Transformation @ Work

Nothing kills productivity like “swivel chair” moments, when employees have to pivot between multiple platforms and programs just to get their job done. But what if you could condense all of your daily tasks into the same platform you already use for daily communication, and work seamlessly in one place throughout the day– no pivoting required? Whether you’re brand-new to the solution or you’ve been messaging coworkers on Slack for years, there are likely still some game-changing features you might not know about. From approvals to integrations, check out the latest Transformation @ Work to learn how to transform Slack into a superpowered collaboration station. Key Insights 02:01: Understanding Slack’s transformation from a communications platform to an all-in-one collaboration solution 02:40: How switching between programs and solutions can add up to significant time costs for employees– and how Slack can help 04:36: Exploring Slack’s template library, and what its out-of-the-box automations have to offer 06:01: How employees can leverage Slack’s workflow builder to create custom third-party automations 08:15: Slack automation in action: real-world use cases for how teams are streamlining processes via automation 10:35: Leveraging Slack apps to strengthen company culture and deepen employee relationships Guest Bios Krishna Patel, Partner Engineer, Slack Krish has spent the past several years working deeply with Slack as a solution, which gives him an in-depth understanding of the product and its capabilities. In his current role as Partner Engineer for the solution, he works closely with partners and developers to drive product integrations and deliver technical solutions to address needs across the Slack ecosystem. Kishan Patel, Senior Solution Consultant, Gerent An 18X Salesforce-certified product expert, Kish brings years of experience and a wealth of technical expertise to his current role as Senior Solution Consultant. He specializes in building strong relationships with internal and external partners to identify pain points and develop winning solutions that drive customer success.

Employees only have so many hours in the day. They can either spend that time fighting with manual processes and repetitive tasks, or they can focus on building relationships with customers and growing the business. This is especially true in automotive dealerships, where that personalized experience is more important than ever, and time-consuming, repetitive tasks cause major frustration for employees and customers alike. How can dealers free up that precious employee time, so they can focus on what matters? In this episode of Transformation @ Work, our experts uncover how Salesforce Automotive Cloud can automate and streamline processes and workflows, setting up dealership employees for success. Key Talking Points 03:15: Benchmarks and habits of truly enabled employees, and how those employees add value back to the dealership 04:38: Why workarounds and manual solutions are a red flag when it comes to employee enablement 06:51: How Salesforce Automotive Cloud can automate daily tasks and help dealership employees reclaim their daily capacity 08:03: The importance of bringing employees onboard and soliciting feedback during every step of the Salesforce implementation 11:11: Setting benchmarks for success: key metrics and goals for managers to watch for during implementation 13:24: What dealerships can achieve by enabling employee success with process and workflow automation Guest Bios Brian Schumacher, President, ResultsGuru.com Brian is a long-time technical consultant, having worked with Harley Davidson Canada’s network performance team for 15+ years. He brings 40+ years of experience in technical and business consulting in automotive to his current role, as well as keen insights into how dealerships can leverage technology to get better, more accurate results. Jennifer Thompson, Automotive Practice & Pre-sales Leader, Gerent Jeni is a tenured consultant with 20+ years of experience analyzing the technology needs of Automotive and Manufacturing companies. During that time, she spent 16 years working directly with dealer management system tech companies and 7 as a consultant, heavily engaged within the Dealer & OEM space. Prior to her role at Gerent, she served as a Pre-sales Engagement Manager in Salesforce’s Manufacturing practice.

The sales process is the lifeblood of any manufacturing organization – and yet, despite its importance, it remains a source of frustration for many organizations. Blue sheets, log books, cumbersome spreadsheets; these hallmarks of a manual sales process bring with them headaches, siloed processes, and often missed opportunities. Faced with trying to overhaul their sales process, PTR Group turned to Salesforce. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, find out how Gerent was able to help PTR group achieve this goal, unlocking valuable new cross-selling opportunities along the way. Key Takeaways 01:30: How PTR Group’s manual sales process impacted collaboration and cross-selling opportunities 04:57: How Gerent worked to overcome PTR Group’s hesitance in learning new technology, and helped them embrace Salesforce 06:45: Choosing the right Salesforce administrator, and why that is an essential step in the implementation process 08:40: The importance of relationship building: How Gerent and PTR group worked together to build a better sales process 11:27: Unlocking greater visibility and cross-collaboration with Salesforce Sales Cloud 14:50: The impact that Sales Cloud has had on PTR group’s sales process and ability to cross-sell to existing customers Guest Bios Philip Moroco, Chief Commercial Officer, PTR Group Philip brings over 19 years of experience to his current role as Chief Commercial Officer for PTR Group, a manufacturer of metal and plastic components that create sub assemblies for OEMs and suppliers across a range of industries. Roger Yeager, Supply Chain Manager, PTR Group Roger has acted as Supply Chain Manager for American Cap, a subsidiary of PTR Group, for over 23 years. In addition to his current role, he acts as Salesforce administrator for PTR Group, and worked alongside Gerent throughout the implementation process. Zohaib Noorani, Senior Solution Consultant, Gerent In his current role as Senior Solution Consultant, Zohaib combines over a decade of manufacturing experience with four years spent in the Salesforce ecosystem to help clients solve complex business problems using agile & hybrid methodologies. Indubala Kachhawa, Project Manager, Gerent Prior to joining Gerent, Indubala has worked in the technology and consulting space for over 15 years. That extensive experience provides her with valuable insights in how clients can build better processes and digital workflows through technology.

Delivering a personalized car buying experience is a “holy grail” for any automotive dealership. After all, by meeting the customer where they are and anticipating their needs, employees are truly empowered to turn incoming leads into high-value opportunities. But how do you unlock those experiences when customers might only visit your dealership once a year at most? In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re looking at how better data structuring and predictive AI capabilities can overhaul customer-dealer interactions and transform the car buying experience. Key Insights 02:36: Imagining an ideal, personalized dealership experience, and how technology can help facilitate that 03:52: Current barriers keeping dealers from delivering personalized experiences to customers 06:00: How dealerships can leverage technology to capture, structure, and action customer data— regardless of where it comes from 09:04: How Salesforce Automotive Cloud can enable employees to convert leads into opportunities and build real relationships with customers 12:31: Adding AI to the mix: leveraging predictive AI to anticipate customer interactions and enable employee success 15:57: The crucial role of high-quality data in maximizing employee readiness and personalizing customer experiences Guest Bios Jennifer Thompson Director, Automotive Practice & Presales, Gerent Jeni is a tenured consultant with 20+ years of experience analyzing the technology needs of Automotive and Manufacturing companies. During that time, she spent 16 years working directly with dealer management system tech companies and 7 years as a consultant, heavily engaged within the Dealer & OEM space. Prior to her role at Gerent, she served as a Presales Engagement Manager in Salesforce’s Manufacturing practice. Nathan Wilton Delivery Director, J.D. Power Nathan brings over 10 years of automotive experience, as well as a background in financial services, to his role as delivery director with J.D. Power. In his current role, he works directly alongside dealers and OEMs to help them unlock the power of technology and data to transform their sales and operations.

Travel agencies take pride in offering customers a relaxing, simplified alternative to the chaos of booking flights, hotels, and vacation destinations. But what is simple for the traveler is often anything but for the professionals responsible for coordinating vacation logistics. Too often, agents are overwhelmed by data and left to navigate unsupportive, user-unfriendly booking and CRM systems. This is precisely the problem Cruise & Vacation Desk was dealing with — and why the agency’s leaders reached out to Gerent to help them find a better solution. In this episode on Transformation @ Work, we break down the end result of that partnership: Travel Essentials, a bespoke Salesforce solution purpose-built for the needs of the travel industry. Key Insights 01:40: Challenges faced by travel agents when booking vacations for customers: complicated data streams, managing multiple relationships, and more 03:41: The complexities of managing customer data and relationships without a comprehensive CRM 04:47: The current state of how travel agencies manage data: complicated, costly house-built CRM solutions 06:34: Why Cruise & Vacation Desk sought out a better option for managing customer data 07:20: Key features Cruise & Vacation Desk needed in their CRM to truly simplify the booking process 09:45: How Travel Essentials helped Cruise & Vacation Desk transform the booking experience 10:45: Business outcomes Cruise & Vacation Desk were able to unlock with Travel Essentials 11:24: Exploring the scalability that Travel Essentials offers Cruise & Vacation Desk and similar travel agencies 12:38: How Travel Essentials supercharges Cruise & Vacation Desk’s marketing capabilities 14:55: How Cruise & Vacation Desk plans to leverage Travel Essentials for future growth 16:58: Looking ahead: what Travel Essentials offers to the travel industry at large Guest Bios George A. Barnett, Jr., President and General Manager, Cruise & Vacation Desk George has been part of the Cruise & Vacation Desk team for over 20 years, eventually taking over the company from his father and stepping into the role of president and general manager. Andrew Bonichi, Vice President and COO, Cruise & Vacation Desk Andrew has worked in the travel industry for over 30 years, the past 21 of which has been with Cruise & Vacation Desk. As Vice President and COO, Andrew leads his team in delivering industry-leading vacation packages and rewards programs to their customer base. Ketta Riley, Practice Leader, Travel, Tourism, and Entertainment, Gerent Ketta has over 35 years of travel and hospitality leadership experience, 10 of which have been spent working on Salesforce implementations. She leverages her experience combined with extensive knowledge of industry market trends to support our customers’ businesses. Valentine Christopher, Director of Delivery, Gerent Valentine brings over 25 years of experience in IT consulting to his current role, with over 8 years specifically in the Salesforce ecosystem. In his current role, he leverages that experience to help set up businesses in the travel, tourism, and entertainment industries for success with Salesforce.

A new year means new trends and priorities for virtually every industry under the sun. And for healthcare payers, several of the most prominent developments of the past few years– such as prior authorization, concerns around member experience, compliance, and the ever-rising role of AI– are projected to become unavoidable in 2024. So how can payers leverage technology to get ahead of these rapidly developing trends? That’s where Salesforce Health Cloud comes in. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re looking at how payers can leverage digital tools to stay one step ahead of 2024’s fastest-developing trends and priorities. Key Talking Points 02:49: Outlining the major trends set to impact the payer industry in 2024 04:10: How payers can leverage Salesforce Health Cloud to deliver the best-in-class experience to their members 06:50: Steps payers can take to streamline the prior authorization process through technology 10:45: The critical importance of building relationships with outside community organizations, and how Salesforce can help facilitate them 13:55: How Salesforce Health Cloud can help payers stay compliant and on top of legislative changes 16:32: Why the payer industry is relatively cautious to build AI into their workflows 19:47: Low-hanging fruit: steps payers can take right now to get ahead of 2024’s developing industry trends Guest Bio Cheryl Gibson Senior Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences (Payers), Gerent Cheryl Gibson is a tenured healthcare professional and Salesforce solution leader who excels in translating business processes into high-value technical solutions. With nearly three decades of industry experience — 10 of which were dedicated to directing the strategy, design, and implementation of complex projects in the Salesforce ecosystem — Cheryl is well-equipped to help Gerent’s payer clients overcome hurdles and achieve their ideal future state.

How does a community lift itself out of poverty? One increasingly popular method is through microfinance: small loans, provided by a mix of donors and financial institutions, are given to those without access to traditional capital to help kickstart business ventures. These loans have a tangible impact on members of struggling communities, often causing a ripple effect that lifts up more and more people over time. This life-changing impact sits at the heart of Care Australia’s mission: delivering targeted microfinance support to women in underserved communities to help make their ambitions a reality. But setting up the infrastructure to facilitate these loans comes with its own set of challenges, from security and compliance to balancing the needs of individual lenders and larger institutions. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we recount how Gerent ANZ helped Care Australia bring its microfinance portal to life and provide communities with unprecedented access to entrepreneurial opportunities. Key Talking Points 02:21: Introducing Care Australia’s mission: helping to provide capital and financial support to members of underprivileged communities 03:30: What is microfinance, and how can it help individuals without access to capital achieve their business goals? 04:36: Exploring the ripple effect of microfinance; what really happens when one woman is enabled to achieve her long-term business goals? 06:30: How Care Australia’s microfinance portal works, and how individuals and financial institutions can contribute 08:39: Understanding the project: what did Care Australia need to bring their microfinance portal to fruition? 10:00: Unpacking Gerent ANZ’s transformation planning process; how do you build a first-of-its-kind microfinance portal? 11:02: Addressing common nonprofit budgetary challenges through out-of-the-box Salesforce functionality 13:12: The challenges of building two separate digital experiences for different user audiences 15:24: How Gerent ANZ ensured that operating costs were minimal so that as much money as possible could go towards Care Australia’s mission 16:16: Maintaining compliance, security, and governance throughout the transaction process 18:17: Taking a “divide and conquer” approach towards implementation to ensure maximum efficiency from beginning to end 21:11: Putting it all together: the impact that Care Australia’s microfinance portal has on individuals and communities in need Guest Speakers Arnaud Charlier, Head of Data and Platforms Performance, Care Australia Arnaud brings over 18 years of experience in the nonprofit and automotive consulting sectors to his current role as head of data and platform performance with Care Australia. For over 20 years, Care Australia has provided direct financial support to women in underprivileged communities through managed loans and microfinance. Their goal is to uplift not just the women themselves, but family members, loved ones, and the communities at large through successful business ventures. Pradeep Laxminarayana, Managing Director, Gerent ANZ As Managing Director, Pradeep Laxminarayana is responsible for directing Gerent’s business strategy, growth initiatives, and Salesforce consulting staff in Australia and New Zealand. Over the course of his 20-year career, Pradeep has successfully executed transformation programs across the utilities, telecom, retail, insurance, and public sector ecosystems. Amit Kumar, Salesforce Principal Consultant, Gerent ANZ As Program Delivery Director, Amit Kumar oversees all of Gerent ANZ’s Salesforce work programs. A veteran IT leader, Amit has over 17 years of experience in the professional services sector and has successfully led digital transformation initiatives in the utilities, NFP, and public sectors. He is well-versed in Scrum Agile, Scaled Agile, Waterfall, and Hybrid methodologies.

A Salesforce implementation is a major undertaking that constitutes thousands of dollars and weeks to months of training time. Ensuring that deployment is a success — and that your investment doesn’t go to waste — is imperative. So, how do you make sure that teams stay aligned, objectives are hit, and adoption happens long-term? To find the answer, you need to go back: before the first training is held, and before a developer ever sits down with a given project. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, our experts look at the pre-deployment meetings between team leaders and their technology partners, when they work together to develop a plan that answers not only the “what” of a Salesforce implementation, but the “how” as well. Key Insights 02:35: Understanding the impact an effective implementation plan can have on an organization’s adoption rate and success with Salesforce 04:25: The “what” vs. the “how”: why organizations often fail to clearly map out their implementation journey 07:59: The first step in an effective deployment plan: defining what success looks like for your organization 11:21: Key considerations when assessing new technology, and building a plan for how to use it effectively 12:36: Visualizing what success looks like post-implementation, and identifying how your team can work towards that end-state 15:19: Key questions for team leaders to ask their technology partners to ensure a comprehensive implementation plan 18:01: The importance of regular check-ins to ensure your team is trending towards your stated implementation goals 20:23: Putting it all together: how building an effective implementation plan prepares organizations to embrace change and anticipate the unexpected Guest Bios Nicole Guerra, Sales Director, Consumer Business Services, Gerent Nicole's experience in the Salesforce ecosystem covers all aspects of the digitalization journey, from starting as a Salesforce super-user within a customer organization, to working as an account director at Salesforce, then transitioning into the world of consulting. That range of perspectives gives her keen insight into the process of implementation, and how organizations can best ready themselves for Salesforce success. Eric Saxton, Sales Director, Consumer Business Services, Gerent Eric brings a wealth of experience to his current role, having worked with manufacturers, nonprofits, educational institutions, and travel and hospitality groups, and having been on both sides of the implementation process as a customer and consultant. Having seen the ups and downs of the tech deployment process, he is able to confidently lead different kinds of organizations through their digitalization and Salesforce journey.

In the Nonprofit sector, investment in cutting-edge technology is often a luxury. After all, most nonprofits aim to funnel as much income as possible directly into the communities they serve – meaning there’s little left over to spend on nice-to-have tech. But as an ironic result of this impact focus, many organizations are left to manage tight budgets, razor-thin margins, and overworked employees and volunteers. But what if nonprofits could not only take advantage of the best-in-class tools developed for other industries — but also have those tools contextualized for industry use cases? In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we look at the newly-enhanced Nonprofit Cloud, how it compares with Nonprofit Success Pack, and how the novel product can serve the needs of nonprofit organizations, employees, and constituents. Key Insights 03:19: A brief history of Salesforce Nonprofit Success Pack (NPSP), and how it led to the creation of Nonprofit Cloud 05:39: The challenges of customizing “out-of-the-box” solutions to suit specific needs, and how those hurdles impact nonprofit organizations 06:51: The “why” of Nonprofit Cloud: how it serves the specific needs of organizations and addresses their most relevant pain points 08:26: The make-or-break importance of personalized experiences, and how Nonprofit Cloud helps organizations deliver them to donors and constituents 10:27: How OmniStudio transforms the way employees build experiences within Salesforce 12:42: Noteworthy features of Nonprofit Cloud: how actionable lists and interest tags allow new avenues for personalization 16:37: Migrating from NPSP to Nonprofit Cloud: what organizations need to consider before making the leap 19:00: How a qualified technology partner can help organizations make the most of the new Nonprofit Cloud Guest Speakers Regine Benchetrit Director, Nonprofit Growth & Marketing, Gerent Regine Benchetrit is a highly adaptable consultant with a diverse professional background and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. With a career spanning two decades, of which more than half was spent in the nonprofit sector, she has held various leadership positions within digital consultancies and prominent Canadian nonprofit organizations. In 2022, she was invited by Salesforce to speak about NFTs and Cryptocurrency at the Nonprofit Summit. Her professional expertise has spanned a wide range of industries, including sports & entertainment, insurance, CPG and Telco, to mention a few. She excels at empathizing with and uncovering her clients’ pain points, forging strong connections, and crafting innovative solutions to intricate challenges through constructive teamwork. Regine is fervent about giving back, building communities, and helping nonprofits drive their missions. James Gardner Gregory, Ph.D. Senior Director, Industry Solutions - Education and Nonprofit Services, Gerent James is a 17x certified Solution Engineering Leader with 15 years of firsthand experience in higher education. Starting his career as a Special Educator and Counsellor, James now comes to us straight from Salesforce as an industry-leading expert with a proven track record of success in his field. He specializes in creating cutting-edge solutions that address top-of-mind issues for Education and Nonprofit organizations. Richard Smyth Consulting Senior Director, Education & Nonprofit, Gerent Richard Smyth is an experienced senior leader with over 20 years of IT leadership relevant to digital strategy, enterprise applications, operational excellence and executive oversight. Richard has a proven record of spearheading successful transformation initiatives for complex, multi-disciplinary organizations. He excels at delivering superior results by demonstrating the business value of technology implementations.

Anyone with a background in the humanities has probably been told they’re pigeonholing themselves from a career perspective at least once. It’s a pervasive misconception — especially in a field as STEM-driven as the Salesforce ecosystem. But the reality is, having a background in building relationships and connecting with people sets you up for tremendous success in a range of Salesforce-related roles. You just need to find those opportunities and take advantage of them. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re sitting down with a Gerent employee who did just that. Jayda Roberts successfully made the transition from social work to change management consulting, and her story is a clear example of just how transferable many of those skills are to the Salesforce ecosystem. Key Insights 02:28: Exploring Jayda’s background in social work and what brought her to the Salesforce ecosystem 04:35: How Jayda made the transition from Salesforce consulting to change management 07:29: The unexpected similarities between change management and social work 11:09: Setting yourself up for success when entering the Salesforce ecosystem from a humanities background 12:38: Must-have skills for prospective employees making the transition into Salesforce consulting 14:37: The critical role of empathy in change management 15:36: Tips on building your technical skill-set when coming from a non-technical background 17:36: The importance of trusting the process and taking the leap into the Salesforce ecosystem Guest Bio Jayda Roberts, Senior Change Management Consultant, Gerent Jayda brings years of technical and interpersonal experience into her current role, with a background ranging from social work to sales to Salesforce consulting. She uses her wide range of expertise to create and execute change management strategies on enterprise level projects, maximizing employee engagement and adoption through the implementation of structured methodology and processes.

No one wants to spend their precious time at work fighting with technology or inefficient processes. This is doubly true for the nonprofit sector, where people get into the field to help their communities and make a difference in the world. Unfortunately for team leaders, that often translates to understandable resistance to adopting new technology. That resistance presents a unique challenge for these leaders: how do you get employees excited about adoption, while recognizing that any training or transition is going to pull them away from the work they want to be doing? That’s where effective training and change management come into play. A qualified change management partner can play a make-or-break role in overcoming resistance and helping team members recognize the value Salesforce provides to the organization and its mission. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re looking at how leaders can work with their technology partner to excite their employees about new technology to drive serious user adoption long-term. Key Insights 02:44: Common causes of employee resistance to new technology within the nonprofit sector 05:50: The crucial role of readiness testing in understanding employee resistance and how to overcome it 07:05: Addressing the fear of change: how to help employees understand “What’s in it for me?” 10:22: How nonprofits can drive user adoption through better, more employee-focused training 13:26: Balancing the day-to-day operations of a nonprofit with the necessary time it takes to learn new technologies 18:21: Deployment is just the start: the importance of ongoing success tracking to monitor user adoption 20:21: The impact effective change management and training can have on user adoption Guest Bios Richard Smyth Consulting Senior Director, Education & Nonprofit Richard Smyth is an experienced senior leader with over 20 years of IT leadership relevant to digital strategy, enterprise applications, operational excellence and executive oversight. Richard has a proven record of spearheading successful transformation initiatives for complex, multi-disciplinary organizations. He excels at delivering superior results by demonstrating the business value of technology implementations. Antonia Moore Senior Business Analyst, Gerent Antonia brings over 15 years of experience in the Salesforce ecosystem to her current role as a Senior Business Analyst at Gerent. In that time, she’s led countless training sessions and helped employees at all levels understand what they can accomplish with Salesforce. Her love of training, mentorship, and education runs through everything she does. Case in point: in addition to her customer-facing training efforts, she provides mentorship to multiple coworkers at Gerent. Emeka Elemamba Senior Change Management Consultant, Gerent Emeka is an experienced change management consultant with over 10 years of experience leading strategic organizational change efforts, and overseeing complex projects in diverse industries. He has a passion for stakeholder management, innovative communication, and achieving impactful results for organizations making the switch to Salesforce.

There’s an iceberg effect to a good experience. Underneath every seamless interaction lies a multitude of carefully-architected experiential flows. A single poorly-designed touchpoint could potentially derail an entire user experience (UX), customer experience (CX), or employee experience (EX). You might not notice when an experience is seamlessly designed – but if decisions are arbitrary, repetitive, or frustrating, those are the moments that you’re unlikely to forget. How, exactly, can businesses go about designing top-tier experiences? In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re looking at the ways in which Gerent Experience guides its customers through the experience design process — and how our team goes about designing robust experience architecture that supports delightful brand interactions for customers, employees, partners, and end-users alike. Key Highlights 01:35: The many unseen decisions that factor into good experience design – and what happens when one of those decisions goes wrong 03:14: How the rise of hybrid digital/physical experiences has complicated the experience design process 04:11: Problem Space Envisioning: getting to the heart of what the end user needs before experience design gets underway 05:16: Leveraging 1-on-1 in-depth interviews to build experience personas and identify potential design challenges 06:32: Using competitive analysis to understand popular industry approaches to experience design and identify opportunities for innovation 07:46: Proxy Persona Research: a low-cost approach to building customer personas via internal stakeholder feedback 10:07: The importance of having cross-functional teams involved in the experience design process from the beginning 12:14: Understanding the crucial role of rapid iteration and experimentation in the prototyping process 13:32: Why it’s so crucial to have a qualified experience design partner involved in every step of the process 17:05: Test, measure, and learn: ensuring long-term success after an experience has been designed Guest Speakers Jim Corcoran, Experience Director, Gerent Experience Jim has worked at Gerent Experience since 2011, bringing substantial expertise and proven insights to both internal and external clients alike. In his current capacity as Experience Director, he works side-by-side with customers and the design practice in developing personas, identifying areas of improvement, and delivering outstanding experiences of all kinds. Marisa Holliday, Experience Architect, Gerent Experience Marisa is a seasoned digital strategist with over nine years of service at Gerent Experience. In her current role as Experience Architect, she leverages her background in information architecture and experience design to create outstanding user, customer, partner, and employee experiences for clients.

Ask any tenured professional and they’ll tell you the same truth: the skills listed in a job description are just scratching the surface of what goes into any given role. Being a Salesforce solution architect is no exception; the position requires much more than the skills and competencies laid out on paper. So, if you’re just starting in your career — or looking to make a switch — how do you know what skills to focus on, or if you’ll be a good fit? The answer is simple: ask the people currently doing the work. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re sitting down with a trio of Gerent employees and seasoned solution architects to get a real, on-the-ground perspective on what makes someone a standout candidate for the job. Key Insights 02:50: Outlining the essential skills that go into being a great solution architect 06:30: The crucial role interpersonal skills play in being a solution architect 12:46: Advice for prospective solution architects on how to develop those vital “soft skills” 17:36: The value of community in helping professionals grow their skills and thrive in new roles 20:22: Putting the pieces together: what being a great solution architect looks like in practice Guest Bios Elizabeth Bauer, Senior Consultant, Manufacturing, Energy, and Automotive, Gerent Elizabeth brings over 15 years of Salesforce experience with multiple tech partners to her current role as senior consultant and acting solution architect. Currently, she leads consulting efforts within Gerent’s manufacturing practice, helping develop key solutions for companies large and small alike. Adeolu Oyeyinka, Senior Solution Consultant, Manufacturing, Energy, and Automotive, Gerent Ade’s combination of software implementation experience and a prior hands-on engineering background gives him a unique insight into the work that goes into making tech solutions happen. That expertise helps him work with clients in the manufacturing space as one of Gerent’s senior solution architects. Kristin Eichers, Sr. Solution Architect / Consultant, Gerent Kristin is an experienced leader, solution architect, and engagement manager with over 17 years experience leading Salesforce consulting practices and delivery teams. Her work has spanned a wide range of industries, including education, the public sector, healthcare, tech, manufacturing, and finance.

You might not notice a particularly good user experience (UX) – in fact, that’s often the point – but when done right, UX can inform nearly every user decision and shape brand perception. However, just as it’s easy to experience good UX design without realizing it, it can be easy to fall into pitfalls while taking a DIY approach. So, how can a business leverage the often “invisible” art of experience design to create delightful customer experiences and encourage long-term employee tech adoption? In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re unpacking the realities of experience design: why it’s crucial for businesses, the impact it can have on customers and employees alike, and how the right design partner can elevate a business’s experience to the next level. Key Insights: 03:22: What is user experience, and why is it so crucial for modern businesses to understand? 05:14: How UX directly impacts long-term customer perception of a brand – for better or worse 06:55: Introducing employee experience (EX), and how it guides long-term adoption for new digital technologies 08:46: How a qualified design partner can help organizations transform their experience for customers and employees alike 10:59: Common experience design use cases: How elevated UX design translates into better business outcomes for organizations 13:21: Potential pitfalls in experience design, and how the right technology partner can help teams navigate around them Guest Bio Gordon Forsyth Practice Lead, Experience Innovation, Gerent With two and a half decades of experience in the digital marketing sector, Gordon is a seasoned marketing leader and strategist. In his current role as Senior Practice Lead, Gordon brings expertise in digital business strategy, product management, digital marketing, content management and analytics, with implementation experience across the Salesforce platform.

There isn’t just one way to shop anymore – which presents a unique challenge for retailers. After all, how do you build a buying experience that offers the same level of personal care for a customer, regardless of whether they’re shopping in-store, online, or via an app? That’s where Salesforce comes in: by leveraging Salesforce’s data-driven capabilities, backed by the power of AI, retailers can overhaul every aspect of the order management experience, from buying to fulfillment to returns. The end result? Deeper relationships with customers, greater wallet share, and a true competitive advantage. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, our experts break down specific ways in which Salesforce can transform order management for retailers, and give advice on how to unlock that value within an organization. Ready to dig deeper into Salesforce’s insights into what retailers should expect in the coming holiday season? Check out their latest blog on five key holiday shopping predictions! Learn more: sfdc.co/bNeZli Key Insights 02:29: How retailers can leverage Customer 360 to personalize the customer shopping experience 04:45: How Salesforce can bring the Customer 360 experience into a single pane of glass 05:42: Delivering better order support to delight and retain retail customers 07:44: Reimagining the fulfillment process with Salesforce’s inventory availability service 09:10: The vital role of omnichannel inventory management in facilitating hybrid shopping experiences 10:50: Adding the power of AI, backed by the Salesforce trust layer, into forecasting and analytics 13:07: Creating a more seamless returns experience with Salesforce and AI 15:43: Advice for retailers looking to implement Salesforce and overhaul their order management process 19:13: What does a truly overhauled order management process look like, and what can it offer to retailers and customers? Guest Bios John Cardaris Senior Product Marketing Manager, Commerce Cloud, Salesforce John Cardaris brings over 3 and a half years of experience at Salesforce to his current role, on top of over 8 years within the broader tech ecosystem. In his current role as Senior Product Marketing Manager for Commerce Cloud, he oversees operations relating to order management, support, and fulfillment, helping retailers to transform their customer shopping experiences. Liam Huston B2B Commerce Practice Lead, Gerent Liam Huston is a commerce expert who has dedicated 20+ years of his career to empowering clients in the ecommerce/B2B ecosystem. As a consultant, Liam specializes in Salesforce B2B Commerce and Salesforce Commerce Cloud, and helps his customers tailor the solutions to suit their unique needs and goals. For Liam, the customer’s success is the ultimate project requirement — and to that end, he makes a point to help his clients bring complex systems into discrete pieces so they are better able to explore potential optimizations and improvements.

Retail shopping has changed dramatically in the past few years, and nowhere is that shift more apparent than during the holiday season. Trends and new buying models such as Buy Online, Pick Up in Store (BOPIS) — which rolled out largely as a pandemic response — are here to stay, and the retail organizations that can’t maintain them are unfortunately falling behind. But make no mistake: innovating the retail shopping experience means going beyond playing catch-up to the latest retail trend and proactively anticipating how customers’ buying habits will change over time. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re looking at just how the consumer shopping experience has changed, where it’s headed this holiday season, and how retailers and suppliers can anticipate the next major shift before it occurs. Ready to dig deeper into Salesforce’s insights into what retailers should expect in the coming holiday season? Check out their latest blog on five key holiday shopping predictions! Learn more: http://sfdc.co/bNeZli Key Insights 03:20: Salesforce market analysis: how shopping has changed in the past few years 04:08: What does the average customer expect from retailers in 2023? 05:25: How “fast fashion” retail outlets gained market share by responding to growing demand for agile, omnichannel shopping experiences 06:25: The ripple effect: how changes in customer buying behavior led to massive shifts in supply chain operations 07:46: Looking back: understanding the major holiday shopping trends of the past three years 08:33: Looking ahead: predicting the major focus points for consumers heading into the 2023 holiday season 09:55: How Buy Online, Pickup In-Store (BOPIS) became a fixture of modern shopping 11:19: How retailers can leverage BOPIS to personalize the shopping experience and increase customer spending 13:16: Supporting frontline retail workers as they uphold BOPIS 14:19: How technology can facilitate seasonal worker training 16:40: How retailers can anticipate the next major shift in customer behavior and meet shoppers where they are 19:31: How Salesforce can help retailers streamline operations ahead of the holiday season 21:34: How the right implementation partner can unlock the value of Salesforce for retailers and suppliers Guest Bios Rob Garf, Vice President & General Manager, Retail, Salesforce Rob brings over 25 years of retail experience as a practitioner, industry analyst, strategy consultant, and software leader to his current role at Salesforce. This experience has given him unique insight into the challenges retailers face within a rapidly shifting landscape, and how technology can help them overcome those issues. Rob is also a frequent industry speaker and a member of NRF’s Digital Council. Rosa Campagna, Sales Director, Retail & Consumer Goods, Gerent Rosa Campagna is a seasoned account executive with a deep understanding of the retail consumer goods sector and several years’ experience in the Salesforce ecosystem. As a charismatic sales leader, Rosa excels in forging connections with prospects and developing a quick, keen understanding of their concerns, goals, and needs. Her extensive skill set includes sales, account management, digital strategy-setting, media relations, event management, and more.

It’s a fact — the average prospective student entering into higher education in 2023 is more engaged with technology than any generation in history. This raises the critical question: why are so many higher education institutions still relying on outdated, manual processes for enrollment, communications, and ongoing engagement? Practices that have worked reliably in the past now risk feeling antiquated and obtuse to a new generation of digital-first students. Supporting the needs of this incoming class will require serious reimagining of the entire student experience – and an understanding of how digital tools can aid in that reimagining. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re looking at how Salesforce is equipping institutions to engage with tech-savvy students on their terms through the newly-enhanced Education Cloud offering. Key Insights 03:33: A brief history lesson: what brought the education industry – and Salesforce – to this crucial moment 06:27: What does it mean that Education Cloud is a core Salesforce offering? 08:55: How Education Cloud’s new features help institutions meet digital-first students where they are 12:42: How institutions can personalize and tailor their experience with core Salesforce features such as OmniStudio 15:24: Leveraging Salesforce capabilities found in other industry clouds to create a better education experience 18:12: The role of a qualified technology partner in helping institutions get up and running with the new Education Cloud Guest Bios Julia Taylor Director, Solution Architecture, Education and Nonprofit, Gerent A 24x Salesforce-certified professional, Julia has been part of the Salesforce ecosystem nearly her entire career, focusing in Education for the last 11 years. She was one of the founding members of Salesforce.org Services prior to joining Gerent, and has led some of the most dynamic and innovative Salesforce Education customers through digital change. Julia maintains a relentless focus on customer ROI, ensuring every aspect of success is addressed, from technology to people to student experience. Her personal passion is the transformation of Student Recruitment and Admissions, helping bring a commercial-style experience to a digital native generation. Matthew Horton Senior Solution Consultant, Education, Gerent Matthew brings over 15 years experience in the Salesforce ecosystem, as well as 15 certifications, to his current role as Gerent’s senior solution consultant for the education industry. His background in education and nonprofit gives him unique insight into the challenges institutions face as they work to engage with students throughout their journey.

Any change within an organization– whether it’s new technology, processes, staffing changes, or other shifts in the business – can be intimidating for employees. Without careful execution, team leaders will inevitably face uncertainty, resistance, and ultimately, even rejection of promising new initiatives. Managing a successful transition requires steady communication, hands-on training and support, and — most importantly — a comprehensive change management plan. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we take a deep dive into what makes a truly effective change management plan and how leaders can ensure high levels of employee engagement at every stage of their Salesforce implementation. Key Insights 00:46: What is change management, and why is it so crucial in addressing employee resistance to new technology? 02:33: The first step in effective change management: pre-implementation research 04:12: Why effective and frequent communication is key to any successful change within an organization 07:42: The importance of identifying change champions when it comes to building employee enthusiasm 09:07: How good training can serve as a crucial component of a successful change management strategy 11:15: Strategies for maintaining employee engagement and adoption well after the change is complete 13:10: The role a qualified technology partner plays in an effective change management plan 14:21: How effective change management helped auto employees go from “ready to quit” to “embracing new technology” Guest Bios Keisha Ruggs Director, Change Management, Gerent Keisha Ruggs is an accomplished “change whisperer” who specializes in helping people understand, engage, and adopt change in their day-to-day work activities. She loves to guide clients through these transitions with minimal resistance by encouraging leadership alignment, understanding organizational impacts, and developing appropriate interventions. References Transformation @ Work episode 15: Saving Teams From Bad Training: Building Better Plans for Greater Adoption: https://www.gerent.com/podcasts/episode-15-saving-teams-from-bad-training-building-better-plans-for-greater-adoption

The nonprofit industry is vast, encompassing over 1.5 million organizations in the United States alone, each with their own unique mission, organizational structure, and needs. No two nonprofits are going to serve their communities in the same way– which makes planning a Salesforce implementation a distinct challenge for change-minded leaders. After all, how do you take one solution, even one as comprehensive as Salesforce, and deploy it equally well across such a range of organizations and use-case contexts? In this episode of Transformation @ Work, our experts share step-by-step guidance on how industry organizations can make the most of Salesforce at every stage of implementation. Key Insights 01:52: The importance of understanding the needs of your nonprofit and the communities you serve before considering new technologies 05:05: How careful research into Salesforce and its capabilities can translate into a more successful implementation 07:14: Identifying resources available to help strengthen your understanding of Salesforce 08:33: Don’t boil the ocean: avoiding common implementation pitfalls through a steady, incremental approach 12:06: How team leaders can help encourage long-term employee adoption of new technologies 16:20: The role a qualified technology partner can play during every stage of implementation to ensure success Guest Bios Regine Benchetrit Director, Nonprofit Growth and Marketing, Gerent Regine Benchetrit is a highly adaptable consultant with a diverse professional background and an insatiable thirst for knowledge. With a career spanning two decades, of which more than half was spent in the nonprofit sector, she has held various leadership positions within digital consultancies and prominent Canadian nonprofit organizations. In 2022, she was invited by Salesforce to speak about NFTs and Cryptocurrency at the Nonprofit Summit. Her professional expertise has spanned a wide range of industries, including sports & entertainment, insurance, CPG and Telco, to mention a few. She excels at empathizing with and uncovering her clients’ pain points, forging strong connections, and crafting innovative solutions to intricate challenges through constructive teamwork. Regine is fervent about giving back, building communities, and helping nonprofits drive their missions. Kathy Zozos-Pliagos Director, Education and Nonprofit, Gerent Kathy Zozos-Pliagos is a multidisciplinary leader with over 15 years of experience in management, education, nonprofit, recruitment, and organizational change. For the last decade, she has dedicated herself to empowering organizations with well-designed CRM solutions. Kathy previously served as a customer success architect at Salesforce and, in an earlier role, spearheaded the implementation, adoption, and successful launch of Sales and Service Cloud for three large online international universities. She excels at leading collaborative teams, defining high-performance business processes, architecting supportive solutions, and driving user adoption through effective change management initiatives. Julia Taylor Director, Solution Architecture, Education and Nonprofit, Gerent A 24x Salesforce-certified professional, Julia has been part of the Salesforce ecosystem nearly her entire career, focusing in Education for the last 11 years. She was one of the founding members of Salesforce.org Services prior to joining Gerent, and has led some of the most dynamic and innovative Salesforce Education customers through digital change. Julia maintains a relentless focus on customer ROI, ensuring every aspect of success is addressed, from technology to people to student experience. Her personal passion is the transformation of Student Recruitment and Admissions, helping bring a commercial-style experience to a digital native generation. References https://www.statista.com/topics/1390/nonprofit-organizations-in-the-us/

Deploying Salesforce within an organization is often a massive undertaking – which makes ensuring high levels of adoption absolutely essential. Attempt to overhaul too many processes at once, and you risk wasting valuable time and a considerable investment. But by aiming too small, or going for an “out-of-the-box” solution without the customizations necessary for your business, you run the risk of deploying a solution that doesn’t ultimately provide real value. For businesses in this position — who want to address specific pain points quickly, and with a high degree of employee confidence — a Strategic implementation might be the best option. In this episode of Transformation @ Work, we’re continuing our multi-part deep-dive on our team’s approaches to Salesforce deployment, and unpacking Strategic implementations: Salesforce deployments that offer a tight turnaround time and target focused, achievable goals for a quick unlocking of value. Key Insights 00:50: At a high level, what is a Strategic Implementation? 01:56: Why Crescent, Methods Machine Tools (MMT), and Solugen chose a Strategic Implementation 04:36: Signs a business might be the right fit for a Strategic Implementation 05:11: Why an “out-of-the-box” approach to Salesforce deployment might not work for many businesses 06:06: Breaking down the components and goals of a Strategic Implementation 07:31: What are the major benefits of going with a Strategic Implementation? 09:50: Client perspectives on what it’s like to work through the process 13:01: Outlining the benefits Crescent, MMT, and Solugen experienced from implementing Salesforce 17:55: Advice for teams considering a Strategic Implementation Guest Bios Crescent Electric Crescent Electric is an electrical distributor that provides the inventory and expertise needed for industrial, residential, and construction projects. The company prides itself on its deep industry knowledge, job site efficiency, and leading-edge training and certifications. Methods Machine Tools Methods Machine Tools is a national distributor of machining equipment, automation, and engineering tools. They focus on providing best-in-class tools, backed by proven engineering expertise and a commitment to long-term customer relationships. Solugen Solugen is a specialty chemical company that creates safe, cost effective, and environmentally-friendly chemical formulations. The company designs its own formulations through bioforge operations; it also distributes common chemistries in full and dilute concentrations. Nick Holbik-Siu, Director of Distribution, Gerent Nicholas Holbik-Siu is an experienced leader with a strong track record in the wholesale distribution space. After graduating from McMaster University, he went on to work his way up the ladder at EMCO and Norwood Waterworks before joining the Gerent Family. Andy Ramspott, VP, Sales Operations and Sales Enablement, Crescent Electric Andy brings years of sales, marketing, strategy, and commercial operations experience to his current role as vice president of sales operations and enablement at Crescent Electric. In his current position, his focus is on guiding and overseeing the sales teams in their efforts to drive growth to new levels. Andrew Winker Associate Director of Business Development and Strategy, Solugen As associate director of business development and strategy, Andrew works closely with Solugen’s commercial, sales, and business development teams to ensure business decisions are data-driven and successful. He brings over 3 years of experience in consulting and a strong marketing background to the role. Tiffany A. Hess, Product Lifestyle Specialist, Methods Machine Tools Tiffany has worked with MMT for over eight years in a variety of roles, from office management to sales to her current position as product lifestyle consultant. In her current role, she works with the sales and product management teams to ensure their systems are operating successfully and efficiently.