How I Get Things Done: A Consultant’s Guide to Salesforce Integrations 

Welcome to “How I Get Things Done,” Omatic’s new interview series where we will be talking with nonprofit and data experts. In these conversations, our guests will discuss challenges many nonprofit professionals face—from choosing popular tools for data collection and maintenance to securing organizational buy-in for new practices—so you can get more done this year and beyond. Is there a subject you would like to learn more about? Drop us a line at integrate@omaticsoftware.com.

Salesforce has been a major player in the B2B software industry for decades. Since Salesforce released its Nonprofit Success Pack in 2016, more nonprofits have adopted this powerful technology to keep track of supporter records. With the announcement of Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud last year, an even greater number of nonprofits are considering a CRM switch.

Any changes to an organization’s tech stack need careful consideration, especially changes to a CRM. A CRM is often a central location for a nonprofit’s supporter data, fundraising metrics, marketing efforts, and more. Incorporating Salesforce can change everything about your organization’s data—from how it’s gathered to how it’s stored and accessed—all of which has downstream effects for development, communications, volunteer engagement, events, and more.

We sat down with Joe Corrado, Director of Salesforce Solutions at Protiviti, to hear his advice on what organizations should consider when changing up their tech stack while using Salesforce.

Omatic Software (OS): Tell us about yourself and your work at Protiviti.

Joe Corrado (JC): Protiviti is a global consulting firm delivering solutions in finance, technology, operations, data, analytics, governance, risk, and internal audits. My primary focus is advising customers on making the most of their Salesforce investment and tailoring their solutions to meet their needs.

I’ve worked with a variety of customers, including nonprofits. During my first end-to-end implementation, I helped a nationwide continuing education provider onboard Salesforce. When the pandemic disrupted the organization’s annual conference, I worked with them to integrate online meeting platforms into their tech stack to continue their operations virtually. I was impressed by the organization’s resilience and ability to adapt to changing technologies.

OS: What kinds of challenges do you solve for nonprofit customers?

JC: We understand the unique challenges that nonprofit organizations face. Securing funding and managing resources, regulatory compliance, volunteer utilization, impact measurement, technology adoption, and board governance are all complicated processes that impact how well an organization can carry out its mission.

This is where Protiviti comes in. We help nonprofits operate more efficiently. We can identify lapses and provide technical solutions so that organizations can improve program management, constituent communications, and fundraising operations. Adding new tools gets complicated, that’s why we provide holistic support—and make sure all of a nonprofit’s tech tools are working in tandem with Salesforce to drive mission impact.

OS: Let’s dig into the challenges nonprofits face when adding new technology. How can organizations maintain data consistency and integrity across all the tech platforms they use? Do you have any tips from successful organizations?

JC: I’d be happy to share some insight. Seamless data flow and maintaining data integrity across various platforms can certainly be challenging. However, I have seen many organizations develop strategies to overcome these obstacles effectively. There are six rules of thumb I recommend for a solid data strategy that apply whenever you’re adding or changing tools.

1. Invest in Integration Tools

Tools like ETL solutions and API management platforms facilitate efficient data exchange between different systems, reducing data silos and ensuring accurate, up-to-date data for decision-making.

2. Create a Unified Data Strategy

A proper data strategy involves centralized data governance for consistency in data handling. It also requires using data catalogs for better data discoverability and understanding. Set priorities to make sure all data-related activities align with the organization’s overall goals and objectives.

3. Maintain Data Integrity

Regular data validation and cleansing will help you identify any errors that cause inaccuracies and inconsistencies. Implementing automated data quality monitoring will make it so you have real-time alerts about issues and speed up the time to resolution.

4. Consider Cloud-Based Data Solutions

Using cloud-based solutions including data lakes or warehouses and cloud integration platforms makes it easier to access and analyze your data. These tools offer powerful capabilities for data syncing, transformation, and integration, so everyone at your organization can benefit from a single source of truth for all information.

5. Identify Security Needs

Robust security measures are crucial for protecting data from unauthorized access and preventing breaches. These measures include data encryption, access controls, and regular compliance audits.

6. Foster a Data-Driven Culture

Fostering a data driven culture is something that you cultivate over time. It involves training employees on the importance of data integrity and proper data handling practices, using collaboration tools to improve teamwork, and continuously refining processes based on stakeholder feedback. Of all the rules of thumb, this is probably the most neglected but certainly one of the most important.

OS: Those are some fantastic pointers! We would love to hear your thoughts on a specific integration use case. We are seeing more nonprofits looking to standardize the posting and integration process between Salesforce and ERP platforms like Sage Intacct, Workday, Financial Edge NXT, etc. In your experience, what are some things that organizations should keep in mind?

JC: The successful integration of Salesforce and ERP systems requires a lot of planning. Data consistency is paramount, so your organization will have to have a plan for standardizing fields, formats, and nomenclature across both systems. Because ERP platforms touch all aspects of an organization, I wouldn’t undertake this task without a robust integration tool, such as Omatic Cloud. This middleware solution is crucial for data transformation, mapping, and synchronization.

You will also have to choose a synchronization strategy. Decide whether you will go with real-time or batch processing. Aligning the integration with existing business processes will help your team minimize disruption and maximize efficiency.

Establishing clear data governance policies is your best asset for maintaining data quality and integrity. Having regular data quality checks, along with creating validation rules and data cleansing procedures, helps ensure accurate data. Another important consideration is security. Adhering to security best practices and relevant compliance regulations is the only way to protect sensitive information. Additionally, planning for future growth and scalability is essential to accommodate increasing data volumes and evolving business needs.

Whenever your organization adds a new tool or technology, you should plan some training and change management practices, which are key for a smooth transition to the new integrated environment. Rigorous testing and validation before deployment will help you identify and resolve issues with minimal disruption. Finally, think about your support and maintenance plan. Make sure you have folks in charge of monitoring performance, addressing issues promptly, and ensuring the long-term success of the integration.

OS: Thanks for those helpful tips on ERP integrations, Joe! For anyone reading who wants to improve their data integration, how can they get in touch with you?

JC: Someone can reach out to me directly by emailing joseph.corrado [at] protiviti.com or visit Protiviti’s website to find up-to-date contact information. You can also stay updated via LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. We always welcome inquiries—our people are standing by to help!

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