Most businesses still rely heavily on in-person, interpersonal communication to get our work done. However, with new protocols for social distancing, how can we collaborate from a distance? And how can our systems, particularly Salesforce, help with that process?

Organizations already use Salesforce to track fundraising and programming, but the solution also offers features to enable internal collaboration. By leveraging these features nonprofits can see the full value of Salesforce as a dynamic tool that drives team interaction. Many organizations are feeling a push to offer more remote work options. In this post, we provide a checklist for organizations who are interested in using Salesforce to facilitate digital collaboration for teams.

1. Integrate your email. Integrating Gmail or Outlook is a straightforward way to ensure information is automatically stored in Salesforce and available for reference without flooding others’ inboxes.
2. Monitor and set goals for user adoption. Create adoption dashboards to chart the growth and use of your system. Before you start taking steps towards full adoption, create the mechanism to track it.
3. Leverage Chatter. Rather than store information in notes or in other personal tools, begin to use Chatter as a way of storing interactions contextually. Conversations can take place on specific Donor, Donation, or Loan records (or any custom object). Another Chatter benefit is that people can “overhear” a conversation and join in. And, someone’s departure from the organization does not mean a complete loss of that person’s historical knowledge and activities.
4. Anticipate cases. A streamlined use of case management may welcome users to provide feedback. As challenging as it can be to hear user frustrations, it is better than not hearing about their difficulties at all. A strong case management process can lead to an enhanced user experience for every member of the team. Chatter groups can also be leveraged as a tool for collecting feedback. 
5. Shift from email to Chatter for org-wide communication. Chatter groups can replace listservs and all staff emails. Staff can use Salesforce’s powerful search tools to find and review historical posts rather than dig through email archives. It also means interactions can happen in comments, similar to social media posts, rather than through long reply-all email chains. Email notifications are managed personally, so staff can decide on the appropriate notification frequency for each of their  groups.
6. Subscribe to Reports. Leverage report subscriptions to quickly and consistently deliver information that would otherwise have been delivered in-person. Subscriptions can also be used for exception reporting and other criteria-based metrics – meaning you only receive notifications if the report meets certain criteria. 
7. Reduce noise. Chatter notifications, report subscriptions and other automated messaging is only useful if it is being read – and not buried under non-essential communications. Start by evaluating your own inbox. And, work with others at your organization to identify the right pattern of communication for your team. Ensure the right people are getting the right message and that it is not being drowned out by noise.
8. Integrate Salesforce with messaging and collaboration tools. If your organization already has a messaging tool, consider integrating it with Salesforce. At Craftsman, we are fans of Slack, a solution that integrates with Salesforce. This is one of many options that can be woven into communications on the platform. 

Technology-based collaboration tools will never fully replace rich, in-person interaction. However, in light of recent events and beyond, it has become clear that our businesses can leverage these tools to improve how we communicate with one another at a distance. In short, social distance protocols, including leveraging Salesforce features, can encourage us to improve our “digital closeness” and how our teams work together overall.