General Resources
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Salesforce Integration Partners
What are Salesforce Integration Partners?
Salesforce Integration Partners are Professional Services Firm that specialize in connecting Salesforce with the rest of your Business Systems and Internal Tools. For example, building a tight integration between Salesforce and your Marketing Systems Back Office applications / ERP, datawarehouse, and the rest of your technology stack.
This is a critical ingredient to maximizing the ROI of Salesforce, since it should be designed to serve as your single source of truth as it relates to all customer interactions and journeys.
Salesforce Integration Partners vs. Implementation Partners
Salesforce Integration Partners bring a very different skill set than Salesforce Implementation Partners.
An Implementation Partners is responsible for designing the overall Salesforce application architecture - this is essentially how the tool will function, which features are available, and specifically how it will be used by internal teams to facilitate their workflow.
In contrast, an Integration Partner focuses strictly on connecting Salesforce to the rest of your Internal Tools. While some Implementation Partners will provide this as part of their service, if you have a large environment with complex, bi-directional integrations, it's best to find an Integration Partner specialized in working with your exact Tech Stack and middleware / integration platforms.
Types of Salesforce Integration Partners
There are three main types of Salesforce Integration Partners:
Consulting Firms: Consulting Firms offer a wide range of services, including integration, implementation, and training. They can help you with all aspects of your Salesforce journey, from planning and design to implementation, integration, and support.
Software Vendors: There are a range of SaaS tools and middleware platforms built specifically for connecting Salesforce with the rest of your Internal Tools. These include products like MuleSoft, Dell Boomi, Workato, Jitterbit, Tibco, and others. These platforms provide you with pre-built integration solutions that can be quickly and easily implemented, which the vendor will often help to do.
Managed Service Providers: Managed service providers offer a subscription-based service that includes integration, monitoring, and support. This can be a good option for businesses that need ongoing support for their Salesforce integrations.
Consulting Firms
Consulting Firms are a good option for businesses that need a comprehensive solution that includes planning, design, implementation, and support. They can help you assess your needs, develop a solution that meets your specific requirements, and implement the solution in a way that minimizes disruption to your business.
Typically, Consulting Firms will work on a fixed scope of work and their role is to get in, get the job done, and leave.
Software Vendors
Middleware platforms are a necessary option for large scale businesses with complex data integration needs.
In the early stages, a startup can get away with using the core APIs for tools like Salesforce and Hubspot, which offers a native integration. As the organization scales and the Business Systems environment increases in complexity, companies will typically need to build custom integrations and design the data architecture. This often requires some form of integration platform or middleware solution, of which there are many.
This includes MuleSoft, which is the native Salesforce Integration Cloud, and a top solution for companies leveraging Salesforce.
Managed Service Providers
Managed service providers are a good option for businesses that need ongoing support for their Salesforce integrations. They can monitor your integrations for errors and performance issues, and provide support if you need help with troubleshooting or configuration.
This can be a good option for businesses that are not able to dedicate internal resources to managing their Salesforce integrations but need ongoing, part-time guidance to ensure there are no disruptions to the business.
How to Find Salesforce Integration Partners
Since many Implementation Partners will also provide assistance with integrations, it's important to do your due diligence when selecting an Integration Partner. Ultimately, if custom integrations are the core focus of your work then you will want to find a Partner that specializes in this type of service.
Marketplaces like FoundHQ
FoundHQ is one of the largest networks of pre-vetted Salesforce Consultants.
We provide access to a network of 3,500+ Certified Salesforce Experts, including 500+ Integration Specialists with experience building custom integrations using APIs and working with variety of middleware platforms and data integration tools.
Our process allows you to outline the project needs and receive a shortlist of 3-4 handpicked Salesforce Consultant recommendations that perfectly match the work you need to get done.
Referrals from Network
Ask your friends and peers in the Salesforce community who they have used in the past.
Typically, this is a helpful way to get vetted recommendations you can trust. However, be sure that the type of work the Partner delivered for them is similar to what you need to get done, involves the same set of applications and integration tools etc.
Salesforce Account Executive
Your Salesforce Account Exec has tools at their disposal internally to look up specific Consulting Partners.
This can be a useful resource in your Partner discovery phase; however, we encourage you to complement their recommendations with a few options you source directly.
Get Help Finding the Best Salesforce Integration Partner
In summary, there is no one-size-fits-all Salesforce Integration Partner.
It is highly dependent on the complexity of your Salesforce org, the current Business Systems infrastructure in place, and specifically how you plan to integrate everything.
Additionally, you need to determine what kind of service you ultimately need - someone to set it up and leave or a Partner that will embed with your team and support you on an ongoing basis fractionally.
Regardless, FoundHQ is here to help - schedule a call to talk through your requirements and we can help point you in the right direction.
Get Matched to the Right Salesforce Consultant
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