This is a quick reminder that when you’re implementing Salesforce, you’re not actually implementing it for yourself.
At some point in time, your client will inherit what you’ve and your team have built.
This raises the question, will your client understand how to maintain what you’ve built?
Using Salesforce is one side of a coin and maintaining it is the other. While these sides are part of the same coin, if you’ve built things poorly, your client will be frustrated.
Now, I’ve seen this approach used on purpose, to “force” the client to require endless support. However, this is an awful way to serve your client. Reputations take forever to build and moments to ruin.
So be sure that not only will your client be able to continue supporting the platform, they’ll be able to do it effectively and efficiently.
There are a number of strategies on exactly how to do this, and I’ll cover them next week.
The takeaway
When implementing Salesforce, just because an approach is clear for you, may not mean it’s clear for everyone. After all, you’re not the one who will maintain the platform for years to come.