There needs to be a point to data integration. Simply bringing in data and displaying it is not enough. Your business needs to have a plan for how that data will be used after it is integrated.
Often I get the feeling that organizations treat Salesforce.com like some sort of data warehouse and then complain afterwards that producers aren't adopting the system. The majority of producers are not secretly hiding aspirations of being data scientists. The majority just want to service their existing book and make more money.
Integrating back-end or third party data into Salesforce.com and hoping that suddenly it is going to inspire your producers to adopt Salesforce and put your agency on a pathway to success, is fools gold.
So what's the answer? In a nutshell, you need to develop a plan for how the data is intended to be used. If you don't have a plan or a use, then don't integrate it. Success comes from making Salesforce.com part of a successful process and integrated data needs to have a clear role in that process.
Often I get the feeling that organizations treat Salesforce.com like some sort of data warehouse and then complain afterwards that producers aren't adopting the system. The majority of producers are not secretly hiding aspirations of being data scientists. The majority just want to service their existing book and make more money.
Integrating back-end or third party data into Salesforce.com and hoping that suddenly it is going to inspire your producers to adopt Salesforce and put your agency on a pathway to success, is fools gold.
So what's the answer? In a nutshell, you need to develop a plan for how the data is intended to be used. If you don't have a plan or a use, then don't integrate it. Success comes from making Salesforce.com part of a successful process and integrated data needs to have a clear role in that process.
About the author
Andrew Bartels has been recognized by Salesforce.com as one of the leading innovators with regard to implementing Salesforce.com in the insurance vertical. As a CTO for a Top 100 Independent Insurance Agency, he oversaw the deployment of a Salesforce.com system in 2010. Over the next three years, he focused on customizing the system and implementing best practices for the insurance industry, ultimately generating a significant ROI for the firm. Andrew brings years of hard fought experience to our clients so that they can accelerate their ROI in implementing Salesforce.com.
Andrew Bartels has been recognized by Salesforce.com as one of the leading innovators with regard to implementing Salesforce.com in the insurance vertical. As a CTO for a Top 100 Independent Insurance Agency, he oversaw the deployment of a Salesforce.com system in 2010. Over the next three years, he focused on customizing the system and implementing best practices for the insurance industry, ultimately generating a significant ROI for the firm. Andrew brings years of hard fought experience to our clients so that they can accelerate their ROI in implementing Salesforce.com.
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