Salesforce Launch - One application for all client engagement

Background –

Prior to FedEx acquiring ShopRunner, all client-facing teams, such as Sales, Client Success, Client Services, and Support, were using separate systems to manage their work and track account activity.

After the acquisition, the proposal was made to centralize all teams in Salesforce, customizing Salesforce as needed.

FedEx has a Salesforce partnership for special pricing and services programs.

Objective -

Reduce communication breakdowns between teams.

Provide a seamless engagement experience for clients.

My Contribution –

Project Sponsor, Project Manager & Business Analyst.

Wrote and submitted proposal to leadership.

Procured approval for licensing and security protocols with FedEx.

Managed project to add necessary customizations to migrate Client Success from Gainsight.

Managed project for initial user setup and adoption for sales, client success, and other client teams.

Proposed and hired staffing for ongoing management of Salesforce environment.

Outcomes –

Userbase up from 5 to 50 users in one year

All prospect/client reports come from Salesforce now (no more spreadsheets)

Ex. Sales, Sales Ops, Client Success/Account Management, Client Services, Client Solutions, Client Support, Product, Finance.

Removed separate licensing config/licensing for Gainsight & Zendesk, saving ~$750k/yr

Challenges –

FedEx policies and unknown procedures – Since I was new to FedEx many policies and procedures were unknown and very strict compared to a smaller company.

Preconceived expectations of Salesforce – Negative perception by some and others wanted setup same as their previous jobs

Process resistance – General resistance to "adding process" and requirement of documentation

Team Size/Composition -

Myself as Project Sponsor, Project Manager, and Business Analyst

1 Salesforce admin and 1 contracted developer

3 stakeholders – 1 representative from each of the key user teams

Project duration – 12 months

6 months contracting/security approvals

3 months client success migration out of Gainsight

3 months Sales/sales ops adoption

Budget/Cost - $200k

Licensing – no net cost increase

Salesforce staff (mix of full-time and contractors)

Tools/Methodologies -

Jira – Scrum

Daily Team Scrum, Weekly Stakeholder reviews, Quarterly roadmap with leadership

Confluence/Sharepoint - Docs/reporting