Compliance and precision are non-negotiable in highly regulated industries. Customer relationship management (CRM) optimization and business process automation must, therefore, be handled with expert guidance. Shannon J. Gregg, PhD recognized this and founded Cloud Adoption Solutions, a certified Salesforce consulting provider.
Dr. Gregg’s experience in software sales and operations naturally led her to the world of CRM. She found herself working in the field of clinical research technology, where she oversaw everything from contracts and proposals teams to inside sales teams. Eventually, she became responsible for harmonizing multiple Sales teams, including their Salesforce instances, from newly acquired companies.
Through this extensive M&A experience, Dr. Gregg noticed a recurring problem. She realized that Salesforce systems had been built by people unfamiliar with the life sciences industry, which operates on precise timelines dictated by clinical research. Not only that, but the technology partners hired to manage these transitions usually had high turnover rates. She witnessed how clients would meet senior consultants who made big promises and how junior consultants (usually without an understanding of the industry’s unique challenges) would handle the actual implementation.
Still, the most glaring issue Dr. Gregg observed was that no one was asking the end users what they truly needed. “Sales teams were expected to spend hours navigating a system that wasn’t built to consider their workflow,” she shares. Many Salesforce instances looked like they would be better suited for retail or manufacturing—not for a field where research protocols, treatment criteria, and regulatory compliance drive the sales process.
Indeed, there’s an industry-wide problem: CRM technology was being forced upon users instead of designed with them in mind. After deciding to speak about the inefficiencies she observed, Dr. Gregg was recognized for her expertise. Major events invited her to present, and attendees would line up to ask her if she could help them solve their company’s issues.
The demand was undeniable, so Cloud Adoption Solutions was born. Dr. Gregg has faced challenges while solidifying the firm’s presence. She had to self-fund the company and lead it while battling cancer. Still, she persevered, leveraging her vast industry knowledge and commitment to user adoption to grow the company into a fully registered, 100% woman-owned, and certified Salesforce consulting provider.
The company is now known for offering Salesforce implementation, integration, managed services, and custom solutions. Essentially, it optimizes CRM and automates business processes of small and medium-sized technology, healthcare, life sciences, and professional services companies—industries where a one-size-fits-all Salesforce implementation doesn’t work.
The founder further informed her approach by pursuing a PhD in Community Engagement at Point Park University. Her research focused on Salesforce user adoption, seeking to answer the question as to why many don’t utilize these sophisticated systems as intended. Dr. Gregg found that most CRM systems weren’t designed with the end users in mind. She shares an example: “Salespeople are naturally kinesthetic. They thrive on human interaction and fieldwork. But what usually happens is they’re forced to spend hours behind a computer to do data entry.”
Dr. Gregg’s research became the foundation of Cloud Adoption Solutions. The company prioritizes client needs, consistently improves processes to achieve tangible outcomes, and nurtures relationships internally and with clients. In other words, every decision the firm makes is driven by the principle that technology should serve the user.
Many consulting firms claim to put clients first. Cloud Adoption Solutions takes this commitment to another level. Before making any recommendations, it asks: Where is the company headed in the next one, three, or five years? Will this solution remain relevant? Is this technology being implemented for the right reasons? “Why do we ask this? It’s because businesses are drawn to flashy CRM features that look great in demos but fail in practice. We help clients avoid these pitfalls,” says Dr. Gregg.
This approach has enabled Cloud Adoption Solutions to reach several milestones. These include the company launching an app on the Salesforce AppExchange—a noteworthy accomplishment that sets it apart from typical systems integrators.
The firm also reached the $1 million milestone. This is remarkable, given that only 3% of woman-owned businesses achieve this. Moreover, Cloud Adoption Solutions created Life Sciences Dreamin’, a conference that brings professionals from sales, technology, and life sciences together.
Cloud Adoption Solutions intends to continue optimizing CRM for highly regulated industries. Dr. Gregg is adamant about making Salesforce work for people, committing to user-centric design, a strong foundation in research, and a leadership team that understands the complexities of the industries they serve.
