Artificial Intelligence (AI) has, in a relatively short period, revolutionized the way we work. Subsequently, it has ignited threats to our job security and the roles that we need to perform, from admins being expected to learn Agentforce to co-pilots helping developers write code.
So, where does this leave the Salesforce Consultant? Is there still a place for them in the ecosystem, or is the reliance on partners by Salesforce customers a thing of the past? Here’s what I think…
The Rise of AI
It’s almost impossible to do anything these days without AI entering the conversation – from your grocery shopping to purchasing flights. Salesforce is no different. With the launch of Agentforce, we now have a tool that can safely assist users in performing tasks, including those of admins and developers.
This shift naturally leads to questions about how you manage Salesforce. If AI can automate so much, surely a business can handle more in-house, right? With this new era of work, we need to ask ourselves, where does AI become an advantage, and where does it become a distraction? Or worse, make things more complex?
Businesses need to understand how they want to utilize this new powerful technology, and their goals are the reason for using it beyond ‘we need to do AI’.
The Salesforce Partner Ecosystem
Salesforce has a strong partner network, ranging from large consultancy firms to boutique partners specializing in specific industries, products, or business areas. Partners have become a vital part of the Salesforce ecosystem due to the rapidly expanding range of products and the speed of innovation.
So why do businesses employ the services of a consulting partner to help them set up and manage their Salesforce platform? Ultimately, the services a partner provides are based on their deep-seated knowledge and experience with the platform.
Consultancies can help you make sense of your unique business challenges and translate them into a tailored Salesforce solution. They achieve this by learning the platform, keeping up with all the releases, and working across numerous businesses. By doing so, they can build tried and tested solutions that bring true business value.
The Human Touch
So, with all businesses telling you that AI can solve all of your woes, why do you still need a partner? AI is effective at data processing, pattern recognition, and automating routine tasks.
To successfully implement and manage Salesforce, you need a deep understanding of your business that extends beyond algorithms. The role of a Salesforce partner isn’t simply about implementing technology. It’s about strategic guidance, ensuring you are set up for the future, whilst delivering expert execution.
- Knowing your business: You can work with a partner to truly understand how your business operates and where you are heading. Much of this information is not documented and requires detailed questioning to gain an understanding of it. With the context of other information gained throughout their career, a consultant can develop a deep understanding of your business and suggest improvements that you will value, ensuring you maintain a competitive edge.
- Getting stuck in: Consultants have first-hand experience of what does and does not work while developing Salesforce. This can be gained through trial and error, learning from others, and often, this knowledge is not publicly available. So, although AI can confidently tell you that it understands and gives you a solution, it is not guaranteed to work. If the tool you are using contains outdated information or fills gaps in knowledge using documentation about other platforms, the solution may fail or, worse, have security issues.
- Keeping it unique: A human can find an issue that they have never encountered before and design a solution by piecing together unrelated bits of knowledge. AI, on the other hand, can only use the information it has been provided, which will often lead to variations of the same solution, regardless of whether it is the right fit or not. Having the option to adapt or not is a critical skill a partner will provide you.
The Evolving Role of a Salesforce Partner
Although partners are not going to disappear, the way Salesforce customers and consultants work together will change as they both leverage AI to enhance their collaboration.
As a customer, you can enhance your collaboration with your partner by preparing clear business cases that highlight key challenges, enabling them to focus on technical solutions. To shift the nature of your work, consider taking on smaller or maintenance tasks, or creating more complex flows using Einstein’s capabilities and documenting your enhancements.
This means that you can reduce your reliance on external resources while still leveraging their skills for more strategic work, or for expanding your team when you need an extra pair of hands.
Although it is not a one-way street, there are many things partners can do to improve their engagement. This can range from enhancing their project management processes to improve the time to value, through automated note-taking, identifying potential project risks, and automated documentation.
These all aim to help you identify new ways that you could leverage AI to help your business from Agentforce and beyond.
Final Thoughts
AI will undoubtedly transform the Salesforce landscape, but it does not eliminate the need for a strategic partner; instead, it changes the role of one.
While AI is highly effective at automation and data analysis, in my opinion the subtle understanding of your specific business, the crucial human touch of experience, and the capacity to innovate beyond your documented processes remain the strengths of a Salesforce consulting partner.
Moving forward, to successfully manage your Salesforce org, you should leverage AI for specific tasks while continuing to work with partners for strategic guidance to achieve real, lasting value.
