Sixty-five percent of CEOs say mobile applications are essential for improving connections with customers, yet only 33 percent of them have actually launched such apps. In order to truly become a customer company, you need a customer platform where sales, service, marketing, applications, and even products, can leverage shared client data and processes.

Such a platform will speed creating apps that directly connect your customers to your business. Bridging the gap between customer-facing applications and your front office puts your entire team, from sales to service to marketing, more in touch with the customer experience.

Here are four keys to doing just that.

1. Make Every App Mobile

Anticipate your customers’ changing needs by quickly building and deploying apps that engage them. It is vital that the apps allow for access to the right functionality and content in the right place at the right time. Mobile Services can be used to extend the power of Salesforce Platform to any device, connecting customers, employees, partners, and products in new ways.

2. Automate Every Process

Automating processes, from common workflows to redundant tasks, will give your company more control on things like routine discounts and proposals. You will also reduce errors, accelerate productivity, and free up employees to focus on adding real value. The Salesforce Platform can be used to rapidly design and run business processes in the cloud, minus all the infrastructure, software, or code.

3. Connect Employees Everywhere

True collaboration in the context of a business task is powerful stuff. Enabling product experts, operations, and creative types to rally around the same activity gets everyone on the same page, and clears any blocks. Including social feeds on your business apps keeps employees up to date and makes it easy for everyone to work together.

4. Unlock Your Back Office

Your back office systems feature a wealth of critical information, including order status, inventory counts, billing, and vendor data. Marrying that info with your front office sales, service, and marketing activities better equips your team to deliver on promises. This integration can easily be done using the Salesforce Platform.

For additional practical tips and guidance on how your company can engage with customers, employees, partners, and products in new ways, download our free ebook How to Become a Customer Company.