Salesforce is a leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform used by businesses to manage and analyze customer interactions and data. Salesforce Integration allows businesses to connect their Salesforce CRM system with other applications or platforms, enabling seamless data exchange, automation of processes, and enhanced functionality.
In the context of this case study, Salesforce integration with Excel allows users to import, export, and manipulate Salesforce data directly within Excel. This integration bridges the gap between the power of Salesforce’s CRM data and the flexibility of Excel, making it easier for users to analyze and present their data in familiar tools.
Before the revamp, CloudExtend's CESF (CloudExtend Salesforce Excel Formula) application allowed users to access Salesforce data via Excel.
Why Replace CESF?
CloudExtend’s legacy CESF application was a workhorse for Salesforce data in Excel—but its 10-year-old architecture caused:
Fragmented Workflows: Users juggled CESF + ExtendInsights for full functionality.
Poor Error Handling: Support tickets were for failed syncs with no clear resolution.
Declining Adoption: Users migrated to competitors like Coefficient for better UX.
The new system, ExtendInsights, aims to simplify this process, bringing together all the required features from the legacy CESF application and providing a more streamlined, user-friendly experience.
Problem Statement
The legacy CESF application used for Salesforce integration with Excel was restrictive and inefficient. Users had to create a connection before accessing any features, and it downloads, uploads differently. The limitations of this system led to inefficient workflows, and limited functionality (e.g., scattered support for uploads, SOQL query creation, or automated schedules).
The lack of flexibility in the user interface and inability to manage data effectively across Salesforce and Excel created significant barriers for users. The objective of this revamp was to ensure that ExtendInsights (EI) integrates Salesforce with Excel seamlessly and offers all features users need in one place.
Design Goals
Business Goals:
Provide a seamless experience for users transitioning from the legacy CESF app to ExtendInsights, keeping existing users engaged while attracting new ones.
Boost Revenue through Upsell Opportunities
User Goals:
Simplify the getting started process by eliminating the need for connection creation before use.
Provide users with the ability to upload, download, and manage Salesforce data seamlessly, including support for SOQL queries and picklist selections.
Improve workflows by enabling automatic syncing of schedules and templates.
Research & Insights
To create a user-centered design, I conducted interviews with 15 internal users, including data analysts, marketing team, and Salesforce managers. I used this data to identify key pain points in the legacy system and understand what users needed from the new platform.
User Research Questions:
What are the top frustrations you experience with CESF when managing Salesforce data in Excel?
How often do you use SOQL queries or picklists to manipulate Salesforce data?
How do you manage schedules and templates in the current system?
What features do you find most useful in your current workflow with the legacy CESF application?
What tasks or features in Salesforce integration with Excel feel most cumbersome or time-consuming to you?
Key Insights from Research:
70% of users found the connection creation process tedious and inefficient.
80% wanted the ability to upload Salesforce data, not just download it.
75% expressed frustration with the lack of picklist selections and SOQL queries for advanced data manipulation.
50% of users say they combine SOQL and picklist usage frequently for complex data manipulations.
30% find building SOQL queries challenging, especially when handling large datasets.
Design Process
Phase 1: Ideation
Discovery Workshops Conducted cross-functional ideation sessions with Product, Engineering, and Support teams to:
Prioritize user pain points from the legacy CESF app
Define critical workflows to retain and enhance
Align business goals with real user needs
User Flow Mapping Mapped 25+ critical workflows, including:
“See feature offerings without connection setup”
“Create and save SOQL queries”
“Upload modified data to Salesforce”
“Select a Pre-Built Template”
Early Sketching & Concept Exploration Developed rapid wireframes to test different interaction models, including:
Whether the connection prompt should appear upfront or remain passive
How to show query errors inline with Excel UI
New logic for create connection
Early Sketch:
Phase 2: Wireframing
High-Fidelity Clickable Prototype Designed a polished, interactive prototype in Figma, merging ExtendInsights’ visual system with CESF’s core workflows:
Real-time SOQL editing experience
Inline data validation feedback
Seamless upload-to-Salesforce interactions
Microinteractions & UX Writing Paid attention to edge cases and UI copy — e.g.:
Error messaging when Salesforce credentials expire
Tooltips for explaining SOQL syntax in Excel cells
Phase 3: Validation
Usability Testing Ran moderated tests with 10 internal users:
4 Salesforce Admins
3 Analysts
3 Support Engineers Feedback led to improvements like:
Adding an option to change field type while field selection
Adding “Preview Data” before proceeding
Phase 4: Delivery & Handoff
Design Tokens & Components Created modular components in Figma using a shared ExtendInsights design system.
QA Support & UI Polish Worked closely with developers during staging to refine interactions and polish UI before release.
User Journey
Key Screens & Features
Picklist Selection Allow users to easily select from predefined values through intuitive picklist menus, improving speed and accuracy in data input.
SOQL Editor Provide users with the ability to create and edit SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) queries within the application.
Data Management Capabilities Include critical actions such as refreshing, deleting, and applying nested filters to datasets—ensuring dynamic and precise data handling.
Pre-built Templates Maintain access to a library of pre-built templates, streamlining common workflows and reducing repetitive tasks.
Schedule Management Empower users to create, manage, and monitor schedules for automated tasks and data operations.
Template Management Enable full control over template creation, modification, and organization, supporting reusable and consistent configurations.
Connection Management Ensure users can manage data connections effectively, maintaining secure and efficient integrations.
Feature Continuity Guarantee that all existing features from the legacy CESF application continue to function as expected in the new EI environment.
SOQL Editor:
Feature: Users can set up a query and SOQL is auto generated. In old view, we can only view the SOQL in filter panel which was not an appropriate position.In new view, we can edit the SOQL and also view in a bigger panel improving overall user experience.
Visual Elements:Separate section for SOQL and also bigger view.
Conclusion
The revamp of ExtendInsights (EI) successfully addressed the pain points of the legacy CESF application. By eliminating the need for prior connection creation, providing SOQL query capabilities, and enabling automated data synchronization, we empowered users to work more efficiently with Salesforce data in Excel. The new design streamlined the process, eliminated common errors, and increased productivity across the board.
Key Success Metrics Achieved:
User Satisfaction:4.8/5 – A significant improvement in user confidence with the new system.
Productivity Improvement:40% faster data retrieval and upload times.
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