I’ve spent 15+ years working with Salesforce and have seen both sides—companies that struggled to realize ROI and those that thrived.

What makes the difference?

Companies That Failed:

Rushed: Jumped straight into implementation with little planning or insufficient resources.

Reactive: Actions and decisions were often delayed and based on past events rather than anticipating future needs.

Tactical: Focus was on short-term, immediate fixes without aligning to long-term goals.

Internally Focused: Decision-making prioritized internal operations over customer or user needs.

Process Driven: Rigid, manual processes dominate, hindering flexibility and innovation.

Instinct Driven: Decisions were based on experience and intuition rather than hard data.

Systems Focused: Technology was viewed as a tool to support existing processes rather than a driver of innovation.

Change as a Threat: Resistance to change, seeing it as disruptive and risky.

Companies That Succeeded:

Thoughtful: Company understood the value of slowing down to speed up. Understood the “why” and “what” before thinking about the “how”. Had the right in-house delivery expertise or hired a partner that did.

Proactive: Leveraged AI and predictive analytics to anticipate customer needs and address issues before they arise.

Strategic: Aligned technology investments with long-term business outcomes, focusing on scalability, growth, and innovation.

Customer & Worker Focused: Put the customer and employee experience at the heart of all digital initiatives, using automation and self-service solutions to enhance interactions.

Experience Driven: Created seamless, personalized experiences across all touchpoints by integrating data, AI, and automation.

Data Driven: Had clear success metrics. Used real-time insights to make informed decisions, optimize processes, and continually improve customer engagement.

People & End-User Focused: Understood that technology is often the easiest part of a technology project. The system was designed with end-users in mind.

Change as an Opportunity: Viewed digital transformation as a chance to innovate, streamline operations, and capitalize on new market opportunities.