Salesforce is one of the leading on-demand customer relationship management platforms in the market. Its intuitive user interface optimizes technology to deliver a rewarding user experience, providing easy access to information.
Information access helps consumers make smarter decisions. However, besides its advantages, there are a few Salesforce cons that need improvement to make it an even better CRM platform.
- No support for public cloud
Unlike some of its competitors, including Microsoft Dynamics, SugarCRM, and SAP CRM, Salesforce does not support public clouds. As a result, there are limited hosting options. Alternatively, the lack of support for the public cloud prevents portability. This means customers choosing to extend CRM created with Salesforce cannot transfer and protect that investment if they quit the platform. Additionally, it significantly increases exit costs.
- Lack of sophisticated BI
One of the primary Salesforce disadvantages is that its CRM platform lacks business intelligence. This means the platform is not the best for customers with requirements for big data, data mining, warehousing, predictive analytics, and online analytical processing. As a result, such customers need to acquire third-party applications. Though the company is gradually making headway in this arena with Wave analytics, the solution is still in its nascent stage.
- Not beyond CRM
Salesforce is a comprehensive CRM package, but it isn’t the best platform for businesses looking for broader software suites, beyond the CRM, such as Enterprise Resource Planning or back office accounting. This makes the platform less competitive when you need something as a point solution, beyond the CRM. If you are looking for an on-premise hosting solution, Salesforce does not offer this, which means it may not be the right platform for you.
- Lack of flexibility
While Salesforce comes with a pack of customization tools, half a million users use the same solution, and it is not a feasible option to vary too far from the solution.
Every single Salesforce user can access their information through the cloud. Salesforce offers the same mainframe for all users. With all clients receiving the same updates at the same time, users often complain of forced updates when using the platform.
Additionally, unlike leading competitors, Salesforce does not allow multiple roles for users, which risks causing security management issues for businesses with diverse lines or those operating across different geographies, thus causing user experience challenges.
- Expensive
When compared features to features, Salesforce appears to be one of the highest-priced CRM solutions. Additionally, another Salesforce con is its unstructured pricing. Its lowest package of $65 per user/month provides limited access to API calls.
Unfortunately, any business hitting the limits for the month may either have to upgrade their plan or lose access to the platform until the limits are reset. The cost of integrating and incorporating Salesforce into a company is much more than the cost of acquiring the application.
Small businesses that require software customization and integration find it extremely costly with few professional service options. Alternatively, the lack of channel options makes Salesforce a pricey alternative to most competitors.
- Lack of data centers
The company operates fewer data centers globally compared to the competition. This can impact user performance while raising regulatory concerns as far as data privacy and compliance are concerned. As a result, Salesforce does not appeal too much to customers that expand their reach beyond the U.S.
While Salesforce envisions being the next on-demand operating system, it lacks the vision and strategy to deliver back-office systems, which include manufacturing, finance, accounting, supply chain, payroll, and human resources.
- Lack of service level agreement
One of the biggest Salesforce disadvantages is its partiality in providing service level agreements. It generally does not provide the same for small and middle businesses, which is unacceptable. Any small business that requires SLA does not get it easily from Salesforce without forwarding constant requests and negotiations. Additionally, SLAs are highly inconsistent and vary from one customer to another. Moreover, Salesforce’s approach to vertical markets is also inconsistent.
Its migration from a CRM solution toward a SaaS operating system, besides the emphasis on third-party solutions, may shift its focus from being a leader in customer relationship management solutions, giving its CRM competitors an upper hand.
Bottom Line
With so many negatives associated with Salesforce, are you wondering whether it is the right fit for your specific business needs? The ITQlick experts can offer valuable suggestions to make it easier for you to decide whether you should go for the platform despite its disadvantages. Notwithstanding Salesforce’s cons, the CRM solution continues to enjoy impressive skyrocketing growth, with its array of functionalities that make it a leader in the industry.