AdviceUK’s Journey with Hyphen8: A Salesforce Story, We Interview Silvia Denaro.
AdviceUK, A special impact-focused interview with Silvia Denaro.
At AdviceUK, the journey of supporting over 700 advice centres across the UK has been long and evolving. Under the stewardship of Silvia Denaro, Head of Systems and Technology, the organisation has made significant strides in integrating technology to streamline operations.
With a mission to assist advice centres that provide first-line support to people in need, technology has become pivotal in ensuring smooth operations and effective service delivery. The implementation of Salesforce was a significant milestone, but even with a robust system, there were complexities that needed expert intervention. This is where Hyphen8, a Salesforce Partner led by Elaine Forth, made a profound impact.
We sat down with Silvia to talk about how the team uses Salesforce to scale their mission and how Hyphen8 has helped them in their journey.
The Need for Expert Support
AdviceUK has been using Salesforce for several years. However, some aspects of the system required advanced customisation and integration, which their in-house team, despite being skilled and dedicated, needed help to tackle.
The challenge was multifaceted, requiring a comprehensive view of the sales cycle for one of their core products, managing complex pricing structures, and integrating financial processes.
“One of our core products has a very complex pricing model made of base fees and several add-ons which means we have hundreds of variations across the sales teams' options to ensure we provide the most accurate price to the customers of this product. We needed a solution that would enable us to do a better, streamlined job on one single system, and being huge advocates of Salesforce, we knew we needed to look at getting experts in to help.” Silvia shared.
The Aim of the Project
The project's primary objective with Hyphen8 was to build new features that would provide a clear overview of the entire sales cycle. This involved enhancing the use of opportunities and make use of subscriptions for new business, managing renewals, and ensuring seamless financial reconciliation between the sales and finance teams—additionally, the project aimed to automate invoicing processes to eliminate duplication and reduce manual workload.
Project Implementation
The project's standout feature was tackling the complex pricing model for AdviceUK's case management system. The system required a flexible pricing structure to accommodate its members' varying needs, much like a phone contract where different modules could be added to a base plan.
"Hyphen8 helped us solve a significant challenge with our pricing model. We wanted to support our internal teams by allowing them to follow the full sales cycles whilst also making it easier for us to manage pricing and subscriptions. Hyphen8’s expertise allowed us to implement this without sacrificing accuracy or efficiency," Silvia elaborated.
Impact on the Team and Work
The project's impact was substantial. Implementing these new features not only streamlined operations but also brought clarity and visibility to the sales and invoicing processes. This was particularly important for both the sales and the finance teams, which had previously struggled with a fragmented systems. The solution implemented also helps the membership team to have an overview of which of our members is also a customer of this product and helps them have informed conversations with members.
"Now, everything is in one place. We clearly view the sales process, invoicing, and renewals. This visibility has eliminated the need for constant reconciliation; everyone can see the same thing and this has greatly improved our workflow," Silvia noted.
The project also empowered AdviceUK’s team by reducing dependency on external support for every minor change, allowing them to focus on more strategic initiatives.
Hyphen8’s Unique Approach
Our customers often tell us that what sets Hyphen8 apart is our collaborative approach and deep understanding of our clients' needs. We don’t just provide a solution; we ensure that our client's in-house teams are involved and empowered throughout the process. For AdviceUK, this meant working closely with their team to integrate their expertise with our advanced customisations, resulting in a solution that was both effective and sustainable.
Silvia shared: "We really enjoyed working with Hyphen8 because they understood our need to maintain in-house expertise. They didn't waste our time on minor tasks we could handle ourselves. Instead, they focused on the complex customisations we couldn’t manage alone.
Hyphen8’s ability to speak the same technical language and their willingness to let AdviceUK own the solution made the collaboration successful. This approach ensured that the final product was not only practical but also sustainable for the long term.”
Future Impacts
“Looking ahead, we are excited about the potential for further insights as more data flows through the system. This will show us what impact working with Salesforce and Hyphen8 and our incredible in-house team has had on processes, the Sales team, and various other areas. The ability to report comprehensively on sales and invoicing will reveal trends and opportunities that were previously hidden.
We’re looking forward to seeing what the data will show us over the next year. This project has laid a solid foundation for future growth and efficiency," Silvia shared.
