Platform design and usability

 Salesforce is designed to drive sales, not measure impact, so the terminology of the platform is not appropriate for beneficiary management. This means that you have to fit yourself and your work into the existing shape of Salesforce, where as Makerble is built and set up to fit you.

It also looks and feels like a CRM system, which can be hard for volunteers to navigate. Makerble is designed to look like a social media platform. Each contact has a self-contained “profile page”, so it is easy to access all the relevant information about a beneficiary, which ensures that you are providing them with the best possible service and assistance. There is a newsfeed where colleagues can post updates for each other. It is also a helpful place to document any anecdotal evidence about your programmes.

This social-media-like design means most people are already quite familiar with that sort of interface and can navigate it intuitively. But if some staff still struggle Makerble has a very comprehensive user guide with step-by-step instructions and videos detailing every function on Makerble.

Data collection and reporting

Whilst Salesforce does have the function to create visual impact reports using your data, on the data collection side it does not provide the same level of support. Makerble encourages comprehensive data collection throughout your programme’s lifecycle, and has a library of templates, metrics and surveys to help you along the way, as well as free information resources available to everyone.