In this series, we’ve been discussing how your healthcare organization (HCO) can support the caregivers who are caring for your patients and members and why it makes good business sense for you to do so. When the caregivers who are supporting your patients/members feel respected, seen and understood, it has many benefits for your organization, such as: 

• More satisfied patients/members 
• More conversions by showing your HCO’s value proposition 
• Healthier patients/members by helping your patients/members adhere to their care plans 

Let’s review what the series has and will cover:

• Part 1 discussed the guided journey you can offer for caregivers
• Part 2 exploreed how you can connect caregivers to support systems and services 
• Part 3 considered the logistics of caregiving 
• Part 4 identified caregiver types and the various permissions needed for each 
• This article, Part 5 discusses the importance of open and quick communication among HCOs, patients/members and caregivers 

Easy, complete communication is critical in caregiving situations 

It comes with the territory that if your patient/member has a family caregiver, that patient/member probably isn’t going to be in the best of health. Otherwise, they probably wouldn’t need someone in the caregiver role. But it’s easy to forget about that until the patient/member has a sudden need for medical care, perhaps at an urgent-care clinic or emergency room. 

It could be because of some new injury or rapidly developing condition. Or it could be related to an ongoing concern. Either way, the patient/member needs care right now. And it may not be possible for the caregiver to ensure that their loved one goes to their usual facility or hospital. Maybe they weren’t at home when the situation developed, or maybe an ambulance has to take the patient/member to the closest available facility for fast — even lifesaving — care. 

It’s critical for everyone involved in care decisions, from provider and payer organizations to caregivers, to communicate quickly and effectively about what the patient/member needs in these situations. And your HCO can help. For starters, and most importantly… 

Make it possible to quickly access patient/member data 

Speaking from my own experience as a caregiver for my father — if something comes up and my dad needs care right away, I hope I’ll be able to get him to a facility within the provider organization system that normally cares for him. But urgent and emergency situations don’t often happen in ideal circumstances. It’s entirely possible that I’ll have to someday take him to a care facility outside his normal system. If that happens, it’s not good for anyone involved if I have to figure out how to get my dad’s medical records shared with this new organization: 

• My dad, who’s already likely to be scared or irritated, will only have his feelings worsened if I’m distracted 
• I’ll be upset by the situation and only more frustrated if I have to be distracted by this new wrinkle of hard-to-access information 
• The provider will be working with one hand metaphorically tied behind their back if they don’t have the full information about their new patient

This problem only gets compounded if the caregiver has to take the patient/member to a care facility that’s out of the patient/member’s health insurance network. The payer organization will likely require transfer back to an in-network facility as soon as possible. So the caregiver will have to do the information-transfer rigamarole at least twice. 

 Wherever your HCO can, make it as easy and straightforward as possible for caregivers to share needed information from your EHR to another provider in times of need. This helps ensure quality of care and continuity of care in every situation. And it likely will help make life easier for care teams when patients come back into their systems after these emergencies. Work with your IT team to figure out where and how your HCO can allow quick records transfers to another system. What needs to be done on your end, and how can you make this process easier for patients/members and caregivers?  

Teach caregivers what to say and do before a crisis 

The healthcare system is complex and challenging for laypeople on their best days. And a caregiver who’s facing an emergency with their loved one is not going to be having their best day. But even if there’s no “easy button” for a technological solution caregivers can access in an emergency, you can still help prepare them ahead of time.  

Find ways to share the information a caregiver is likely going to need to share with another provider or HCO. Whether that happens during an appointment with a provider, in a support-group setting or in prepared materials — or even all three — take opportunities to coach caregivers on what they’ll need to do and what materials they’ll need to provide in situations where they need to take the patient/member to another provider or facility. 

Help caregivers understand what a triage nurse is likely going to ask about their loved ones. Make a list of the various records another organization will need to understand the patient/member’s condition, medication allergies, etc. And show them how to find and share this information as quickly as possible. 

Of course, the ideal scenario involves the caregiver being able to do all this electronically. But if that’s not possible, encourage the caregiver to have copies, whether saved as PDFs or even printed out, and have them readily available to bring to care facilities in an emergency. 

Facilitate instant communication between caregivers, family members and care teams 

The expression “It takes a village” may have been coined in reference to children, but it definitely comes into play for caregivers and their adult loved ones as well. Whether caregiving duties are shared among siblings for an older adult or the primary caregiver hires help from a professional in-home caregiver, everyone needs to be on the same page about the patient/member and their care. 

 Allowing a space for those involved in caregiving for a patient/member to coordinate their efforts can help ease everyone’s mind. Not only does this type of solution avoid the communication of patient information in a potentially insecure text or email app, but it also could allow caregivers to easily refer to information about vital signs, prescriptions, etc. An added bonus: You could even allow a swift sharing of data to the patient/member’s primary care provider, specialist, etc., as needed. 

Show caregivers that you care about them too 

The need for caregivers is on the rise. Having the tools and procedures in place to ease the experience for them only makes the process better for your patients/members and everyone involved in their care. Our team is here to help you maximize the caregiver experience with our caregiver enablement approach. 

 To schedule an introductory workshop or learn more, contact us. We’d love to talk more with you about your challenges related to caregivers and their needs. 

Remember the joy of opening a fresh Lego set as a kid? You had all these individual pieces, but the real magic happened when you combined them, following those picture-perfect instructions, to build something incredible. That’s the essence of Salesforce CPQ product bundles – taking individual products and services and transforming them into irresistible offerings for your customers.

Imagine this: you sell software solutions. You’ve got your core product, add-on features, and maybe some implementation services. Selling them piecemeal can feel like handing someone a box of unsorted Lego bricks – overwhelming and confusing! But what if you could package them neatly into tailored solutions? That’s where bundles come in. With Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote), product bundles make it easier for businesses to package their offerings, making the sales process more efficient and customer-friendly.

But why are product bundles such a game-changer? Let’s break it down.

The Beauty of Bundling

Think of bundles as pre-designed Lego creations. Instead of forcing your customers to figure out what fits together, you present them with complete packages, making their decision process smoother and faster. In sales, clarity and ease of choice are everything. When customers can easily see what they need in a single, attractive package, they’re much more likely to buy.

Here’s why bundling with Salesforce CPQ can transform your sales strategy:

• Simplicity for Customers: No more deciphering complex price lists! Bundles offer clear choices, making it easy for customers to understand what they’re getting and how much it costs. It’s like choosing between a ‘Starter Kit’ or a ‘Pro Package’ – simple and straightforward. The buying experience is simplified, leaving no room for confusion. And when things are simple, decisions happen faster.
• Increased Deal Value: By strategically combining products and services, you naturally increase the overall value of the deal. Just like that impressive Lego castle is worth more than a pile of bricks, a well-crafted bundle entices customers to spend more by offering greater perceived value. Customers see that they’re getting more for their money, which leads to higher average deal sizes.
• Faster Sales Cycles: Less decision fatigue means quicker decisions! With pre-configured options, your sales team spends less time on configuration and more time closing deals. It’s like handing your customer the finished Lego masterpiece – they can start using your solution right away! And for businesses, speed is critical – faster sales mean more revenue in a shorter time.
• Reduced Errors: Bundling minimizes the risk of incorrect configurations or missing components. Remember the frustration of finishing a Lego set, only to discover a piece missing? Bundles eliminate that risk by ensuring all necessary elements are included. For sales teams, this translates into fewer mistakes in quotes, leading to a smoother and more accurate sales process.

Building Your Bundle Empire: A Quick Guide

So how do you create these bundles that can revolutionize your sales? Building effective Salesforce CPQ bundles requires a strategic approach. Let’s look at a step-by-step guide that’s as easy to follow as those Lego instructions:

1. Know Your Audience: What are their pain points? What solutions do they seek? Understanding your customer needs is like studying the Lego instruction booklet – it guides you toward building the right thing. If you know your customer’s specific challenges, you can create bundles that directly address those needs, making them irresistible.

2. Strategic Grouping: Combine products and services that complement each other. Think peanut butter and jelly, Batman and Robin – items that naturally go together to deliver a more holistic solution. For example, if you’re selling software, bundle the software with training and customer support services. Your customer gets a complete package without needing to make multiple decisions.

3. Pricing Power: Offer bundles at a slightly discounted price compared to purchasing items individually. This incentivizes customers to opt for the package deal, increasing your average deal size. Just like with Lego sets, buying all the pieces together is usually cheaper than buying them one by one. And customers love a good deal!

4. Flexibility is Key: While pre-configured bundles are great, allow some room for customization. Some customers might want to swap out a specific ‘Lego brick,’ so offering flexibility keeps them happy and engaged. With Salesforce CPQ, you can allow customers to add or remove certain items from a bundle while keeping the overall package intact.

5. Continuous Optimization: Don’t just set your bundles and forget about them. Monitor how well they’re performing and adjust based on customer feedback or changing market conditions. Just like how new Lego sets come out every year, your bundles need to evolve to stay relevant and effective.

The Customer Experience: Why It Matters

Now, let’s put ourselves in the shoes of your customer. Imagine they’re overwhelmed by options, trying to piece together the perfect solution. If they’re left to figure everything out on their own, they might become frustrated or give up altogether. But with a well-designed bundle, the process becomes seamless. The customer feels understood, their needs are met, and they leave with a sense of satisfaction.

This is especially important for businesses offering complex products or services. When everything is bundled into a clear, cohesive package, it reduces the mental load for customers, making the purchasing process a breeze.

The Takeaway

Salesforce CPQ product bundles are like having a secret weapon in your sales arsenal. They simplify the buying process, increase deal value, and boost efficiency. By offering pre-configured solutions that customers can easily understand, you reduce decision fatigue, speed up sales cycles, and create happier, more satisfied customers.

So, channel your inner child, embrace the power of bundling, and watch your sales soar to new heights! Just like Lego, the possibilities are endless when you have the right pieces – and with Salesforce CPQ, you can put them together in the most effective way possible.

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a luxury but a necessity for enterprises aiming to stay ahead of the competition. Salesforce, a leader in customer relationship management (CRM), offers a suite of AI-powered tools designed to transform businesses into AI enterprises.  

This transformation was a key theme at Salesforce Connections in Chicago, where industry leaders gathered to explore the latest innovations and strategies for integrating AI into their operations. Here are five essential steps to creating an AI enterprise with Salesforce:

Build a Customer 360

Customer 360 is the foundation of any AI-driven enterprise. This holistic view of your customers aggregates data from various touchpoints to create a comprehensive, single source of truth. With Salesforce, building a Customer 360 involves: 

• Integrating Data: Connect all your customer data across sales, service, marketing, and commerce in one place. Salesforce’s robust integration capabilities allow you to pull data from disparate sources seamlessly. 
• Unified Profiles: Create unified customer profiles that include every interaction and transaction. This 360-degree view helps in understanding customer behavior, preferences, and needs more accurately. 
• Personalized Experiences: Use the insights to deliver personalized experiences at every touchpoint, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Disconnected data and siloed teams have long been challenges for businesses. By achieving a 360-degree view of customers, you can break down these silos, ensuring a unified approach to customer management.

Unlock and Activate Your Data

Having a wealth of data is only useful if you can unlock its potential. Salesforce provides powerful tools to unlock and activate your data: 

• Data Management: Utilize Salesforce Data Cloud to manage and harmonize large volumes of data efficiently. This platform helps in cleansing, enriching, and preparing your data for AI applications. 
• APIs and Connectors: Salesforce offers APIs and connectors to integrate third-party data sources, ensuring you have a rich and diverse dataset. 
• Data Activation: Activate your data by making it actionable. Salesforce’s AI tools, such as Einstein Copilot, can analyze data in real-time to generate predictive insights and recommendations. 

Businesses have been trying to manage data effectively for over 30 years. With Salesforce, you can finally achieve a unified data approach that ensures your AI initiatives are built on a solid foundation.

Deploy Trusted AI & Copilot

Deploying AI within your enterprise requires trust and transparency. Salesforce’s approach to AI emphasizes ethical use and reliability: 

• Einstein AI: Salesforce Einstein brings advanced AI capabilities directly into the Salesforce platform, allowing you to automate routine tasks, predict outcomes, and provide personalized recommendations. 
• Trust and Ethics: Salesforce ensures that AI models are transparent and explainable. They prioritize ethical considerations, ensuring AI decisions are fair and unbiased. 
• Copilot Functionality: The Copilot functionality within Salesforce leverages AI to assist users in real-time. Whether it’s providing sales reps with the next best action or helping service agents with customer queries, Copilot enhances productivity and decision-making. 

Einstein Copilot also works across all Salesforce applications and can text customers, write summaries, update records, and even create campaigns with brief inputs. This level of functionality ensures that AI is not just powerful but also practical and user-friendly.

Deliver Analytics with AI

Analytics is crucial for deriving actionable insights from your data. Salesforce’s AI-driven analytics tools, including Copilot for Tableau and Tableau Pulse, enable you to make informed decisions: 

• Einstein Analytics: Use Einstein Analytics to explore data visually, create interactive dashboards, and uncover trends and patterns. This tool helps in making data-driven decisions quickly. 
• Copilot for Tableau: Enhance your Tableau experience with AI-powered assistance. Copilot for Tableau provides real-time insights, recommendations, and helps users navigate complex data sets effortlessly, ensuring that even non-technical users can derive value from their data. 
• Tableau Pulse: Stay updated with the most important data changes and trends in real-time with Tableau Pulse. This feature uses AI to highlight critical metrics and anomalies, allowing you to react promptly to emerging opportunities or issues. 

By integrating these advanced AI tools, you can transform raw data into strategic insights that drive your business forward.  

Collaborate with AI

Collaboration is essential for maximizing the impact of AI across your organization. Salesforce provides tools to foster collaboration and drive collective intelligence: 

• Slack Integration: With Salesforce’s integration of Slack, teams can collaborate in real-time, sharing AI-driven insights and working together on data-driven projects. 
• AI-Enhanced Workflows: Create AI-enhanced workflows that streamline processes and facilitate better communication and decision-making across departments. 

AI-enhanced workflows ensure that insights are not just generated but also acted upon swiftly. With tools like Slack, your team can stay connected and informed, driving collective intelligence. 

Conclusion 

Creating an AI enterprise with Salesforce involves more than just adopting new technologies; it requires a strategic approach to data, collaboration, and ethics. By building a Customer 360, unlocking and activating your data, deploying trusted AI, delivering analytics with AI, and fostering collaboration, you can transform your business into a forward-thinking, AI-driven enterprise. Embrace these steps to not only stay competitive but also to drive innovation and growth in your organization. 

Ready to embark on your AI journey with Salesforce? Partner with Perficient to get started today with unlocking the full potential of AI for your enterprise. 

Perficient + Salesforce  

As a leading Salesforce consulting partner, we are on a mission to harness the power of Salesforce to solve complex business problems. With specialized knowledge in Data Cloud, Einstein AI, Marketing Cloud, and Experience Cloud, our team is dedicated to crafting innovative digital experiences that drive client success. 

We aren’t just experts; we’re storytellers who understand the unique needs and challenges in the manufacturing, automotive, healthcare and life sciences, and financial services industries. We team up with our industry and solution experts to build complex enterprise ecosystems for our clients, and through our commitment to building authentic relationships with clients and partners, we foster collaboration and trust that lead to sustainable growth. 

At the heart of our mission is our belief in lifting up people and communities. By leveraging our global team’s skills and resources, we strive to solve complex business problems and leave a meaningful impact on society. 

 Join us in our journey to revolutionize the way businesses connect, engage, and thrive in the digital era. Get connected with our experts to learn more.