Managed Services
Overview
Managed Services are a bundle of services offered by third-party providers or consulting firms to help businesses effectively manage their Salesforce environment.
Determining Managed Services Needs
Finding a Partner
Many people consider the end of implementation/go-live the end of a Salesforce project. The reality of this is, to get the most out of the platform, you should continue to refine and enhance your environment. Often times companies don’t have the staff or skills to be able to support a salesforce environment ongoing, and in that instance need managed services.
Throughout the Salesforce ecosystem, there are many different avenues to obtaining managed services. You can often times find temp Admins/Developers who will work part time, but this can be costly. Another option would be large consulting firms who offer onshore/offshore support programs.
Another avenue is through the Salesforce Partner Program, where you can find varying levels of partners who can offer Managed Services. Through this network, Salesforce ranks it’s partners based on # of certifications and successfully implemented projects.
Evaluating Partners
At the top of most people’s minds when searching for Managed Services is “what will this cost me”. This is a very valid question and should certainly be weighed against the cost of hiring your own team and the skill sets you will have access to.
Potentially overlooked (or undervalued) is the question, “does this support model make sense”. While lower priced support may seem attractive there are other things to consider (support hour caps, availability of resources, etc).
Utilization of Managed Services means a third party has access to your system and your data. Managed Services partners need to be available when you are and have the ability to service your business reliably.
Working with Partners
Create a plan that leaves both support and development time with respect to the level of service you desire. Make sure they have adequate access to the Salesforce system and related environments or integrations.
Ensure the partner is onboard with the plan and has the correct resources allocated to support your team.
Having a plan, knowing the roadmap of your CRM and being upfront with partners dramatically increases the odds of a successful relationship.
Who is Impacted?
End Users
End Users will benefit from Managed Services contracts as the org will be sustainable and scalable.
Leadership
Leadership can offload the burden of support onto a partner firm and focus on growth of the company.