educate your team about what is available to them and how to use them.
Expert Tip 7: Leverage Free Apps on AppExchange
Salesforce's AppExchange is the marketplace for ready-to-install solutions that extend your Salesforce capabilities. With thousands of apps available, finding one that meets your specific needs was previously cumbersome and overwhelming, even for seasoned professionals!
Luckily, this year Salesforce launched AppExchange Explore, which simplifies the process of finding the right app with robust filters and improved navigation/search features. This enhancement makes it much easier to discover apps that fit your specific requirements.
A few tips from our team:
Explore Salesforce Labs: Salesforce Labs offers an array of free extensions developed by Salesforce themselves. These can be a great way to enhance your Salesforce instance without additional costs.
Experiment Worry-Free: Add as many of these free apps as you like to your sandbox and give them a try. Testing in the sandbox environment means you can experiment without any risk to your live environment.
Leverage Ready-Made Reports and Dashboards Extensions: Top 8 everyday use: Salesforce Labs Dashboards and Reports
Dashboard Pal: Dashboard Pal on AppExchange
By taking advantage of these resources, you can significantly enhance your Salesforce capabilities and streamline your operations.
Need Help? Book a Consultation
At Arcturious, we offer specialised consultations to help you unlock the value from your current Salesforce licenses. Reach out for a commitment-free discussion with a Salesforce professional. Our consultations are designed to fit your schedule and can be conducted virtually for your convenience.
Maximising your Salesforce efficiency is not just about adding new features but also about making the most of what you already have. At Arcturious, we are dedicated to helping businesses discover hidden opportunities within their existing Salesforce licenses, ensuring they get the most value from their investment.
Comments