The Biggest Mistakes Universities Make When Using Salesforce

If you are utilizing Salesforce for university operations but struggling to see meaningful results, you're not alone

Many invest in Salesforce higher education solutions to enhance engagement, streamline operations, and boost fundraising. But without the right setup, they face scattered data, low adoption, and inefficiencies—turning Salesforce higher ed tools into just another system to manage.

The good news? These issues are fixable. In this blog, we’ll cover common mistakes and tips on how to maximize Salesforce ROI as a university by addressing them for a seamless experience across students, staff, and alumni.

A Brief Overview of Salesforce Education Cloud

Universities turn to Salesforce Education Cloud to break down data silos, automate workflows and personalize communications. Salesforce Education Cloud is a comprehensive CRM platform designed specifically for educational institutions, including universities, colleges, and K-12 schools. It helps streamline operations, improve student engagement, and enhance administrative efficiency.

Key Features of Education Cloud include:

1. 360-Degree Student View – Unifies student data across departments for better engagement.

2. Recruitment & Admissions – Automates the enrollment process and tracks applicant progress.

3. Student Success & Advising – Provides personalized support through AI-driven insights.

4. Alumni & Fundraising – Enhances donor engagement and fundraising efforts.

5. Integrations & Scalability – Connects with existing university systems for seamless operations.

Education Cloud is widely used under Salesforce for university initiatives to drive digital transformation in higher education.

But many struggle to maximize its potential. Common pitfalls like poor implementation, low user adoption, and fragmented workflows can limit its impact. To truly benefit, institutions must align their setup with strategic goals, ensure staff training, and integrate systems effectively.

Common Mistakes Universities Make with Salesforce

1. Lack of Clear Strategy & Goals

Many universities dive into Salesforce without a defined strategy. This reactive approach leads to disconnected teams, unclear objectives, and inefficient processes. Without strategic direction, institutions struggle to measure success or drive meaningful improvements.

The Solution: Create a Strategic Salesforce Plan

• Define institution-wide objectives, such as boosting student retention or improving alumni engagement.
• Set clear priorities for these objectives and how Salesforce will support these goals.
• Set up a governance team to monitor progress and ensure alignment of Salesforce CRM with institutional strategy.

2. Failure to Secure Stakeholder Agreements for Adoption

Everyone needs to be aligned with the objectives. Without early buy-in from leadership, faculty, and staff, Salesforce adoption becomes fragmented. If each department sets up the system in its own way, for its own goals, it will lead to inconsistent usage, resistance, and underused features.

The Solution: Align Stakeholders for Successful Adoption

• Bring decision-makers together early to develop a unified Salesforce implementation plan.
• Assign cross-functional representatives to ensure all departments follow a consistent, collaborative approach.
• Provide training and support so users clearly understand the value and functionality of Salesforce.

3. Unclear Ownership Across Multiple Objectives

When no one takes ownership of Salesforce strategy, data, or system updates, responsibilities become blurred. This lack of accountability leads to messy processes, duplicated efforts, and diminished system performance.

The Solution: Establish Clear Leadership and Accountability

• Form a centralized governance team to manage Salesforce strategy and updates.
• Appoint department-specific leads to align unit goals with broader institutional priorities.
• Define clear workflows and assign accountability to maximize the impact of Salesforce.

4. Siloed Implementation Across Departments

When departments set up Salesforce higher ed solutions separately, data gets isolated, making it hard to see the full student journey. Without a connected system, tracking students from enrollment to alumni engagement becomes disorganized, making Salesforce less effective.

The Solution: Build a Connected CRM Strategy

• Use Education Data Architecture (EDA) to connect data across all departments.
• Track the student journey consistently across admissions, student support, and alumni teams.
• Link Salesforce with Student Information Systems (SIS) to keep all data in one place.

5. Poor Data Governance

When data is entered inconsistently or filled with duplicates and outdated student profiles, Salesforce higher education tools become less effective.  Without a structured data governance policy, universities struggle to create accurate reports, leading to poor decision-making.

The Solution: Keep Data Clean and Reports Accurate

• Standardize data entry processes across teams to maintain consistency.
• Use built-in Salesforce tools to automatically remove duplicates and outdated records.
• Track important metrics with real-time dashboards to make informed decisions based on the latest data.

6. Not Leveraging Self-Service Portals

Many universities underutilize self-service features, relying heavily on administrative staff for repetitive tasks such as student inquiries, event registrations, and alumni donations. This overreliance on manual processes creates extra work and slows down response times.

The Solution: Make Self-Service Easy

• Set up Salesforce Experience Cloud so students and alumni can access portals on their own.
• Use AI chatbots, such as Einstein Copilot, to automate common inquiries.
• Develop a centralized knowledge base where students and alumni can easily access important information.

7. Lack of Internal Staff Training & Maintenance for Team Changes

Even the best CRM systems fail if users don’t know how to use them effectively. Faculty and staff often resist Salesforce for university adoption because they don’t get enough training or a clear plan for adopting it.

The Solution: Implement Structured Training Programs

• Offer comprehensive Salesforce training for faculty and staff to use it effectively.
• Assign experienced Salesforce users in each department to help guide and support users. Hire experienced professionals while inhouse teams are being trained.
• Create ongoing learning resources and update training as new Salesforce features roll out.

8. Ignoring Mobile Optimization

Students expect to handle everything on their phones, like checking grades, registering for classes, or receiving important updates. But many universities still use desktop-only systems, making the lack of mobile access inconvenient for students to access critical information on the go.

The Solution: Optimize Salesforce for Mobile Interactions

• Enable Salesforce Mobile App to allow real-time student and faculty interactions.
• Use push notifications for event reminders and academic deadlines.
• Make sure student portals work smoothly on any mobile device.

9. Misalignment on Reporting & Key Metrics

When departments track different metrics or report in silos, it becomes nearly impossible to measure progress or make informed decisions. Misaligned reporting leads to confusion, duplicated efforts, and missed opportunities. To know how to maximize Salesforce ROI as a university, institutions must first align reporting frameworks and key performance metrics across teams.

The Solution: Establish Clear Goals and Unified Metrics

• Set institution-wide objectives, such as improving student retention or increasing alumni engagement.
• Standardize key performance indicators (KPIs) across departments to ensure consistent reporting.
• Use Salesforce dashboards to deliver real-time, transparent insights that support coordinated decision-making.

10. Not Using Automation & AI Features

Many universities ignore Salesforce’s AI and automation, relying on slow, manual processes for student engagement, admissions, and alumni outreach. These tools improve support, predictions, and admin work, but hesitation or lack of awareness prevents institutions from using Salesforce effectively.

The Solution: Use AI and Automation for Smarter Engagement

• Set up Einstein AI to analyze student performance and flag at-risk students for early intervention.
• Use automated workflows for student inquiries, admissions follow-ups, and alumni engagement.
• Use AI-driven chatbots like Einstein Copilot to answer student and faculty questions instantly.
• Build automated reporting dashboards for real-time insights into student progress and overall institutional performance.

11. Failing to Stay Updated with the Latest Innovations

Salesforce higher ed solutions constantly evolve with new features, AI enhancements, and best practices tailored for higher education. Yet, many universities fall behind, missing opportunities to improve efficiency and student engagement. Without staying updated, institutions risk using outdated processes while competitors leverage the latest tools to enhance operations.

The Solution: Keep Up with Salesforce Innovations

• Regularly check Salesforce Trailhead, webinars, and community forums for new features.
• Attend the Salesforce Education Summit and industry events to learn best practices and emerging trends.
• Assign a dedicated Salesforce administrator or team to track updates and assess how they can enhance institutional processes.
• Implement new AI-driven automation, such as Einstein Copilot, to improve student support, admissions, and alumni engagement.
• Schedule regular system reviews to ensure your university uses the latest tools to maximize efficiency and engagement.