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It’s a constant sprint to stay ahead in today’s business world. That’s not just about flashy new products or marketing campaigns – it’s about the nuts and bolts of your operation, too. And for many companies, that means keeping their Salesforce® running smoothly. At Ad Victoriam Solutions (AdVic®), we get it. We’re a Salesforce Consulting Partner that believes a secure, up-to-date Salesforce org is the key to unlocking its full potential, keeping your data safe, and giving your team the tools they need to win.

In the spirit of that, we thought it a useful exercise to delve into the key strategies you can implement to ensure your Salesforce org remains secure and benefits from the latest features. In this AdVic Salesforce Blog, we’ll also explore how managed services can help streamline this process and free up your valuable resources.

Staying Up-to-Date with Salesforce Releases

Salesforce releases new features and updates three times a year: Spring, Summer, and Winter. These updates often include bug fixes, performance enhancements, and exciting new functionalities. Here’s how to leverage them effectively:

• Review Release Notes: Salesforce provides detailed Release Notes outlining the new features and functionalities in each update. Dedicating time to understanding these notes allows you to plan how to best integrate these advancements into your workflows.
• Prioritize Updates: Not all updates are created equal. While some may be critical security fixes, others might introduce features you don’t currently need. Evaluate each update based on its relevance to your business needs and prioritize implementation accordingly.
• Develop a Testing Strategy: Before deploying any update in your production environment, create a robust testing strategy. This typically involves thorough testing in a sandbox environment to identify and address any potential conflicts or issues.

Maintaining Peak Security in Your Salesforce Org

Salesforce boasts robust security features, but additional steps can further fortify your org’s defenses:

• Enforce Strong Password Policies: Implement strict password requirements, including minimum length, complexity, and regular mandatory changes. Consider integrating multi-factor authentication (MFA) for an additional layer of security
• Manage User Permissions Granularly: The principle of least privilege dictates that users should only have access to the data and functionalities they need to perform their jobs effectively. Regularly review and adjust user permissions to minimize potential security risks.
• Monitor Login Activity: Utilize Salesforce’s login history and monitoring tools to identify any suspicious login attempts. This can help detect potential unauthorized access and enable timely intervention.

Data Backup and Recovery

Data loss can be devastating for any business. Here’s how to safeguard your valuable information:

• Regular Backups: Schedule regular backups of your Salesforce data, including objects, fields, and configurations. This ensures you have a recent copy of your data in case of accidental deletion or system failure.
• Data Encryption: Encrypt your sensitive data both at rest and in transit. This adds a crucial layer of protection from unauthorized access, even if a breach occurs.
• Disaster Recovery Plan: Develop a comprehensive disaster recovery plan that outlines the steps to take in case of a major data loss event. This plan should include clear procedures for data restoration and system recovery.

The Benefits of Managed Services

Maintaining a secure and up-to-date Salesforce org can be a demanding task, especially for businesses with limited IT resources. This is where managed services come in. Here’s what a managed service provider (MSP) can offer:

• Automated Updates and Security Management: MSPs can automate the update testing and deployment process, freeing your team to focus on core business activities. They can also manage security configurations, user permissions, and ongoing monitoring.
• Expertise and Proactive Maintenance: MSPs leverage their extensive Salesforce knowledge to proactively identify potential issues and suggest preventive measures. This ensures your org remains secure and optimized for ongoing performance.
• Reduced Costs and Increased Efficiency: Managed services can be more cost-effective than hiring and training dedicated in-house Salesforce personnel. This allows you to optimize spending and maximize resource allocation.
• Regular Reporting and Communication: MSPs provide clear and regular reports on the health and security of your Salesforce org. This allows you to stay informed and make data-driven decisions.

Summary

Keeping your Salesforce org up-to-date and secure requires constant vigilance and proactive measures. By implementing the strategies outlined above and considering a managed service solution, you can ensure your Salesforce environment remains a secure, reliable, and future-proof platform that empowers your business success.

How AdVic Can Help

Consistent vigilance and a proactive approach are key to maintaining a robust Salesforce org. Partnering with AdVic can significantly ease this burden and empower your team to focus on core business activities. Let’s discuss how we can help you keep your Salesforce org secure and optimized for growth.

Related Resources:

What Salesforce Managed Services Can Do For You

The Power of Managed Services in Technology Management

System Upgrades Propel Manufacturers’ Pace Through Managed Services

*Some images courtesy of Salesforce.

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The post How to Keep Your Salesforce Org Secure and Up-To-Date appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

Without sounding cliché, technology plays a crucial role in the success of every business today, regardless of the industry. However, effectively managing this technology can pose business challenges. Whether routine maintenance or addressing complex issues to stay efficient and connected with customers, the demand for effective technology management has never been higher.

Many businesses have internal challenges, such as bandwidth limitations or limited in-depth and broad-based knowledge among their staff. In such scenarios, considering a Managed Services solution becomes a logical choice. These solutions, delivered by certified experts working as an extension of your team, offer cost-effectiveness, flexible commitments, and tailored solutions to meet your specific needs.

Seven Game-Changing Benefits of Managed Services

• Predictable Cost Control

• • • Consolidate data and technology costs into a fixed monthly or annual payment.

• Grow as Intended

• • • Building an in-house data and technology team comes with a hefty price tag. Managed Services extend your team, eliminating productivity bottlenecks.

• Focus on the Bigger Picture

• • • Free your internal team from basic issue resolutions and system malfunctions, allowing them to concentrate on projects that drive your business forward.

• Wide-Ranging Knowledge

• • • Access a large team of experts with diverse skills through Managed Services. Bridge knowledge gaps and conquer new initiatives with confidence.

• Data Compliance

• • • Managed services providers handle the complexities of compliance and auditing, saving your in-house team valuable time and effort.

• Seamless Scalability

• • • Meet increased demand for products and services with the scalable resources provided by Managed Services. No longer worry about limited space, costly infrastructure, or slow rollouts.

• Automatic Release Updates

• • Stay ahead in the rapidly evolving cloud technology landscape. Managed Service Providers ensure your technology infrastructure remains up-to-date, freeing you from keeping pace with innovations.

Summary

Technology’s pivotal role in business success is undeniable, but managing it poses significant challenges. Businesses grapple with internal issues like bandwidth limitations and staff expertise gaps, making Managed Services a logical choice. These solutions, delivered by certified experts as an extension of your team, offer cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and tailored solutions. Seven transformative benefits include predictable cost control, enabling growth without hefty in-house team costs, freeing internal teams for strategic projects, accessing a diverse team of experts, ensuring data compliance, seamless scalability, and automatic updates to stay ahead in the ever-evolving technology landscape. Managed Services provides a comprehensive and efficient solution for businesses facing internal challenges in technology management.

“AdVic® has excelled at adapting to our work style. They provide value in every scheduled meeting and ensure they are continuously re-prioritizing work to meet an ever-changing cycle of business requests. They are creative, well staffed, and adaptive to everything we throw at them.” – Director of Digital Transformation Strategy, Recent AdVic Manufacturing Client

How AdVic Can Help

Thriving businesses are agile, scalable, and continuously innovate to serve customers effectively. AdVic’s THRIVE Managed Services for Salesforce® and MuleSoft® program aligns your cloud-based software with industry best practices and the latest advancements, ensuring your business thrives by keeping technology in sync with processes and goals, often at a lower cost than maintaining a dedicated employee. 

Let’s talk about ways your business can start thriving! Pick a date that works for you on the calendar below, and a member of our THRIVE Managed Services for Salesforce and MuleSoft Program will immediately be in touch.

Related Resources:

Listen to What Salesforce Managed Services Can Do For You
Building and Maintaining Relationships Through Managed Services
AdVic Provides a Managed Services Solution
Salesforce Managed Services Advantages That Control Costs
AdVic’s Thrive Managed Services for Salesforce Program

Subscribe to the AdVic Salesforce Blog on Feedly:

The post The Power of Managed Services in Technology Management appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

Are we really putting 2022 in our rearview mirror? Where did it go?

Well, there’s no looking back now, so let’s push forward with eyes wide open into what we hope will be an amazing 2023 for all! But before we do that, we wanted to take this opportunity to share the Top 22 Salesforce Blogs AdVic® published in 2022, ones that we got the most feedback from, and ones you may have missed.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year from all of us at Ad Victoriam Solutions!

#1. Highlights from the Salesforce Winter ‘23 Release

Salesforce® has once again packed their platform with exciting new features inside its Winter ‘23 Release, And as they always do, AdVic’s consultants have poured through every one of the new features in this release and have highlighted the ones they are most excited about.
Read More

#2. 5 Common Questions Asked of Salesforce Partners

Through your research, you have found that Salesforce® products will work best for your organization. So, what’s next? It is time to look for a Salesforce Partner to implement (or modify) your technology. Here are five common questions Salesforce newbies (and vets, too) have asked AdVic.
Read More

#3. Be the 1 of 8 Digital Transformations that Succeeds
Did you know that about one of eight digital transformations succeed? To be one of the successful ones, start by building a digital transformation strategic roadmap that includes obtaining buy-in from your stakeholders and the team.
Read More

#4. AdVic’s Journey to be a Better Version of Ourselves
When we first embarked on our B Corp certification journey back in January of 2016, Ad Victoriam Solutions (AdVic®) was less than two-years-old, employed eight employees and was still operating out of a combination of shared workspaces and our founder’s basement. Fast forward to February of 2022 and we’re now over 150 employees strong located in 18 states across six time zones, and we’ve re-certified as a B Corp and continue to scale both fast and responsibly.
Read More

#5. How a Relationship Turned Into a Partnership
It’s no secret that fostering positive relationships with your customers out-of-the-gate can help to transform those customers into real brand supporters and long-term partners. Such is the case with AdVic and a recent high-tech customer that provides cloud-based business solutions to their customers.
Read More

#6. The Seven Stages of a Sales Pipeline
Not to be confused with a sales funnel – which looks at the whole customer journey and the various stages a consumer will go through in their journey towards purchase – a sales pipeline looks at the different steps in the sales process. These seven are generally considered to be the “standard” stages for a business that follows a typical sales process.
Read More

#7. What is B2B2C?
Is your organization B2B, B2C, or B2B2C? The way you interact with your clients, the way you define success, and the technology you use all tie into the business model that defines your company.
Read More

#8. Storytelling with Data
Data is more than a trending topic. Today, data drives business solutions and tells a story about what is happening in your business. Whether manufacturers are using data to pinpoint defects or downtime in their machines, retailers are analyzing their new loyalty programs, or a healthcare provider is monitoring patient engagement, data tells a story.
Read More

#9. AdVic Empowered Minority Football Coaches
As a small nonprofit, NCMFC relies heavily on advisors in the technology, marketing, legal, and finance worlds to enhance their business practices. When it was time to implement Salesforce for their organization, an advisor recommended AdVic as a partner. With excitement, we jumped onboard this pro bono project to integrate Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack into their organization.
Read More

#10. Four Easy Ways to Get Involved and Make a Difference
At AdVic, we give every employee 40 hours of paid time-off to volunteer every year. We encourage them to get involved in their communities to give back, regardless of cause or organization. Here are four simple ways anyone — or a company – can get involved and give back.
Read More

#11. Managed Services: How Does It Save Time & Money? When Do You Need It?
Simply put, Managed Services, and specifically a Managed Services Provider (MSP), handles the daily operations of your specialized technology applications so you and your teams can focus on driving revenue. But how do you know when it’s really time to enlist the services of an MSP before your day-to-day business is impacted?
Read More

#12. Do You Need Sales Automation or An Upgrade?
From the top of the sales funnel to closing, the sales process has a lot of steps. In many cases sales begins with marketing initiating the first touching point. It could be socials, ads campaigns, or email marketing, and from there, prospects flow through the funnel hopefully landing in a closed deal. Here’s how sales automation increases productivity, accelerates the sales cycle, and increases revenue.
Read More

#13. Equipment Manufacturer Replaces Legacy Systems and Thrives
Here’s how Residential Elevators is now seeing profound improvements with their new and improved CRM system. In the ever-evolving world of Salesforce®, their technology is continuously seeing updates, new features, and more functionality that enables their business to progress.
Read More

#14. A Manufacturer’s Road to Success
The most successful digital transformations drive change from leadership to employees to provide customers with unforgettable experiences. They also require planning stages. Get our step-by-step “Guide to Success” for manufacturers.
Read More

#15. Electrical Equipment Manufacturing Challenges and Growth
The electrical equipment sector of manufacturing is experiencing robust growth. According to Yahoo Finance, “The global electrical equipment market is expected to grow from $1,384.97 billion in 2021 to $1,540.25 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11.2%.” Because the manufacturing industry, specifically electrical, was hit so hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, they are working tirelessly to get back on track.
Read More

#16. Talking Tech Trends with Salesforce Ben & AdVic
During a 2022 AdVic “Salesforce Simplified” podcast – titled “Talking Tech Trends with Salesforce Ben” and featuring Salesforce Ben’s Ben McCarthy and AdVic President Brian Mize – we discussed top tech trends that may impact the industry and business practices in the near future.
Read More

#17. ‘May the Fourth Volunteer With You’ Week a Huge Success at AdVic
After an inaugural volunteer week in 2019, and a two-year delay because of pandemic-related postponements, “May the Fourth Volunteer With You” week was back this year at AdVic. With three events at our headquarters just outside of Atlanta, and our remote employees participating in events across the country, our team came together to give back.
Read More

#18. HexArmor’s Sales Director Talks About Sales Cloud
HexArmor‘s Director of Sales, Geno Lechuga, recently spoke on the AdVic “Salesforce Simplified” podcast about how his team benefits from being able to see every interaction prospects and customers have with his business—regardless of department—using the CRM platform that connects his whole company. Here’s some highlights from that conversation.
Read More

#19. The Best Features of Salesforce Sales Cloud
For those who don’t know, Salesforce Sales Cloud – often referred to as the World’s #1 CRM – provides a platform to manage end-to-end functioning of the sales department for companies. In this Salesforce Blog, we focus on some of the best features of Sales Cloud.
Read More

#20. The Project That Became a Partnership
AdVic’s initial project with FLUX Pumps was to implement a necessary Salesforce Sales Cloud solution. From this, their sales cycle was cut in half. They were awarded efficiency, visibility, and automation with their introductory digital transformation. FLUX achieved great milestones that included doubled conversions, a 20% increase in revenue, and a way to nurture leads that turned into customers.
Read More

#21. What You Need to Know About Slack
Slack and Salesforce® have spearheaded a newfound innovation in the way that employees communicate, connect and collaborate. From internal marketing teams to recruiters connecting with new talent, Slack offers unmatched flexibility that allows all parties to communicate swiftly with their instant messaging capabilities, or their built-in video and voice capabilities. Inside the blog, download AdVic’s informative no-form Slack infographic.
Read More

#22. Top Brands Do This to Create an Effective Customer Experience
These days, customer experience has become more than a buzz phrase. No matter the industry or the brand, companies have come to the realization that they need to focus on being more proactive, as opposed to reactive, when it comes to engaging with their customers.
Read More

Read More AdVic Salesforce Blogs 

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The post The Top 22 Salesforce Blogs of 2022 appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

As part of their continued participation in our THRIVE Managed Services Program, AdVic® supported their growth throughout the years with strategic guidance, platform enhancements, and additional technology. Here’s a closer look at some of those enhancements.

Salesforce Commerce

While the client had Salesforce Commerce for B2B, it was not being utilized because it had not been customized to match their business processes. In addition, their desire to sunset their homegrown pricing system, ODM, was growing, which resulted in the first project focusing on Commerce. 

The AdVic team integrated the payment processing tool, Avalara, creating a guest checkout process, streamlined the site and developed an engaging user experience. AdVic was able to customize the platform, aligning it with their business processes, thus enabling them to sell online efficiently.

Salesforce CPQ

Pricing coordinators faced technological barriers that hindered their ability to provide accurate quotes quickly, without manual intervention. Pricing Coordinators and the sales teams were managing quotes through calls and emails.

Here’s what AdVic Managed Services accomplished:

• Built an automated quote management system with price listing, that reduced quote related work levels and increased accuracy.
• Enabled bulk pricing and cost updates across price lists. A price increase can now be scheduled to eliminate the need to change pricing line by line to accommodate the almost daily pricing changes that are typical of their industry.
• Created quoting process to be dependent on automated price update verifications.
•  Implemented approval process automation rules ensure gross margin requirements are met, based on updated cost to price margins. Alerts triggered when quotes fall below required margins.

Salesforce Service Cloud

Began work on Service Cloud to enhance incoming case workflows. Automated alerts triggered when cases are logged to inform agents of the cases that need attention. Future enhancements to expand functionality are planned.

Results

The enhancements of B2B Commerce and CPQ have made selling at the needed margin infinitely easier and faster. Without the need for manual intervention to create quotes based on daily cost and price updates, and to obtain management approvals, the team has more time to focus on selling more products.

What’s Next

Our Managed Services relationship will continue to advance the client as we turn the attention to building-out executive level reports and dashboards to expose data and analytics needed to drive business decisions and growth.

“AdVic has excelled at adapting to our work style. They provide value in every meeting that is scheduled and make sure they are continuously re-prioritizing work to meet an ever-changing cycle of business requests. They are creative, well staffed and adaptive to everything we throw at them.”
– Director of Digital Transformation Strategy

AdVic’s THRIVE Managed Services for Salesforce® & MuleSoft® offers the expertise, support, and solutions to help your business continue to thrive. So, if you’re in need of a cost-controlled flexible, yet a full-service solution to fit your exact needs in the short- or long-term, talk to Ad Victoriam’s THRIVE Managed Services team today.

Related Resources:

Building and Maintaining Relationships Through Managed Services

Salesforce Managed Services Advantages That Control Costs

AdVic’s Thrive Managed Services for Salesforce Program

Moving Your Business Forward with Salesforce Managed Services

AdVic Provides a Managed Services Solution

Subscribe to the AdVic Salesforce Blog on Feedly:

The post System Upgrades Propel Manufacturers’ Pace Through Managed Services appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

The FLUX Pumps name has been synonymous with pump technology for more than 70 years. It was the invention of the first electric drum pump that sparked the creation of the company. Since its inception, FLUX, headquartered in the beautiful black forest region of southern Germany, has grown to employ more than 150 highly skilled men and women worldwide, established seven wholly-owned subsidiaries, and maintains sales partnerships in more than 70 countries.

One of those wholly owned subsidiaries, FLUX Pumps Corporation North America, anchored in Georgia, services the United States, Canada and Mexico, and began working with Ad Victoriam Solutions (AdVic®) in early 2015 (our second customer!) and remains a top customer today as one of our Managed Services partners.

Initial Projects

The FLUX Pumps team was made up of nine members that served approximately 3,000 distributors. Their process of communications and customer relations was nonexistent, yet they were about to send out invoices. Their process was manual, complex and outdated. Technology was not incorporated into it. Reps used scanners and business cards that were stored in shoe boxes as their CRM.

AdVic’s initial project was to implement a necessary Salesforce Sales Cloud solution. From this, FLUX Pumps’ sales cycle was cut in half. They were awarded efficiency, visibility, and automation with their introductory digital transformation. FLUX achieved great milestones that included doubled conversions, a 20% increase in revenue, and a way to nurture leads that turned into customers.

With technology that empowered reps, AdVic® has helped FLUX Pumps become leaders in their field.

In addition to the success of the Sales Cloud, we helped implement Marketing Cloud Account Engagement as a way to drive new business. FLUX Pumps uses marketing automation to send monthly emails to customers. Prior to this technology, they were only able to communicate with a small fraction of customers.

FLUX North American Former President, Pete Fujimoto, expressed his excitement and satisfaction with AdVic this way: “Opportunities increased for us by 50% in the first year. We used to get 10 opportunities a month, now we’re getting 20 or more.” And Pete admitted, at the time, that they are still in their infancy with their AdVic/Salesforce solution: “There is more and more that we can do to grow.”

Read More on The FLUX/AdVic Partnership – Free No-Form Download

Partnership Extends Across the Pond

AdVic’s relationship continued with FLUX’s Germany team to create one-directional and bi-directional syncs. With this integration, their team moved from working in two systems, to just Salesforce®. On a nightly basis, contacts and opportunity line items are transferred between systems. On a shorter sync, products and opportunities are created and transferred every five minutes.

Before the integration, their U.S. team swiveled between systems, and used their team in Germany to gain information. Now, all of their data is in Salesforce and all teams have immediate access.

During the time of the integration, AdVic consulted FLUX on the best fit solutions possible. We listened carefully to their needs as to what information required to be exchanged between systems to ensure maximum efficiency on the first shot.

Syncs were tested every other day up until the official go live.

In addition to this integration, we also built-out a method for dynamically adding and removing fields to the integration. Users with admin access had the ability to go into the setup object to configure the integration without the use of code. This empowered their team to change their org whenever needed.

“To this day we still meet weekly with Ad Victoriam to think and explore more solutions. We work together. This is not a project; this is a relationship. They are not a vendor; they are a true partner who took the time to know our business. That is why we have continually worked with them for more than four years. The Ad Victoriam team finds a way to work within our system and makes things happen; they know solutions based on their knowledge of our business and are positive, creative, and supportive in every way. We always feel valued.” – FLUX Pumps

Our Present Partnership

Today, AdVic’s long-standing relationship with FLUX has morphed into a Managed Services partnership, whereby AdVic continues to enhance their Salesforce platform so it always fits their needs. FLUX is equipped with technology that grows and transforms with business, and they are assured that they can continue to connect and communicate with their customers on one unified platform and never miss a beat.

Thriving businesses are agile, scalable, and continually innovate to serve their customers. Based on industry best practices and the latest Salesforce and MuleSoft® advancements, AdVic’s Salesforce and MuleSoft Managed Services Program keeps your cloud-based software in alignment with your processes and goals – often at a lower cost than one employee – so your business can thrive. Let’s talk about ways your business can start thriving today!

Related Resources:

AdVic Provides a Managed Services Solution

Building and Maintaining Relationships Through Managed Services

Moving Your Business Forward with Salesforce Managed Services

Read More AdVic Customer Success Stories

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The post The Project That Became a Partnership appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

Simply put, Managed Services, and specifically a Managed Services Provider (MSP), handles the daily operations of your specialized technology applications so you and your teams can focus on driving revenue. Typically, an MSP:

• Keeps your technology aligned with your business goals.
• Provides enhanced capabilities and data visibility to your company’s users.
• Allows for in-house sales, IT and support staff to focus on more strategic projects and programs.
• Frees your team to focus on your company’s core competencies.

But how do you know when it’s really time to enlist the services of an MSP before your day-to-day business is impacted? Listen carefully for these red flag statements coming from within your ranks:

• “We didn’t achieve everything we wanted last year due to a lack of prioritization and skill sets.”
• “We know we need help but don’t know where to start.”
• “We overspent our budget on tweaks to our business applications that eroded its performance.”
• “We cannot get to our goals because our maintenance items took most of our time.”

An MSP can help address each and everyone of these challenges, and save you time and money, too.

How Does an MSP Save You Time… and Money?

Let’s start with saving you time. Here’s what to expect from an experienced MSP:

Proven Experts: Hiring a data and technology team can be time-consuming, and you can’t know for sure how good they are until they’re faced with a serious issue. Some may pass the test with flying colors. Others may not be able to resolve the problem in a timely manner or at all, costing your company money you can’t afford to waste.

Even when your data and technology team is competent and comfortable with your systems, you may find they are not well-equipped to operate or maintain new equipment and systems as you add them. Even the most well-trained employees don’t have the knowledge and experience of an MSP’s large team.

In addition, an MSP can provide specialized services to fill in any gaps in your team’s expertise. It doesn’t make sense to have an employee learn a whole new skill set for a one-time project. An MSP gives you access to a team of experts with precise skills you wouldn’t normally have access to otherwise.

Data Compliance: Your company’s data is subject to a myriad of regulations designed to keep information secure. Chances are your team has the laborious task of sifting through the hundreds of current standards and regulations figuring which ones apply to your company. They also have to ensure every one of those applicable rules is followed to the letter, all while performing their day-to-day tasks.

A managed services provider handles the complexities of compliance and auditing, so you don’t have to worry about violating data security regulations. They can also run reports and conduct audits that prove your organization is meeting all requirements. This can save your in-house team thousands of hours in the long run.

Narrowed Business Focus: What are the advantages of managed services for your data and technology team? An MSP frees up your team for pursuits that are more crucial to your business. If your internal team is swamped with helping users fix basic issues or dealing with system malfunctions, they don’t have the time or focus to work on projects that push your business forward. Managed Services can help by redesigning workflows and automating certain tasks. This takes the pressure of daily processes off of your team so they can focus on innovation. And don’t forget that an MSP can also provide your team recommendations based on their experience with other businesses and the solutions they have designed.

And last, but certainly not least, let’s outline some of the high-level cost savings you’ll no-doubt experience enlisting the help of an MSP:

Predictable Cost Control: Can using an MSP control your business’ costs? The answer is yes. It can also make your data and technology expenses more predictable. With an MSP, your costs can be neatly packaged into a set amount paid on an annual or monthly basis. An in-house data and technology team, on the other hand, comes with many more frequent and unexpected expenses that can quickly drain your budget.

Scalability: The price tag associated with maintaining an in-house data and technology team is a big one, and that’s why you often see teams that are understaffed, overworked and unable to get everything done due to a lack of time and resources. That doesn’t work on a daily basis, and it definitely doesn’t fly when your company is trying to expand. Then there’s training to consider. Even one additional employee for your data and technology department costs thousands of dollars, and there is never a guarantee that they’ll even stay with the company. An MSP absorbs the cost of training, and you’ll never have to worry about your team experts jumping ship. MSPs also help your business stay flexible when it comes to resources and can accommodate swift changes an in-house team might not be able to respond to efficiently.

Over the years, the AdVic® team has built a genuine relationship with our Managed Services clients, much like an extended employee. We understand the ins and outs of their business from project implementation, continued discovery, and frequent engagement. Maintaining Salesforce® can be time-consuming to team members, and can also waste resources and productivity. This is where AdVic’s Thrive Managed Services for Salesforce & MuleSoft® comes in with the expertise, support, and solutions to help your business continue to thrive. So, if you’re in need of a cost-controlled flexible, yet a full-service solution to fit your exact needs in the short- or long-term, talk to Ad Victoriam’s Thrive Managed Services team today.

Related Resources:

Listen to What Salesforce Managed Services Can Do for You

Building and Maintaining Relationships Through Managed Services

Salesforce Managed Services Advantages That Control Costs

AdVic’s Thrive Managed Services for Salesforce Program

Moving Your Business Forward with Salesforce Managed Services

AdVic Provides a Managed Services Solution

Subscribe to the AdVic Salesforce Blog in Feedly:

The post Managed Services: How Does It Save Time & Money? When Do You Need It? appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

Through your research, you have found that Salesforce® products will work best for your organization. So, what’s next? 

It is time to look for a Salesforce Partner to implement (or modify) your technology. We know that this is a huge decision – one that will affect your business, your team and your career. At AdVic, we start off with a strategic technology roadmapping that outlines your current process to tackling complex technology goals. 

Similar to any time you hire someone for a job, there are always questions. Here are five common questions Salesforce newbies (and vets, too) have asked us.

1. Are you listed on the Salesforce AppExchange?

You can find AdVic listed on the AppExchange along with more than 100 Salesforce-verified reviews from customers, project completions, and more about us. Our expertise expands from industry to industry as we completed 182 projects.

2. Are your consultants certified?

We have a power-house of Salesforce consultants, developers, and architects. We offer our consultants continued training and education to expand their knowledge in the Salesforce ecosystem. 

Certification Breakdown:

Admin: 150
Architect: 55
Consultant: 137
Developer: 87
Marketing: 16

3. What is your implementation framework?

The first step to any project with AdVic is Strategic Roadmapping. We study the ins and outs of your company, become an extension of your team, and begin planning. Following roadmapping, we begin choosing and adopting the right technology for your business, based on your unique needs.

4. Who maintains and protects our initial project?

A digital transformation can be a costly, yet valuable investment to any organization. Not only is it a monetary investment, it also takes time and effort from stakeholders and employees. At AdVic, we offer a managed services solution that protects your original technology investment. With managed services, our consultants will dedicate time to support and update your system to prevent system issues before they arise. 

Data and technology costs are bundled into a package with a set amount that can be paid monthly or annually.

5. In what ways does your company give back to the community?

We are a Certified B Corporation for a purpose, not profit. This means we are a company that treats people with dignity and respect and its community with care. We offer employees 40 hours of Volunteer Time Off to make an impact in the community. We also host Project Victory, where we enable Salesforce products for nonprofits to manage donations, data, marketing, and more. 

Still have questions? We’re standing by to answer any of your questions as you make that all-important Salesforce Partner decision. Why not pick a day and time that works for you to speak with us? See the calendar below, or just reach us here.

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If not, you are missing out on business evolution, connectivity, and so much more. These days, digitally-focused experiences that reflect current time, that are consistent, and that simplify the lives of users have become increasingly crucial to a businesses’ bottom line. 

Additionally, maintaining a healthy relationship with customers is an important aspect of today’s digital-driven era, so the upkeep of your CRM software should be a priority. With an up-to-date Salesforce environment, you can provide employees and customers with innovative solutions and world-class experiences that drive revenue. 

Perhaps it’s time you considered a Managed Services solution for your business?

The 5 Benefits of Managed Services

Choosing a Managed Service Provider (MSP) can be a powerful decision when it comes to servicing your CRM system. Here are five benefits of improving your Salesforce experience with a Managed Services solution:

1. Integration Updates 

Alterations and updates to your CRM does not have to be time consuming, scary, and messy. With a Managed Services provider, you can have your system updated while you focus on what matters – customers and strategic goals. Additionally, you can set goals or plan ways your software can accelerate your ever-changing needs.

2. Cost Control

Pay as you need with Managed Services. Managed Services Plan allows you to control the monthly or annual cost of your technology. This eliminates the hassles of hiring and training a full-time employee to cover these duties. Think of a  MSP as an extension of your team, learning the ins and outs of your organization to optimize your software. 

“To this day we still meet weekly with Ad Victoriam to think and explore more solutions.
We work together. This is not a project; this is a relationship. They are not a vendor; they are
a true partner who took the time to know our business. That is why we have continually
worked with them for more than four years. The Ad Victoriam team finds a way to work
within our system and makes things happen; they know solutions based on their knowledge
of our business and are positive, creative, and supportive in every way. We always feel valued.”

– FLUX Pumps

3. Data-Driven Customer Satisfaction  

A single source of truth establishes a personalized customer experience throughout the customer journey. A well-connected system significantly increases customer satisfaction with just a click of a button. With access to reports, and dashboards tailored to your needs, you will be able to make smarter decisions based on trends, opportunities, and issues that will enhance the customer experience.  

4. Connect Systems

Connected teams and systems work together to not only simplify the employee experience but customer experience, too. Disconnected systems make it challenging for employees to provide customers with personalized experience as  they do not have access to valuable data. When data is scattered across multiple systems, so is quality and dependability.  

5. Compliance and Security 

In this digital rules era, customers are depending on a personable, yet data-safe way to shop and explore, and employees are opting-in for work-from-anywhere flexibility. A Managed Service Plan can ensure employees and customers have the peace-of-mind that the integrity of their data is safe.

Remember, the MSP you choose should have the expertise, support, and solutions to help your business continue to thrive. So, if you’re in need of a cost-controlled flexible, yet a full-service solution to fit your exact needs in the short- or long-term, talk to Ad Victoriam’s Thrive Managed Services team today.

Related Resources:

AdVic Provides a Managed Services Solution

AdVic’s Thrive Managed Services Program

Building and Maintaining Relationships Through Managed Services

Moving Your Business Forward with Salesforce Managed Services

Salesforce Managed Services Advantages That Control Costs

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The post Are You Using Your CRM to Its Full Potential? appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

As the world changes around us, it is important to utilize the best technology to connect with customers in a way that fits their expectations. To that end, AdVic recently assisted a nationally-known home builder and seller of energy-efficient homes in having access to the necessary tools to satisfy customer needs.

For the initial project with this client, AdVic enabled functionality in Salesforce Lightning to improve efficiencies, increase ease of use, and create data visibility to accelerate the sales process. As a result, the relationship advanced into a strategic partnership, whereby the client continues to rely on AdVic as an extension of their business today.

Platform Thrives with Managed Services 

In an effort to have an easy transition during the post-go live phase, this client signed their first-annual managed services agreement with AdVic, which is now on it’s third renewal. 

In the beginning, the client managed their platform in-house with their own Salesforce admin. Once their admin went on maternity leave, AdVic was hired for managed services. While covering for their Salesforce Admin, solutions to effectively enhance the use of their  Salesforce platform were identified. With direct access to this information, leadership was able to make smart decisions based on findings to maximize their platform usage. 

Understanding the client’s business allowed AdVic to identify additional features, security set-ups, and to overcome roadblocks. Along with maintenance, Tableau CRM (formerly known as Einstein) was implemented to customize dashboards to meet business objectives enabling projections, advanced forecasting, marketing, page components and more.

After reviewing possible solutions for providing the best service in the course of a pandemic, AdVic and the client generated a plan and executed it. The client now has safe measures to satisfy customers. Providing virtual tours and a virtual space to collaborate with customers, the client is still able to personalize homes to their customers’ liking. 

Throughout our partnership with the client, AdVic has filled in as their admin ensuring ideal performance from their system, providing upgrades and enhancements. Now equipped with marketing, sales, and service insights on one platform, the client can ensure a personalized, seamless experience for their customers. 

Thriving businesses are agile, scalable, and continually innovate to serve their customers. Based on industry best practices and the latest Salesforce® and MuleSoft® advancements, AdVic’s Salesforce and MuleSoft Managed Services Program keeps your cloud-based software in alignment with your processes and goals – often at a lower cost than one employee – so your business can thrive. Let’s talk about ways your business can start thriving today!

Related Resources:

Salesforce Managed Services Advantages That Control Costs

AdVic’s Thrive Managed Services for Salesforce Program – Podcast

Moving Your Business Forward with Salesforce Managed Services

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The post AdVic Provides a Managed Services Solution appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.

Continued enhancements of Salesforce® keeps technology inline with business strategy – it’s a vital part of staying relevant and scalable. Knowing what needs to be done, and when, is a challenge. Here is how Polyglass stays relevant and on target. 

The Back Story

Polyglass manufactures and installs cutting edge roofing and waterproofing products that often exceed the expectations of their customers. Their unique product speaks for itself. However their underperforming homegrown system hindered their service and sales ability to excel. With manual, broken, and time consuming processes, it was time for a digital transformation. 

Initial AdVic-Led Project

In need of a solution that provided reps with efficiency, Polyglass contacted AdVic to transform their technology. To boost productivity and simplify complexities in the everyday lives of their reps, a multi-cloud solution was implemented. With the help of AdVic, roof inspection appointment times decreased a total of 75%, and reps were rewarded with flexibility when utilizing Salesforce Mobile to capture, edit and add aerial view to work orders – amongst other things – which was an overall win.

The efficient and Salesforce-focused team that is provided to Polyglass on a monthly basis, creates a flawless environment for sales to run their day-to-day operations. It allows them to succeed in their goals and to focus on the needs of their customers and contractors.

Extended Relationship Formed

When it comes to the ever-evolving world of Salesforce, updates, tickets  and customizations are unavoidable. Over the years, the AdVic team has built a genuine relationship with Polyglass, much like an extended employee. We understand the ins and outs of their business from project implementation, continued discovery, and frequent engagement. Maintaining Salesforce can be time consuming to team members, and can also waste resources and productivity. This is where AdVic comes in.

With a mighty and multidimensional tool like Salesforce, it is usual for companies to underutilize their platform. However, with actual maintenance and support from AdVic, that is not the case for Polyglass. With a combination of Salesforce expertise and an understanding of business expectations, we provide Polyglass with Managed Services that propels business for them every day. Our consultants have conducted a multitude of discovery sessions, and onsite visits that educated us on the right updates that have made existing processes faster.

Hassle-Free Enhancements

Salesforce releases new highlights three times per year where clouds are revamped with new features. As time goes by and business evolves, these features can enhance consumption by sales teams. Since Polyglass’ initial project three years ago, Salesforce improved in ways that greatly benefit their daily routine. As an example, we have updated their Field Service Process checklist and photo uploads. This once time-consuming task is now automated and less tedious. 

Our Salesforce connoisseurs understand the Salesforce platform inside and out and are certified to help you with anything from updates, to bugs, to integrations, and more. When a Conga update was administered at Polyglass, reps were empowered to send more dynamic and templated notifications to their contractors with just a click of a button instead of building out each document. 

Salesforce and MuleSoft® Managed Services by AdVic empowers Polyglass by ensuring an efficient and modernized platform. It also equips them with a partner that understands their business needs and that has the resources to execute all things Salesforce. Also, with our instruction, blogs and podcasts resources readily available, Polyglass is equipped with the knowledge to understand and use Salesforce to its full potential.

Thriving businesses are agile, scalable, and continually innovate to serve their customers. Based on industry best practices and the latest Salesforce® and MuleSoft® advancements, AdVic’s Salesforce and MuleSoft Managed Services Program keeps your cloud-based software in alignment with your processes and goals – often at a lower cost than one employee – so your business can thrive. Let’s talk about ways your business can start thriving today!

Related Resources:

Salesforce Managed Services Advantages That Control Costs
AdVic’s Thrive Managed Services for Salesforce Program – Podcast
Moving Your Business Forward with Salesforce Managed Services

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The post Building and Maintaining Relationships Through Managed Services appeared first on Ad Victoriam Solutions.