The quickest way to implement, customize, and extend the functionality of your Salesforce instance is to use a service or application partner from the AppExchange. The AppExchange is a marketplace, with thousands of applications, tools, and expert services ready to help you be more successful.
Salesforce is an enterprise platform that will require some initial customization in order for you to get the most out of it. The quickest way to implement, customize, and extend the functionality of your Salesforce instance is to use a service or application partner from the AppExchange. The AppExchange is a marketplace, with thousands of applications, tools, and expert services ready to help you be more successful.
It is kind of like the salesforce version of iTunes, except that in addition to Apps, it also includes consultants and developers. It is the best place to go to find solutions and consulting partners to help you implement salesforce as well as extend your salesforce functionality.
To find a consulting partner, go to appexchange.salesforce.com, scroll to the bottom of the home page and click the “Find a Consulting” link. This will bring you to the Consulting landing page. On the left hand side, click “Nonprofits” under Industry Solutions to find partners who work specifically with nonprofit organizations.
You will be taken to the Nonprofits landing page which includes partners sorted by popularity. You can filter the results further by rating, region or languages using the drop-downs at the top of the page.
Click on a partner to get taken to the partners home page. On their home page you will see a series of tabs with more information about each partner. On the overview page, be sure to take a look at the number of completed projects and the customer satisfaction score for those projects.
On the details tab, be sure to look for the case studies. Looks for consultants with experience serving organizations that have similar needs to yours.
On the reviews tab, be sure to read through a few reviews. And if you hire a partner, be sure to come back and write a review to help share your experience with the greater community.
You can even login and save partner or app pages as favorites. Just login with your salesforce login and click the “Save” button.
You will then be able to see your saved list at the top of the page next to the user menu.
There are also several ways to find an app on the appechange. If you are looking for specific functionality, like adding online payment processing, you can use the search bar at the top of the page and you will get a list of returned results. You can also use the filters on the left hand side including general categories, pricing, and industry solution. Under industry solutions, there is a link for solutions of interest to nonprofits and education orgs.
When you search, you can continue to filter by price or other attributes by choosing the attribute and clicking the “Apply” button.
To install an App from the AppExchange, login using your salesforce login, then click the green “Get It Now” button and follow the instructions. If you have data in your org, we recommend installing apps into your sandbox for initially testing to ensure that it will not effect your current data. You can then install the app into your live instance after you have completed your testing. To install and app into your sandbox, use your sandbox login when you login to the appexchange.
Finally, for ideas about apps that might be useful, check out the customer picks including Marc’s Picks for Nonprofits . . .You can also see a list of recommended partners and apps on the salesforce foundation website at www.salesforcefoundation.org/findapartner and /additionalapps