By Synthesis Craig Leppan, Synthesis Business Development
In 2019 one of our largest banking clients coordinated a meeting with the Salesforce Banking Head for our region. The message from him was interesting on a number of levels for Synthesis. South Africa and the EMEA region were very short of Salesforce skills and strong partners. The majority of the local client base was obliged to lean on the Global System Integrators that had Salesforce skills and practices.
Why should companies seek talent and skills overseas when there is a great deal of local talent? We realised that the synergy between Salesforce and ourselves and our exceptional local talent made us an ideal Salesforce partner. We saw this synergy in many areas but particularly through our cloud and digital expertise.
Firstly, strong AWS Cloud Consulting Partners make good Salesforce Partners, likely due to their cloud-first skillsets and approach to config, develop and they use the cloud as business transformation tools. We have over six years’ experience pioneering AWS cloud locally. We understand how to bring new partnerships and technologies to fruition.
Secondly, we are a digital partner. Our large banks were either already invested in significant Salesforce multi-year journeys to transform sales and services experiences or were about to start one. We already know their businesses and the digital transformation journey, adding Salesforce to this was a natural extension.
So, we said what we have said many times before we stared any of our journeys, “let’s start!” A commitment from our management team brings us to this point where we are firmly on our way as a registered consulting partner with the skills and certifications growing each month as we bring our digital and cloud skills onto the platform.
But why we are still asked? What will do you? What area will you choose? Sales / Service Cloud, Financial Services Cloud…?
YES.
The short answer is YES. We know how to build strong skills in delivery, consulting, development and managed services. We have followed this journey for six years on AWS and were one of the first in the region to be an advanced partner.
Like AWS, we are not choosing Salesforce arbitrarily. We recognise them as a true cloud software company and we can identify and support their goals and visions and to be a force for good in the world.
At the people level, we see that via our Academy, leadership and digital and cloud business units, that we can bring young South Africans from all levels into a new world of global skills and give them a career in Salesforce that they can uplift themselves and their families.
We see that Salesforce projects are not about putting in a sales or service system for our customers. It is about creating a change in experience for their customers that is truly transformational and empowering.
We are at the start of the journey, at the foot of the mountain and are ready to climb it with our people, clients and Salesforce.
Let’s Blaze a Trail Together!
