Serpentine Gallery
""Hyphen8 helped us untangle a system that wasn’t fit for purpose and turn it into something we can finally use with confidence.
Their clicks-not-code approach made all the difference."
About Serpentine Galleries
Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art spaces located in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Central London. The Serpentine Gallery and the Serpentine Sackler Gallery are just minutes apart, linked by the bridge over the Serpentine Lake from which they take their name.
The organisation curates world-class exhibitions and events, engaging diverse audiences in visual art and architecture. To better manage their operations, Serpentine chose Salesforce—but their first implementation didn’t go to plan.
The Challenge: Unusable Configuration and System Frustrations
Serpentine had already implemented Salesforce but found it difficult to use. Several features were overly complex, clashed with each other, or simply didn’t work for their team’s needs.
They struggled with email consent management, importing payments, and were unable to move legacy data into Salesforce due to conflicting processes. This created unnecessary admin and blocked the team from gaining the insights they needed.
"Our Salesforce setup was holding us back. It was overly complex, difficult to navigate, and we couldn’t rely on it for basic tasks like importing payments or managing consent properly."
Pain Points
Serpentine’s Salesforce setup was overcomplicated and difficult to use. Key processes like email marketing, payments, and data migration were blocked by poor configuration and clashing functionality.
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Misconfigured Marketing & Consent Management
- Mailchimp setup was incorrect, causing confusion and compliance concerns.
No simple way for contacts to manage their own communication preferences.
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Finance & Data Import Issues
Complex code blocked smooth payment imports and matching.
Legacy system migration was held back by poor data mapping.
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Overcomplicated System Design
Salesforce was difficult to navigate, reducing adoption and confidence.
Clashing functionality created bottlenecks across teams.
The Solution: Rebuilding Salesforce with a Clicks Not Code Approach
Hyphen8 worked with Serpentine to simplify and rebuild their Salesforce instance using standard, maintainable features. The aim was to eliminate overengineering and empower users.
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Fixing Consent & Email Marketing
Replaced Mailchimp’s broken integration with a FormAssembly solution, allowing contacts to manage consent directly.
Enabled Serpentine to run Campaigns from Salesforce with confidence that all contacts had opted in.
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Streamlining Finance & Data Imports
Rebuilt finance processes using standard Salesforce fields and automation to calculate VAT.
Developed a custom Import Wizard using Flows, Apex, and Dataloader to easily match opportunities and payments.
Legacy payments were successfully imported and tied to records for historical reporting.
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Simplifying E-commerce & Internal Workflows
- Replaced custom code with a Salesforce AppExchange product to manage e-commerce efficiently.
Allowed Serpentine to sell internationally, with accurate product and price tracking.
Reduced maintenance burden by using out-of-the-box features wherever possible.
- Replaced custom code with a Salesforce AppExchange product to manage e-commerce efficiently.
The Impact of working with Hyphen8
The Impact
Serpentine now has a Salesforce platform that works with them, not against them. With simplified tools and user-led improvements, they are confidently using Salesforce to manage key operational areas.
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Improved Data Confidence and Compliance
- Teams can trust their data, knowing all communications are consent-driven and compliant.
Contacts now manage their own preferences through user-friendly forms.
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Simplified Systems and Reduced Admin
- Complex processes were replaced with standard Salesforce functionality.
Admin time has been cut through automated VAT calculations and payment matching.
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Future-Proof and Scalable
- The new system is easy to update and scale, without reliance on code.
Serpentine now has a strong foundation for growing their digital capabilities.
Making an impact
"Hyphen8 helped us untangle a system that wasn’t fit for purpose and turn it into something we can finally use with confidence. Their clicks-not-code approach made all the difference."
Why Did You Choose Salesforce and Hyphen8?
"Working with Hyphen8 was a turning point.
They helped us strip away the complexity, rebuild our system the right way, and gave us the confidence to use Salesforce effectively across the organisation."
