Common Issues to Avoid in the Continuous Improvement Phase

In the previous two chapters, we covered the activities you will be executing in the continuous improvement phase of your Salesforce program.

In this chapter, we will discuss the issues most commonly faced in the ever-lasting phase of a Salesforce program. We will also cover strategies to prevent or mitigate the issues from arising altogether.

In Chapter 5, Common Issues to Avoid in the Pre-Development Phase, you were introduced to root cause analysis, and we’ll continue using that method to dissect the common issues faced.

At the end of this chapter, you will be presented with a set of checklists that you can refer to at regular intervals to evaluate the state of your Salesforce program in the continuous improvement phase.

This chapter will cover the following main topics:

• Common issues in the continuous improvement phase and their root causes
• Evaluating the state of your Salesforce program
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Common issues in the continuous improvement phase and their root causes

Let’s get started by looking at some of the most common issues for being unable to provide a stable Salesforce platform while continuously delivering incremental business value in the continuous improvement phase – illustrated with a fishbone diagram:

Figure 14.1 – Fishbone diagram of common issues in the continuous improvement phase

Next, we’ll discuss the possible root causes and strategies for mitigating and preventing each of the common issues.

Struggling with your transformation to become a product organization while governing your Salesforce program

In Table 14.1, you’ll find possible root causes for why you may be struggling with your transformation efforts to become a product organization while at the same time governing your Salesforce program – along with strategies for mitigation if you are already facing that issue:

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Evaluating the state of your Salesforce program

We have covered a lot of topics and activities in the continuous improvement phase of your Salesforce program. If you get stuck, or you are not pleased with your progress, the following section will support you in evaluating the state of your Salesforce program.

For each item you cannot check, go back to the related chapters and complete the activities to mature your capabilities to maximize the return on your investments.

Checklist for your Salesforce program in the continuous improvement phase

At the beginning of the continuous improvement phase of your Salesforce program – after the first go-live with Salesforce – you should go through the following steps:

• Make sure your Salesforce program and platform vision align with your organization’s vision and strategy
• Update your Salesforce CoE with core roles
• Understand the concept of product organizations
• Understand who the customers (users...

Summary

In this chapter, you have become familiar with some of the most common issues faced in the continuous improvement phase of Salesforce programs. If you face one or more of the issues mentioned in your own Salesforce program, you now know how to mitigate or prevent them from arising altogether.

You have also assessed the state of your Salesforce program by going through the phase checklists so that you know where to focus your efforts to improve.

With your Salesforce program and platform evolving, I leave you with a final note:

We all face challenges, risks, and issues in our work and personal lives. It’s how we deal with them that shapes us and our organizations.

I wrote this book because I wanted to share what I’ve learned while helping organizations implement Salesforce and get the most out of their investments. My purpose was to offer insights into what I’ve seen work and not work, so that you could learn from them, and get the most out of...