Questions Answered: WEDC’s Shared CRM Platform for Economic Developers

The Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation (WEDC) is bringing the power of the world’s leading customer relationship management (CRM) system—Salesforce.com—to economic developers throughout the state. We call it the In Force Network—a name that underscores the platform’s collaborative and operational benefits.

What is the In Force Network?

The In Force Network is a customized CRM tool that you can use to track business contacts, relationships and opportunities. Among the features In Force Network participants will enjoy are a business retention and expansion survey and an investor relations module. Users of In Force can run reports on completed, ongoing and future projects and can use the system to communicate and collaborate with other economic and workforce development partners throughout the state.

What data does the In Force Network give me access to?

You will have access to the same system that WEDC uses to manage business relationships. You will be able to read and edit most of the data that WEDC has entered into the system as well as well as the information supplied by other economic developers throughout the state. The In Force Network is integrated with Skills Wisconsin—the Salesforce platform developed by the Wisconsin Workforce Development Association (WWDA) and the eleven Workforce Development Boards throughout Wisconsin—in order to maximize interagency collaboration.

Will the data I enter into In Force be private?

General business (accounts) and contact data will be seen by all users in the system, much like a large rolodex.  However, if you are working with a company on a project (called an opportunity), this information will be kept private unless you decide to share it with another partner or a WEDC employee. WEDC employees will also be able to share private projects with In Force Network partners.

What is the cost of joining the In Force Network?

The In Force Network is free to join until July 1, 2015.  After that, the cost for existing and new participants will be $500 per user per year.

What if I already have business relationship data in another system?

The In Force implementation team will work with you to get the data you have in another system into the In Force Network.

Whom do I contact to learn more about joining the In Force Network?

If you have questions about the In Force Network or would like to join the initiative, please contact Lauren Miedema (lauren.miedema@wedc.org) or Sharon Berge (sharon.berge@wedc.org).

(October 2014)