Previously on the FirmWorks blog, we discussed The Synergy of Geography and Data, outlining the five points below—
01. Geographical context is crucial for businesses: Geography significantly impacts various aspects of business operations, including personalization, targeted marketing, logistics, and customer insights.
02. Geolocation as a strategic asset: Geolocation data is like a digital treasure map, offering businesses valuable insights and opportunities for optimization.
03. Challenges of accessing geolocation data: While geolocation data is valuable, accessing it can be complicated and costly, requiring specific tools and investments.
04. Integration of geolocation with Salesforce: Salesforce provides tools like Data Integration Rules (DIR) to help organize and connect geolocation data effectively within its platform.
05. Customization may be necessary: While Salesforce offers some standard geocoding capabilities, businesses may need to engage in custom development and utilize geocoding APIs for more specific or custom data objects or fields.
So let’s discuss FirmWorks Geo, our FREE mapping solution for Salesforce, in greater detail.
If you were to scroll through the AppExchange for mapping applications, you’d find quite a few of them, but not many, if any, that are budget friendly or free. Recognizing that not everyone needs a complete mapping or route generating service, and that sometimes people simply need a basic map for what’s in the area, we found a need for a simple solution and developed FirmWorks Geo.
Oh, and did I mention it’s FREE?
Here’s how it works—
The Nuts and Bolts of FirmWorks Geo
In a previous post, we covered the basics of Salesforce and geocoding. So where does FirmWorks Geo fit in the mix? Rather that operating off Google Maps or Mapquest API calls (a cost-inefficient solution), Geo uses US Census Data.
If you wanted to Google or Mapquest rather than US Census Data with FirmWorks Geo, could you? Of course. That choice is yours and the application is completely flexible.
In addition to the Census Data, you’ll need to have one of the four basic Data Integration Rules [Account Billing Address, Account Shipping Address, Contact Address, and Lead Address] active on an object. Does this sound overly technical and complicated? I assure you it isn’t.
Follow these three simple steps—
✓ Download the application and turn on the DIR during setup. (This has the addresses you are using for data analysis and want to show within the FirmWorks Geo tool).
✓ Patiently wait for Salesforce to get that data imported …
✓ Then simply decide whether you’d like to operate on the Global or Object level, add the components where needed, and DONE.
Excluding the Salesforce import, the whole process takes less time than it takes to make a hard-boiled egg.
What Can You Do With FirmWorks Geo?
You have your relevant data geocoded, FirmWorks Geo is all loaded up, now it’s time to get that data on a map and see what can be done with it. Let’s look at what FirmWorks Geo can help your company effectively do with its geocoded data.
Sales Route Planning
The most 1:1 use case for FirmWorks Geo is for planning sales routes. Whether for new lead generation or account reviews, location is a nodal data point for planning an efficient sales route, especially with how sales teams tend to operate via regions and territories.
By using FirmWorks Geo, an administrator can set up filters based on your orgs data, then the sales team can plot the best possible routes within a particular market.
Cool, right?
First, connect with your sales team and identify key factors on accounts or contacts that will help identify the best areas/regions/territories to focus their efforts.
For example, your team may only want to physically travel for accounts worth more than $500k, or maybe they just want a list of decision makers to take out to lunch, so they can close deals faster. Whatever the parameters may be, you can build a filter using FirmWorks Geo that will provide them with the best possible route for any sales use case!
Service Visits Made Easy
Sometimes sales teams aren’t the only folks that need to travel. If your org provides any services where individuals need to do site visits, FirmWorks Geo is a free alternative to purchasing a secondary mapping system on top of your existing Salesforce org.
So, let’s talk about Service visit planning.
While the configuration for these use cases is similar, for Service it may require looking at account addresses that have purchased a particular type of service. If you create a way to represent this on the Account, you have your geocoding, then you can create a list of accounts related to each type of product or service contract and design routes for Service team members based on their skill set or expertise!
Not for Profit, not a Problem!
The best use case we’ve encountered is helping those companies that help others. Not-for-Profit clients tend to be very interested in knowing more about their data’s location.
FirmWorks Geo provides a great way to map visits with top tier donors, as well as the most efficient route when visiting individuals to campaign for funds.
By setting up a few FirmWorks Geo filters on contact records, users can efficiently assess where to coordinate and focus volunteers in the field.
Additionally, users can also determine great locations for fundraising events centrally located to their donors, volunteers, and/or other important constituents’ locations. This can even be taken a step further by filtering information from the NPSP package, like Gift Amount or other Contact roll ups, to make these filters more powerful and poignant.
Data + Geo = Success
Geocoding data in a database can be a lot more complicated than simply using Google Maps. Data doesn’t automatically come with geolocation information attached to it; it must be provided by a geocoding service.
At this point, everything starts coming together and you can use your data to improve your processes. For many business types, a complex geolocation service is not needed. That is why we offer FirmWorks Geo for FREE, so your org can take advantage of geography.
Want to give it a try? Get in touch here, info@getfirmworks.com, or simply download FirmWorks Geo today and we’ll get the power of geography in your hands!
