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The AI revolution is here, so it’s a great time to see how AI in government can make things run more smoothly for businesses as well as the general public. For government and public sector establishments, there are obvious ways for them to leverage AI to make their work more efficient and serve people in better ways. Efficient and intelligent data processing, cyber security, and strategic planning for public services are a few of the many areas where AI can add transformational value. In today’s AI context, public service organizations have a great opportunity to make people aware of the potential value add AI can bring to government services. This AI explosion opens up a plethora of opportunities for government workers to learn new skills and build a secure future. Acquiring some of the many in-demand AI skills will enable government workers to serve the public better, thereby establishing a greater level of trust between the public and the government. One of the major concerns surrounding the emergence of this disruptive technology and the associated investments being made into it, especially in the private sector, is an acute shortage of AI skills. A SAS survey amongst business leaders across major U.S. firms extending over nine sectors, government included, indicated that almost 2 out of 3 (63%) of respondents believe they don’t have the requisite AI and machine learning human resources. This skills gap along with the full-throttle approach in AI by leaders in the private and public sector is a cause of concern for the workforce. In March 2023, Goldman Sachs predicted that AI could potentially replace up to 300 million jobs across the globe and affect nearly 20% of the global workforce. In fact, it would even impact jobs that were thought to be automation-proof, like administrative and legal. Having said that, it’s evident that AI will create new jobs, but what is the proportion of the jobs that are displaced as against new ones created? Future of Jobs Report published by The World Economic Forum says 3 out of 4 companies surveyed in their research intend to adopt AI, with 50% of businesses believing it will lead to job growth while 1 in every 4 said it will lead to job losses. As AI takes over an increasing amount of basic-level, mundane tasks, it is critical to assess the impact on the workforce that is affected by this change, and for them to acquire new skills relevant to this new paradigm to evolve to be more productive at work. There’s a great opportunity for your business to embrace AI in government, but first things first. You need to equip your workforce with adequate AI training and must secure the foundational data that AI will work on. Data integrity and harmonization are the starting steps to ensure your business is ready for an AI-optimized future. It is also an area in which employees can upskill themselves and evolve as AI takes away traditional human-based workflows from lower-level tasks. AI applications in government AI has the power to drastically improve the efficiency of government operations to better meet the needs and expectations of its citizens. There is virtually no limit to applicable use cases, from the management of public safety services to the delivery of health services to processing endless paperwork that notoriously chokes up almost every government organization. Health departments are leveraging AI to expedite clinical drug trials and prevent the next pandemic. Public safety organizations are using AI to streamline operations and analyze data. The list goes on: Identifying deficiencies in existing infrastructure and determining the most effective ways to fix them; identifying effective ways to deploy safeguards to detect fraud; self-service capabilities for citizens, streamlining court backlogs, and more. The wide scope of AI in government necessitates the need for a huge digital-ready workforce. And one of the biggest challenges for public service organizations to fully embrace this emerging technology is the acute lack of data management skills within their own workforce. The government workforce has no training in requisite data science and AI skills to handle the enormous scale of public data and build best-in-class AI models that will eventually benefit its citizens. How do we ensure that public sector workers don’t feel lost, or what’s even worse, feel left behind with all the rapid changes happening around them? And how do we give them access to relevant tools that make them feel relevant and safe? This is particularly important for public sector agencies that have the added responsibility of maintaining very high security standards. Adequate training about using AI responsibly is the next logical step for public service organizations to help them serve their people better. AI in government examples Now that you know about the significance of AI education, let’s have a snapshot of how other organizations across the world are handling this change. In 2018, Finland launched Elements, free online courses purpose-built for the common public to introduce them to AI basics. The courses contain resources for self-paced learning, interactive content, task-based activities to teach concepts, AI usage methods, and limitations of AI technology. The Finnish government committed itself to educating at least 1% of its population, a target which they met and exceeded quickly. The courses are now available in over 20 languages, and the added benefit of online access meant that over 1 million people around the world were able to complete them. Along similar lines, AI Singapore launched the AI for Everyone program, a nationwide initiative by the government to empower its citizens and organizations with the necessary AI and machine learning skills to use them for social benefit. It includes AI courses and workshops and provides financial assistance and incubatory support for AI projects aligned with social impact. In the U.S., lawmakers are making steady progress in passing legislation in Congress to develop an AI training program for senior federal officials and management officials. This legislation (once it becomes law) will help federal leaders weigh the risks and rewards of using AI technology and ensure that its usage is aligned with agency missions and the needs of the communities they serve. Benefits of upskilling the government workforce Employees with the right set of “current” skills are vital to effective and efficient governance. The employee experience has a direct bearing on the consumer experience, as was corroborated by a Salesforce survey which found that only 18% of people said that the consumer experience was a priority for the government. The survey also revealed that nearly 3 out of 4 (73%) workers don’t feel adequately equipped with relevant and appropriate resources to learn new digital skills required to succeed in today’s context. It is evident though that empowering the public sector workforce with the requisite skills to leverage AI enables them to deliver compelling experiences to the public. This means that there’s a massive opportunity to upskill the public sector workforce to unlock the opportunities in AI in government. This not only translates to job security for the workforce in a time of uncertainty but also enhanced experiences for the citizens they serve. Eventually, this is an opportunity to build public trust, ensuring that the government is doing everything in its power to best serve its people. The future of AI in government One of the primary ways for public sector organizations to be AI-ready is by unifying and harmonizing all their data. The thumb rule to remember is that AI tools are only as good as the data they draw upon and the people steering the development of the technology. When your data is unified, harmonized, and connected, you can unlock the true value of AI and automation, powered by intelligent real-time insights. This will help you deliver exceptional experiences that not only further your organization’s mission, but also build trust and confidence amongst the people you serve. With many private businesses hiring a Chief Data Officer to transform their overall data management strategy, the importance of this function cannot be ignored. Not only does this role require data management expertise, but it also includes the overall responsibility of ensuring the ethical use of AI technologies. Trust is the foundation of successful and effective AI in government, and that means the importance of data integrity and data security cannot be understated. That creates opportunities for public sector agencies to put in place foundational frameworks to analyze and harmonize large data sets, implement strong security measures, and develop new data modeling techniques to prepare for an AI-focused future. As the public sector agencies embrace AI and automation to improve service delivery, it is vital to maintain transparency and build trust amongst the people they serve. Government agencies need to understand and manage the AI lifecycle effectively and continuously fine-tune their models. By adopting responsible and ethical AI practices, we can all improve and grow together, and it is an opportunity for governments to lead the way as they harness the potential of AI for the greater good. Want to learn more about how to leverage Salesforce consulting services to drive productivity in your public sector organization? Connect with a Salesforce AI Services expert today.

Launched 25 years ago, Salesforce is still the market leader in the enterprise CRM space, enabling software-less business. Salesforce has constantly innovated its offerings to keep pace with ongoing industry trends. This has allowed organizations to leverage Salesforce implementation services on a consistent basis. Salesforce implementation however is not just about purchasing a Salesforce license. It has a much wider scope and involves activities such as doing thorough research on existing business processes, clearly defining business requirements, getting users on board, virtually endless testing, user training, and more. Most of the work in Salesforce implementation is centered around customizing the platform based on the unique needs and goals of your business. Third-party implementation partners can help you configure and tailor the CRM according to the needs of your customers, the processes you want to streamline, and the key goals you want to achieve. Being a vast platform loaded with a plethora of features, it is crucial for you to get your Salesforce implementation strategy right. The business processes you streamline via the platform and the subsequent results you achieve depend on how the platform is implemented across your organization. As a business leader, you need to ensure that you get your Salesforce implementation right to augment your existing processes and boost organizational productivity. How to implement Salesforce within your organization? There are two primary ways to implement Salesforce within an organization. Let’s take a look at both of them. 1. Implementing Salesforce by Yourself This is the homegrown approach to Salesforce implementation in your company. Here you leverage your internal IT and technology resources – architects, developers, and administrators to implement Salesforce. While one may be tempted to take this route because of the user-friendly and intuitive interface of the platform, in most cases this is not the best option as it limits your ability to scale as your business grows. Implementing Salesforce all by yourself will in all probability make you spend a lot more in the long term to make necessary updates to the platform. While this is a faster way to implement Salesforce within your organization and can get you off the ground quickly, it is definitely not a sustainable approach and will lead to the accumulation of technical debt. Furthermore, your internal IT teams may not possess the requisite skills and experience found in seasoned Salesforce professionals. You may go live quickly, but you may not be able to optimize the platform on a regular basis along the way. 2. Working with a Salesforce Implementation Partner This is the preferred Salesforce implementation methodology. It enables companies to integrate Salesforce in an all-encompassing manner and become more scalable as their business expands. Selecting the appropriate tools and applications to deploy the features that are most in line with your business goals is made easier when you collaborate with a reliable Salesforce partner. Salesforce partners can provide you with the best services for your business since they have years of expertise implementing and configuring Salesforce across a variety of industries. Best Salesforce Implementation Practices for 2024 The importance of a platform like Salesforce in the era of "digital first" cannot be emphasized. Salesforce may help businesses of every size and in any sector of the economy optimize their operations and build enduring relationships with their clients. Salesforce assists companies in effectively managing consumer data, which they can then use to customize their products according to the needs of their clients. With the Salesforce platform, you can track customer relationships across every touchpoint throughout their purchase journeys. Here are some of the best Salesforce implementation practices recommended by our team of experts that you can follow to thrive: 1. Establish Clear Business Goals Business goals are the foundation of a sound Salesforce implementation strategy. Your business goals will determine which technologies you employ, which features you take advantage of, whose departments and functions your CRM touches, and which Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) you set. Do you wish to enhance your performance in sales? Do you wish to increase brand recognition? Do you want to increase lead and prospect engagement across a variety of platforms? Whatever your objectives, having well-defined and communicated business goals is essential to a comprehensive Salesforce implementation. 2. Create a Detailed Implementation Plan A thorough implementation plan is necessary for an efficient Salesforce deployment, just like it is for any significant project. Effective Salesforce deployment requires a detailed plan, regardless of how skilled your implementation partner is or how well-defined and stated your business goals are. Your implementation partner will collaborate with you to ascertain which tools are most appropriate for your needs and which procedures need to be optimized or automated in order to guarantee the delivery of the desired results, based on the main goals of the project. A detailed Salesforce implementation plan lays out the roadmap for all necessary activities to be carried up until you go live. Defining a team structure also plays a vital role in building a thorough implementation plan. This helps you to clearly define the roles and responsibilities of team members working on the Salesforce implementation. Another key aspect to consider in a Salesforce implementation plan is resource allocation. A thorough understanding of the resources required for the project will help you in deriving costs and allocating a budget. In a nutshell, a detailed Salesforce implementation is like your project blueprint. It will give all project stakeholders a clear sense of direction. 3. Consider the cost of Implementation There are a few things to consider when estimating the cost of implementing Salesforce. You'll be able to estimate the project's investment and accompanying cash flow more precisely if you thoroughly evaluate all related costs. This will enable you to decide with confidence whether Salesforce is the best option for your company. These are some of the main variables that influence the Salesforce setup cost. Training Costs Licensing Costs Ongoing Support Costs Configuration and Customization Costs Infrastructure Costs Integration Costs Third-party Apps Costs Data Migration Costs Testing Costs 4. Choose the right Salesforce Edition and Product Salesforce offers a varied range of platform editions and products to choose from. Choosing incorrectly or choosing items that you don't need will only cause an unnecessary dent in your budget. A trusted partner can help you nail the right Salesforce edition and product based on the goals you want to achieve via the CRM implementation. The Salesforce edition and product you choose will be determined by the business processes and workflows you want to streamline in your organization. Most popular Salesforce products Sales Cloud Service Cloud Marketing Cloud Salesforce CPQ Commerce Cloud Most popular Salesforce editions Salesforce Essentials Salesforce Professional Salesforce enterprise 5. Choose the Right KPIs Simply purchasing a Salesforce license and setting it up won't help you to achieve your business goals. To ensure a successful Salesforce implementation you need to be able to measure team performance. Key performance indicators (KPIs) help you measure key aspects of your business and give you a 360-degree view of your performance. The most popular KPIs chosen by Salesforce customers. Lead response time Open pipeline value Follow-up contract rate Open pipeline by product package Pipeline value forecast Average contract value Average sales cycle length Outbound calls Number of demos Number of inbound leads Lead conversion rate Lead to Opportunity ratio Opportunity to Win ratio 6. Have a Clearly Defined Change Management Strategy In today's era of rapid digital innovation, new technologies are emerging at an astonishing rate. As a business leader, you need to stay in sync with these developments and make necessary changes in your approach going forward. What works for you today may not necessarily work for you after 6 months. Or perhaps something more powerful is available that can be adopted. A robust change management strategy lays the foundation to drive necessary changes within your business. This could be a new tool, a new app, or even a new way of doing the same thing. Salesforce implementation often necessitates the need for a strong and scalable change management strategy for the organization. Being a robust and dynamic platform, it is important to educate your teams about how Salesforce will change the way they work and what areas they should focus on while using the platform. If you are moving from one Salesforce edition or product to another, ensure that you don't rush through things and drive change while keeping your employees in the know. 7. Focus on User Adoption What good is a Salesforce implementation if your employees are not geared up enough to use it? Once your organization has implemented Salesforce, you need to train your user group to drive results. User adoption is a direct derivative of user training and you need to ensure that every user is thoroughly trained in using the tools, features, and functionality of the platform. User training and feedback incorporation will go a long way to drive user adoption across your organization. In order to get the most out of your Salesforce setup, you must collaborate with a reliable partner. With more than ten years of expertise as a Salesforce implementation company, we have assisted businesses in a variety of sectors in making the most of their Salesforce investment. Speak with a certified expert right now to find out more.

Numbers are important, but they often don't show the true picture. The price your customer paid for your product doesn't reveal the value they derive from it. The number of 5-star reviews you get on Amazon doesn't tell you the effort your service reps have put in the background to earn them. And your bottom line only reveals what is on the surface – the value of your business and the potential of your offerings. Numbers do have their utility, however, even when you have to measure something as personal as the customer experience. Analyzing the numbers linked to customer journeys is key to your business's success. Salesforce research indicates that almost 90% of retail leaders believe that having access to data analytics would improve sales. In fact, the research further revealed that customer loyalty increased by over 55% because of advanced customer experience analytics.  Companies that perceive their customers as just accounts and numbers will probably find providing a great customer experience quite challenging. Having said that, collecting and analyzing the customer experience data doesn't guarantee excellent customer interactions. You need to prioritize the numbers that truly reflect the quality of the customer experience and help you build the story of a complete customer journey.

Salesforce – a cloud-based platform has revolutionised the way organisations conduct themselves. Over the years, organisations irrespective of their size and industry have adopted Salesforce to manage their processes and customer relationships. However, implementing this robust CRM successfully requires partnering with a reputed Salesforce partner. A reliable Salesforce partner can help organisations navigate the multiple offerings of Salesforce to frame a solution that aligns with their business needs. Salesforce consultants are experts who manage and execute a range of client projects besides offering them Salesforce solutions and advantages. To become a trained consultant, one needs the right blend of business and technical skills besides a deep understanding of the platform. Develop a Solid Understanding of the Platform: To become a trained Salesforce consultant, candidates should acquaint themselves with the platform and its diverse solutions. Salesforce incorporates multiple platforms and tools, and a consultant should know how to navigate each platform, including the Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, and more, to effectively support business objectives. They should consider completing Trailhead courses, watching tutorials, and reviewing documentation to gain a deeper understanding of the wide range of features that Salesforce has to offer. Pursue Salesforce Certifications: To deepen their understanding of the Salesforce platform, candidates should pursue certifications aligned with their passions and career goals. These certifications not only provide candidates with insights into customer relations and sales strategies but also showcase their expertise as Salesforce professionals. Gain Practical Experience: In addition to studying for certifications, candidates must engage in Salesforce projects to gain hands-on experience. They may consider taking on freelance or contract assignments to improve their portfolio and accumulate real-world experience. They should also consider broadening their expertise beyond Salesforce by gaining a deeper understanding of sales, marketing, and business processes. This will enable them to provide clients with more comprehensive solutions. Improve Analytical and Listening Abilities: Salesforce consultants must possess listening and analytical skills. The outcomes of a consultant's work are fundamentally grounded in the data collected from meetings and workshops. This suggests that consultants should be able to absorb ideas and interpret unspoken messages at times. Additionally, they should consider exploring new opportunities to enhance their decision-making skills. Optimise Consulting Skills: To succeed as a proficient consultant, candidates must cultivate effective communication, problem-solving, and project management skills. To develop these abilities, individuals should consider enrolling in training programs, workshops, and similar learning courseware. Learn Constantly: For a consultant to stay relevant, ongoing learning is necessary. By involving themselves in the Salesforce community, attending events, joining user groups, and participating in online forums, they can stay updated on industry trends. Besides they can gain valuable insights from seasoned Salesforce Consulting professionals, and potentially discover new career opportunities. Quick Wrap-up: Becoming a trained Salesforce consultant isn't easy. To succeed, candidates require dedication, constant learning, and real-life experience. Candidates should make sure to enrol themselves in one of the best Salesforce certification courses that are recognised industry-wide and provide candidates with the hands-on experience required to succeed as consultants