How is Salesforce useful for project managers?

Project managers should always consider which tools can help them meet their goals and keep their teams on track. This post will explain your options when using Salesforce to manage projects.

Salesforce is best known as the market’s most popular Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. Salesforce is not a project management system. However, like many other CRM solutions, Salesforce can do more than manage contacts. Salesforce gives users access to basic task management.

If you need more, you can access Salesforce native project management apps explicitly built for Salesforce or integrate Salesforce with one of the hundreds of Project Management Systems you can find on App Exchange. 

Questions for Project Managers to Ask about Salesforce

Before you determine how to best use Salesforce to manage projects, you must define your unique needs.

You may consider asking yourself and your team the following questions:

• Are you and your team already using Salesforce? If so, is it meeting your needs?
• If you are already managing projects on Salesforce, is its built-in task management software sufficient for your team, or do you need a more robust system?
• How many team members will be collaborating? 
• What is your budget for a Project Management System? 

Options for Project Managers Using Salesforce

There are three main options for managing projects in Salesforce:

1. Use the built-in Salesforce features. Salesforce’s CRM software includes simple task management options that satisfy small teams’ basic needs.
2. Invest in a native Salesforce project management app. Native project management apps were built specifically for Salesforce and are available on AppExchange.
3. Integrate a third-party Professional Services Automation (PSA) Software with Salesforce.

Basic Project Management Features in Salesforce

Built-in Salesforce features allow project managers to track tasks and collaborate with small teams.

If you choose to use Salesforce to manage projects, you will need to work on some custom configurations. Fortunately, BrainSellcan help you determine which platform customizations will work best for your team.

There is also a myriad of online resources that teach you about the many customizations that Salesforce makes possible. 

Here are some easy steps that you can take if you want to try to use Salesforce as a PSA:

• Manage tasks with Salesforce’s to-do lists. These can help you track what you need to do and when to do it. These simple to-do lists can help determine what to prioritize if you manage a small team.
• Use Journey Builder, a feature of Salesforce’s Marketing Cloud. Journey Builder manages customers’ life cycles and automates customer onboarding. It uses behavior-based triggers to send messages that encourage potential customers to buy your product or use your service.
• If you use Salesforce Lightning rather than Salesforce Classic, you can enable task notifications and reminders.
• Collaborate with Chatter, a Salesforce enterprise social media app. You can use Chatter to create new posts and organize projects. Once the project manager establishes a task or project on a post, the rest of the team can comment on posts to share files and give status updates.

These tools built into Salesforce may serve the needs of a small team. However, if you want a scalable system, you will likely need to invest in Professional Services Automation (PSA) Software.

Native Salesforce Project Management Apps

Salesforce features several native Professional Services Automation (PSA) Software options on AppExchange. A native application is specifically designed for Salesforce.

Salesforce installs native applications such as this via the AppExchange app store. Therefore, integration is seamless.

When choosing a PSA that runs on Salesforce’s platform, you can share a single view of current and future customer engagements with all your teams. 

If your company is already using Salesforce, choosing a native app will make user adoption easier since you can use the familiar Salesforce interface.

Here are some of the most popular native Salesforce PSA options:

• CloudCoach
• Inspire Planner
• FinancialForce
• Klient
• Milestones PM+
• Mission Control
• TaskRay

Integrate Third Party Professional Services Automation (PSA) with Salesforce

If you are in the market for a new PSA and you already use Salesforce, you may be able to save money and time by choosing a Salesforce native PSA. However, if you have a specific PSA that you already use, chances are that you can integrate it with Salesforce.

Many Professional Services Automation (PSA) tools on the market can offer unique solutions. Any PSA should significantly improve your project management capabilities by providing time tracking, billing automation, resource management, budgeting, reporting tools, and collaboration services.

However, each PSA offers unique features, and you should not feel limited to only considering, researching, and trying out Salesforce native software.

Some of the most popular PSA apps that can integrate with Salesforce are:

• Kantata 
• Monday.com
• NetSuite
• SherpaDesk
• Wrike 

There are so many options that choosing one can feel overwhelming. New software options are making project management more manageable and easier.

However, all companies should ensure that their project management solutions and customer relationship management systems work together so that everyone can see all relevant information in one place.

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