Salesforce Apps: Conga Composer Document Automation

Conga Composer integrated with Salesforce.com opens up an entire opportunity for document automation and productivity increases.  It is one of our favorite AppExchange apps we use in our Salesforce consulting for its extensibility of field information across data objects in Salesforce.com.

Much of the customization in Salesforce.com is focused on inputting information.  Fields are created and a process is developed for capturing information.  Managing your sales team or service process is then done by Dashboards and Reports for real-time feedback.

Within your business process, you may have documents that have to be assembled as an output of your field capture information.  Conga Composer works with your Professional or Enterprise Edition to quickly design and output custom documents.  A button can be embedded in your different data objects – Contacts, Accounts, Leads, Opportunities or custom records.  Push the button and a script runs to merge Salesforce.com data with your document template of choice.  Multiple buttons can be created for each document type.

Here is how to make document automation of your Salesforce.com business processes:

1. Identify repeatable document outputs.  You may be producing a letter of intent, invoice, contract or business proposal.  There is typically a template you work from.  Instead of filling in the blanks, make these templates in Conga Composer.
2. Design and layout.  Design a template in Word, Excel, PowerPoint or PDf format.  Format your text and ensure the graphics reflect your branding and imaging.
3. Program your documents.  Your system fields need to be mapped into your document.  Capture these and ensure that they are inserted correctly with the right formatting, spacing and layout.
4. Implement a button.  Each document needs to have a button or link to trigger the automation.  Ensure your team is aware of this new functionality.  As part of the script, record any document creation and distribution via email, fax or mail within your records as an Activity History.
5. Increase speed.  Everything can be refined.  Look for fewer steps and drive the process of document assembly and automation faster by cutting out steps and data collection.

The opportunity to cut out cycles in creating your corporate documents increases adoption and enthusiasm for Salesforce.com.  Furthermore, work gets done and is accounted for inside records.  Management can see what has happened and what was sent out.  Manual steps are eliminated and consistency is much higher. It’s a process that can be set up within your own Salesforce.com system.

How could document automation help your team with Salesforce.com?  Feel free to comment below.