Salesforce Implementation Costs Simplified for Enterprise Businesses
Salesforce is the go-to choice for any enterprise that wants to streamline its operations across marketing, sales, service, or other business functions. And why wouldn’t one prefer Salesforce, it has the best automation capabilities, smartest analytics features, and customization capability like no other tool.
While Salesforce is the most powerful CRM today and has the highest customer satisfaction rate ( at 97 percent), its implementation can be challenging due to complexity in various areas, causing cost overruns.
Additionally, many enterprises aren’t aware of the gate, which products and licenses to buy, and whether a Salesforce implementation makes sense for their company. Adopting Salesforce implementation services can substantially reduce the implementation cost and help companies get the max on their investment.
Read this blog to gain better insights into what impacts implementation cost and how you can implement any salesforce product within your enterprise business.
How Much Does a Salesforce Implementation Cost?
Salesforce implementation pricing depends on the size and complexity of a project. Based on our experience, the average cost of implementing Salesforce ranges between $50,000 to $180,000.
Here is a quick breakdown of average implementation cost for small, medium, and large-scale enterprises:
Cost Breakdown by Enterprise Size
Small-Scale Enterprises
Cost Range: $50,000 - $80,000
Typical Requirements:
Standard functionalities like lead and opportunity management, contact and account management, basic reports and dashboards.
Minimal customization and fewer users.
Medium-Scale Enterprises
Cost Range: $80,000 - $120,000
Typical Requirements:
More advanced functionalities including workflow automation, case management, and task tracking.
Moderate customization, such as custom reports, and dashboards, and integration with other business systems.
A higher number of users compared to small enterprises.
Large-Scale Enterprises
Cost Range: $120,000 - $180,000
Typical Requirements:
Extensive functionalities including advanced analytics, custom apps, unique workflows, and integration with multiple business systems.
Significant customization and a large number of users.
Complex project management and implementation processes.
7 Factors Affecting Salesforce Implementation Cost
Wondering what impacts Salesforce implementation pricing? Primarily, the cost of Salesforce implementation is influenced by 7 major factors as mentioned below.
1. Project Complexity
Salesforce projects have different complexities which influences implementation costs directly. Often projects with complex requirements such as reengineering business processes, integrating disparate platforms/databases, or migrating data from legacy platforms to Salesforce require more hours, causing an increase in the implementation costs.
2. Number of Users
Salesforce requires purchasing additional licenses for users and as a standard, they offer some free users (& it can change with product type). Although businesses can share a single user credential amongst themselves, based on stakeholder hierarchy, purchasing a new user license is the best option. However, it comes at a price point and can take a significant amount of your investment if not planned well.
3. Level of Customization
For requirements where out-of-the-box functionalities are needed such as lead and opportunity management, dashboards, chatter, etc., the cost of customization will be on the lesser side compared to custom development where new objects, custom apps, or unique workflows are required. This is because extensive customization takes more time and specialized skills, adding further to implementation cost.
4. Data Migration
For businesses with existing data or RAW data, data migration to Salesforce is required. Although it is a less time-consuming process, there can be challenges due to poor data quality, complex data structures, and mapping difficulties, requiring more time and resources.
5. Integration with Disparate Platforms
Enterprise businesses use multiple external and internal apps to streamline processes and this requires them to exchange data between those apps with minimum time and disruptions. However, there are complexities involved in integrating Salesforce with external systems for which you may need to build custom APIs (if not available). For such scenarios, the cost of integration can be on the higher side.
6. User Adoption
After implementing any Salesforce product, it must be used by end users. This requires long training sessions and on-demand support considering employees will take hours to understand the product, which can also increase your project costs.
7. Geographic Location
The geographic location of the implementation team impacts implementation expenses directly. For instance, hiring experts from countries such as the US, Canada, and the UK will cost more than those in countries in Asia Pacific (APAC) or EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa).
Here’s an estimated hourly cost of hiring Salesforce Consultants in India, APAC, EMEA, and USA/Canada regions.
India - $25 - $50
APAC - $70 - $140
EMEA - $85 - $180
USA/Canada - $100 - $180
Salesforce Implementation Cost Breakdown
Implementing Salesforce involves various costs, categorized into several key areas. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the major cost components:
1. Salesforce Consulting and Strategy Cost
Investing in a solid consulting and strategy phase can significantly enhance the chances of a successful Salesforce implementation, providing a clear direction to your team while also minimizing the possibility of major errors.
This phase involves collaborating with a Salesforce Consulting Company that understands your unique needs and creates a comprehensive strategy defining project milestones, timelines, and resource allocation.
A consulting firm also identifies potential risks and creates a detailed project roadmap that guides the entire implementation process including specific tasks, deadlines, and responsibilities to ensure the project stays on track.
The duration of this phase can range from a few weeks to several months, depending on the complexity and scale of the project. The anticipated cost for consulting and strategy typically ranges from $5,000 to over $20,000.
2. Salesforce Customization Cost
Salesforce customization is a critical aspect of aligning the platform with your specific business processes and requirements. Customization allows you to tailor Salesforce to better meet your needs, which can lead to improved efficiency and effectiveness in your operations. Due to the complexity and specialized nature of customization, costs can vary significantly.
Basic customizations, such as adding custom fields, workflows, and reports, usually cost between $5,000 and $20,000. More complex customizations, like developing custom applications or integrating Salesforce with other ERPs/CRMs, can surpass this price range.
3. Data Migration Costs
Whether you are migrating from external systems to Salesforce or from Salesforce to Salesforce, you would want to ensure, this process is hassle-free.
For that, you’d assess your migration needs with a Salesforce consultant. A consultant will help you understand various factors such as planning, data mapping, extraction, and transformation, all of which are crucial steps in migration and influence cost as per the complexity.
Talking about migration costs can be anything from $5,000 to $20,000 or more, depending on several factors such as data volume, data quality, data complexity, no. of data sources, tools, and expertise required.
4. User Training Costs
User training is also an essential component for successful Salesforce implementation and adoption. Proper training ensures that users can fully leverage the system's capabilities.
Besides training support from a consulting firm, one can also leverage Salesforce’s online courses, in-person sessions, and certification programs to amp up their knowledge of Salesforce features and how to use them for best results.
As far as cost is concerned, it depends on the number of users and the depth of training you may require. It can range from $500 to $5,000 per user, if not more.
5. Post-launch Support and Maintenance Costs
Ongoing support and maintenance are crucial to ensure the smooth operation of the Salesforce system and prompt resolution of any issues that arise post-implementation. From routine maintenance to system enhancements, there are various reasons why you should allocate a budget for post-launch support and maintenance needs of your CRM.
The cost of ongoing support depends on the support level, such as 24/7 assistance or business hours coverage. If you’re seeking annual support costs, it can be anywhere from $10,000 to $45,000, or more.
Core Products License Cost Comparison
While consulting, customization, data migration, integration, training, and post-launch support cost one big chunk of your implementation budget, Salesforce licensing is another big investment you’ll have to think about.
Speaking of licenses, there are three ways to buy them:
Purchase directly from Salesforce
Subscribe via a Salesforce partner (at a lower price)
Combining Salesforce and an AppExchange app
If you choose to buy directly from Salesforce, you’ll start with one of the Salesforce products - Marketing Cloud, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Education Cloud, Experience Cloud, etc.
These products are available in different editions each with different features and prices. Besides these out-of-the-box offerings of Salesforce, you may also need further add-ons which come at an extra price further adding to your implementation cost.
To help you understand licensing better, here’s a brief overview of the main Salesforce products and their licensing fee:
Salesforce Sales Cloud
Salesforce Sales Cloud Pricing (Source: Salesforce)
Starter Suite ($25/user/month)
Simple CRM suite for SMBs with marketing, sales, service, and commerce features. Includes features for Account, Contact, Lead, and opportunity management. The Starter suite also includes Email integration, Einstein Activity Capture, and Salesforce Mobile App features.
Pro Suite ($100/user/month)
The professional edition is an enhanced version of Starter Suite. It includes features such as real-time chat, sales quoting, and forecasting, and AppExchange. The Pro Suite also comes with Lightning app builder with better customization and automation capabilities.
Enterprise Edition ($165/user/month)
Enterprise edition is suitable for mid to large-scale organizations. Includes everything in previous editions along with advanced sales features such as Forecast and pipeline management, conversation insights, opportunity scoring, etc.
Salesforce Unlimited Edition ($330/user/month)
The Unlimited edition is a Sales CRM with comprehensive AI, automation, and developer support built in. Plus it offers additional features such as Predictive AI, Conversational Intelligence, Sales Engagement, Premier Success Plan, and Full Sandbox.
Salesforce Einstein 1 Sales Edition ($500/user/month)
Priced at $500 per user per month, this edition offers advanced features such as Einstein Copilot powered by Generative AI for improved decision-making, performance management tools, sales programs, and Slack integration.
Besides these 5 editions, Salesforce also offers other add-on tools as well. The most popular of them include:
Sales Programs ($100/user/month),
Revenue Intelligence ($220/user/month), and
Configure Price and Quote (CPQ) ($75/user/month)
Pardot ( $1250/user/month)
Salesforce Service Cloud Price
Like Sales Cloud, Service Cloud is also available in 5 main editions.
Salesforce Service Cloud Pricing (Source: Salesforce)
Starter Edition ($25/user/month)
The starter edition is designed to allow service teams to start fast with their sales, service, and email outreach needs. It offers basic features for small customer service teams, multi-channel case management, telephony integration (CTI), and Service Console app access.
Service Professional Edition ($80/user/month)
Service Professional is a complete CRM designed for sales teams of any size. It extends the starter version functionality with new features such as service contracts, entitlements, and order management.
Enterprise Edition ($165/user/month)
The Enterprise edition offers some enhancements to the professional edition. You can consider it for advanced customer service automation, enhanced reporting AI tools, and Web Services API features.
Unlimited ($330/user/month)
This Unlimited edition has the most comprehensive feature set of all the Service editions. Users will also have access to 24/7 support and configuration services, something not available in other suites.
Besides these 4 editions, Service Cloud users can also leverage add-ons. The most popular of them include:
Field Service Lightning ($50/user/month)
Digital Engagement ($75/user/month)
Service Cloud Einstein ($50/user/month)
Service Cloud Voice ($75/user/month)
Salesforce Maps ($75/user/month)
Salesforce Marketing Cloud License Pricing
Marketing Cloud offers different products, each with multiple suites targeting comprehensive marketing needs such as email marketing, B2B marketing automation, and social media advertising. Let’s check out some of the prominent tools:
Marketing Cloud Engagement ( starts at $1250/user/month)
Marketing Cloud Engagement helps deliver personalized cross-channel experiences throughout the customer lifecycle. From designing visual customer journey maps for refinement to integrating features from the Email, Mobile, and Web Marketing Suite, such as content builder, customer segmentation, and personalization, SFMC engagement offers everything for marketer’s automation needs.
Salesforce Marketing Cloud Pricing (Source: Salesforce)
Besides Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement, there are several Marketing Cloud products such as Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, Marketing Cloud Growth Edition, Marketing Cloud Personalization, and Marketing Cloud Intelligence, each with unique capabilities, features, and pricing.
How to Calculate Salesforce Implementation Cost?
Salesforce implementation cost depends on various factors as discussed above. However, if you narrow down what we’ve discussed above, you’ll find out there are two main components that impact the cost.
Implementation carried out by a Salesforce Consulting Partner and the cost associated with hiring their experts. (we’ve already discussed above).
Licenses you’ll buy to ensure business goals are met.
Let's look at a real-life use case to understand licensing costs.
Understand Salesforce Implementation Cost from an example!
A mid-sized manufacturing company wanted to utilize Salesforce. For their comprehensive sales and service needs, we suggested enterprise editions of both Sales Cloud and Service Cloud. As for marketing needs, we didn’t suggest a Marketing Cloud subscription as most of the marketing features such as email are available in higher Sales Cloud editions.
User Roles and Licenses Required for this Use-Case
| User Role | No of Users | Description |
|---|---|---|
| C-Suite Executives |
01 | Total 3 licenses required i.e. one for each Sales Cloud, Marketing Cloud and Service Cloud) |
| Cloud Administrator | 01 | One Sales Cloud certified admin can do basic configurations in other Service Cloud or vice-versa) |
| In-house sales representatives | 05 | (Sales Cloud Licenses) |
| Marketing Manager | 01 |
(Service Cloud License) |
| Service Manager | 01 |
(Service Cloud License) |
| Service Agents | 06 | (Service Cloud License) |
Calculating Total Salesforce Licensing Cost
1. Sales Cloud Licenses (Enterprise Edition)
Total Users = 1 (C-Suite Executive) + 1 (Cloud Administrator) + 5 (In-house Sales Representatives) + 1 (Marketing Manager) = 8
Total Annual Cost on Sales Cloud Licenses = 165*12*8 = $15840 per year
2. Service Cloud Licenses (Enterprise Edition)
Total Users = 1 (C-Suite Executive)+ 1 (Service Manager), 6 (Customer Service Agents) = 8
Total Annual Cost on Service Cloud Licenses = 165*12*8 = $15840 per year
Total Licensing Cost = $15840+ $15840 = $31680 per year
Developer Cost for Implementing this Use-Case
Total cost = Cost of consulting + cost of customization + cost of data migration + cost of user training + cost on post-launch support and maintenance
Total Annual cost accrued by our customer in Salesforce implementation= $12,000 + $15000 + $10000 + $3000 + $20000 = $60,000 per year
Note:
Actual costs may vary based on specific business requirements, additional features, or Salesforce pricing changes. Moreover, these costs are subject to negotiation or discounts based on the volume of licenses purchased.
Conclusion
Implementing Salesforce is the go-to choice for any business that wants to take big strides and register exponential growth. While Salesforce has exceptional features to offer, its implementation can often be challenging and costly due to a lack of skilled resources and the inability of ISVs and businesses to gauge their licensing needs.
Partnering with a reputable Salesforce implementation and development company can help you limit the cost of license subscriptions which contributes massively to overall implementation cost. Moreover, with such a collaboration, you get readily available and highly skilled resources, ensuring your team does not experience delays, lags, inefficiency, or downtime.
As a Salesforce development service provider, Concretio has implemented and managed hundreds of Salesforce projects for businesses across industries. From SMBs to Fortune 500 companies, we’ve showcased our implementation expertise every step of the way and would be glad to help you out with a cost-effective implementation guided by our certified experts.
