Transforming Design Operations: How An Architecture Firm Streamlined Workflows and Enhanced Client Satisfaction with Salesforce

The Challenges

Our client, a leader in design and architecture, faced multiple operational challenges due to the complexities of managing separate work streams across Design, Architecture, Finance, and Production.

Using multiple systems and spreadsheets to track data resulted in silos that limited visibility across departments, impacting their ability to make data-driven decisions and creating inefficiencies across the board. Some of the specific challenges they faced included:

Disparate Systems: Each department relied on isolated tools for tracking data, which complicated the process of obtaining a unified business view across Marketing, Sales, and Production.

Limited Pipeline Visibility: The lack of a central platform created challenges in monitoring conversion rates and tracking deal progress, which led to potential bottlenecks in the sales pipeline.

Inefficient Processes: The use of spreadsheets and manual data entry limited operational efficiency, causing delays and increasing the risk of errors that affected project timelines and customer satisfaction.

The Solution

To address these issues, our team implemented a comprehensive solution utilizing Marketing Cloud Account Engagement, Sales Cloud, and Service Cloud. These tools empowered our client to streamline processes, unify data across departments, and create a more transparent and efficient operation.

Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (Pardot): We set up lead capture from the company’s website, allowing leads to be automatically funneled into MC Account Engagement. This system segmented leads by area of interest and routed them to the relevant sales team in Sales Cloud, optimizing lead handoff and follow-up.

Sales Cloud: Sales Cloud was used for end-to-end lead and opportunity management, enabling the team to track complex projects and sub-projects over long sales cycles. With forecasting tools, the team can predict revenue at both the representative and organizational levels, and customized dashboards display critical KPIs to ensure alignment across teams. A third-party app was integrated for commission tracking, adding efficiency to the compensation process.

Service Cloud: Service Cloud Cases allows our client to manage customer concerns effectively. By implementing structured escalation processes, the company can resolve client issues quickly, minimizing impacts on production schedules and improving client satisfaction.

Customer Impact

The introduction of Salesforce created a central, transparent hub for our client, empowering their team of 70+ users to manage high-volume deals with greater visibility and efficiency. Key benefits of this transformation included:

Increased Operational Efficiency: By unifying lead tracking, project management, and customer service processes, our client reduced manual data entry and bottlenecks, enabling smoother operations from lead to close.

Improved Forecasting & Visibility: Customized dashboards provided insights into deal trends and project health, supporting data-driven decision-making and helping the team project future growth accurately.

Enhanced Customer Satisfaction: With Service Cloud, the team could quickly address client concerns, improving response times and customer satisfaction.

Pathway to AI & Predictive Analytics: The centralized Salesforce system opened doors for our client to explore advanced Salesforce products like AI-driven predictive analytics, positioning them for long-term innovation.

The successful adoption of these tools not only helped our client address their immediate challenges but also set them up for long-term success. With Salesforce at the core of their operations, they now have the flexibility to scale as the business grows, adapt to changing market demands, and proactively identify new opportunities.

These solutions have also laid a foundation for future innovations, such as predictive analytics powered by Salesforce’s AI capabilities, which could allow our client to anticipate market trends, optimize project timelines, and enhance customer satisfaction even further.

Ultimately, our client is now positioned to thrive in an increasingly competitive architecture and design market. Their journey demonstrates how investing in the right technology — when thoughtfully tailored to meet specific business needs — can drive measurable results, empowering companies to evolve, stay competitive, and deliver lasting value to clients.

By partnering with Kelley Austin, our client has gained a strategic advantage that not only supports today’s demands but also paves the way for future growth and innovation.