One of the most exciting things I’ve learned in my new position (and this is where non-data-nerds can stop reading,) is how to manipulate salesforce into doing what you want it to do, which, after a year of intense struggle trying to make our data fit the database instead of vice-versa, is genuinely amazing. Salesforce is an incredible platform with almost endless capabilities (as I’m sure some people at SCA could tell you), but with great capability can also come great frustration (as I’m sure the same people at SCA could also tell you). One of the benefits of working for a pilot program is that we have so much flexibility and are able to change our strategies and processes when we see room for improvement, but when we’re always improving, the database is bound to constantly be one step behind. Even when nothing’s changed in our process, just discovering some new trend or statistic we want to be able to examine or report on can lead to hours of data manipulation and retroactive cleanup. I can’t imagine a better way to learn the ins and outs of a system, though, than fighting day after day to make it perform to the best of its abilities, and out of our epic battle a kind of reluctant admiration has formed. At least on my part – I still get the feeling sometimes that salesforce is doing everything it can to drive me out of my mind.
I hate you too, salesforce, but I also love you. A little.
