Salesforce Document Generation Tools: An Admin Guide

In the realm of Salesforce, we are always looking for time-saving measures to enhance our daily workflows. One essential element of streamlining Salesforce processes is document generation. Doc gen is a pivotal feature that empowers users to automatically create documents, reports, and templates using data from their Salesforce org. Today, we will dive into a few of the document generation integrations for Salesforce, so you can further understand the distinct features of these offerings.

Salesforce Document Generation Tool Considerations

Before diving into some of the available options, administrators should consider several key factors to ensure the integration they choose aligns with their organization's needs.

• Organization Size: The size of your organization directly impacts the pricing and adaptability of a document generation solution. Larger organizations may need a more robust and scalable tool to handle the higher volume and complexity of documents. In comparison, smaller organizations might benefit from a more streamlined solution without unnecessary complexity or a prolonged setup.
• Document Type and Complexity: Understanding the variety and complexity of documents your business routinely deals with is crucial. Some solutions may excel in generating simple reports, while others may offer advanced features for handling intricate documents. Evaluate the match between the solution's capabilities and your typical document requirement.
• Integration with Other Services: Chances are there is a larger ecosystem of tools and services within your organization. Your document generation solution should seamlessly integrate with other services to maintain a cohesive workflow. This includes compatibility with other Salesforce applications and external tools your organization relies on, like Google Drive, Microsoft Office, and DocuSign.
• Automations: If your workflow involves doing lots of repetitive tasks, you should prioritize document generation solutions with automation capabilities. Document generation is all about efficiency, and automation further enhances this efficiency by automating repetitive tasks, ensuring consistency and accuracy in document creation, and supporting scalability as organizational needs evolve. Automation also allows for seamless integration with other systems, so your document generation process is aligned with your organization's broader ecosystem of tools and services.

Third-Party Salesforce Document Generation Tools

Conga Composer

Conga Composer is the most popular document generation tool for Salesforce. It supports complex document generation and workflow automation with enterprise-level features. Because of these features, Conga typically comes with a pretty hefty price tag that is often suited for larger organizations.

Pros

• Advanced Template Design: Conga offers a robust template design interface, allowing users to create complex and dynamic templates for quotes, proposals, and contracts.
• Electronic Signature Integration: Conga supports integration with e-signature solutions, allowing users to include esignature capabilities directly within generated documents.
• Scalability: Conga is designed to handle large-scale document generation requirements, making it more suitable for enterprises with complex document needs.

Cons

• Obscured Pricing: Conga Composer's pricing model is often criticized for its lack of transparency. Some users find it challenging to understand the total cost, leading to budgetary concerns and unexpected expenses.
• Support: Since Conga’s 715 million dollar merger with Apptus in 2020, users and reviewers from the AppExchange have frequently noted a drastic decrease in the quality of support for Conga’s services. Citing long response times to support inquiries, little assistance navigating the complicated setup, and poor documentation.
  

Drive Connect

Drive Connect enables users to generate Google Docs and Google Slides and easily export them to Google Drive folders or as Microsoft Word or PDF files. Additionally, it seamlessly links these documents to the relevant Salesforce record, helping you stay organized. Drive Connect doesn’t have a minimum license requirement to purchase, so it’s an accessible solution for organizations of any size and boasts a rapid implementation time. Check out Drive Connect’s pricing information here.

Pros

• Real-Time Collaboration: Drive Connect allows you to link and embed Google Docs, Slides, and (soon) Sheets directly in Salesforce records, allowing users to edit and collaborate on documents without leaving Salesforce.
• Automate Drive Folder Structure: Users can take advantage of the Automate Drive Flows to create and organize Google Drive folders, so their generated documents are always accessible and easy to find.
• Remerge Generated Documents: With File Remerge, you can update previously generated documents using a simple dropdown menu to pull new data from Salesforce records, so users can save time, stay organized, and ensure data accuracy.

Cons

• Only Compatible with Google Drive: Drive Connect is designed to work exclusively with Google Drive, so if your organization uses Microsoft Office, there will be many features you won’t be able to take advantage of.
  

Nintex

Nintex offers a user-friendly interface that allows users to easily design templates and generate documents without coding knowledge. Additionally, it supports a variety of output formats, including Word, Excel, and PDF. Check out Nintex’s pricing information here.

Pros

• Easy to use Interface: Nintex offers a drag-and-drop interface for building workflows and document generation processes, allowing users to design and customize document templates without extensive technical knowledge.
• Integration with External Data Sources: Nintex supports integration with external data sources outside of Salesforce, enabling users to pull information from various systems to populate documents.
• Share Documents Easily:  Nintex allows users to send files via eSign, email, file transfer, or simply download to share documents with one or multiple contacts with a click of a button.

Cons

• Process Automation Requires Enterprise-level Plan: Unfortunately for smaller organizations, Nintex requires a custom plan with at least 10 licenses to take full advantage of its automation features.

S-Docs

S-Docs stands out for its deep integration with Salesforce, offering a native document generation solution within the Salesforce platform. Additionally, its offline capabilities give it a unique position in the Salesforce document generation ecosystem. Check out S-Docs’ pricing information here.

Pros

• Native to Salesforce: S-Docs’ Document Generation is 100% native to Salesforce, meaning it does not need to do any external API calls, so you won’t have to worry about hitting your call limit.
• Security and Compliance: S-Docs ensures its document generation and storage is automatically compliant with Salesforce's stringent security requirements. This can be crucial for organizations with rigid security and compliance requirements.
• Offline Document Generation: S-Docs allows users to generate documents even when not connected to the internet and upload them to Salesforce later.

Cons

• Minimum Contracts and Rigid Pricing: One notable drawback of S-Docs is the imposition of minimum contract requirements. The starter plan operates on a flat fee of $1,500 for 1-10 users and $3,000 for 11-24 users, so it might feel like you’re getting overcharged unless you hit the 10 or 24 license limit. Meanwhile, their unlimited plan, though competitive in pricing, requires a minimum $6,000 contract.
  

Wrap Up

While there are plenty of feature-rich options in the market, finding a balance between functionality and affordability is essential. Seek a solution that fits your budgetary constraints and provides the best value for your organization based on what documents you’ll generate, how often, and where you’ll store them. It’s not just about features; it’s about finding the tool that harmonizes with your organization's daily workflow.

If you use Google Drive, there is nothing more harmonious than Drive Connect. Not only does it cover your document generation needs, it also brings your Google Drive files directly into Salesforce so that you can automate your folder structure, work collaboratively on files, and streamline your workflow. Drive Connect takes just minutes to set up, and you can try it free for 14 days with no credit card required!