The most important result you need to know
The problem, options considered, and strategic choice
Small and Medium Business (SMB) sales reps at Dell wasted precious time switching between multiple internal and external tools to access critical information during the sales process. The fragmented flow resulted in:
Option A: Implement complex automations and deep integrations
❌ Discarded: High engineering cost, long timeline (6+ months), elevated technical risk
Option B: Extensive training program and culture change
❌ Discarded: Historically slow adoption, low engagement, unpredictable results
Option C (Chosen): Focused redesign of main flows + minimal viable automations
✅ Selected: Fast delivery (3 months), controlled risk, focus on highest impact tasks
Sacrificed: "Nice-to-have" features and secondary functionalities that would benefit less frequent use cases.
To gain: Critical speed on main tasks (product lookup, quote creation, pipeline management) that represented 80% of reps' daily use.
Reasoning: In SMB sales environment, speed is conversion. Every second saved in operational flow is one more second for consultative selling and customer relationships.
Data, methodology and learnings
We measured success through a proven 35% reduction in clicks required to complete critical tasks (product search → quote creation → deal update). Detailed tracking via Salesforce Analytics showed that:
To smooth the transition and reduce resistance to change, we implemented:
Qualitative feedback via internal NPS: +42 points (from 18 to 60) in Salesforce tool satisfaction.
During the transition period (first 2 weeks), we had:
Learning: Extra support was anticipated and budgeted. Removed features were used by <5% of reps, confirming the decision to prioritize the core.
With the advancement of generative AI, I would implement:
Estimated impact: Additional 15-20% productivity gain with these AI capabilities.