Management Solutions in Practice - Cloud Computing, Salesforce.Com - Assignment Example

Management Solutions in Practice Task No Cloud Computing Cloud computing is a technology that allows people to access different applications on any computer system. Users do not need to install the applications in the computer systems rather they can access those applications through internet. Internet is the key component of cloud computing which covers almost every aspect of this computing technology. Schauland (2011) states, “Surfacing in late 2007, cloud computing is used to allow services used in everyday practice to be moved onto the Internet rather than stored on a local computer”. Cloud computing facilitates people and helps them perform their activities by eliminating the need of any specific place or a particular computer system. A person can access the applications as long as he/she has an access to the internet. “As long as a computer has Internet access it will be able to use the application” (Cheow 2010). Cloud computing is usually partitioned into three main categories, which include utility computing, web services, and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS). SaaS is considered the simplest way of computing because it is a single application. “Because there is only one application it is very easy for the company to maintain” (Cheow 2010). SaaS model of cloud computing helps companies save their expenses on buying hardware and software. This model also removes the maintenance costs of the computer systems and applications. “Some common examples of these types of programs are any online e-mail service or instant messaging” (Brodsky n.d.). If we talk about utility computing, we can say that it is, at present, supplemental kind of computing because it is used for the fulfillment of such needs that are not very critical by nature. However, companies like Amazon and IBM are using this technology to run different processes of their businesses. We can say that with the rise in the popularity level of this form of computing, it may soon become the most useful form of computing for the companies. The third type of cloud computing, .i.e. web services, is used by the companies for a variety of purposes, such as, making online presence of the company, dealing with online customers, and performing web based business activities. “Providers can offer things such as discrete business services, and other kinds of APIs that are offered by such systems such as Google Maps” (Cheow 2010). In cloud computing, people make use of web services which help them perform their business activities online instead of using traditional methods. Stevens and Pettey (2008) state, “The types of IT services that can be provided through a cloud are wide-reaching”. Web-based email is one of the key elements of cloud computing. People have been using web-based emails for a long time without even knowing that it is a form of cloud computing. About cloud computing, Stevens and Pettey (2008) state, “Gartner defines cloud computing as a style of computing where massively scalable IT-related capabilities are provided “as a service” using Internet technologies to multiple external customers”. Gartner even says that cloud computing will soon become as famous as E-business. The reason is the cloud computing makes use of internet and shared software applications to facilitate users in accessing their desired application and programs. In E-business, all business processes are run online which not only speeds up the processes but also makes companies reach international markets. Same is the case with cloud computing. It also makes use of internet services in order to provide users with speed and reliability. “Gartner predicts that the impact of cloud computing on IT vendors will be huge” (Stevens & Pettey 2008). Unlike traditional business applications, cloud computing eliminates the problems of hardware and software failure for its clients. In traditional settings, companies need to install, configure, test, and run every application on their own. But with cloud computing, companies run their business processes in the form of clouds where they do not need to worry about any technical failure or information misuse. Using cloud computing system, an industry can experience a considerable amount of workload shift because many of the tasks are performed online. Computers, which are used locally, no longer need to perform heavy workloads because applications are kept online and the networks of such applications are handled by cloud computing. Task No. 2: How Does Salesforce.Com Use Cloud Computing? Salesforce.com is a cloud computing company which provides different kinds of services to the customers. As a Customer Relationship Management leader, Salesforce provides effective management tools to its client companies. Clint companies do not need to worry about any kind of hardware or software issue because Salesforce takes care of all such issues while providing the best services to the clients. Salesforce makes use of cloud computing technology to provide services to the clients. Salesforce is one of such companies which play a great role in the management of sales and service operations of the companies. Salesforce.com groups its products into three major forms of clouds, which include Sales cloud, Service cloud, and the Custom cloud which is also known as the Force cloud. The Sales and Service clouds are dedicated towards bringing improvement to the processes of sales and customer service whereas Custom cloud allows client companies to customize the software applications. The Sales cloud is dedicated to bring improvement to the sales department of the client companies. Companies contact Salesforce for any difficulty related to the sales management and Salesforce provides a reliable framework to the companies for the management of sales. The applications are made available to the client companies in the clouds which the companies can access easily from any place using internet. There is no restriction of a specific place for the companies rather they can access the applications from any place. The Sales cloud makes use of chatter, which is a collaborative tool included in the sales cloud. Chatter performs different functions for the client companies, which may include, helping the companies manage their marketing campaigns, helping the companies improve decision-making processes, improving company-customer relationship, and helping sales representatives communicate effectively with the customers by providing them with the required details of the customers. The Sales cloud takes care of almost every activity related to sales of a company. Client companies do not need to worry about anything. They just need to assign the sales management tasks to Salesforce and Salesforce takes the responsibility of providing best available framework to the companies to help them carry out their business processes. If we talk about the role of Service cloud, we can say that it plays a considerable role in improving the customer service of a company. Good customer service plays an integral role in the success of any company or organization. In the present era, companies give extreme importance to improve customer service for the customers because it provides many considerable benefits to the companies. It not only helps companies retain old customers but also helps them generate high levels of sales. Many companies make use of latest technologies to improve customer service, such as, the use of salesforce.com. Customer service representatives store information into the computer systems using special software applications and make intelligent use of that information to improve customer experience. It is a fact that customers feel very happy and satisfied when they get a welcoming response by the customer service representatives of a company instead of being inquired who they are and what they bought from the company. The service cloud enables companies keep track of all customers and their information by providing them with an effective framework, which is often known as Management Information System. If we talk about the Force cloud, we can say that the Force cloud allows companies customize their Customer Relationship Management applications by providing them with an effective set of IT tools and services. The Force cloud helps companies in such a way that it allows them to use the software applications according to the requirements of the business. Summing it up, the Sales, Service, and Force clouds of the Salesforce really help companies manage their expenses by providing them with reliable frameworks which help them run their business processes effectively and efficiently without worrying about any sort of hardware or software implementation and maintenance cost. Task No. 3: What Benefits Businesses Gain From Switching To Salesforce.Com And Why? Let us now discuss the benefits which companies get by switching to Salesfrorce.com. Salesforce provides client companies with such tools and frameworks which really help them achieve better place in the competitive markets. Salesforce reduces expenses of a company and takes care of all sales and service activities. Unlike traditional business settings, Salesforce makes use of cloud computing which eliminates the problems of hardware and software failure for the client companies. In traditional settings, companies need to design, configure, implement, and maintain the business applications. They need to hire experts who can perform the role of application development but with cloud computing, companies run their business processes in the form of clouds where they do not need to worry about any technical failure related to hardware and software. The companies just need to contact Salesforce in order to get quick and reliable assistance in the Customer Relationship Management processes. Salesforce is a company which provides very reliable and latest technology to the customers. The technology helps the companies manage their business processes effectively and efficiently. “Salesforce.com provides a robust technology platform that is based on an on-demand and shared, multi-tenant architecture” (GLP Partners 2008). Using the products of Salesforce, companies can experience a considerable amount of workload shift. Salesforce takes responsibility of many of the business processes related to sales and service management. For companies, some of the main advantages of using Salesforce include no requirement of capital investment, ease of implementation, ease of integration with proprietary systems, intuitive interface of software applications, and improved ROI. “Widespread acceptance and use of customer relationship management has helped Salesforce.com clients maximize the value of their solution, and realize rapid ROI” (CompareCRM 2011). Some other advantages for the companies which make them switch to Salesforce include low risk, improved organization of business processes, and improved customer service. Salesforce is a low cost tool to manage sales and customer service. There is no expense related to design and implementation of software applications, rather Salesforce bears all expenses while providing a better mechanism to the companies related to management of sales and customer service. Digitization and organization of sales records is another benefit of switching to Salesforce. Improved organization of tasks helps companies track the records of the customers accurately and find more clients from the international markets. It is a fact that better customization and management of customers’ records help a company improve customer service. Salesforce provides such tools to the companies which make them prepare separate profiles for the customers. “Among the primary benefits of Salesforce.com solutions are the ease of deployment and user-friendliness that they offer” (CompareCRM 2011). Salesforce provides such applications to the companies which are very user-friendly. Employees do not find the applications difficult rather they find the interface very easy and understandable. Moreover, the applications provided by Salesforce are bug free and companies can make use of those applications without any concern regarding security of data. Salesforce provides assistance to the companies in many areas. Some of those areas include marketing automation, customer service and support, call center management, and sales force automation. Salesforce also provides many other advanced capabilities, which include flexible and reliable mobile access, in-depth business reporting, and point-and-click customization of applications. Salesforce provides quick and reliable solutions to the customers which help them meet their business requirements. “The solution comes complete with a wide range of free training and support services, as well as best practices guidance” (CompareCRM 2011). Customer satisfaction is the primary concern of Salesforce. Customer satisfaction is a key towards success of a company in the market. A company can never achieve success without providing quality customer service to the customers. Salesforce helps companies meet the need of achieving customer satisfaction by providing the companies with effective customer service tools and applications. Summing it up, Salesforce provides a number of considerable benefits to the companies which not only help them improve their sales and service operations but also help them meet all business requirements in an appropriate manner. Low cost of implementation, decreased expenses, standardized architecture, optimized runtime processing, improved efficiency, provision of energy efficient servers, and increased reliability are such advantages of Salesforce, which make it very beneficial and resourceful for the companies and organizations. References Brodsky, M n.d., What Are the Different Types of Cloud Computing Applications?, viewed 27 October, 2011, Cheow, C 2010, All About Cloud Computing, viewed 27 October, 2011, CompareCRM 2011, Why Choose Salesforce.com CRM Software?, viewed 27 October, 2011, GLP Partners 2008, Advantages of Salesforce.com, viewed 27 October, 2011, Schauland, D 2011, What is Cloud Computing?, viewed 27 October, 2011, Read More