Salesforce is an innovative Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. Since its debut, it has changed the way enterprises think about CRM. Some readers might remember the good old days when enterprises embarked on one failed multi-million CRM project after the other. Most software solutions were custom-developed or extremely expensive to configure and extend. And on top of that, you had to worry about hosting these applications on some server, ensure that the network is secure and performing, and stay up at night with the entire team every time you wanted to do an upgrade.
Salesforce not only changed the way enterprises think of business software, but it also promoted different models for working and project implementation, brought the customer back to the center of the attention, and changed the shape of the digital market. We started to come across titles such as business architect, solution architect, and technical architect more often. The focus has shifted from the ability to write code to the power of interpreting business needs and turning them into automated, customer-centric functionalities.
Other innovative software companies drove the market change besides Salesforce, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Adobe, and many others. However, in the world of CRM, Salesforce is the undisputed leader. Crowned by the International Data Corporation (IDC) as the number 1 CRM provider for seven consecutive years (up to May 22, 2020). And controls around 18.3% of the CRM market share, according to Gartner, more than the share of SAP, Oracle, and Microsoft put together.
Salesforce for professionals, an ever-growing demand for architects
The market demand for Salesforce architects is at an all-time high. With a supply/demand ratio of nearly 1 to 10. It has never been more rewarding to become a Salesforce Architect. And guess what, there are several types of architects, all in high demand. A professional can target becoming a Heroku Architect, a B2C Solution Architect, a B2B Solution Architect, or target the most prestigious of them all, the Technical Architect.
The value of the Certified Technical Architect (CTA) accreditation is mainly derived out of two things:
- The value a CTA can add to a project. Think of this as an insurance policy. The enterprise is investing a lot in its CRM transformation program. Working with the right partners under the supervision of a CTA is an insurance policy to guarantee that their implementation is never derailed off track.
- The high level of difficulty associated with the CTA review board exam. This high bar ensures that whoever has that badge got what it takes to drive and steer a Salesforce delivery through all challenges and deliver a successful implementation.
This is why it is considered one of the most prestigious certificates in the digital market today. Some mistakenly think that this certificate gained its value from the fact that there are so few CTAs worldwide. This is not totally wrong, but keep in mind that the market demand is way higher than the current supply. And with the continuous growth of Salesforce’s market share and their never-ending spree of acquisitions, this will continue to be the case for years to come.
How to prepare for the CTA review board exam
I have been through the journey to become a CTA years ago. And I was lucky enough to have a great set of mentors to help me prepare for the review board. But I know that this is not a luxury available to everyone. This is why I decided to write a book that can be the personal mentor for all. An example-led guide that walks the reader into the various possible scenarios and challenged she/he could experience during the review board and, to a good extent, in real life.
I hope to help more brilliant professionals achieve their dream and become CTAs. I believe they will enrich the ecosystem and spearhead successful client-centered digital transformations for many enterprises worldwide.
My book can be bought from Amazon or from Packt website at the below links:
