Salesforce is being utilized by various large companies such as Dunnkin Donuts, Electronic Arts (EA), GE, and Delta Airlines. These companies are implementing multiple, if not all, of Salesforce’s products to alleviate their operational challenges (salesforce.com). In this section, we will focus on Carlo’s Bakery, featured on the popular T.L.C. show Cake Boss. We will discuss how CEO Buddy Valastro’s decision to adopt Salesforce transformed the business operations of Carlo’s Bakery, transitioning it from a traditional pen-and-paper approach to a more contemporary finger-and-tablet model.
Carlo’s Bakery, in operation for more than a century, offers delectable cakes and pastries alongside unparalleled customer service. Initially, the bakery relied on paper and pencil to accept orders and maintain records. Every task was done manually, starting from setting up consultation appointments over the phone and marking them on the calendar, to recording changes for cake designs, which were frequently misplaced or inaccurate. During this period, the owners of Carlo’s Bakery still had to personally sign all employee paychecks.
Although the bakery was popular within the neighborhood, it needed to learn and improve before gaining global success. Despite generating a significant amount of sales, the bakery, valued at $20 million, still relied on traditional pen and paper methods (McNeff). However, after Cake Boss aired on TLC, the business experienced a surge in popularity and demand. As a result, Carlo’s Bakery had to make necessary adjustments to meet the heightened demand. It was not uncommon for customers to experience wait times of up to four hours when placing an order via phone or in person.
After exploring potential solutions, Leo Minervini, the CIO, stumbled upon Salesforce and their impressive product range. It didn’t take much persuasion for Buddy to embrace Salesforce’s services. Their first step was integrating the salesforce. com platform, which led to the creation of a more efficient client order management system called “Cakeforce.” This innovative system revolutionized the way customer orders were handled by eliminating the need for excessive paperwork and introducing online ordering capabilities.
Cakeforce ensures that orders are always up to date and editing orders is effortless. Furthermore, it provides the ability to easily track the progress of any order without the need to contact other departments for updates. Salesforce’s dashboard conveniently provides all the necessary information about any order. Moreover, the introduction of Chatter has revolutionized Carlo’s business operations by enabling customers to provide instant feedback and allowing employees to respond promptly.
With the implementation of Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Chatter, and the overall Salesforce platform, Carlo’s Bakery has enabled its entire staff to be easily reachable within the dashboard while logged into Salesforce. This has improved collaboration among different departments and resulted in more efficient communication and problem-solving. Furthermore, it has allowed Carlo’s Bakery to listen to their customers in real-time across multiple social media platforms and track their own website, enhancing the overall customer service experience.
Salesforce transformed Carlo’s Bakery from a primitive pencil and paper business into a technologically advanced baking powerhouse armed with iPads and accessible via the internet. Thanks to Salesforce, Buddy was able to establish a new large-scale production facility where they fulfill online orders. It has also aided in the identification of strategic locations for another Carlo’s Bakery in the New York vicinity, with several more currently in the planning phase.
Salesforce has transformed the raw data into valuable information, enabling the company to shift from a reactive to an active business (McNeff, Diana K. “Growth Insights for CEO’s.” thechiefoutsiders.com. 28 Nov. 2012. The Chief Outsiders. 16 Mar. 2013<http://www.chiefoutsiders.com/blog/bid/92672/Cake-Boss-Carlo-s-Bakery-now-offers-truly-sweet-experience>). Learn more about Chatter and Salesforce Platform through this YouTube video featuring Cake Boss and Trunk Club (YouTube. 24 Sep. 2012. YouTube. 12 Mar. 2013 <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4VXviiaO6Q>).
