Event Invitation Automation

The company was in the middle of a Salesforce implementation that was ongoing for more than 2 years already. One of the main reasons for using salesforce was the central account management with automized systems in place. However, Salesforce, just like SAP, is laid out for large enterprises that need to cover huge amounts of data.

 

When I first saw it I already thought this was way too overkill for what they were trying to reach. After a while it became clear, that the implementation would go much longer still and would raise more costs down the road. Therefore, a simpler solution was needed.

I had a deep look at the core proces, specially the email automation that was planned to be implemented via Salesforce Einstein. The heart of the automation was sending out email invitations to the guests and those who could benefit from becoming a guest. The entire process included dynamic follow-up emails according to the account's status in the CRM (send a reminder when no reaction, send no reminder when we're already in contact).

 

I investigated the single steps of the automation, what triggers where needed where and why? What actions follow each trigger? And what safety measures are included in order to ensure the automation isn't doing anything unexpected?

After thoroughly analyzing the existing / planned proces, my next focus went to the existing infrastructure. How is the company set up, what tools are already in place and what are the employees comfortable working with?

 

It became clear, that Microsoft Business 365 was used for the core things like documents and email but also for database / cloud with Sharepoint and OneDrive. That naturally resulted in the idea of using a Microsoft Power Automate workflow, connected to a Sharepoint database and the employees' Outlook e-mail addresses. All of these tools were already existing and used in the company which gave me the advantage of creating a system that is super cost-efficient, basically free, considering the subscriptions for MS Business 365 were paid anyways.

 

After a month, all automations were rebuilt within the Microsoft ecosystem, going from a >20.000€ Salesforce investment to an almost free Microsoft-native solution with a much lower learning curve for everyone who has to work with the system. We rebuilt this kind of automation within the company a few times the last years, in order to adapt to new situations and campaigns and it always runs smoothly. The company was even able to resell the system to one of their clients, requiring only a little standardization process from our end.

It is important to notice that while this had a huge effect on cost and investment, it also is a very specific situation. This system is not applicable to any kind of company or situation but it clearly showcases, how important a thorough investigation of existing processes is, compared to just pushing for one solution just because you earn the most with it.

 

At AccelyBiz, we will always try to find the most cost-effective solution for our clients. The most cost-effective is not always the cheapest but in the long run the one that will balance cost vs. return the best. In this specific case, it has also been the cheapest, in another case it might not but we will always take your current situation, processes and employees into account to really develop a solution that fits perfectly to you, your company, and our employees.