Why So Many Salesforce Projects Fail

In this article, we'll take a look at why Salesforce projects fail, and what you can do if you find yourself in one of these situations.

Salesforce projects can be a huge success - or they can quickly turn into a disaster.

In many cases, the reason for this is user adoption - or lack thereof.

If users don't adopt the new system, it can lead to all sorts of problems.

In this article, we'll take a look at why Salesforce projects fail, and what you can do if you find yourself in one of these situations.

Poorly Defined Outcome

When you embark on a Salesforce project, it is important to have a clear idea of what you are trying to achieve.

What are the current business problems that we're hoping to resolve through this Salesforce project?

Without a specific goal in mind, the project can easily go off track.

For example, Salesforce projects might fail if they are not aligned with the business’s goals. In that case, it would be better to scrap the project altogether rather than try to force it to fit into the business.

One common situation that I've often come across is where an organization already has data in a spreadsheet or some legacy system, and they ask me "Can you help replicate this in Salesforce?"

My first response is: "Sure, I can help. But what are we hoping to achieve by pushing the data into Salesforce? Let's make-believe it's already been done. How does this make your life better? How does it improve the team's productivity or efficiency?

If the only response is "because we want it in Salesforce," that's usually not good enough, because we won't know what success looks like.

When I find myself in these situations, I often turn to the client and ask them: "What are the most painful and time-consuming steps in your current business processes?"

This often gets them thinking, and coming up with lots of clunky, manual, and painful processes that make everyone cringe.

I ask them: "How about if we tackle some of those painful and time-consuming processes and turn them into streamlined and automated processes? Would that help your team increase productivity and ability to service your customers?"

The answer is usually a resounding "YES!"

Lack of Leadership?

In many cases, Salesforce project failures are due to a lack of leadership. This can be from the top down or from middle management. Without clear direction and vision, projects can quickly spin out of control.

Middle managers may also not have the technical skills necessary to properly manage a Salesforce project. As a result, they may rely on their team members too much which can lead to confusion and conflict.

To avoid this, it is important that everyone involved in the project has a clear understanding of the goals and objectives.

The leader must also be able to provide adequate support to the team while maintaining oversight.

If necessary, outside help should be brought in to ensure that the project stays on track. By taking these steps, you can avoid many of the pitfalls that can lead to project failure.

Lack of Accountability

As a Salesforce project manager, you need to be able to take responsibility for the outcome of your Salesforce projects.

It is common in Salesforce projects that things don’t go as planned and one or more deadlines are missed.

This could happen because of a variety of reasons such as bugs that may not have been scheduled in earlier sprints or slow development cycles due to unexpected complexities.

To avoid this, you need to be proactive and take responsibility for the project. You should also keep your team accountable and ensure that everyone is working towards the common goal.

If you find yourself in a situation where things are not going as planned, it is important to take corrective action immediately. This may include replanning the project or bringing in additional resources.

Insufficient Communication

Communication is key in any project, and it is especially important in Salesforce projects. Without proper communication, team members can easily become confused or misinformed about their roles and responsibilities. This can lead to misunderstandings and ultimately project failures.

To avoid this, be sure to have regular communication checkpoints throughout the project. This will ensure that everyone is on the same page and that no critical information is missed.

It is also important to over-communicate when it comes to Salesforce projects. Be sure to provide updates on project progress, changes, and any new information that may be relevant to the team.

No Plan or Timeline

A project without a plan is destined for failure. The lack of a timeline means that the project can drag on indefinitely, and there's no way to track progress or ensure that milestones are being hit.

This can lead to frustration from team members and stakeholders who don't know what's going on or when things will be finished. It also makes it difficult to troubleshoot issues since you won't have any idea where things stand in relation to the overall project goals.

To avoid this, create a detailed project plan with specific deliverables and deadlines.

Make sure everyone involved is aware of what's expected of them. If changes need to be made, update the plan accordingly and get everyone on board with the new timeline. Having a solid plan in place will help keep the project on track and ensure its success.

Lack of User Testing, or Failure to Address Feedback

Salesforce projects can often fail when there is a lack of user testing, or when users’ feedback is not addressed.

This happens when some team members are focused on getting the project out the door rather than making sure it meets the needs of their customers.

As a result, they may end up releasing a product that doesn’t work well or that doesn’t meet the expectations of the business users.

To avoid this, make sure to test your configuration with real users early and often, and take their feedback into account. Otherwise, you may find yourself dealing with angry colleagues and frustrated team members.

Although you might have successfully checked off the box on your project deadline, you unintentionally created lots of friction within the organization, which can sabotage your career trajectory.

Failing to Manage Change

A Salesforce project will inevitably bring about some level of change within an organization.

Change can be difficult for people to deal with, even when it is something that is ultimately beneficial to them.

If a project team fails to manage change properly, it can lead to resistance from team members and even project failure.

To avoid this, be sure to take a phased approach to change. Implement changes gradually so that people have time to adjust and get used to them.

Communicate with people throughout the process and let them know what to expect. And finally, be prepared to provide training and support to help people transition to the new system.

Conclusion

So, what can you do if find yourself in a failing Salesforce project?

The best thing to do is take a step back and assess the situation.

Figure out where things started going wrong and try to correct them.

If that’s not possible or doesn’t work, then it may be time to cut your losses and move on.

Luckily, there are plenty of resources available to help you through this process, including my very own newsletter, here on LinkedIn.

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