My garage and implementing Salesforce.com

I’ve spent the better part of the last two weekends working on a project to organize my garage.  I’ve had to repair the walls, build some storage units, and paint.  I would not even pass as a weekend warrior when it comes to home projects, so my tool collection is pretty sparse.  The result: I’ve recently spent more time inside something with a big Lowe’s sign on it than Jimmy Johnson.  Now that I have all the right tools to do the job, all kinds of other distractions have caused my project to be delayed.  Ultimately, I’ve slimmed down my ”ambitious” goals so I can finish it and get the cars back in the garage before the leaves fall!!

The analogy for businesses is too obvious.  Most organizations have made significant investments in facilities, equipment, IT hardware and software, etc.  The bigger issue is the commitment to use them.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools are  a perfect example. Salesforce.com is probably the biggest and best known provider in this space. The company has grown from scratch to $1.1 billion in sales and almost 60,000 customers in less than 10 years.  I’ve used Salesforce.com, and the power of their platform and their tools is incredible. Unfortunately, many organizations that have implemented Salesforce.com and programs just like it, are either not using the capabilities to the fullest, or have essentially abandoned them altogether.

The reasons for this, of course, vary from company to company but there are common threads: 

• No clearly defined strategic or tactical need 
• Poor implementations
• and most important: Lack of ongoing support, training, and “encouragement” (read: requirement) from the organization once implemented

In the end, it always comes down to priorities. A company acquires a shiny new CRM tool and assumes that the staff will figure out how to use it and become more productive.  But do you tell the sales staff to spend time learning how to use the system to the fullest…. or get out and sell?  How many other new systems are these users dealing with?  How many other corporate initiatives and projects suck up their time?

Companies need to have the right tools in order to increase productivity and stay competitive -  but they need to be realistic and ask the right questions before jumping in.  Do we really need this right now? Are we willing to make the commitment to implement it the right way? Will we stick to the plan in the face of all the other projects and priorities floating around the organization?

 As to my garage….. maybe the cars are ok in the driveway until the snow flies.