Expanding Salesforce Capabilities with Integrative Third-Party Apps

While unveiling the global leader of customer relationship management (CRM) platforms, Salesforce has been ranking as the number one CRM provider for almost a decade. 

Per recent market stats, 33% of businesses are using Salesforce, and so far, this CRM has generated a revenue of around $31.4 billion, about an 18.35% boost from 2022. 

Without advanced technical knowledge, you can easily use Salesforce, a feature-rich CRM, to handle every sales process aspect. However, more ways exist to exploit this CRM, like Salesforce third-party integration. When you integrate Salesforce with other systems in the IT infrastructure, it automates workflow and makes data exchange seamless.

This post will discuss Salesforce integration with third-party applications, how it can benefit businesses and boost ROI, its impact on varied departments, ways and processes to integrate, challenges you can face, and more. 

Let’s get started!

What is Salesforce Integration? 

The process of connecting Salesforce with other CRM software solutions or apps is known as Salesforce integration. It provides users with a single and unified experience, offering them a blend of features from both platforms. By connecting with apps, teams, and customers, Salesforce integration assists businesses in performing well in the market. 

Salesforce integration is based on application programming interfaces (APIs), the software intermediaries that let two apps interact. Salesforce also has standard APIs that ease its connection with other systems. 

Let’s check out some figures impacting the CRM market. 

• In the fiscal year 2023, Salesforce touched the highest revenue of $31.4 billion. 
• Most of the Salesforce revenue in 2021, around $19.98 billion, came from support services and subscriptions. Such services were responsible for approximately 93.99% of the total revenue. 
• In 2021, Salesforce Sales Cloud generated around $5.19 billion, Service Cloud contributed approximately 32% from support and subscription, and marketing and commerce increased the revenue by 15.66% in 2021. 

Benefits To Integrate Salesforce With Third-Party Apps

Salesforce third-party integration can be beneficial in many ways for improved business performance, irrespective of integration type or industry. Let’s check out a few:

1. Sound Decision Making

The enterprises fail to make informed decisions if data is locked in silos. 

Salesforce CRM integration provides a comprehensive, 360-degree customer data view; businesses can make informed decisions to improve their product or services and customer experiences. Across the entire system, they can access real-time data that helps them analyze analytics dashboards and sound decision-making. 

2. Improved Data Consistency and Accuracy

Salesforce allows data access from different sources, be it sales, ERP, accounting, or HR, and also with in-house systems, permitting the team to sync in real time and avoiding manual data entry. 

This way, Salesforce ensures data accuracy and consistency across systems, reducing errors. 

3. 360-Degree Customer View

Salesforce integration with third-party apps unites the sensitive details of customers from different systems into a central hub. This unified view offers a complete view of customers’ data, allowing one-on-one interaction, offering personalized recommendations, improving targeted marketing campaigns, and offering better customer services. 

4. Automate & Streamline Process

Being unaffected by the type of business domain, Salesforce integration permits seamless data exchange across varied departments and automates synchronization, enhancing cross-department tasks. 

5. Boost Productivity

Integrating Salesforce with other solutions automates varied operations, avoiding the need for manually doing the jobs, which saves time and boosts the team’s productivity.

Key Areas Where Third-Party Integrations Have Made an Impact

However, Salesforce integration with third-party solutions influences various departments in different ways. Here, we will discuss its major impacts. 

1. Customer Support and Service

– Integrations like Zendesk, ServiceNow, etc.

Salesforce service cloud offers assistance to customers anywhere, anytime. Besides, the Salesforce mobile app helps employees to conduct tasks easily using their mobile phones from anywhere. This way, even if the customer support reps are away from their desks, they can revert to customers’ queries there and then. 

When we integrate Salesforce with customer support and service software, it helps in:

• Real-time ticketing, 
• Automated responses, and 
• Improved customer satisfaction metrics.
• Increased customer loyalty
• Rapid resolution to customer queries
• Enhanced customer interactions
• Better communication with employees and customers
• Better customer understanding
• Actionable business insights
• Improved team collaboration

2. Marketing Automation

– Tools like Marketo, HubSpot, and Pardot.

Salesforce integration emerges as a valuable help for marketers improving their business operations, automating them that leads to boosted productivity and increased ROI. 

When we integrate Salesforce with marketing automation tools, it helps in:

• Enhanced lead generation, nurturing, and conversion rates,
• Personalizing customer relationships,
• Improved business intelligence
• Better customer handling, 
• Automate triggers relevant to customer behavior, and
• Sync audience segments.

3. Finance and Accounting

– Integrations such as QuickBooks, FinancialForce, etc.

Salesforce targets tracking and managing the sales process. When Salesforce is integrated with accounting systems, it allows seamless financial data sharing within the sales team. This lets the sales team view all the client’s details, track expenses, gain insights, and create customer reports. 

When we integrate Salesforce with financial and accounting systems, it helps in:

• Faster invoicing, 
• Accurate financial forecasting, 
• Streamlined expense management,
• Sound decision-making
• Better collaboration,
• Automate workflows,
• Boosted productivity,
• Save data entry time,
• Easy sharing of financial data between systems,
• Unify sales and financial teams,
• Real-time data access from varied sources and
• Diminish the risks of errors and mistakes. 

4. Collaboration and Communication

– Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams integrations.

Salesforce CRM integration assists teams of organizations with easy access to shared customer notes, profiles, and interactions. This leads to seamless communication, cohesive responses to customer needs, and efficient team collaboration. 

When we integrate Salesforce with collaboration and communication systems, it helps in:

• Improved team collaboration, 
• Instant communication, and task management, 
• Efficient team collaboration, 
• Respond cohesively to customer requirements,
• Offer real-time alerts for updates and changes,
• Improves communications,
• Reduce errors of inaccurate or outdated information,
• Offer real-time communication between apps or systems,
• Automate data synchronization,
• Error-free and seamless data flow between different departments and 
• Boost team collaboration. 

5. E-commerce

– Integrations like Shopify, Magento, etc.

Salesforce integration with eCommerce systems streamlines data flows, offers better client information visibility, boosts up-selling and cross-selling, and runs varied personalized marketing campaigns. 

When we integrate Salesforce with eCommerce systems, it helps in:

• Seamless order management, 
• Real-time inventory updates, 
• Enhanced customer buying experience,
• Access to real-time sales data, 
• Unify digital commerce with order management and store operations,
• Capitalize on improved functionalities for marketing, sales, and customer support, 
• Easily set up an online store, 
• Convert and close more leads and deals, and
• Conduct forecasting for manufacturing, sourcing, and sales. 

Ways To Integrate Salesforce With Third-party Applications

You can integrate Salesforce with third-party apps in various ways as follows to leverage the best out of both worlds. 

1. Real-Time Integration

The real-time integration of Salesforce with third-party apps allows users to showcase data in other systems instantly after the integration process ends. If you are looking to align Salesforce sales and marketing jobs, this way of integration would be an efficient and effective choice. Most businesses pick this to handle errors and manage queues effectively.

2. AppExchange 

A marketplace especially crafted for Salesforce users, AppExchange is a hub of varied ready-to-install apps. It’s also known for finding the best Salesforce consultants and solutions. Known as the top enterprise marketplace, the AppExchange has 5,000+ free and paid app listings. 

Most of such apps come pre-integrated with Salesforce and crafted for sales, ERP, and service. This saves time and money for integration. On this Salesforce app store, you can find popular software tools for integration, like Zapier, Mailchimp, and Slack. 

3. Batch Integration

Batch data integration helps extract contacts, accounts, and opportunities from your existing CRM system and transform them into Salesforce. You can use this form of integration to take your customer billing data from a remote system and load it into a Salesforce system per week. Besides, you can choose this option to import and share a huge data volume seamlessly. 

4. Code-Based Integration

One of the best ways to integrate Salesforce with other systems or apps using a programming language is code-based integration. Salesforce experts mostly use Apex to write codes similar to Java and share them on the Salesforce platform. 

This Salesforce integration approach is a perfect fit for complicated integration, where it supports large enterprises to optimize crucial processes. As you can’t choose to execute a code-based integration strategy independently, you need to partner with a Salesforce Consulting company to get assistance in conducting the process easily.

5. Canvas

Canvas is a good choice for integrating third-party apps directly with Salesforce UI, permitting users to interact with 3rd-party apps while staying on the Salesforce platform. 

Canvas eases third-party app integration with Salesforce and arrives with tools and JavaScript APIs that expose an application as a canvas app. It means you can include any existing or new third-party app into your Salesforce org and allow your users to make the best out of them. Canvas tools are best at integrating your technology within Canvas to avoid any need for reintegrating or redesigning your external apps. 

6. APIs

When APIs are used to integrate Salesforce with third-party apps, they interpret the communication between the systems. Besides, this way of integration permits businesses to create custom dashboards and reports that unify data from multiple systems. This way, you get a unified view of your organization’s departments. 

Challenges Face To Integrate Salesforce With Third-party Applications

Salesforce integration may appear to be disruptive to your business, but on the positive side, you must also face some of the challenges. 

While integrating Salesforce with other third-party systems or apps, you may experience the following challenges:

1. Hectic in Finding the Right Salesforce Integration Partner

A successful Salesforce integration process needs perfect guidance and assistance from an experienced Salesforce integration partner. The market is full of Salesforce service providers offering varied relevant aid. Getting the one meeting a complete solution may be challenging, including pre-and post-Salesforce integration requirements. 

You need a profound observation of how the partners carry your business goals and understand them to integrate the best-fit systems with your Salesforce organization smoothly. Monitor their practices to diminish setbacks probabilities and attain successful integration. 

2. API Overload

SOAP or REST API app integration demands efficient coding to catch up with smooth operations. Finding interesting ways for API code optimization and avoiding excessive API calls negatively impacting performance and Salesforce limits may appear daunting for a user. Here, batch-process records can’t help improve code efficiency by making individual calls. 

3. Doubtful Data Migration Process

The key aspect of Salesforce integration is data migration; accuracy is also important. Here, the challenge is creatively navigating the complexities of data migration, like altering data storage across Salesforce editions and possible duplication. 

4. Bulk Coding & App Installation

While monitoring software and infrastructure changes, you need to expertly manage and spread constant updates. Multiple app installations and extensive coding are essential to attain successful Salesforce integration. The main source of this issue is the coding complexity management and installation process coordination. 

5. Cost Issues

Stakeholder expectation management, smart decision-making, and detailed timeline creation with every milestone ensure cost management during integration. Accessing valuable third-party tools, sticking to the budget, and ensuring effective data synchronization is difficult. 

Salesforce integration projects demand proper planning, proper cost estimation, and management for success. Besides, cost calculation and planned budget management are also necessary to witness more impacts from integration. 

6. Data Dilemma

In Salesforce integration, data quality and validation issues usually come to the surface, requesting a powerful data management strategy. Here, you need to be quick at building the right data management strategy that can handle such issues effectively. 

Process To Integrate Third-Party Applications With Salesforce

1. Pre-Integration Checklist – Factors to Consider

You need to consider various factors before starting the Salesforce integration process, like learning about your business requirements, knowing the technical needs of the integration, determining the data you want to share, and setting up a backup plan to beat the data loss situation (if it occurs) during the integration. 

2. Choose a Salesforce Integration Software – Select the Right App/System/Tool

You need to choose the right Salesforce integration tool to attain a successful integration process. For that, you can consider essential aspects, like compatibility with your current systems, features it offers, ease of use, and most importantly, the pricing. 

3. Configuration and Settings – Time to Start Your Integration Process

While kickstarting the Salesforce integration process, configure the settings on Salesforce and the third-party app, including setting up access permission, defining the connection parameters, and configuring data exchange rules. 

4. Data Mapping – Flawless Data Flow

One of the most important processes in the integration process is data mapping, which demands defining how the data field in Salesforce correlates with the third-party app. This ensures seamless data flows between the two systems. 

5. Validation and Testing – Smooth Salesforce Integration Process

Before you make your integration go live, you must perform deep testing, including data accuracy validation, real-time data sync check, and error-less data exchange confirmation. 

Case Studies

Let’s create some scenarios of potential case studies to learn the capabilities of Salesforce integration. 

Case #1 Salesforce Health Cloud Service Services Integration with Various Third-Party Apps

Solution For: Healthcare Professionals, Services offered by healthcare organizations, and Patients. 

Specification: Chronic Care Management, Medical Nutrition Therapy, and Remote Patient Monitoring

Requirements: Integration with Smart Fitness Data for accurate recording of behavioral data

Challenges  (Expected)

• Difficulty keeping track of surgery actions (pre and post).
• No proper device data. 
• Unavailability of healthcare provider and patient interaction.
• Medicine reminders.
• Feedback for treatment.

Results Obtained

• Boosted the productivity of medical staff.
• Diminished manual efforts.
• Improved customer experience.
• Reduced data loss.
• Enhanced data management. 

Case #2 Integration of Salesforce Marketing Cloud with Salesforce Sales Cloud

Solution For: Education Industry – University, Prospects, Students, and Alumni.

Specification: Salesforce Application and implementation of Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud Setup, Marketing Cloud connector & Data Extension Setup, Journeys Setup for Alumni and Prospects

Requirements: Track details of prospects, students, and alumni. 

Challenges  (Expected)

• Track Alumni, students, and leads pursuing the courses. 
• Marketing management from Salesforce marketing cloud.
• Filter graduates’ data interested in varied courses. 
• Set up journeys of Alumni and prospects for the open campaigns. 

Results Obtained

• Increased customer engagement.
• Diminished time needed for designing and finalizing templates.
• Extended reach to the right customer.
• Decreased time required in the Marketing journey.

Case #3  Integration of B2B Commerce Cloud and Chatbot 

Solution For: IT Systems and Machines, Electronics Supplier of Mobile Phones, Laptops, Cameras, etc. 

Specification: Expand customer base and reach maximum audiences 

Requirements: Create their online presence and provide discounts and offers. 

Challenges  (Expected)

• Product suggestion.
• Limit product purchase.
• Pricing variation.
• Marketing campaigns launching.
• Quick response time. 

Results Obtained

• Improved customer experience.
• Increased customer retention.
• Expanded customer base.
• Increased sales. 

Best Practices To Follow Salesforce With Third-party Integration

1. Understand Business Needs and Expected Outcomes 

First, you should start accessing your business requirements, what you are looking for, and the functionality you expect. 

Pros: You will find a pathway towards choosing the right tool for Salesforce integration. 

2. Understand the Technical Essentials

Next, you should work on finding the technical demands of the integration process you ought to conduct. 

Pros: The right technology will help you emerge with the desired objectives. 

3. Data Defining (to-be-shared)

Now, you should determine the data you would like to share for your successful integration process. 

Pros: Prior preparation will ease the Salesforce integration process. 

4. Set Up a Contingency Plan

You may experience data loss during the integration process. To handle that unexpected scenario, you should be set with a backup plan that may save you from data loss. 

Pros: You can safeguard your data from getting lost, leading to time and money savings that you would need to fix the data loss issue. 

5. Data Type Recognition

Ahead, it is time to recognize the data type, like your expected data volume, API behavior, integration flow, and number of object fields. 

Pros: You can pile up the process accordingly for a successful data transfer during the integration process. 

6. Conduct Market Research

Next, you should research the latest market trends and your competitors. Mark their lagging factors that you can improvise to beat your competitors. 

Pros: You will find an opportunity to learn from others’ mistakes and cover up the market. 

7. Choose The Right Integration Tool

Supporting your current and future business needs, you should pick the most suitable tool for Salesforce integration. 

Pros: You will get the expected outcomes from your business easily. 

8. Make Informed Decision

Now, it’s time to make sound decisions on your data security, storage, and sync frequency so that you don’t witness any type of issue post-integration. 

Pros: Informed decisions lead to a successful integration process. 

Why Choose Us to Integrate Salesforce with Third-party?

Are you looking for a successful app/tool/system integration with Salesforce? Partner with a Salesforce integration service provider, like Emizentech. 

Emizentech is a reliable Salesforce integration service provider assisting worldwide clients across varied industry verticals globally. 

You can check our track record of successful Salesforce integration projects showcasing our success stories of helping enterprises redefine their business operations and outrank their respective industries. 

At Emizentech, we provide top-class Salesforce consulting services to ensure seamless integration can benefit your business with the expected outcomes. 

Conclusion

In this post, we gained knowledge about Salesforce integration, benefits, areas it impacts within an organization, top ways of Salesforce integration, challenges, best practices, and more. 

You may find it seamless to integrate tools with Salesforce to improve your organization’s functionality and boost productivity. But, with proper guidance and assistance from a Salesforce consulting company, you can attain a successful integration process effortlessly. 

Connect with a Salesforce consulting company today!

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