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SecondEdition

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Helpingmake#AwesomeAdminsevenmoreawesome

Business analysis has been identified as the most critical skill for any Salesforce Adminwhen implementing Salesforce. It is becoming more important as implementations aregetting increasingly complex and risky.

Business analysis is a combination of soft skills (questioning, communicating,formulating answers) and the hard skills (project management, process mapping andSalesforce automation).

This book will provide you with easily understood and mastered tools and techniquesfor business analysis. They have been proven in 1000’s of clients in every industry,ranging from Fortune 500 down to innovative start ups.

The business analysis approach described in this book can be quickly learnt and appliedin your company on your current project. It does not require you to adopt a specificmethodology, to wait for a certain phase in your project, or get investment for apps.This book has detailed step by step directions so you can hit the ground running, withthe minimum risk and disruption. And you should start seeing benefits immediately.

Ready?Let’sgetgoing.

Business Process is the #1 skill most frequently requested by employers for Salesforce Admins “Burning Glass

Technologies

“BurningGlassTechnologiesresearchreviewed300,000jobpostingsforSalesforceroles.

31.Lookoutforthefootnotes.Youwillremembermorewhenyousmile.YouwillalsostarttogetourquirkyBritishsenseofhumorwhichwehaveheldontoeventhoughwenowliveandworkintheUS.

INBRIEFChapter1:Businessanalysisisacore#AwesomeAdmin skillPage5Business analysis is a highly valued skill. You probably already know that, but thischapter gives you the background.

Chapter2:Itallstartswithbusinessrequirements Page6Poor management of requirements is the primary reason for project failure. And usingspreadsheets or textual documents are a poor answer. They make it difficult to capture,analyze, collaborate on, prioritize and manage business requirements.

Chapter3 :Businessanalysishasbeenreinvented Page8

Business analysis is no longer about building huge, unintelligible flowcharts. A newerand proven approach, geared to Salesforce implementations, has been made possibleby sophisticated (and free) cloud process mapping apps. The process map now becomesa valuable asset across the entire project lifecycle, and there are benefits for even thesmallest projects. This chapter will give you a firm grounding into the approach.

Chapter4 :HowtoquicklyandeasilymapyourbusinessprocessesPage13

The approach uses a simple notation for business process mapping that anyone canunderstand. In the course of live mapping workshops you can rapidly develop yourprocess map and build consensus and buy-in. You could even start with one of the pre-built process map “accelerators”. This chapter will help you become confident in drivingthose workshops. It will also teach you to know when you are finished, how to handleobjections and the best way to work with implementation consulting firms.

Chapter5:AutomatingyourprocessesPage25

The process map helps you understand what could and should be automated using therange of Salesforce configuration and automation tools. The process map is not only theinput to the specification, but is also how you run User Acceptance Testing. This chapterexplains how the process map dovetails into your existing tools and approaches.

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Chapter6 :Drivingadoptionandcontinuousimprovement Page28

The sad truth is that most change initiatives are done to employees, not implementedwith them or by them. The more you engage people around this process approach thebetter the results. And by engage we mean: train, onboard, ask for improvement ideas,and measure success. The process map provides an important part of the training andonboarding content, but it can also be the basis for driving ongoing improvements. Thischapter has some concrete ideas for delivering sustainable results at the same time asproviding a level of governance and change management.

Chapter7:Practicalprojectmanagement Page34

You are a project manager whether you have the title or not. The 3 top reasons forproject failure are: losing control of the scope, not understanding the time / cost /quality relationship, and not getting senior level sponsorship. This chapter gives somevery simple and practical ideas on how to have a less stressful project. BTW it is notabout how to develop a better project plan.

Chapter8:Gettingstarted Page38

Itching to get started? You probably already have a project in mind. Fantastic. Thischapter will guide you through, step by step, quickly and easily.

Appendix1:Runningliveworkshops Page41

Hereiseverythingyouneedtobeabletohitthegroundrunninganddelivergreatlivemappingworkshops.We’vedistilledtheexperienceofrunning1000’sofliveworkshopsintothisAppendix.Ithastheapproach,asampleagenda,hints&tipsandmuchmore.

Appendix2:LEANvsSixSigma andidentifyingwastePage44

Therearedifferentbusinessanalysisapproaches,butthemostpopularareLEANandSixSigma.Thischapterdiscussesthedifferencesandthe6acceptedformsofwaste.

Appendix3 :Authorcontactdetails Page46

Lovetheideas?Havethoughtsandimprovements?Wanttodisagree?Needtotalktosomeonetoexplorethisinmoredetail?Getintouch.We’dlovetohearfromyou.

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Your business analysis skills are valued by:

o employers and future clients as youcan see from the research

o Salesforce who are investing in trainingo implementation consultants as you

are more valuable part of the teamo your internal customers as you talk

their language.

Business Process is the #1 skill most frequently requested by employers for Salesforce Admins Burning Glass Technologies Review of 300,000 Salesforce job postings

To get control of your Org, the questions you need to answer are:

o Howdoyouevaluatetheimportanceofthechanges?o Howwillyouimplementthesuggestedchange?o HowdoyoumeasuretheimpactintermsofROI,butalsoinchangestoyourOrg?o Andfinally,howdoyouprioritize?

Whilstitcanbefrustrating,itisalsoextremelyrewarding.Thechallengeismakingsenseoftheraftofchangesthatfloodyourdeskandinbox.

2.MostSalesforcetrainingisaimedathelpingyoubuildbetterSalesforceimplementations.Thisbookisallaboutbuildingyourpersonalskillsandvalueinthemarket.

1.1 Valuable skills

Salesforce Admins need to be a rare combinationof project manager, business analyst, andtechnical implementation consultant.2

Therefore Salesforce believe business analysis isan important skill. Many of you already havestrong analytical and problem solving skills andhave a good business understanding of yourindustry. This book will help you hone those skillsand give you specific tools and techniques thatreally work in a Salesforce context.

The Salesforce Admin is a critical role in thebusiness. You have tough calls to make every dayas you juggle conflicting priorities. Changerequests fly at you from all sides and at differentlevels: from adding an item to a field picklist allthe way up to planning a Lightning migration orimplementing Quote to Cash. And then the VPSales “drops by” your desk with a suggestion that“should take only a few minutes to implement”.

“Chapter1:BusinessAnalysisisacore#AwesomeAdminskill

Defining user stories will help with successful development, but documenting the business process map will guarantee the success of your entire Salesforce implementation project.“Deepa Patel

Salesforce MVP &President, DPCRMGURU

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LIFECYCLE OF A BUSINESS REQUIREMENT

Raised

Submitted

AssessedNeedmoreinformation

Readytoimplement

Deleted

BeingimplementedWillnotimplement

Duplicate

Implemented

8 reasons why spreadsheets are a bad idea.

1. Requirements have a lifecycle that needs to beformally managed. Everyone should be able to raise andsubmit a requirement. But after that, it needs to beformally assessed, prioritized and managed.

2. Requirements are more than a wish list. They needsupporting information which could be notes but mayalso be in external systems; documents, webpages orscreenshots, photographs of sketches on whiteboards..

3. Requirements need analysis and investigation. Everyrequirement needs to be considered in the context ofthe business and technology to understand how toimplement it. They do not sit in isolation.

4. Requirements need collaboration. To assess andunderstand what is required takes a combined effort;the user who submitted, architects, Salesforce Admin, IT.

2.1 The unknown unknowns

Your users often don’t know what they really want.They think they do and express their needs asBusiness Requirements. Your job as a SalesforceAdmin is to try and interpret them and understandwhat is really required.

But first, you need a consistent way of capturing,managing and analyzing the requirements. Thetools used by your IT team are too heavyweightand complex. You could build an app in Salesforce.But where would you find the time? So insteadmost people reach for a spreadsheet or create ahuge requirements document. It seems quick andeasy, but in the long run it will kill you.

Chapter2:Itallstartswithbusinessrequirements

““

The top reasons for project failure are incomplete requirements and poor scope controlStandish Group – 25 years of research into project failures

5. Requirements need traceability and line of sight.This is linkage from requirement to business processesimpacted to release that it is implemented in.

6. Requirements need to be grouped and prioritized.Business changes and technical implementations arephased in releases. Requirements need to tagged toone or more releases so they can be filtered.

7. Requirements are created during process mapping.As the business processes are captured existingrequirements are incorporated and new requirementsare identified. Requirements add detail and context.

8. Requirements need enterprise scale and security.They live beyond the life of a single project and shouldbe managed and controlled in an enterprise app.

73.Becauseeveryoneknowshowquickandsimpleitistoimplementtheirsuggestion.

2.2 Why capture requirements

• You can start catching and fielding all the requirements that hit you. Better still get the users tosubmit their requests online and eliminate the email hell you currently live in.

• As you map your processes you will identify new requirements. These need to be consideredalongside the existing requirements.

• Requirements are the supporting context or color around the documented business processes.• With a tracking mechanism for your requests you can start to get a view on the priority,

importance and the risks of the requests. That way you can plan releases rather than respond tothe latest panic, the most vocal user or the most senior stakeholder.

• It is good to look back and see what you have achieved in the last week, month, year. Happypeople are those who feel like they have made measurable progress every day. FACT.

• Accountability and traceability is important when 6 months down the line you are asked to justifya configuration. The requirements with their history and comments will provide the evidence youneed.

• Requests are your backlog of potential change. You can use it to plan resourcing for the nextquarter or year.

2.2 The anatomy of a request

A business requirement needs more thana simple statement “I need a …”. Youneed more supporting information to beable to asses, prioritize and implement it.

On the right you can see the minimumnumber of fields you need:- Summary- Details- Priority- Business impact- Risk level- Required by date and Reason- Suggested Solution3- Tags

Also you should be able to addattachments: Notes, URL, Images. Toreally analyze the requirement you needto collaborate on It – not an exchange ofemails that will be lost forever.

Being a salesforce admin is chaotic, but with a good requirements management system in place you can organize that chaos.Cheryl Feldman MVP“

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Don’t be tempted to skip this section. You’ve probably developed flowcharts and businessrequirement specifications in the past, but new technology has enabled a dramatically differentapproach to business analysis, process mapping and capturing business requirements. Read on!

Chapter3:Businessanalysishasbeenreinvented

3.1Asktheimportantquestions

AsaSalesforceAdminyouneedtocapturethebusinessrequirementsforanimplementation.Theseshouldbeinthewiderbusinesscontext. Soaskthesebusinessorientedquestions:

o Howdowedesignandruncustomer-centricbusinessprocesses?o HowdowesupportandautomatethesewithSalesforce?o Whatcustomizationisrequired?o Wherearethepriorities?o Howdowedefineandmeasurethebenefits?o Whatarepeoplechangeimplications?o Whataretherisks?

3.2Capturetheanswersasabusinessprocessmap

The best way to capture operational processes is in a business process map – which we will describe indetail in a moment. If you use the kind of simple notation and approach outlined in this book, the processmap can then serve as the single source of truth for the project as you go through the different phases;analysis, build and test, deployment and go-live. But the process map lives beyond the project as it is thedocumentation for the Org the platform for continuous improvement.

End to end process thinking to break functional silos is absolutely critical for our company to delivery our Nestlé model4“ Lionel Lechot, Program Director for Continuous Excellence GLOBE, Nestlé

4.Nestleisnotacurrentclient.Atapreviouscompanyweworkedwiththemtoapplytheprinciplesandapproachinthisbook.Seevideo:http://bit.do/NestleGLOBE

95.BPMNisanestablishednotationusedbyITteamstobuildmodelsthatcanbeexecutedbyaworkflowengine.BPMNdiagramsaresimilartotheformatthatyouwoulddrawinVisualProcessBuilder.

3.3Simpleprocessmapping,notcomplexdiagramming

ThisisNOTwhatwemean.BelowisBPMN5 diagramwhichisreallyaimedatITpeople.Ifthisgivesyoumapshock andyoudon’tevenwanttotrytounderstandit,thatisok.Itisanormalreaction.

Thisiswhatwemean.Belowisthesortofprocessdiagramthatyouwanttosee.ItisshowninsideSalesforceinLightning,butitcouldbeinClassicview.Whatisimportantisthatitisasimpleflowfromlefttorightandshowsonly8-10processsteps.Anyonecouldlookatthis,readitandmakesenseofit.

106.Ifyouchoosetodothis,youclearlyhavetoomuchtimeonyourhandsorhavemasochistictendencies.Youarenotsavingmoney becauseElements.cloudisfree– registerathttp://bit.do/Elements

3.4 This is a process map

A process map is a hierarchy of process diagrams. Here is the breakdown of diagrams from the Top Leveldiagram, down to Level 2 and Level 3..n diagrams. DON’T PANIC, if you use Elements.cloud, it will manageall the diagram relationships behind the scenes. You just need to think about capturing the processes.

DIAGRAMMING TOOLS vs BUSINESS PROCESS ANALYSIS TOOLS

There are many good diagramming tools; PowerPoint, Visio, Gliffy, Lucidchart. However these are designedto draw single level diagrams. They cannot manage a complex hierarchy of diagrams. If you use them youneed to manage the interrelationships between diagrams independently6.

Some Business Process Analysis (BPA) tools are architected to manage a hierarchy of diagrams securely.Elements.cloud is free, is 100% cloud and has been designed to work seamlessly with Salesforce.com so it isthe obvious choice for the #AwesomeAdmin. Register http://bit.do/Elements

Topleveldiagram

Level2diagrams

Level3..ndiagrams

11ThisimplementationmethodologyisavailableasanElements,cloud processmapandcanbecopiedfromthe“ExamplesMaps”Space.Justregisterforfreehttp://bit.do/elementsapp

3.5Processmapdeliversbenefitsacrossimplementationlifecycle

Developing a process map will help you understand the project scope, capture requirements and automate.But the benefits go way beyond the Analyze and develop phase of the project. Sadly process maps are seenas project documentation and discarded too early. This is a huge waste. Here are the benefits for eachphase of the project:

Benefitsbyphase:

Phase1:PLAN:Plan&prepareo Quickerbuy-infromsponsorsandstakeholderso Agreedscopeismoreeasilyunderstood

Phase2:DISCOVER- Analyze&developo Faster,cheaperandbettercaptureandmanagementofbusinessrequirementso Morerapiddocumentationofbusinessprocessesinliveworkshopso Consensusandagreementreachedmorequicklyo Betterunderstandingofcustomizationandautomationrequirementso Identificationofchangestosupportingdocuments(procedures,hintsandtips,webpages…)

Phase3:IMPLEMENT- BuildandtestSalesforceo Reducedcustomizationreworkasrequirementsaremoreeasilyunderstoodo ImprovedUserAcceptanceTestingandtrainingdocumentationo Orgconfigurationismoreeasilydocumented

Phase4:OPERATE- Driveadoption,providesupport&identifyimprovementso BetteradoptionofSalesforceprocessesandimproveddataqualitythroughthecorrectuseofSalesforceo Eliminatewastedtimelookingforsupportingdocuments,procedures,video,etc.o Reducedsupportcostsasproblemsareseeninthecontextofendtoendprocesscontexto LivingtrainingmaterialreflectingoperationalrealitybothinsideandoutsideSalesforceo Moreaccurateunderstandingofpotentialbusinessbenefitsofnewfeaturesandappso Betterassessmentandprioritizationofchanges

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3.6Theprocessmapisavaluableasset

HerearetheattributesoftheprocessmapthatyouwillbebuildingastheSalesforceAdmin.Itlookslikealong,dauntinglist.Buttrustus:itissurprisinglysimpleandquick,andthereareprovenexamplesandpre-builtprocessmapscalled“accelerators”.

Aprocessmap:

o Links back to the business requirementsfor traceability and accountability

o Provides visibility and clarity of roles. Youcan generate a report on all the processsteps for a given role or system.

o Can be accessed securely on any device,from anywhere – and be as intuitive andelegant as the best consumer apps

o Designed to encourage feedback andenable rapid, controlled change alongsideagile methods

o Provides security, access control, andversion management of process content

o Scales from the smallest organization upto a major multi-national

o The basis for the continuous improvementbased on end user feedback and changesto corporate priorities

o Has a simple notation so the content iseasily understood by end users no matterwhat their background, discipline orseniority – with no training

o Describes the business as the high-levelend to end flows and support processes ata strategic level to get executive levelalignment

o Drills down multiple levels to diagramswhere detailed activities are described

o Provides detailed guidance to end usersand directs users to all the systems,workflow, documents, procedures, webpages, KPIs and media to get their jobdone

o Activities are linked to underlyingautomation, wherever possible, and areseamlessly integrated and surfaced basedon context – time, task or geography

Any change to your Salesforce implementation requires impact analysis. This is best achieved with a process map. It also sets up your change platform so you can to stay in control of ongoing updates.“Adrian King

CTO & COOElements

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4.1Definitions

ProcessMap

The process map can describe any series of activities. It could be a discrete process such as Opportunity toOrder, a process that crosses departmental boundaries Lead to Revenue, or the operational processes of anentire company. The process map needs to be accessed on a screen or device.

To be able to keep the diagrams simple and readable, but also describe complex, wide ranging end to endprocesses, the map is a hierarchy of diagrams. Any process activity box can drill down to a detailed lowerlevel. At the lowest level, the end to end flow is the same as the massive diagram on a conference roomwall - it’s just spread across multiple diagrams. There are no limits to the number of levels of drilldown. Some areas of the map may go down 2 or 3 levels, others as many as 6 or more. It all depends onthe complexity of a business area, the level of skills of those delivering the processes, and how much detailneeds to be specified for regulatory reasons.

7.WemaybeateenybitbiasedaswearethefoundersofElements.cloud,havebeenSalesforcecustomerssince2001,andarepassionateaboutthisstuff.

Chapter4:Applyingbusinessanalysis– mappingprocesses

This chapter assumes you are using Elements.cloud It is designed for the#AwesomeAdmin who is implementing Salesforce. It is the only app that is tightlyintegrated with Salesforce. And it's free.

You can apply the approach using any process mapping application or diagramming tool.It will just be more expensive, harder to maintain and less fun7.

Processdiagrams

Diagrams can be drawn in any format or style.There is no rigid methodology, but there are someapproaches that have been proven to work best.

Most people draw diagrams in a simple left toright process flow with no more than 8-10 processsteps called activity boxes.

Activityboxes(processsteps)

The activity box is a single, simple building block to show WHO needsto do WHAT, WHEN and WHY. Using this simple building block youcan describe complex processes but still make them easilyunderstood.

148.List2LeadorL2Lisaneatshorthandthatisusedtodescribethestartandfinishoftheprocess.IntheHCMspaceR2RcanstandforRecruit2Retire,Recruit2ResignorevenRecruit2Redundancy

Topleveldiagram

Thetopleveldiagramisimportantasitsetsoutthescope– atwhateverlevelyouaremapping.Itshowsthehighestlevelactivities,handovers,responsibilitiesandtheflow.Thisgetsstrategicalignmentattheseniorstakeholderlevelandsetsthescopeandstructurefortheentireprocessmap.Thetoplevelcoulddescribetheentirecompanyorbusinessunit,becausethisapproachisnotlimitedtoSalesforceimplementations.

ForaSalesforceimplementationthetoplevelcouldbe:

o Marketing:L2LorList2Lead8o Sales: L2O– Lead2Order,Q2C– Quote2Cash,L2W- List2Wino Service:I2R- Inquiry2Resolutiono FinancialManagement:O2R– Order2Reporto HumanResources:R-RRecruit2Retireo ProfessionalServices:P2PProposal2Project

BelowisatopleveldiagramoftheSalesforceSalesprocessfromgettingtheTargetemaillistthroughtoWinningorlosingadeal– L2W.Youcanseehoweasyitistoread.Theaimistomakeitreadableandunderstandablebyeveryone.Thedetailofeachprocesssteporactivityisinthelowerleveldiagrams.Thesupportinginformationisconnectedtothe“paperclip”attachmenticon.

SalesforceSalesProcess:topleveldiagram- L2W

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Drill-downfromhigherleveldiagram

If you click on activity 7 on the top level diagram (called Deliver Proposal) it will open up a newdiagram that sows the detailed process. Clicking on the activity box is called drilling-down. The lowerlevel diagram is a child of the activity box on the higher level diagram.

Bytheway,youcanstillprintoutthelowestleveldiagramsandstickthemon(verylong)wallsifyouwanttowalkpeopleroundaboardroom.Butthemasteristheprocessmapwhichisaccessedonlinenotarollofplotterpaper.

We've used this notation and hierarchical approach over the last 20 years in well over 100 clients. They are always amazed how this approach clarifies their processes and gets everyone on the same page.“Johnny Allen

Principal ConsultantCalvaria

“

169.Westillgetpeopleemailingussayingtheyhavejust readitandhowusefulitis.Itseemsliketheseconceptsstandthetestoftime.Theimportantideashavemadeitintothisbookinacondensedform.

4.2Thesimplenotationexplained

A simple notation is required to be able to develop a process map that every employee, partner orsupplier can understand, no matter what their background, level of seniority, or discipline. The principleswere first published in a book called Common Approach UnCommon Results9 which we wrote in 2004.The notation was published in 2008 as an open standard called UPN (Universal Process Notation). Wehave simplified UPN even more, based on client experience.

UPN has been proven by 1000s of companies in every industry from highly regulated Fortune 500companies down to nimble startups. It works. This simple notation has been designed to makeunderstanding processes easy for everyone: end users, IT, compliance, consultants and executives.

Thenotationinasinglepicture

Captureprocessknowledgewithasingle,simplebuildingblocktoshowWHO needstodoWHAT,WHEN andWHY.DrilldownorattachdocumentstoseetheHOW.

Activityboxandtext(WHAT)

Thetextstartswithaverbandmustincludeanoun.‘Whathappenstowhat’i.e.Qualifylead,Deliverproposal,Closesale.

Resource(WHO)

One or more resources can be attached to an activity box. They describe who is responsible for an activityi.e. Salesforce Admin, Customer Success Manager, but it can also be a system i.e. Salesforce Sales.Resources are an alternative to swimlanes, which are explored in more detail in the helphttps://answers.elements.cloud/help/swimlanes Resources show responsibility, but without constrainingthe layout of the process diagram. You can still use swimlanes in Elements, but you really don’t need to.

Lines (WHEN & WHY)

The lines between activity boxes show the triggers and outcomes. Every activity box must/should havelines connecting them. And every line must have line text. If the activity is “Process Invoice” then try toavoid calling the output “processed invoice” but instead try to be more specific. Is it “approved invoice”or “validated invoice”?

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DRILLDOWN

Thedrilldownisalinkfromtheactivityboxtoalowerleveldiagram.Thisisaparentchildrelationship,andthereisonlyonediagramthatcanbeachildoftheactivitybox.

ATTACHMENT

Theattachmenticonisusedtolinktoanysupportinginformation:notes,URLlinksormetadata.

o Notes:thisisasimplerichtextboxthatcouldbeusedtodescribenotesfromaworkshop,hintsandtipsorsimplerules/decisions

o URLlink:thisistoattachSalesforcescreens,documents(screenshots,procedures,workinstructions,training,video,configurationspecsthatarestoredinSalesforceFiles,clouddocumentmanagementsystemsi.e.Box.com),webpagesorcompanyportals

o Datatable:collectdataspecifictotheactivityviaacustomform.i.e.KPIs,customertouchpoints,compliance,configurationsettings,attachmentitems.

TERMINATOR

Thisshowsthatthislineisthefirstinputorfinaloutputfromtheprocess.

OFF-PAGECONNECTOR

Thelastoutputfromadiagramisnormallytheinputintoactivityonanotherdiagram.Thecircleattheendofalineenablesyoutoconnectthislinetolineonanotherdiagram.Thismakesiteasierforausertonavigatealongend-to-endflow.

STICKYNOTES

Aneatwayofcapturingideasyou’renotreadytocommittoanactivityboxistouseastickynote.TheyaretheelectronicequivalentofaPost-Itnotein4differentcolors.

1810.Stillnotconvinced?Takealookathttps://answers.elements.cloud/help/flowchart-bpmn/

4.3Whyyoudon’tneedflowchartandBPMNsymbols

At Elements.cloud we made a conscious decision not to provide the palette of flowchart and BPMNsymbols. This is based on 20+ years of experience. When you transcribe a flowchart into a processdiagram using the simple notation you discover that the process diagram is often smaller, with fewerobjects and is therefore less daunting and easier to read. BPMN has a palette of over 300 symbols,which is perfect when you are drawing diagrams that will be executed by a BPM engine (workflowautomation) but the diagrams are difficult to understand for end users.

Elements.cloud does support swimlanes, but we think that they can force the diagram to have a morecomplicated flow to be able to lay out the activity boxes in the correct swimlanes. For a fullerdiscussion on swimlanes see https://answers.elements.cloud/help/swimlanes/

The diagram below shows the stark difference between a typical flowchart and a process diagram. Theprocess map has fewer activity boxes, yet more information. On the process diagram, the decisionabout Production, Sandbox vs Training Org is made in activity box 1 Agree deployment approach.There is an attachment that sets out the decision rules, or a drill down if you want to see the detaileddecision process. The swimlane information is stored as the resource on the activity box. The lineshave text so you understand the handoffs between steps, which is why we say you must have linesand put text on the lines.10

Don't let the simplicity fool you. We've applied this approach with great success to large complex organizations that have sophisticated IT landscapes. Simplicity drives engagement, agreement and results.“David Barnes

Principal Consultant, Calvaria & interim BPM Master,

Nestlé Research

“

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4.4Capturingprocessesinworkshops

Using live workshops to map out business processes is far more effective than completingquestionnaires or conducting individual interviews. Running live workshops - either face to face orvirtual – will seem scary and higher risk. But the benefits are huge:

o They build consensus in the group and rapidly allow teams to identify improvement ideas. Some ofthese ideas are quick wins that don’t even need Salesforce changes.

o You are developing the process content in the workshop, so there’s no need to try and interpretnotes or photos of whiteboards when you get back to your desk to build the process diagrams.

o It is easier to get agreement and sign-off when the participants see it being developed and theyhave had input as it is being created.

o Mapping processes live generates new and better ideas.

Don’t underestimate how much time this saves. It will take far less time than you think to becomeproficient at running live mapping workshops. To start with, you may feel more comfortable with 2facilitators; one to “work the room” and one to use Elements.cloud to map the processes. You willdiscover that Elements has been designed to work really well in live workshops, whether face-to-faceor virtual.

Everything you need to to run live workshops is in the Appendix 1; approach, agenda and hints & tips.

4.5Startwithanaccelerator

Although it's sometimes very valuable to start mapping from a blank screen, you could also start witha pre-built accelerator, such as the Salesforce Sales Process map or the Salesforce Marketing map.These have been built by the Elements team, but any organization can contribute their process mapsto one of the Public Spaces in Elements.cloud. Then the community can use it, provide input andcollaboratively improve it.

Elements.cloud provides a Public Space called #AwesomeAdmin that has Salesforce accelerators.

You can register for Elements.cloud and you will automatically join the #AwesomeAdmin Public Spaceusing this link http://bit.do/Elements

Elements is just so easy to use. Any Salesforce Admin should be able to pick it up and be able to start mapping in live workshops really quickly.“Benjamin Bolopue

Salesforce CRM Administrator, Quanex Building Products

“

2011.Youwillbestaggeredhowmanypeoplewillclaimthey havethemasterversionofadocument.

4.6Encouragingreviews,collaborationandfeedback

After the workshop you need to keep the audience engaged and build momentum. WithElements.cloud all the attendees can be invited to view the map that was created in the workshop.Inevitably, there will be further discussion and more thoughts. This is great. You can also invite andengage those who weren't at the workshop.

It’s vital that feedback is collected in the context of the diagrams, not in off-line discussions in email orchat groups. This is why Elements.cloud has a Chatter-like area on every diagram for comments.

4.7Linkingtosupportingcontent

Once the process flows are clear, you have the opportunity to link to the supporting documentation(Salesforce screens, customization specs, training materials, videos, procedures...) This may start inthe workshops, but will continue afterwards.

Often you will identify the need for new supporting documents. Or you’ll discover 5, 10 or 20 versionsof the ”same” document. Which one is the master?11 Often there is just one huge proceduredocument - the old Quality Manual or Company Handbook – that is used in multiple places that canbe simplified and split up. Again, think about how your audience will consume it.

Some jump straight to designing the technical solution. Clout'sprimary focus is on business outcomes. That's why we useElements to capture the key business processes up front. It issimple to use and very powerful and most importantly we cancollaborate in real time on developing process maps with ourcustomer. Elements has given us the ability to build out alibrary of standard business processes which we use to buildthe solution map for each client. The maps are not just part ofthe design process, they form a key part of the projectdocumentation and are invaluable for UAT and training. UsingElements is productive, supports better business outcomes, anddelivers reusable process knowledge. I am a big fan.

“Kieran CarrickCEO

Clout Partners

“

2112.Thatiswhatthesalesguyswilltellyou.Twogroupsofpeoplewhothinkprocesswillconstraintheir“creativity”– SalesandScientists.

4.8Howdoyouknowwhenyouarefinished?

Howmanylevelsshouldwegodown?

Mapping processes may seem a daunting task when you are starting. But it actually happens morequickly than you expect. That first top-level workshop could be simple and created in an hour, orcould provoke a ½ day discussion. It really depends on how aligned the senior team is around the toplevel end-to-end processes. Mapping is not the issue, but it is the time taken to get everyone on thesame page. As you drill down the scope gets narrower and narrower. So the lowest level diagramscould simply be knocked out in one sitting at a desk or on a conference call.

Some areas of the map may go down 2 or 3 levels, others as many as 4 or 5. It all depends on thecomplexity of a business area, the level of skills of those delivering the processes, the risk of theprocess, and how much detail needs to be specified for regulatory reasons.

For example, if you are an enterprise software company, the process “Deliver Proposal” probablyneeds to get into some level of detail. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it is straightforward,and since it’s highly paid sales guys doing it so you don’t need to provide much detail.12

Mapping the detailed Deliver Proposal process is important. The proposal commits the company, sothere should be rigor around discounting, approvals, and sign-off. There may be opportunities toexploit the marketing and sales automation in the platform. Or you could identify where junior staffcan support the sales team, making them way more efficient and effective.

SampleDeliverProposalprocessdiagram

22

Notice on the process diagram on the previous page that the proposal has input from a number ofdifferent groups - sales, sales admin, solution engineers, professional services, partners, legal, exec.The proposal is commits the company to deliver at a cost, and therefore the approval process needsto be understood clearly. There are discounting approval processes which need to be rigidly applied.Sales are covered by anti-bribery legislation. Finally, the proposal needs to be filed correctly - file nameformat, location, meta data - so it can be easily found to be able to create the contract.

Quality Assurance

Some companies have a QA checklist that is used to review every diagram before it is signed off. Thechecklist cannot cover whether the diagram is correct in terms of the process, but can make sure thatit meets the design standards:

o Look and feel§ the look of the diagram: is it easy to understand, logically laid out§ activity box numbering: are they in a logical order§ color and styles: do all the objects adhere to the corporate style sheet

o Accuracy§ activity box text starts with a verb§ activity boxes have lines§ lines have text

o Content§ all URL links are active and valid§ resources are not duplicated i.e. Project Manager, PM, Proj Mgr

Sign-off: Process Ownership

No one person will sign off the entire process map. The project sponsor will sign-off the top level. Butthey will delegate the lower level diagram sign-offs to the process owner of that area.

Process ownership is the concept of allocating the responsibility for driving business improvement ofthat process. A process owner may not own all the staff who deliver that process, as a process maycross organizational boundaries.

Rather than make the SVP Sales responsible for the entire hierarchy of sales process diagrams,ownership is delegated as the diagrams get down into more detail. The top level “Sales Process” willbe owned by SVP Sales. There are 6 diagrams at Level 2. They may be owned by different people;“Qualify lead” is owned by Head of Sales Ops, “Deliver proposal” and “Close sale” are owned by Headof North America Sales. And so on down the hierarchy – Level 3..n.

Don’t worry if this seems like an alien concept. It will become more obvious as you start mapping,building a hierarchy of process diagrams, and you starting thinking about who you want to sign offindividual diagrams.

2313.Justsendthemtous!!Butmoreseriously,therearealreadyexamplesofclientsusingtheapproach intheisbook.NotallofthemareonSalesforceimplementations,butweareworkingtocollectmorestories.Areyougoingtobeoneofthem?

4.9Handlingobjections

You might run into staff or contractors who have LEAN or Six Sigma skills, or they have used aflowcharting approach for processes, or they have a favorite flowcharting or modeling tool. The ITteam will have business analysts who have used BPMN or UML modeling for developing workflowsolutions. They may claim that the way they're used to using is best as they haven’t come acrosshierarchical process mapping, or Elements.cloud13.

They might question such a simple notation or the value of a drill-down approach. They may want toimpose their approach or tools onto the project. Their technical process maps often have a lifespanthat ends with the project. They inform IT professionals proficient in the required technical language,and are used to craft automation tasks, sometimes ignoring the important things that people do. Evenif they address manual tasks, they are not written in a language or metaphor that is accessible to endusers. The approach, notation and tools discussed here have been designed and optimized forSalesforce implementations. The process diagrams that you will produce in Elements.cloud will endurebeyond the project, will feed and therefore accelerate other projects, and will be a primary learningtool for all end users.

There will be individuals who just want to get started configuring Salesforce, without taking the timeto understand the business processes. This is understandable as Salesforce is so easy to configure andstart showing results. But you need to resist this. The time taken up front to understand the businessprocesses and therefore the true configuration requirements will deliver significantly greater successand save you countless hours, days or weeks of rework.

The greatest pressure you may get will probably be from the implementation consulting firm that youhave engaged. But some are increasingly taking a more considered process approach, and most havebeen incredibly supportive and positive about using this approach within their engagements.

LEAN is a powerful methodology for improving processes via the removal of waste and focusing on value. Fortunately, Salesforce Admins already think this way even if they don’t realize it. The great news is Elements.cloud complements LEAN and makes every Admin an #AwesomeAdmin!

“Squire KershnerSalesforce Platform Lead

Baird

“

2414.WeinterviewedMikeandhe“spilledthebeans”onhisapproach.Watchthe20minvideo:https://vimeo.com/215624096

4.10 Working with Implementation consulting firms

Many implementation consulting firms have a methodology or approach; questionnaires or processdiagrams in a process diagramming tool (MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio, Lucidchart, Gliffy,GoogleDocs). They will want their consultants to use them. It makes it easier for them and reducestheir project risk.

The problem is that their approach is often only focused on getting through their phases of the project- the requirements and automation. The benefits of the drill-down process-driven approach are notapparent only during these phases, but also in the later phases of adoption and continuousimprovement. But this is not within the scope of their engagement. They usually recognize thesebenefits, but some may feel they have no incentive to change. Others will realize that it helps maketheir contributions even more valuable and worth the perceived risk.

What is important to remember is that the consultants work for you – or at least with you. Often, ateam of consultants arrives on the project with a project manager. They take over through force ofnumbers and their laser focus on hitting deadlines. The Salesforce Admin becomes an innocentbystander and is left to pick up the pieces of a working but a poorly documented Org. You’ll be therelong after they’ve left so you need to make sure that you are an integrated part of the team.

Why they get behind the approach

You may need to be fairly assertive and make it clear that you are mandate this approach. Most of theimplementation consultants and ISVs who have spent time around this approach love it, but they allhave established ways of working. So despite the benefits, they may need help to get on board thefirst time you suggest this approach or start using Elements.cloud. We’re here to help atsucccess@elements.cloud or go to the #Elements.cloud Success Community for ideas and support.

There are clear benefits for consulting firms: process mapping this way ensures project success; thescope and configuration needs are clearer so there is less conflict over change requests and rework;they can provide ongoing support; they are better positioned to win follow-on work. The approachbecomes a massive win-win.

We have completed over 250 Salesforceimplementations and every single one has startedwith a workshop to map out the key processes,identify today’s issues and agree how best to useSalesforce to streamline and simplify the processes.We call it Process Led Implementation which is thebest way to ensure a successful project that reallydelivers for the business.

“Mike McKintyre MBEDirector

XenogenixSilver Consulting Partner

“

2515.Automationcomesafteranalysis,oritdidthelasttimeIcheckedthedictionary.

5.1Automatingjustenough

Salesforce is so easy to customize. Therefore, a common knee jerk reaction is to jump right intoconfiguration of Salesforce with little or no analysis and attempt to automate everything15. Clearly, the aimis to automate as much as possible because it drives up efficiency, compliance and data quality. But now thatyou have a slightly higher-level perspective of the process, you can now see that many processes are acombination of manual activities and a Salesforce transaction or other app. Let’s think about the “DeliverProposal” process below.

Many of the activities are manual, but the need to access Salesforce to get information or to updated it.Some of the activities could be automated, such as the approval workflows. Salesforce could cleverlyvalidate, prioritize and route the proposal to the right team, all based on some predefined logic. To do thiswe need to understand in detail what information is required in each scenario and the rules for routing. Thisis probably best defined in a child diagrams below activity box 7 “Sign-off proposal” and activity box 9“Perform 2nd review”. Detailed specification documents could be created and linked to the related activitybox for easy access.

Chapter5:Automatingyourprocesses

If you’ve mapped your processes, and you’ve vetted your requirements, the needed technological solutions should become obvious.“Benjamin Bolopue

Salesforce CRM Administrator, Quanex Building Products

“

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5.2Startingwithprocessandusingittorefinethetechnicalimplementation

Process maps and related information show how Salesforce can support the process. It is also how youunderstand what needs to implemented through configuration, automation or custom development.It is unlikely that the process diagrams have sufficient information to satisfy the entire specification forconfiguration. The full specification will be a process diagram in conjunction with a writtenspecification.

The process diagram will mean the specifications are shorter and therefore, easier to write. If thedevelopers have access to BOTH the process diagrams and the specifications then there is less chanceof misunderstanding.

As the detailed specifications are being developed it may become clear that the way that you and thebusiness users envisaged the automation would be implemented is too hard or too expensive. At thispoint the technical team may come back with an alternative approach that is easier to develop andmaintain, but requires a change to the business process.

The process map is then the perfect place to have this discussion. The agreed changes are made to theprocess map and the attached specification is updated.

This approach is not just for Salesforce, but can be used for apps on the Salesforce platform such asClassy.org, Vlocity, FinancialForce or NewVoiceMedia. It can also be used for external systems.

As we respond to evolving omnichannel customer demand, this process-led approach means we can understand the impact on our Vlocity and Salesforce configuration, and see the business opportunities to exploit new functionality.

“Charlie BlackburnCTO

Azur Underwriting

“

2716.Youdidkeepituptodatethroughtheautomationphase,didn’tyou?

5.3Automatingprocesses

Therearedifferentlevelsofautomation,fromsimpleconfigurationallthewaythroughtocustomdevelopmentusingApex.ThereareanumberofdifferenttoolinsideSalesforcetosupportyou:

o Salesforce configuration

o Workflow Rules

o Approval Rules

o Visual Workflow (Flow)

o Process Builder

o Journey Builder in Marketing Cloud

o Custom development or 3rd party automation tools on the Salesforce platform.

The idea of using a process map as the starting point is complementary to all of these tools. This bookis not the place to describe how to use these tools when there is already a wealth of knowledgeavailable in Trailhead and the Success Community.

5.4 User Acceptance Testing

Whilst the technical team will be testing their configurations and development against thespecifications, that will not necessarily show that the customizations hang together and support theend to end process. That is the role of User Acceptance Testing (UAT).

Without a process map, you would write a separate UAT test document. But this is wasted effort nowyou have an up to date16 process map. The process map IS the process you need to test against.

Up to date is highlighted because there will inevitably be changes to the business processes at adetailed level during the project. The technical team may persuade you to make changes to make iteasier and cheaper to implement. Those changes will impact the business processes. You need to putin place the mechanism for keeping the process map up to date during the project, and beyond.

In Elements.cloud you can build a Data Table to add testing records against the process steps. You canthen capture and report on multiple test runs through the different user journeys through the process.Here is the help on creating and populating a Data Table https://answers.elements.cloud/help/data-tables/

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6.1YouwantadoptionofbusinessprocessesandSalesforce

The sad truth is that most implementations are done to people, not implemented with them or by them.The more you engage people around this process approach the better the results. And by engage wemean: train, onboard, ask for improvement ideas, and measure success.

When we talk about adoption, we mean getting all end users to embrace and own the operationalbusiness processes that you have designed and then use Salesforce (and other apps) in the way that youhave designed them. So adoption is not just about Salesforce screens. It is the end to end businessprocess enabled by Salesforce.

Your Salesforce implementation may be part of a larger Customer Success initiative which includesSalesforce, such as changing sales team compensation, implementing a contact center and embarking ona more comprehensive social media program. In this case, adoption is broader than Salesforce training.The process map will also have a broader scope. The more process-led the implementation, the greaterthe need for adoption.

The benefits of adoption

The benefits of increased adoption are HUGE. In fact, the ROI of the project depends on great adoption.Assuming you have designed great business processes, better adoption will give you:

o a more efficient businesso happier staff which means better productivityo greater data accuracyo improved regulatory compliance

Therefore adoption is broader than Salesforce training. But don’t panic. It is actually less effort now thatyou have an up to date process map. Just remember that driving lasting adoption means connectingemotionally with end users. It means engaging them and really understanding why the way they useSalesforce impacts real business outcomes. And why the things they do in the manual steps outsideSalesforce can impact the overall success of the business. This all affects the perception of the SalesforceImplementation.

Chapter6:Drivingadoptionandcontinuousimprovement

Our dilemma is that we hate change and love it at the same time; what we reallywant is for things to remain the same but get better.

Sydney J. Harris – American Journalist 1917 - 1986“

“

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Pointofneedtraininginaprocesscontext

Ifyouhaveforgottenhowtodosomething,arenewtoit,orithaschanged,thentheprocessmapshouldbethefirstandmosttrustedpointofreference.ItwillhavetheprocessflowandlinkstotheSalesforcescreensandothersupportinginformation.Whendonewell,thisprocess-drivenapproachhasbeenproventodriveupadoption.

Itsoundsliketraining.Itis.But“trainingonsteroids”.

6.2Usertraining

We’vediscussedbenefitsofre-usingthisknowledgetosupportUserAcceptanceTesting(UAT).Wellthesameistruefortrainingmaterial.Traditionallyyouwouldhavewrittenseparatetrainingmaterial– reamsofit.Butthisisunnecessarynowyouhaveuptodate17 processesinyourprocessmap.TheprocessmapplusthesupportinginformationISthepointofneedtraining.Youmayneedtoaugmenttheprocessdiagramswithadditionaltrainingmaterial,whichyoucanattachedtoprocesssteps.

Now,trainingisavailabletonewstarterswhocomeonboardandmissthego-livetraining.

Therearesomegreatscreen-leveltrainingandwalkthroughappslikeWalkMe.com.Soifyou'reusingappslikethese,youcanlinkthespecificscreenwalkthroughsrighttotheprocesssteps.Thecombinationisverypowerfulandmakesforgreat,repeatable,andconsistenttrainingoutcomes.

Ifyou’renotusingwalkthroughapps,theattachmentscouldbequickvideosoffillingoutaSalesforcescreenorvoice-overscreencapturestocapture“How-To”informationaboutuseofSalesforcescreens.

17.Itisstilluptodate,right?

I have used Elements to conduct scores of process mapping sessions with subject matter experts. Most importantly, they develop a sense of pride in their work and in their ability to draw a process map that accurately depicts the essential tasks they perform.

“Jim BootsAuthor & Principal

Global Process Innovation

“

3018.Itwasanengineeringcompany,andtheyLOVEprocess19.CPWisnotanElementsclient,butthisproject,whichwonaGartnerBPMaward,usedtheapproachinthisbookSeevideo:http://Bit.do/CPWBPM

6.3Brandingyourimplementation

What’s yours called? When staff, partners and suppliers talk to each other about using “the system” tofind information, help clients, make sales, then what do they refer to? What do they call it? Theyprobably don’t call it Salesforce because in most companies it is more than that.

Herearesomeideasthatotherorganizationshaveusedfornamesfortheirimplementations:

o How2orHowToo MyCustomero WOW(WaysofWorking)o 360Viewo PACE(process,automation,control,execution)o CX4ALL(customerexperienceforall)o 4i(innovation,integrity,inspiration,insight)o TheBusinessProcessSystem18

Thenamesareallemotionalandmeansomethingtotheendusersinthecontextofthecompanyorproject’smission,visionandobjectives.

How you come up with a name and identity is important. It needs to be a memorable, enduring brandthat can be communicated through word of mouth. This sounds like a job for your marketing team, asthis is what they do for your own products and services. Alternatively, you can make it an internalcompetition to engage end users. You may be surprised at the results you get.

The primary success criteria for How2 is mass adoption. Put simply it’s about helping the right people do the right things at the right time.19“Chris JonesHead of Operations, Carphone Warehouse

“

3120.AsusualDilberthitsthenailsquarelyonthethumb.

6.4Howtomeasuresuccess?

As Winston Churchill said, “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at theresults.” You will inevitably need some minor course corrections as you optimize the processes, theSalesforce customization, and the training. You need solid metrics so that you can quickly see theimpact of your changes on adoption.

A classic Dilbert cartoon20

There are 2 different types of metrics;o operational metrics: how well is the business doing?o adoption metrics: are end users following the processes and using Salesforce as intended?

Metrics clearly drive behavior. Therefore, the operational metrics should reinforce the new processes.Process diagrams will help you identify the correct metrics at each level in the process map, and youcan tie the metrics to specific process steps.

Now translate that into your Salesforce implementation. You should now be able to see which processsteps are critical to get right in terms of Salesforce adoption and data quality. This is where you needto focus your efforts. This will help you optimize or change the process steps.

And here’s the bit that many people miss. If some of the people-based (non-automated) process stepsare wrong, it doesn’t matter how great the automation is, because your Salesforce implementationwill STILL be seen as poor. It doesn’t matter how great the technology or how beautiful theconfiguration.

Adoption metrics are harder to get out of Salesforce as it is more subtle than “how many users loggedin”. You will see it as data quality, calls to your Customer Support Center to help with followingprocesses to use Salesforce, or user login patterns.

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6.5Drivingcontinuousimprovement

Major change happens top down; e.g. a strategy change to make the company customer-centric,reinventing the company as a digital business, or implementing a major set of new systems such asSalesforce.

Minor changes, which are equally important, bubble-up as staff suggestions, feedback and changerequests. These improve the day-to-day operations. So you need to make it easy for anyone to provideideas and insights to help.

This simple notation and drill-down approach supports a culture where the same questions are askeda thousand times about processes at every level: “Why are we doing this? When do we do it and whatexactly do we need to do to achieve that outcome.”

The process map (defining when each step happens, the outcomes that trigger other steps, the ‘who’is responsible), makes it easy for people to spot and prioritize improvement opportunities, pain points,or even how new technology can disrupt certain aspects of the business. Marry that to the opencollaboration and you have an ideal platform for driving continuous improvement.

Some suggestions may be very targeted at Salesforce, e.g. changing the validation on a field or addingitems to a picklist. Nevertheless, the majority of changes are best understood from a business processperspective before the changes are implemented in Salesforce.

Suggestions or Salesforce upgrades are often not described in terms of business process, so you needto use your business analysis skills to really understand the problem and then identify the best way ofimplementing a solution. The solution will be a combination of changed working practices, includingSalesforce changes, and supporting information.

To be able to quickly analyze the problem, you need go back to the process map that was developedfor the original implementation. The map will help you design the solution in the context of theexisting business processes. It will also help you understand the impact on the Salesforce Org andother areas of the business to identify any conflicts.

This is the value of the process map beyond the initial implementation project. It is the basis orplatform for continuous improvement.

3321.Forsomepeople,simplyhavingadocumentedOrgwouldbeagreatstart!!

6.6Governance- theprocessofprocessimprovement

One of the first processes that needs to be in place is the “process of process improvement”. This isthe change cycle. A streamlined process that is as easy to implement as possible. Anything moreonerous and we all know that it won’t get done. There are several things that need to be versioncontrolled and governed:

o the process map itselfo each individual process diagram within a process mapo the information/documents that are attached to activity boxeso the changes that make up the Salesforce configuration / customizations

Each of these needs to have a controlled governance cycle. Whilst it would be great to think that yourdocument management and Salesforce configuration management are rigidly governed, this isprobably a rash assumption21. So you may need to implement some formal governance processes. Aword of warning: do not get sucked into governance of ALL corporate documentation. Just focus onthe documents that are related to your implementation.

It may seem painful to formally track all of these through some form of version or change control. Butif you lose control of any of them, your implementation is at risk. And any subsequent improvements –whether small incremental changes or major projects – will be a nightmare. How you do this isanother part of the “process improvement process”.

exampleChangeManagementProcess

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7.1Youareaprojectmanager

As the Salesforce Admin, whether you like it ornot, whether you have been trained or not, youmay be the de facto project manager.

Now, you may say “it is only configuringSalesforce.” That may be true, but the principlesand skills of practical project management are100% relevant to deliver it successfully.

Whether your implementation is old schoolwaterfall or agile sprints, it is still a project. It iseither big and long timescales, or small and shorttime-boxes.

Chapter7:PracticalProjectManagement

5 key activities as a Project Manager

1. Initiation, 'kick-off' or start: agreeing thescope and deliverables

2. Planning and resourcing: creating theproject plan, estimates and getting theteam together

3. Execution and delivery: ensuring that theteam are delivering what is expected

4. Monitoring and controlling: predicting riskand issues, tracking progress and reporting

5. Closing: the final push to get the projectdeliverables signed-off.

7.2Time,quality,costvs.scope

Probably the most important thing for any project manager is tounderstand the relationship between time, cost, quality and scope. Aproject manager’s skill is are balancing the conflicting pressures on time,cost and quality. And at the heart of it is scope.

As the project progresses unforeseen situations will cropup. These will impact time, cost, quality or all three.Keeping them in balance will affect scope. Trying toanticipate the risks and mitigate them with as littledisruption to the project is a key activity. As a projectmanager, you will worry about 1,000 things that could gowrong and think about how you will deal with them. And99% never happen. And that is good!

“

“

When it comes to implementing a repeatable project management process in your company that delivers ongoing business value, starting out with a process definition is key to your success..Peter Lee

CEOCloud Coach

3522.Agileapproacheshelpimprovethesestats,butcynicsmightarguethatagiledonepoorlyjusthelpsyoutofailfasterandsmaller.Sothereismorechanceofburyingtheprojectbeforeitisspotted.

Themostcommoncausesofprojectfailurearewelldocumented:

o Incompleterequirementsandpoorscopingo Changingscopeandrequirementso Unrealisticexpectationso Lackofuserinvolvement,buy-inandadoptiono Poorplanningofresourceso Lackofexecutivesupport

The first 3 items are essentially are scope control. Not getting control of scope at the beginning orlosing control of it during the project is THE killer. The greatest risk is actually at the start of anyproject, but you don’t feel the impact of poor scope control until it explodes on you later in theproject.

Failure to clearly define the scope of the implementation is likely to result in you becoming one ofthose unfortunate statistics in the survey. The best and easiest way to define the scope is in terms ofthe end-to-end business process diagram. In that way all the stakeholders start with a commonagreement on scope and objectives.

7.3 Project management = managing scope and risk

The biggest risk is at the beginning of the project. Get this wrong and you will spend the rest of theproject chasing your tail. The focus should be on getting a signed–off scope document. That means inenough detail that you understand how to develop a project plan, estimate the effort, and assignresources. When you see “project plan” you are probably rolling your eyes and thinking of fightingnightmare MSProject Gantt charts. Not so. Project plans are the minimum you need to allocateresources and track progress. They could be paper, a whiteboard in your office, spreadsheets orBasecamp. Any of these could be the right answer, based on the size of the project.

The Standish Group has been doing research and surveys on various types of IT projects since 1994.Their research, published under the title CHAOS, reveals some facts that, to most, will be astonishing22.

Projectoutcome:

§ Succeeded:completedontimeandonbudget,withallfeaturesandfunctionsasinitiallyspecified.

§ Challenged:completedandoperationalbutoverbudget,overthetimeestimate,andoffersfewerfeaturesandfunctionsthanoriginallyspecified.

§ Impaired:canceledatsomepointduringthedevelopmentcycle.

Projectsize: Small Medium Large 0%25%50%Source:CHAOSdatabase

Impaired

Challenged

Succeeded

3623.Gartnerresearch“Don'tBelievetheHype:ImplementingSaaSERP/BusinessApplicationsIsNotFastandEasy”Ref:http://bit.do/GartnerSaaSFAIL

7.4Cloudisnotdifferent

Don’t be fooled into thinking “Salesforce is different. It is a cloud app. This doesn’t apply to us”. It mighthave been true 5 or 10 years ago when Salesforce was a small self-contained SFA (SalesforceAutomation) app. Then implementations were simpler. The project was a few days. The end users werea small team. The business change was minimal.

But now many projects are large and more complex with a broad scope. The benefits of successfulimplementation are huge, but so are the technical and business risks. There are cloud project failures.Cloud only eliminates the hardware procurement and software installation. So proven projectmanagement approaches are just as valid for Salesforce and cloud implementations, no matter howlarge or small the implementation or changes.

7.5 Getting senior exec buy-in and sign-off

There will be welcome exceptions, but most execs really don't care about Salesforce. Business analysis isway below their pay grade. And if you talk about process they'll glaze over. Execs care about results.Outcomes. Impact.

A process driven approach to implementing Salesforce will improve executive engagement, reduceimplementation risks, result in more rapid onboarding and improve compliance. And it will deliverresults that execs care about.

The end result, for Sales Cloud, would be:

o better Customer Experienceo reduced cost of saleo increased win rateso improved Net Promoter Score

.

Do not confuse the implementation with installing a system, and recognize that most implementation activities are not eliminated by using a SaaS solution.23“Christian HestermannGartner

“

3724.Stopnowandwriteitdown.Yes.Stop.I’llbeherewhenyougetback.

Buy-in is important because during the project you will be asking for support: resources for yourproject, attendance at the top level workshop, nominating key business users, resolving businessconflicts, championing the go-live. If you think back, one of the critical success factors for any projectwas senior exec buy-in. If you are struggling to think of how to engage them, get them involved to“make sure we are focusing on the right business outcomes” – and they are likely to get moreengaged.

7.6 Your elevator pitch

Have you planned your elevator pitch? You step into the elevator and the CEO or Exec sponsor is inthe lift. They say “How’s the project going?” or “Remind me about your project?”

What’s your answer? Think benefits and ROI not activities. How do you make a positive impression inone short sentence?24

7.7 Steering committee / change control board

Once your project or the overall Salesforce program reaches a certain size, level of complexity, or risk,you will need a Steering Committee. Don’t think its members as the “teacher marking your work” butinstead “your big friend in the playground”.

Large complex projects run into problems and you need senior executive support to resolve thedifficulties. For example:

o Overall business direction changes so the scope changeso Business users change their requirementso You cannot get enough time from the business users to define the requirementso There is a conflict between senior business users on the requirementso There are other transformation projects that are also impacting the business processeso There are technical issues integrating Salesforce with 3rd party or internal appsand the list goes on and on…

Therefore, if your Salesforce implementation scope has expanded significantly, you need to selectyour Steering Committee with the range of responsibilities, experience and clout that will be able toresolve the issues that arise. The Steering Committee will attend the initial scoping workshop and signoff the scope document. You should arrange to report back to them on a regular basis, so there are nosurprises if you need to go back for help or support.

3825.Wearenotcompletelybarkingmad.Wedoneedtomakerevenue.TheSalesforceConfig ManagerhelpsyoudocumentyourOrgandtheRelease/VersionManagement/GovernancefeaturesarePro (paid)

8.1RegisterforElements

Anyone can register at http://elements.cloud but ifyou use this link http://bit.do/Elements you will alsoautomatically become a member of the#AwesomeAdmin Public Space.

8.2 Elements.cloud is free. Yes, really!!

Elements.cloud is free, forever for everyone 25. Thecore mapping, collaboration and communicationfunctionality that you need to deliver your Salesforceprojects is free.

The Elements Salesforce Player is also free. It givesyou single sign-on and the ability to view and editprocess diagrams inside Salesforce tabs and standard& custom objects. You can get the installation linkfrom http://bit.do/Salesforce

.

Chapter8:GettingStarted

3 Simple Steps

1. REGISTER for Elements using this linkhttp://bit.do/Elements and join thegrowing #AwesomeAdmin community

2. PLAY with Elements in your PersonalSpace. Use the hands on Tutorial toquickly understand how to get going.

3. START MAPPING by creating a newTeam Space and then creating a map.Alternatively copy one of the pre-builtmaps from the #AwesomeAdminPublic Space.

8.4#AwesomeAdminPublicSpace

A Public Space is where organizations can put process maps to share publicly via a unique URL. Anyone canregister using the URL. The #AwesomeAdmin Public Space was created for the Salesforce Admins. The firstpre-built maps were created by the Elements team and some Admin MVPs. But over time our plan is to addmaps for each area of Salesforce, and also have industry and ISV specific maps.

8.5 Team Spaces and user access

The powerful sharing model in Elements.cloud means you can create Team Spaces and invite any user intothat space to collaborate on the maps that you have given them access to. Any map you create is privateUNTIL you give users access. You are in control.

8.3YourPersonalSpace&Tutorial

Think of your Personal Space as your Elements.cloud Sandbox. Youcan play, develop ideas and skills. You can create new maps, securelyand privately. You can play and so you are ready for live mappingworkshops. Don’t worry. It is really simple. People sayElements.cloud is “Visio on hydrofoils” – smoother, faster and waycooler!!

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8.6CreatingaTeamSpace

When the time is right, you create a Team Space by simply clicking on the ‘Spaces’ icon on the left menu and thenclick the ‘CREATE SPACE’ button in the top bar. This Space is private until you start inviting users.

8.7 Inviting Users into your Team Space

Now you have a Team Space, getting Users into that Space is easy. Select the Space, click on the ‘Users’ icon onthe left menu, click on “INVITE USER” in the right panel. If they are already registered In Elements.cloud they willbe invited to the Team Space and the invitation will appear on their Home Page and on the Spaces page. If theyhaven’t registered, they will get an email invite, and when they register and verify the Team Space will be visibleon the Home Page when they first get into Elements.cloud

8.8 Inviting Users into your Team Space using the Elements Salesforce Integration

If you have installed the Elements Salesforce package, in Settings you can connect your Salesforce Org to a TeamSpace. You can add every Salesforce user to your Team Space so that they can then use their Salesforcecredentials to access Elements.cloud and they will be part of your Team Space. This is completely free.

8.9GettingcontentintoyourTeamSpace

Thereare2waystocreatemapsinyourTeamSpace.

You can create a new map. Click on the Maps icon in the left menu and select “CREATE NEW MAP” in the top bar.Enter the map name and decide which Space you want to create the map in. The Elements.cloud diagram editorwill open so you can create the top level diagram for your new map. Click on SWITCH TO EDIT.

8.10Givingaccesstoyourmap

ForeachmapyoucancontroluseraccessfromtheSHAREtabintherightcolumn.

You can give all users in your Team Space View and Copy access to your map by clicking on the toggle switches.You can give access rights to allow Team Space users on a case-by-case basis to Manage or Edit a map by clickingon the INVITE USER in the right panel.

You can also give View rights to a map for users who are not members of the Team Space by clicking on the INVITEbutton in the right panel. All users can then comment and join threads to provide collaborative input.

OryoucancopyamapfromaPublicSpacesuchas#AwesomeAdmin.This has a growing list of pre-built process maps including Salesforce Sales Cloud, MarketingCloud and Human Capital Management. To copy a map, open the Space. Click the Map iconon the left menu. Select the map and then click on the copy icon in the top bar

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Makesureyou’repluggedintotherightplacestogetinformationandgivefeedback:

o JointheElements.cloudSuccessCommunityinSalesforce

o Checkbackinregularlyinthe#AwesomeAdminPublicSpaceinElements.cloudandseewhatnewmapshavebeenadded

o Ifyoucan’tfindwhatyouwantthere,youcanalwayscontactusatsuccess@elements.cloud WealwayswelcomedirectfeedbackanddialoguetoensurewearedoingeverythingwecantosupportyourSalesforceneedsaroundAnalysis,AutomationandAdoption.

8.11Helpwhenandwhereyouneedit

Mapping skills come quickly by doing. Using this process mapping approach and the Elements.cloud app isobviously a learning curve, but it is a short and rewarding one.

So if you’ve read this book, and are sitting trying to figure things out, don’t sit too long. Ask questions, askfor help, ask for links to more information.Click on the chat icon on the bottom right of every Elements screen and one of our customer success teamwill respond. They are experienced consultants so are more than just a product help desk.

There is more detailed help on every aspect of Elements on the Elements Answers website.http://answers.elements.cloud The Customer Success Team has years of experience applying this approachon client engagements. Simply email success@elements.cloud and the training, backgrounddocumentation and tips and hints are constantly being updated and improved.

The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.“ The Walt Disney Company

“

4126.InsertyourownadjectivebeginningwithP

A1.1 Live process mapping

Using live workshops to map out businessprocesses is far more effective than completingquestionnaires or conducting individualinterviews. Whilst live workshops - either faceto face or virtual - seem to be scary and higherrisk, the benefits are huge.

Don’t underestimate how much time this savesor the value delivered for the timeexpended. It will take far less time than youthink to become proficient at running livemapping workshops. To start with you may feelmore comfortable with 2 facilitators; one to“work the room” and one to use Elements.cloudto map the processes. Elements.cloud has beendesigned to work really well in live workshops,whether face to face or virtual.

Appendix1:Runningliveworkshops

Benefits of LIVE workshops

o They build consensus in the group andrapidly drive out improvement ideas. Someof these ideas are quick wins that don’t evenneed Salesforce changes

o You are developing the process content inthe workshop, so no need to try andinterpret notes or photos of whiteboardswhen you get back to your desk to build theprocess diagrams.

o It is easier to get agreement and sign-offwhen the participants see it being developedand they have had input as it is beingcreated.

A1.2Workshopprinciples

o 5P’s=PreparationPreventsParticularly26 PoorPerformanceThisaboutthelikelyprocessyouaredeveloping,thepoliticsintheroom,theobjections...

o Theimportantthingisgetinteractionandmomentum.Getthemtalking/arguing.Itmaystartslowly,butitisworthinvestingthetimetobuildconsensus.

o Beforeyoudoanything,EXPLAINHOWyouaregoingtocapturetheprocessi.e.usetheWHEN,WHATWHYandHOWdiagram.Showtheuseoftheverbandnounconstruct.Showthenanexampleofacompletedmapwithactivityboxes,resources,attachmentsanddrilldowns.

o Mapusingonlinebusinessapptool.o Donotoptoutandjustuseawhiteboardforthemapping– okforhigherlevelobjectivesandnotes–

buttheseshouldallendupintheMapinappropriateplacesandcontextsanyway.o Spendtimetobeclearontheoutcomesthattheendtoendprocesscoveredbythisworkshopis

lookingtodeliver.Besttousethestickynotetoputthesekeyoutcomesintoonscreensoyoucanmovethemaround.Ifyou’reallinthesameroom,awhiteboardisalsogreat.

o Setthescopeoftheworkshopbylookingatthefirstinputandlastoutput.Itmaytakeasurprisinglylongtimetogetagreementonthis.YOUCANNOTmoveforwarduntilthisisagreed.

o Togetthemtofocusonactivitiesuse“IhavejustjoinedyourorganizationasaXXXX,andIneedtoXXX.HowdoIknowwhattodonext?HowdoIknowwhenI’vefinished”

o Mapthe“assumeitworks”flow.Donotgetboggeddownintoalltheexceptionsandvariationsuntilyouhavemappedthe“assumeitworks”route(whathappensmostoften)end-to-end.

o CheckregularlywiththeparticipantsthatthemappedinformationisanaccuraterepresentationofwhatwasdiscussedIftheycan’tagree,movetoawhiteboardtosketchaflowofprocesses,thengobackandmap.

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A1.3Preparation

o Scopeofprojectfromprojectproposalandscopedocumento Objectivesofoverallproject(keybusinessoutcomesthatthisprojectcontributesto)o Objectiveofworkshopfromprojectsponsor,projectmanagerandSalesforceAdmino Personalobjectivesofprojectsponsor,projectmanagerandSalesforceAdmino Scope&contextofworkshop- inputandoutputo Audience– name,role,titleo Whatpersonalconflicts&politicsinthegroup,andwhereispower?o Terminology– whatwillturnthemon,turnthemoff,no-no’so Howmuchunderstanding&buy-indoestheaudiencehaveofprocesses?o Whatisthepaintoresolve?o WhereisROIorwin?

A1.4Agenda

o Introductions– goaroundtheroomo Introducesession– whytheyarethere,pain,…o Objectivesofthesession– workingmeetingtogetaresulto Benefitsofsession

§ definescompanyoperationalstrategy§ setscontextforspecificprojects§ setsprioritiesforimprovementprojects§ kickstartprojects

o Projectsponsordemonstratessupporto Show‘finishedproduct’processdiagramsotheyknowwhattheyareaimingao Strategicobjectivesonwhiteboard(tangible– withmeasures)o Mapprocesseso IdentifySalesforceconfiguration(useDataTable)o Identifysupportinginformation(useDataTable)orlinktoknowninformationdirectlyo Identifyprocessownerso Identifymetrics(useDataTable)o Identifypriorityprocessesforinitialprojectso Nextsteps

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o With remote sessions, ensure peopleare on the same diagram inElements.cloud and understand how toadd comments to contribute remotely.Doing this direct in the Elements.cloudmeans all threads are maintained in thecontext of the diagram, instead of lostat the end of the web session ordetached in an unrelated chatterstream.

o Get people involved. If you are remote,encourage interruption and comments,use sticky notes to capture people’sinput. You can always stack them up forresolution later or move them out ofthe currently visible area.

o If you’re in the same location, don’t beafraid to use white boards and Post-Itnotes, But make sure you capture themall at the end of the session in thecontext of the diagram.

A1.5 Approach

o Optimum duration for each process mappingsession should be no more than 3-4 hours.People start losing interest after that.

o Keep participants to between 8-10 people(Process Owner, Key Stakeholders, SMEs). Theyneed to understand that they will be requiredto participate NOT observe.

o It is strongly recommended that the facilitatorshould be different from the process mapper.Especially in large workshops the mapper willbe too busy capturing to facilitate properly.Clearly the exception is where you are driving agroup remotely. In either case, ensure theperson doing the mapping is reasonably quickwith a keyboard and mouse and familiar withElements. It is very quick, but you don’t wantto learn about it with an audience!

o It is useful if the facilitator is not an expert inthe field being discussed – allows them to askthe ‘obvious’ questions, point out glaringinconsistencies, and prevents them fromsteering the group towards the facilitator’spersonal preferences.

A1.6GroundRules

o Focusonthe“assumeitworks”processfirst.Thenmapoutexceptions.o Silence=Agreemento Park/boardunresolvedissuesafter5minutesofdiscussion.o MapoutprocessesonelevelatatimestartingatthehighestlevelTHENdrilldowninto

moreandmoredetails(i.e.,Inputs,Activities,Outputs,Resources).Whereverpossible,outputsshouldnotbethepasttenseoftheActivity,butshouldaddvaluetotheprocessdescription.

o Keepdiagramsreadable(8-10activityboxesperdiagram).Oneconversationatatime.o MapactivitiesNOTfunctions!o Allparticipantsareequalandeveryone’sinputiswelcome.Managers– donotdominate

thediscussion– letthepeoplewhoactuallydoithavetheirsay.

44ThankstoBenBolopue(QuanexBuildingProducts)forthiscontent.Followhim@sfdcgeek

LEANo Known Problemso Elimination of wasteo Standardize processeso Simpleo Visual

A2.1LEANvsSixSigma

There are different business analysis approaches, but the most popular are LEAN and SixSigma. Bothapproaches can be extremely useful in their own right and one is not better than the other. The tablebelow helps you understand the key differences and when they should be applied.

In terms of Lean thinking: Womack and Jones’ five principles are:

o Specify what creates value from the customers perspective.o Identify all steps across the whole value stream.o Make those actions that create value flow.o Only make what is pulled by the customer just-in-time.o Strive for perfection by continually removing successive layers of waste.

These grew out of the original Lean Manufacturing movement and the Toyota Way. Six Sigma seeks toimprove the quality of the output of a process by identifying and removing the causes of defects andminimizing variability in manufacturing and business processes. It uses quality and mainly empirical,statistical methods and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization, who are expertsin these methods.

Over the years, Lean and Six Sigma approaches have naturally found common ground (and been applied bya lot of the same people). So in a nutshell, here are the key principles of Lean Six Sigma BusinessTransformation as a more general business focused articulation:

o Focus on the customero Identify and understand how the work gets done (the value stream)o Manage, improve and smooth the process flowo Remove non-value-adding steps and wasteo Manage by fact and reduce variationo Involve and equip the people in the processo Undertake improvement activity in a systematic way

SixSigmao Unknown Problemso Statisticalreductionofvariationo Standardizeprocesseso Analyzedatatodeterminerootcauses

Appendix2:LEAN

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Overproductiono Goingtoofaraboveandbeyondo “IknowyouonlyaskedmetogetpricingforproductA,

butsinceIwasinthebookanywayIpulleditforproductsBandCaswell.Itwasn’tabigdeal.”

Processingo Doingthingsunnecessarilyorwithaddedstepso “Iwould’vebeenabletodomyjobrightaway,butIhadtodigupthis,thatandtheotherthing

beforeIcouldmoveforward.”

UnderutilizationofHumanResourceso Wastedtalentistalentnotrecognizedandthereforecannotbeusedtoimprovetheefficiencyof

aprocess.o Weoftenassumethatpeople’sabilitiesareevidentinourday-to-dayinteractionswiththem.

Thismentalityoftenleadstotypecastingorpigeonholingpeople.

Waitingo Waitingforinformationo Waitingforproducto Waitingforresources

A2.3 The different types of waste

LEAN is all about identifying and eliminating waste. Wasteis anything that doesn’t add value or aid in the meeting ofstated requirements. With LEAN, there are 6 generallyaccepted forms of waste:

Reworko Re-doingthingso Ifyouneedtodosomethingasecondtimeto

getitright,theinitialtimespentdoingitthefirsttime,waswaste.

Motion/Conveyanceo Unnecessarymovementofpeopleorthingso PhysicallymovingthingsfrompointAtopointBo MovingdatafrompointAtopointBwhenit’s

inevitablygoingtoendupatpointC

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He was co-founder and CEO of Nimbus - a Salesforce customerfrom 2001 - which was acquired by TIBCO in 2011. The Nimbusbusiness analysis app was used by 1000+ clients includingNestle, HSBC, SAP, Barclays, Toyota, Sara Lee, AstraZeneca, non-profits and Government. Prior to that he was CIO of the largestUK Government agency, and an Associate Partner at Accenturewhere he lead the ProgramManagement practice.

He is CEO and founder of Elements.cloud who offer a businessanalysis app designed for the #AwesomeAdmin, based inSan Francisco.

He is an author of 8 books, a prolific blogger with a rare ability tomake the complex seem simple which makes him a sought afterand entertaining conference speaker. And he is powered byDuracell.

Appendix2:Authors

IANGOTTSFounderandCEOElements.cloud

ian@elements.cloud@iangotts

He was co-founder of Nimbus, developing and managing theoperation that ran the ‘Sell and Implement’ process fromstartup in 1997 until it was acquired by TIBCO. Passionate aboutlong-term Customer Success as the route to a great business,Richard was also deeply involved in leading analysis andtransformation projects in many of Nimbus largest clients. Hewas an author of Common Approach, Uncommon Results whichrevolutionized the analysis and adoption agenda in clients.

As Chief Customer Officer of Elements.cloud, Richard is drivingthe engagement model and ecosystem to leverage the Elementssoftware and approach to “Make work easier, faster and morevaluable for millions of people”.

Helping to enable Salesforce’s #AwesomeAdmin community is acornerstone of that mission.

RICHARDPARKERFounderandCCOElements.cloud

richard@elements.cloud@RP_elements