A software-as a-service (SaaS) company often releases new features and functionality for its product line to its client base. Paycor is no exception. Less often, a SaaS company introduces completely new applications for its back-end operations for company employees to use and adopt. Over the last 12 months, Paycor has introduced Salesforce.com (SFDC) to the two largest departments within the organization.
Program Details
Looking at the client lifecycle, it made sense to begin the SFDC rollout with Paycor’s Sales department. The Sales Learning and Development team hosted daylong trainings for all managers and sales associates to ensure the proper adoption of this new customer relationship management (CRM) tool. Only a few were familiar with this application, so training began with the basics. To ensure that all associates were entering all of the proper information into the new system, the motto for training became, “If it’s not in Salesforce, it doesn’t exist!”
In addition to the SFDC launch itself, other add-in applications were introduced to help facilitate price quoting and document generation. Not only was the Sales Learning and Development team engaged in training the Sales organization, but Paycor’s Accounting and Billing departments also reinforced the efforts.
Sales Learning and Development created an e-learning suite, comprising 30 e-learning courses that are hosted by “Amanda,” an animated, fictional trainer who facilitates on-demand self-study for associates.
Once Sales was acclimated to SFDC, Paycor’s Client Service Implementation department came next in the phased rollout, plus they acquired a new project management tool called Cloud Coach. Not only did they have to familiarize themselves with SFDC and Cloud Coach, but they also needed to learn a new project management methodology called DRIVE. Two daylong trainings were hosted for the Implementation teams, to ensure they understood the DRIVE methodology.
To liven things up, “Salesforce Superheroes” became the theme for the Client Service rollout. Salesforce Man and Cloud Coach Woman appear in multiple videos, interactive PDFs, and other forms of communication to associates.
Client Service Support was the next group to learn about the functionality SFDC offers them. Half-day training sessions, “quick hit” sessions, team meeting visits, “Salesforce ICYMI” (In Case You Missed It) e-mails, and even “tips & tricks” Webinars were offered as part of the Client Service Support training efforts. This team is now in the process of tracking client interactions to learn more about areas of opportunity and arrive at some measurable efficiency gains.
Results
As more and more sales and service functionality moves into Salesforce, the adoption rate continues to go up; currently, Paycor has about a 93 percent weekly usage for Salesforce.com. Four legacy systems already have been eliminated with Salesforce.com, resulting in more than 200 published training materials. This number continues to grow as new releases and process improvements take place.
In addition, SFDC training programs, along with the ongoing process improvements that were realized after the implementation of SFDC, resulted in the growth of Paycor’s 71 percent profit margin.
