The One Thing You Should Never Do When Starting a Salesforce Implementation

Kicking off a Salesforce implementation is exciting. It’s the first step toward improving efficiency, streamlining processes, and unlocking new growth opportunities. However, for a number of our clients here at Girikon, there is one thing in common that they failed to plan for from the earlier days which has led to unexpected challenges.

Let’s have a look at what Charlotte Brown and her nonprofit, Healthy4All (whose names have been changed to protect their identities), experienced during their surprising journey with Salesforce to explore what that one mistake can be.

Client Background

Charlotte, the Director of Support Services at Healthy4All, oversees multiple programs aimed at helping individuals recover from certain health issues. She is responsible for tracking efficiency, ensuring smooth operations, and proving the impact of their services to secure ongoing government funding.

Salesforce Experience

When we first met, Charlotte and her team had been using the Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP) daily. With proficiency at the Salesforce Associate level, they log case notes, book service appointments, and track client interactions. They also adopted some of the best practices  such as emailing clients directly from Salesforce and logging calls, ensuring consistency in communication.

“As most of our funding comes from the state government, I am always in a race to prove that we hit the target to secure a little more funding in the next financial year.” – Charlotte Brown.

The challenges that Charlotte had been facing are no stranger to a lot of not-for-profits out there. They often have to operate under a thin stretch of time, budget and human resources. Despite these efforts, achieving a single view of their clients remained elusive due to duplicate data and fragmented reporting, even after their initial Salesforce implementation.

The Initial Implementation

To understand how Charlotte and her team got into the situation as they were when we first met them, let’s take a step back to day one of their Salesforce implementation. A couple of years before, to align their systems with their services, including education, events, and health programs, Healthy4All engaged the services of another Salesforce Certified Consultant to help them implement Salesforce with Salesforce Functions, Case Management, and Campaign & Event Management. When the implementation was completed, Charlotte was thrilled to see Salesforce up and running, believing her team would soon resume business as usual. However, she was unaware of the roadblocks ahead.

The Challenges Began

Soon after the implementation, the Salesforce Certified Consultant departed as the service concluded. Healthy4All hired a part-time Salesforce Admin to manage daily operations, but with the departure of the original implementation consultant, knowledge transfer became a major concern.

While the Admin introduced new features and integrations to streamline operations, the part-time arrangement proved inflexible. The team often needed urgent support, but the Admin wasn’t always available, since the budget didn’t allow for a full-time hire.

Scaling and Growing Pains

As the nonprofit expanded, more clients entered the system. The team struggled with:

• Data inconsistency: A lack of mandatory fields led to duplicate records and incomplete reports.
• Fragmented training: Staff members were trained as separate teams at different times even though their org has progressed over time.
• Complex third-party integrations: Choosing the right tools for appointment scheduling and video meetings was overwhelming.
• Limited internal expertise: With only one Salesforce Admin, troubleshooting and strategy development became increasingly difficult.

Eventually, their only Salesforce Admin left, leaving Charlotte with the daunting task of ensuring operational continuity while searching for a replacement.

The Real Problem Revealed

As you can guess, at this point, the problem wasn’t just about data inconsistencies, inefficient processes, or a lack of integrations—it was the absence of a dedicated, consistent Salesforce resource that Charlotte’s team could rely on. Without a long-term support strategy or a full-time expert, Healthy4All found themself in an endless cycle of catch-up, reactive fixes, and knowledge gaps.

Finding a Better Support Model

Realising the need for a more sustainable approach, Charlotte searched for more help within the Salesforce ecosystem. She needed a partner who could offer ongoing support while understanding nonprofits’ unique challenges.

After assessing different options, she engaged with Girikon, a trusted Salesforce partner who provided:

• Prioritisation Strategy: A structured approach to addressing immediate pain points while planning for future improvements.
• Flexible Support Packages: A model that allowed the flexibility to draw down on a number of support hours over a certain period, accommodating Healthy4All’s varying needs—whether they require intense support at times or minimal assistance at others.
• Diverse Expertise: A team experienced in implementation, integration, and day-to-day Salesforce management.
• Knowledge Transfer: A collaborative approach to training, ensuring internal expertise was built within the organisation over time.

A Lesson for Every Nonprofit

Charlotte's journey highlights a critical takeaway: implementing Salesforce is just the beginning. Without a clear long-term support strategy, organisations can risk operational inefficiencies, data inconsistencies, and resource drain.

By securing the right support, Healthy4All is now on track to leveraging Salesforce effectively, ensuring their mission remains the focus rather than struggling with technology.

Having a Salesforce partner is like having an extension of your team – one that understands your organisation, provides ongoing training, and offers flexible support – without breaking the budget. Don’t make the mistake of launching Salesforce without a reliable resource to lean on. Plan ahead and invest wisely as your CRM's long-term success depends on it.

If you’re curious and want to trace Charlotte’s steps through her organisations’ CRM implementation journey, Girikon has this interactive customer journey for you to explore!