SF Ben recently published an article called How to Avoid Bad Salesforce Partners: The Three-Question Test.
This article is for delivery leads and emphasizes that the success of Salesforce projects hinges more on intangible skills rather than technical skills. As a partner to Salesforce partners, we want to help you answer the question posed in the article:
“Can You Show Me Artifact Examples Used Within Your Projects?”
Artifacts in Salesforce Projects:
Artifacts in Salesforce projects—such as project plans, user stories, test plans, and documentation—serve as tangible deliverables that encapsulate a partner’s approach to project management and collaboration. Being able to provide examples of artifacts that you use in your projects is a proactive way to minimize risk and mitigate danger when other partners or clients ask.
Here’s how:
1. Transparency and Accountability
Artifacts offer a clear window into how you operate. By reviewing these materials, stakeholders can verify the partner’s methodology, attention to detail, and ability to deliver measurable outcomes. This transparency reduces the risk of misaligned expectations or hidden deficiencies in you and the client’s interaction.
2. Quality Assurance
Artifacts demonstrate the rigor and structure that you bring to your work. A well-documented project workbook or a detailed testing workbook indicates a methodical approach to problem-solving and solution delivery. Poor or incomplete artifacts may reveal gaps in expertise, signaling a red flag before engagement.
3. Improved Decision-Making
Artifacts provide decision-makers with concrete data to assess a partner’s suitability. For example, user stories can show how well the partner understands business needs, while test plans highlight their commitment to validating the system’s functionality. This minimizes the risk of selecting a partner who may excel in sales pitches but fall short in execution.
4. Alignment with Business Goals
Artifacts reveal how effectively a partner ties technical solutions to business objectives. Clients don’t need vaporware and we don’t want to build them solutions they’re never going to use. Using artifacts like process mappings, test plans, and user stories ensures your approach aligns with the organization’s strategic goals, reducing the danger of investing in solutions that fail to deliver value.
5. Change Management and Adoption
By utilizing key artifacts like the testing workbook, stakeholders can evaluate the systems integrator’s ability to facilitate user adoption and manage change. This ensures a smoother transition and reduces resistance, avoiding risks associated with poorly implemented solutions.
6. Early Detection of Red Flags
If a partner cannot produce meaningful artifacts or their examples lack depth, it’s an early indicator of potential failure. This allows organizations to reassess their choice and explore other, more competent partners before risks escalate into project failures.
Conclusion
Artifacts are more than just deliverables—they’re a lens through which organizations can evaluate a partner’s competencies, methodologies, and commitment to success. Insisting on artifacts during the selection process minimizes risks by ensuring transparency, accountability, and alignment, ultimately paving the way for a more secure and successful Salesforce project.