Salesforce Implementation Readiness Checklist

From Quick Starts to Full Transformations

A 5‑minute self‑assessment to see if your team, data, and strategy are ready - whether you’re starting with Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Marketing Cloud, or planning a larger multi‑cloud implementation.

Who this is for

Teams planning a Sales Cloud rollout
Teams planning a Service Cloud rollout
Teams planning a Marketing Cloud starter (foundational journeys, basic campaigns)
Organisations planning a larger, multi‑cloud implementation and wanting to de‑risk it

Step 1: Understanding what kind of project are you planning?

On the checklist form, you’ll be presented with two options. If you select Quick Start, focus on the questions in each section. Those are the essentials for smaller, focused projects on one or two clouds.

If you select Optimisation or Full Implementation, work through all questions to get a complete picture.

Here’s a brief overview of the meaning of each section.

Quick Start (Sales / Service / Marketing Cloud Starter)

“We want to get one or two clouds live quickly—Sales, Service, or basic Marketing—in 3–6 weeks, with clear scope and budget.”

Optimising Existing Salesforce

“We already have Salesforce and want to clean it up, improve adoption, and add some new capabilities.”

Full Implementation / Multi‑Cloud

“We’re investing in a broader rollout (Sales, Service, Marketing and more), touching multiple teams and systems.”

Important to Note:

This checklist is not here to make your project bigger than it needs to be.

• If you’re starting with just Sales Cloud, or Service Cloud, or a simple Marketing Cloud starter, you do not need a huge, complex programme.
• You simply need clarity on your goals, a few key people involved, and a partner who can keep things practical.
• The extra questions are for larger, cross‑department or multi‑cloud programmes - you can safely ignore them for a focused Quick Start.

Use this as a prompt, not a pass/fail exam. If some answers are “Don’t know”, that’s normal. Those are exactly the areas a partner like capeMBX can help you figure out in a short planning sprint.

Salesforce Readiness Checklist

A 5-minute self-assessment to see if your team, data, and strategy are ready.

Step 1: What kind of project are you planning?

Quick Start (One cloud: Sales, Service, or Marketing) Full Implementation / Optimisation (Multi-cloud or complex)

Tap the statement if your answer is "Yes".

1. Strategic Readiness

We've written down 2–3 concrete business outcomes we want this cloud to achieve (e.g. "stop running the pipeline from spreadsheets", "respond to customers faster", "send consistent campaigns"). We've decided which cloud(s) are in scope for this phase (Sales, Service, Marketing), and which ones are not. We have a realistic go-live window (e.g. 3–6 weeks for a Quick Start on one cloud, longer for multi-cloud). We have an approved budget range for this phase. We have agreed what is in scope for phase 1 and what is parked. We've identified 3–5 metrics we'll use to judge success (e.g. pipeline visibility, case response times, email engagement). Leadership understands this will change how people work day-to-day - and supports that change.

2. Stakeholder & Team Readiness

We have a single internal owner for this project (by name, not just "IT" or "Sales/Service/Marketing"). We know which team is primarily in scope for this phase (Sales, Service, or Marketing) and who represents that team. Those representatives can commit time for 2–4 short workshops and reviewing the setup. Frontline users (reps, agents, marketers) have been asked about their biggest pain points today. We've identified 1–2 people who could become internal "champions" after go-live. We understand what we expect a partner to handle vs what we'll handle internally (e.g. admin tasks, content, journeys).

3. Data & Systems Readiness

We know where our current data lives for this cloud (e.g. Sales: spreadsheets/CRM; Service: shared inbox/ticket tool; Marketing: email platform/lists). We have a rough sense of data quality (duplicates, missing emails, inconsistent company names). For a one-cloud Quick Start, we've agreed what minimal data we need to import (e.g. active customers, open deals, current cases, key mailing lists). We know who owns those data sources and can help export them. We've listed any tools that must connect from day one (e.g. email/calendar, shared inbox, basic email marketing). For larger or multi-cloud projects, we've identified all systems that need integrating (ERP, billing, core platforms) and direction of data flows. We have IT or vendor contacts for those systems if deeper integration is required.

4. Compliance & Governance

We know what basic regulations apply (e.g. GDPR, any sector-specific rules). We have a simple view on who should see what in Salesforce for this cloud (by role/team). We have someone who can speak on behalf of Compliance/Risk/Legal, even informally, if questions arise. We're clear on any data we consider especially sensitive in this phase (e.g. financial, health, personal identifiers). For larger implementations, we've discussed audit trails, consent handling, and retention policies upfront.

5. Adoption & Change

We've spoken to the people who will use this cloud (reps, agents, marketers) about how they currently track work (spreadsheets, inboxes, other tools). We're committed to making Salesforce the primary place to track this work (Sales, Service, or campaigns), not just "another system". We're open to retiring or minimising parallel tools (e.g. side spreadsheets, ad-hoc lists) over time. We're prepared to invest in at least basic, role-based training (not just "send a login"). We have a simple way for users to give feedback and request small improvements after go-live. For larger or multi-cloud projects, we have a change champion in each team to drive adoption.

6. Partner & Delivery

We've decided whether we'll implement this ourselves, use a partner, or a mix of both. If using a partner, they have clear experience with one-cloud Quick Starts (Sales, Service, or Marketing) as well as larger programmes. Our partner is willing to right-size the approach (Quick Start on one cloud vs full programme) instead of pushing a big project. We've discussed timelines and expectations for a one-cloud Quick Start (e.g. 3–6 weeks) vs a larger implementation. For larger projects, our partner has walked us through a discovery-first, phased delivery approach. We feel they'll tell us "no" if we ask for something that isn't in our best interest.

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