What to Consider Before Moving from Salesforce to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement
More than ever, companies are moving from Salesforce to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement in order to take advantage of not only cutting-edge features and functionality for their teams but also to capitalize on the full Microsoft platform. With integration to Word, Office, Teams, Power BI, and other modules in the Dynamics 365 stack, Microsoft provides a robust end-to-end solution that provides one source of truth through a single data source.
Additionally, many are finding the price point of Dynamics 365 more attractive, as you’re able to scale up or down when business needs increase or decrease, giving you control over your monthly costs and the ability to avoid any unnecessary expenses or long-term contracts.
No matter the reason, D365 positions your organization for the future and allows you to enhance your customer experience, providing you the tools and resources needed to meet your customer needs and grow your business.
When preparing your transition from Salesforce, or another CRM system, to Dynamics 365 there are three areas you should consider:
- Business Processes
- Functionality
- Data
1. Business Processes
Any time you implement a new software solution for your business the first step should be to evaluate your current business processes.
- Identify and evaluate current business processes
- List all unmet business needs
- Compare functionality between your current system and Dynamics 365
It’s likely that your business needs have changed since you initially implemented the processes you have in place today. Now is a good time to take a look at those processes, which includes brainstorming discussions with your users. They are a key resource to identifying where pain points exist and generating ideas on better ways things could be done.
2. Functionality
Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement includes robust functionality out of the box that goes beyond what other solutions offer. Microsoft provides a library of Docs that outlines what is included in each of the functional areas within Customer Engagement. Major releases are rolled out twice annually that include new enhancements to the products. Release notes and updates are also posted on the Microsoft site.
You can dive into each of the core areas of CE at the sites below. D365 experts from Stoneridge can help answer any questions you may have on functionality or how processes flow in CE. Contact us and we’re happy to answer your questions.
3. Data
Data may be listed last, but it is vital to success with any software solution. Data should be at the center of everything you do as it provides the valuable insights you need to make better business decisions.
- Assign lead scores to prospects who interact with your marketing efforts. Once the lead score reaches a certain number, information is automatically routed to your sales team.
- Accurately forecast sales projections through real-time pipeline updates.
- Assess marketing impact with a Power BI report comparing views, engagement, subscribers, and much more.
- Predict when purchases are likely to occur and from which buyers.
- And much, much, more.
As you consider data, there are two areas to assess:
- Your current data
- How to structure your data for the future
Take a look at your current data and determine:
- Data integrity – is your information accurate, up to date, and reliable?
- Importance of historical information – how much data do you still need and what can be left behind?
- Data cleanse – how can you ensure your data is free of duplicates and errors?
The next step is planning out a long-term game plan for your data moving forward. Every system you use generates data. By compiling that data in a central source, you’re able to have a true understanding of your business. The Microsoft Dataverse is one such storage location that businesses can use to compile data which can then be extracted for advanced analytics and business intelligence. There are many data storage applications available and the team at Stoneridge can help you determine the best data strategy to help your company meet its needs now and in the future – at a price point that makes sense for you.
Thinking through the bigger picture will help you long-term.
Not officially included on our list, but still, the key to success is choosing a partner that will help your business win with the right solutions and strategies for your specific needs. Businesses across North America are choosing Stoneridge to help them win. Join the Stoneridge community and reach out to us today to learn how to transition to Dynamics 365 Customer Engagement and provide a better customer experience.
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