When it comes to Salesforce implementation there are two options: Greenfield or Brownfield. Understanding the distinctions between these two strategies and choosing between them may be the most critical step in deploying any IT system, including Salesforce.
Brownfield and Greenfield are common words in business and investment but may be unfamiliar to many Salesforce professionals. So, what do they mean, and how do they apply to Salesforce? Let’s find out…
Brownfield vs. Greenfield
- A Greenfield project refers to a new initiative that starts from scratch, where no previous infrastructure, systems, or structures exist. In essence, it’s a ‘blank slate’ where you can build something entirely new without any legacy constraints.
- A Brownfield project mostly involves working on an existing infrastructure, system, or environment. Instead of starting fresh, you’re improving, upgrading, or expanding what’s already there. Brownfield projects often involve integrating new technology into existing systems.
Let’s explore in more detail what this means in a Salesforce context…
Brownfield implementation in Salesforce involves integrating and customizing the platform in an existing environment, like integrating Salesforce with an existing ERP system or improving an existing Salesforce environment. For example, you may need to integrate Salesforce with an existing ERP platform, such as SAP or Microsoft Dynamics 365, or add sales or marketing functionality to current procurement, production, or customer experience functionalities.
Or, it could be related to working in an environment with almost no predefined processes. Any Salesforce implementation will sort through processes in any organization; therefore, deploying CRM is an essential step toward optimizing and rationalizing the entire business.
This also may entail moving completely from an old CRM or switching from multiple systems to Salesforce. Brownfield implementations are often more complex due to the requirement to integrate existing (legacy) procedures and data with Salesforce’s features.
Brownfield implementations are much more common, according to my own experience. As a CMO at a Salesforce consultancy specializing in Marketing Cloud, I experienced how upselling a Marketing Cloud Personalization solution to an international customer who already had Marketing Cloud implemented required a significant amount of time and effort from our CXO and sales team. Selling an addition to an existing Salesforce platform is difficult enough, let alone something more.
On the contrary, a Greenfield implementation involves implementing Salesforce in an entirely new environment with no pre-existing systems or procedures. Greenfield projects provide a blank canvas for customization and setup, as there are no legacy constraints or dependencies to consider.
This (Greenfield) approach will work for completely new organizations that still need to get a CRM system in the first place, like startup companies, or want to fully alter their current operations. This may seem far-fetched, but numerous organizations continue to use spreadsheets for their CRM or CPQ purposes – in other words, they do not have a CRM solution implemented yet. However, because Salesforce implementation and administration require substantial investments, such organizations are more likely to choose a smaller CRM solution. As a result, Greenfield implementation is unlikely to occur frequently.
Two Different Scenarios Have a Lot in Common
Obviously, Brownfield and Greenfield approaches require differing mindsets and preparations. With more complex and challenging Brownfield implementation, you need to make sure that the project and all stakeholders are well prepared, as once you begin, it is extremely difficult to backtrack. However, most of the final steps in these scenarios overlap.
Brownfield Implementation
Assess the Current System
Begin by assessing your present CRM system. Certainly, there are reasons and pain points for wanting to upgrade your CRM. Your organization will tell you where it hurts.
Best Practice: Talk with everybody who might identify these pain points. Involve stakeholders from the start to ensure that the system meets their requirements while earning their support.
Data Migration and Integration
Develop a robust data transfer strategy to seamlessly integrate existing data into Salesforce.
Best Practices:
- Implement data cleansing and transformation methods to ensure data integrity during the migration process.
- One of the most common ways for transferring data is to export and import it into Excel or other spreadsheet software. You must ensure that the data, or particularly your metadata, is unified. For example, you will need to replace “SF” with “San Francisco”, or “Cali” and “Calif” with “CA”. GenAI can be used for this purpose, and it is quite simple to use. Find out more about using free genAI tools to clean your data in the article here.
Customization and Configuration
Use Salesforce customization features like custom objects, fields, and workflows to integrate the platform with your existing business processes.
Best Practices:
- Pay attention to the user experience and make sure the Salesforce solution is easy to use and meets the needs of the end user.
- Start by reading this article that explains the differences between Salesforce standard objects and custom objects.
Greenfield Implementation
Requirement Gathering and Planning
Start by clearly identifying your business objectives and requirements in a process that many like to call the ‘discovery phase’.
Best Practices:
- To be successful, you will need to engage stakeholders from multiple departments to get feedback and ensure that the new system meets everyone’s requirements. That will take time, for sure.
- Choose the Salesforce edition that is most appropriate for your organization’s size and needs. Salesforce provides many scalable editions, each with unique features and costs, beginning from the simple and very affordable Starter edition. The first step in this process may be simply to go through the list of Salesforce editions and features available.
- Consider Future Growth: Take into account your organization’s growth potential. If you anticipate quick expansion, consider a version that can scale with your needs, such as Professional or Enterprise.
- Plan Salesforce Licenses to be Assigned to Specific Users: Once you’ve decided on a Salesforce edition, you’ll need to purchase licenses and assign them to users with the support of a Salesforce account manager. This selection will have an impact on your overall costs, so you should move forward carefully. Take a look at this article which is very useful for understanding this very delicate matter.
Setting the Right Data Model
In the Greenfield scenario, you will need to develop a data model from scratch that reflects your business processes.
Best Practices:
- Define objects, fields, and relationships. Keep in mind that you will need to set reserved work hours to continuously test and monitor the data model to make sure that it is properly maintained and updated.
- A manufacturing company, for example, may construct custom objects for “Production Orders” and “Inventory” to track production processes and stock levels.
- Fields within these objects could contain information such as order status, quantity, and production dates. Relationships between objects, such as linking “Production Orders” to “Customer Orders,” aid in data integrity and offer a complete picture of corporate processes.
- For example, a non-profit organization can use custom objects to track donations, volunteers, and events.
Adoption, Testing, and Go-Live
In both scenarios, whether Brownfield or Greenfield, you have to test and migrate your org to the production environment. Most importantly, ensure that users make the best use of the new platform.
Testing and Quality Assurance
It involves several types of testing to identify and resolve any issues before going live.
- Functional testing ensures that each Salesforce feature meets the requirements.
- For example, a company using Salesforce Sales Cloud may test the lead conversion process to ensure that data are appropriately updated and suitable processes are triggered.
- Performance testing evaluates the system’s performance under various scenarios, such as high user load.
- For example, an e-commerce company may replicate peak shopping hours to check that the system can manage additional traffic without slowing down.
- User acceptability testing (UAT) entails end users testing the system to ensure that it satisfies their requirements and expectations.
- A real-life example is a healthcare provider doing user acceptance testing with its workers to ensure the new patient management system fits seamlessly with existing processes and enhances efficiency.
Go Live and Support
This step involves migrating data, training users, and continuously monitoring the system for any issues. A financial services organization, for example, may use a phased rollout, beginning with a test group to gather feedback and make required changes before launching on a larger scale.
Best Practices:
- Providing ongoing support is critical for addressing any difficulties that occur and ensuring continuous progress. This includes creating a helpdesk, providing training sessions, and gathering user feedback regularly.
- Continuous improvement involves reviewing system performance regularly, implementing changes, and optimizing processes to ensure that the Salesforce system evolves in line with business requirements.
User Training and Adoption
There is no point taking all your time with an implementation if no one is going to use it – your users need to get to grips with the Salesforce platform.
Best Practices:
- Provide comprehensive training and support to end users to ensure a smooth transition to the new or upgraded Salesforce environment. User adoption is key to a successful implementation.
- Promote user adoption by encouraging open communication, providing feedback loops, and resolving any concerns or challenges that may occur throughout the migration.
To better understand what you can expect, you can go through this article with some of the key questions to consider in each phase of a Salesforce implementation.
Summary
A Brownfield implementation is about establishing processes or integrating and customizing Salesforce within an existing system (Salesforce or another CRM vendor), which may include several integrated solutions from different vendors. Whereas a Greenfield implementation implements Salesforce in a completely new environment, such as replacing plain spreadsheet tools with a sophisticated CRM platform.
Brownfield implementations are often challenging due to the necessity to integrate existing systems and procedures, whereas Greenfield solutions offer a blank slate for customizing. However, both scenarios involve similar processes – particularly near the end of the journey.
Assessing the current system and creating a good data migration strategy are key to a successful integration. Only by understanding the differences between Brownfield and Greenfield, as well as following best practices, can you make educated decisions and achieve successful Salesforce installations.