Choosing the right Salesforce Field Service (FSL) consultant for your Salesforce implementation may not be as straight forward as you think.  In my opinion, experience really does matter!  Over 60% of our business is from customers who reach out because other firms were not able to complete the mission.  We have a rock-solid team that understands the field service industry and develops software that’s built specifically for each client. We’re the team who can dig into the details and get the job done.  The reality is that field service is complex and we’ve mastered the foundation business process to be able to bring you a simplified solution.

Best Salesforce Field Service Consultants (FSL)

Teamwork is everything for a successful implementation!

Key Salesforce Field Service Consultant Attributes

  • Strong experience in your industry – recommend 5+ years Salesforce with 50 + projects
  • Strong experience in the functional area you are looking develop
  • Consultant personality that fits with your internal team
  • Self-motivated and strong work ethic to drive your project forward independently
  • Strong communication with the ability to communicate with all levels of your organization

Experience within the Field Service Industry

Innovation comes from a new mindset but it is still very important to have experience in the field service industry.  This will shorten the ramp-up time and also give you a perspective based on what other leaders in the industry are doing.   Research has proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, that consultants will be successful in a role where they have strong domain experience.  That being said you should try to us a non-convention staffing model to build a team with various skillsets, technology experience, and project experience to expand your organization’s talent capabilities.

Experience in Field Service Functional Area

Hands-on experience with the specific service applications you are looking to deploy is critical so that you are not paying for on the job training. An experienced Salesforce Field Service consultant will come with a proven plan for the implementation.  Having the experience of multiple implementations is critical to be able to push back on requirements that may have detrimental impacts on the organization.  Field Service functional experience will also allow the Salesforce FSL consultant to mentor, coaching, explain and guide your internal business and development resources.

Personality and the Right Skill-Set for Your Team

There is evidence that creating implementation teams with complementary skills, shared values, and similar working styles create better innovations and are more efficient. Your first step should be to determine what capabilities are needed to successfully implement your strategy. We recommend the use of a capability matrix to understand if the Salesforce field service consultant has the right skillsets to fill the gaps of the peers’ in the current team.  You don’t want a team that simply “gets along”, you need to focus instead on the right mix of skills with the right values and then create a work team that enhances their collaborative strengths. The right Salesforce field service consultant should respectfully challenge the team to think outside the norm and make decisions that will benefit the enterprise, not just individual business units (or individuals).  The trust of the other members is critical for the Salesforce field service consultant to be successful in this role.

Self-motivated & Strong Work Ethic

For many people work-life balance is a popular phrase today, and it’s important but the reality of a good Salesforce FSL consultant is that they’re probably going to have to out-work his/her piers. They must be one step ahead of the game at all times which means working alongside the client during the day and researching design options after work.  They must enjoy and thrive on learning new businesses, new products, features, and functionality.  Salesforce has quarterly feature releases and it is important to study these early and be equipped to advise the client on the impacts and benefits of the new functionality. I meet a lot of successful Salesforce FSL consultants and am fascinated to learn about their journey to success, which is almost always paved with the love for learning and hours of hard work.

Strong Communication

The single most important skill needed to be an effective Salesforce FSL Consultant is being a good communicator. Expert communication from business leaders to technical programmers is at the core of everything we do. Every project starts by listening to our clients, learning about the systems, their business process, data workflow, and executive goals.  We need to understand what is working, what is not, and determine the areas for improvement. Listening is key but knowing how and when to ask the right questions is critical to get to the core of what the client’s objective. Once we document the requirements and design a solution, we have to be able to explain what we’re planning in terms that the business can easily understand.  This includes being able to clearly articulate the project’s successes, risks, and budget to the executive team.  This is what separates the best consultants From that pack!

Customizing Salesforce FSL software for the first time can be daunting, and often you could benefit from engaging an experienced Salesforce FSL consultant. Here are 4 stages you should go through to get the right consultant.

  1. Preparation – Understand what you need out of the Salesforce field service application

  • Write down your business requirements in as much detail as possible.
  • Prioritize your business requirements into high, medium, and low.
  • Determine what business requirements are: “wants” versus “needs”.
  • Have a budget in mind.
  • Have a timeframe in mind.

  1. Due Diligence – Asking & checking

  • Ask your network for referrals for Salesforce FSL consultants.
  • Ask Salesforce FSL consultants for their references and check their references.
  • Ask if they have worked with organizations of your size and industry before.
  • Check if there is more than one Salesforce field service consultant at their company.
  • Ask for certifications or proof of experience.

  1. Selection – No surprises

  • Ask for a Master Service Agreement (MSA) that details the legal terms.
  • Ask for a Statement of Work (SOW) that details the scope.
  • Understand the MSA & SOW.
  • Is it a fixed price or an estimated time & materials quote?
  • What are the payment terms?
  • Can you work with the consultant – are they a good fit?
  • Work to establish timelines for project kick-off and target end dates.

  1. Engage – Work with your trusted partner

  • Execute the Master Service Agreement (MSA).
  • Execute the Statement of Work (SOW).
  • Expect to attend short daily project meetings.
  • Your Salesforce field service consultant will design, build and test the software solution.
  • Your team will test and accept functionality as it is built.
  • Monitor burn down of hours.
  • Go-Live and drive your business success!

In today’s competitive service landscape, the ability to provide exceptional service and build lasting relationships with your customers is essential. Salesforce’s Field Service Management allows organizations to quickly adapt to changes in the field and provide best-in-class service to their customers. Cirrius Solutions has been helping clients transform their field service organization for over 10 years; however, with the introduction to Field Service Management in 2016, we have been able to revolutionize how they provide service.

The Salesforce Field Service application can help you create cost-saving efficiencies that can improve your bottom line while also providing service that will ensure continued customer loyalty.

Find Your Perfect Salesforce Field Service Consultant Today!

Learn more about how Cirrius Solution can help you make more the most your Salesforce.com FSL investment. Please contact your Cirrius Solutions client success manager directly at info@cirriussolutions.com for more information.