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data cloud and marketing cloud personalization

What is the Difference in a Data Lake and a Data Warehouse

Is a Data Lake Necessary? Difference in a Data Lake and a Data Warehouse? Do I need both? Both Data Lakes and Data Warehouses play crucial roles in the data processing and reporting infrastructure. They are complementary approaches rather than substitutes. Relevance of Data Lakes: Data lakes are losing popularity compared to their previous standing. Advanced storage solutions like data warehouses are progressively taking their place. Can Data Lakes Replace Data Warehouses? Data lakes do not directly replace data warehouses; they serve as supplementary technologies catering to different use cases with some overlap. Organizations typically have both a data lake and a data warehouse. Distinguishing Between Data Lakes and Data Warehouses: Data lakes and data warehouses serve as storage systems for big data, utilized by data scientists, data engineers, and business analysts. Despite some similarities, their differences are more significant than their commonalities, and understanding these distinctions is vital for aspiring data professionals. Data Lake vs. Data Warehouse: Key Differences: Data lakes aggregate structured and unstructured data from multiple sources, resembling real lakes with diverse inflows. Data warehouses, on the other hand, are repositories for pre-structured data intended for specific queries and analyses. Exploring Data Lakes: A data lake is a storage repository designed to capture and store large amounts of raw data, whether structured, semi-structured, or unstructured. This data, once in the lake, can be utilized for machine learning or AI algorithms and later transferred to a data warehouse. Data Lake Examples: Data lakes find applications in various sectors, such as marketing, education, and transportation, addressing business problems by collecting and analyzing data from diverse sources. Understanding Data Warehouses: A data warehouse is a centralized repository and information system designed for business intelligence. It processes and organizes data into categories called data marts, allowing for structured data storage from multiple sources. Data Warehouse Examples: Data warehouses support structured systems and technology for diverse industries, including finance, banking, and food and beverage, facilitating secure and accurate report generation. Data Warehouses compared to Data Lakes: Data warehouses contain processed and sanitized structured data, focusing on business intelligence, while data lakes store vast pools of unstructured, raw data, providing flexibility for future analysis. Key Differences Between Warehouses and Lakes: Intended purpose, audience, data structure, access and update cost, access model, and storage and computing are crucial factors distinguishing data warehouses and data lakes. Choosing Between Data Warehouse and Data Lake: The decision depends on organizational needs, value extracted from data analysis, and infrastructure costs. Organizations may opt for agility with a data lake, a data warehouse for larger data quantities, or a combination for maximum flexibility. A data lake stores raw, unstructured data indefinitely, providing cost-effective storage, while a data warehouse contains cleaned, processed, and structured data, optimized for strategic analysis based on predefined business needs. Data Warehouse, Data Lake, and Data Hub Differences: Data warehouses and data lakes primarily support analytic workloads, whereas data hubs focus on data integration, sharing, and governance, serving different purposes in the data landscape. Salesforce Data Cloud is a powerful data warehouse solution that allows companies to effectively manage and analyze their data. It provides users with the ability to stream input data from Salesforce and other sources, making it a comprehensive platform for data integration. Content updated February 2024. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Salesforce Backup

Get To Know Salesforce Backup

Salesforce Backup constitutes a vital component of the comprehensive Salesforce data management and security portfolio. For organizations that prioritize data integrity and compliance within their Salesforce environment, integrating this app into their org and establishing a backup policy can be accomplished on the same day. This product empowers companies to safeguard their data against user errors, malicious activities, and potential data loss, thereby enhancing overall security measures. Let’s get to know Salesforce Backup Here’s what you can achieve with the Salesforce Backup tool: Identifying and prioritizing the data you intend to back up is a crucial step. Specify the most critical data, users often have specific goals for their backups. Some administrators, focus on security, while others aim to meet compliance requirements for specific data categories, such as health data. Regardless of the goal, understanding which information holds paramount importance for your company’s security and compliance needs is essential. The data backup process involves Salesforce Backup conducting a full “Day 0” backup for an object, followed by daily incremental backups that capture only updated or deleted data. This method ensures a comprehensive and efficient approach to data protection. If you would like to add Salesforce Backup to your org, Contact Tectonic today. Like2 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Salesforce Privacy Center for Customer Preferences

Salesforce Privacy Center for Customer Preferences

Managing Customer Privacy and Preferences with Salesforce In today’s inter-connected world, consumers are increasingly aware of the data collected about them. They want better control over their communication preferences, such as email, texts, and phone calls. Enter Salesforce Privacy Center for Customer Preferences. Organizations collecting this data must properly manage their customers’ privacy and preferences, adhere to privacy laws like the GDPR and CPRA, and stay compliant with the evolving landscape of US state and federal laws. Managing the complexity of communications, privacy, and compliance can be daunting, but Salesforce offers tools within its platform to help you stay compliant and meet your customers’ needs for preference management. Utilizing the Individual Object in Salesforce The first step is to use the Individual object in the Salesforce platform. When a customer shows interest in your products or services, you enter their information as a lead. Once they make a purchase, you convert that lead into a Contact Object, or store their information in a Person Account. Often, the same person’s information might be stored in multiple objects. For example, someone named Johnathan Smith might also be entered as John or Johnny, leading to multiple contacts with the same email but different names. The Individual Object helps manage preferences for that person across various objects or a single user record. It also enables: The Salesforce Consent Data Model The Individual Object is a key component of the Salesforce Consent Data Model, which forms the foundation of Salesforce’s long-term view of consent. This model considers the individual’s entire experience, not just a single contact point. Scenario Example: An individual wishes to be contacted via email (ContactPointTypeConsent) but only using their personal email address (ContactPointConsent) for promotional emails (Data Use Purpose). Later, they opt for SMS texting (ContactPointTypeConsent) for shipping notifications (Data Use Purpose). The data model allows managing multiple types of consent across different brands for various data use purposes, with the Individual Object linking all scenarios to a single person. This capability helps manage compliance with consent management requirements. Managing Customer Preferences with Privacy Center Once the Individual Object is enabled and the model understood, the next step is to enable customers to manage their preferences. Before configuring the Salesforce platform, you should plan for implementation by considering: With policies and procedures in place, you can start implementing the technology. Salesforce Privacy Center helps configure preference management and track the process. It allows you to create user-friendly forms for websites or emails, enabling secure capture of customer preferences for contact methods, reasons, and timing. Starting with Privacy Center To manage preferences, launch Privacy Center and set up consent templates in Privacy Preference Manager. Customize your contact point types (e.g., phone, web, social) using Apex or the Privacy Center interface. These templates ensure consistent forms across multiple brands and business lines, tailored to your specific business and compliance needs. After creating a form using a template, you can drag and drop it into Experience Builder or embed it into your site, ensuring a consistent user experience across sites and brands. Additional Privacy Center Functions Privacy Center also supports: These tools help manage your data, ensure regulatory compliance, and provide customers with an integrated and easy experience. By utilizing the Individual Object along with Privacy Center, you can track and monitor customer preferences effectively and ensure compliance. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Is Prompt Engineering Dying?

The Rise and Fall of Prompt Engineering Prompt engineering is everywhere—it’s the hot topic in the AI world. The World Economic Forum, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, and the Twitterverse can’t stop talking about it. My feeds are filled with ads promoting courses that promise to make you a fortune with minimal effort. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: prompt engineering is already facing its decline. Don Giannatti originally wrote on this topic in June of 2023. Whic got us thinking, is prompt engineering dying? Why Is Prompt Engineering Fading? Reason 1: AI Is Getting Smarter AI is advancing rapidly. Machines are starting to understand our words and phrases just like we do, similar to a child learning to talk. The need for finely tuned prompts is decreasing because AI is developing the ability to generate its own prompts simply by interpreting questions. It’s learning all the time. Reason 2: AI Crafts Its Own Prompts SDon already usea minimal nudge prompts, which AI then expands into detailed, contextually accurate prompts. GPT-4 can do this, and GPT-5 will have it even more integrated. While prompt engineering has been trendy among marketers and tech enthusiasts, its relevance is quickly waning. Reason 3: Prompts Are Limited in Versatility Prompts are tailored for specific AI models and versions, limiting their flexibility. AI can overcome these limitations more efficiently than humans. Machine learning excels in reducing input and friction, and AI is quickly learning and improving upon human-made prompts. The Future: Problem Formulation The enduring skill in the AI age is problem formulation—how we identify, analyze, and define problems. When we can clearly illustrate a problem, AI can provide efficient solutions. AI cannot identify unquantifiable problems that aren’t part of existing systems—that’s still a human strength, for now. Prompt Engineering vs. Problem Formulation Prompt engineering focuses on the words, sentence structure, and punctuation. Problem formulation is about defining the problem—seeing the bigger picture and broader strokes. Without a well-defined problem, even the best-crafted prompt is just a set of words. Why Problem Formulation Matters Problem formulation has been overshadowed by problem-solving. It’s not easy, isn’t taught in universities, and isn’t popularized by futurists. Yet, it’s essential. Executives often struggle with diagnosing problems—85% of them say so. To stay ahead, we need better problem formulation. Four Ways to Enhance Problem Formulation Embracing AI Wisely AI is evolving quickly. To leverage its potential, we must clearly identify problems. Once defined, AI can generate prompts to find solutions. A Take on AI While one can appreciate the educational and helpful capabilities of GPT and other language models, be cautious about the rapid integration of AI into our lives without adequate discussion or input from society. I trust AI more than the billionaires driving its adoption, but be wary of their motivations. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Salesforce Service Cloud

Back Up Service Cloud

Preventing Permanent Data Loss – Back Up Service Cloud Activate automatic daily backups of your Salesforce data to shield against unexpected system glitches and human errors. Ensuring Seamless System Upgrades Regular backups offer reassurance by enabling restoration to a stable state in the event of any issues during data modifications. Mitigating the Impact of Cyberattacks Restore data affected by security breaches to a backup prior to the incident, mitigating the fallout. Back Up Service Cloud Meeting Compliance and Legal Requirements Securely store data to meet industry data regulation standards, ensuring availability for audits or legal purposes. Statistics and Challenges 78% of CISOs report wielding 16 or more tools in their security portfolios, making data tracking, security, and recovery challenging. Additionally, 94% of organizations experiencing severe data loss fail to recover. Evolving Data Protection Challenges As AI adoption surges, data becomes an even more crucial strategic asset, necessitating protection against internal mishaps and external threats for seamless business continuity and customer trust. Salesforce Backup Salesforce Backup offers more than just data protection—it promises swift data restoration, top-tier performance, and robust resilience, safeguarding against data loss and corruption while preserving customer trust. There is a prevalent misconception that cloud platforms like Salesforce do not require backup solutions. While it’s true that cloud service providers manage disaster recovery scenarios, such support does not extend to everyday usage. Even in a cloud environment, data can still be inadvertently deleted or overwritten by users, necessitating an effective backup strategy. Previously, Salesforce offered a disaster recovery service as a last-resort option; however, this was discontinued effective July 31, 2020. In response, Salesforce introduced its native Backup & Restore service in 2022. Despite this, it’s generally advisable to have a third-party backup provider for enhanced data security, as Salesforce Backup & Restore is not included in the list below. Causes of Data Loss Data loss can occur due to various scenarios, including human error, erroneous data imports, workflow rule mishaps, or malicious user activity. Data vs. Metadata It’s crucial to differentiate between data and metadata. Data refers to stored values, while metadata encompasses configuration data specific to an organization, such as custom fields, layouts, and rules. Backup Methods Salesforce offers several options for simple backups, including manual data export, data export via reports, Data Loader import/export, and metadata backup via the Package Manager. Additionally, a full sandbox provides a complete mirror of the production instance, suitable for organizations heavily involved in Salesforce development. For organizations with development teams, managing metadata through development tools like IntelliJ or MavensMate enables effective versioning and backup on source code management systems like Git. Furthermore, mirroring Salesforce object data as a relational database using tools like Heroku or cData is an option, albeit without backing up metadata. Specialized backup tools offer the best solution, particularly for organizations using Salesforce extensively. These tools provide comprehensive backup solutions tailored to individual needs. Salesforce Backup Mechanics Salesforce backup solutions function as advanced data import/export tools rather than file-based backup/restore systems. They access data via APIs, necessitating the temporary disabling of triggers and workflows for effective restoration. Top Backup Solutions for Salesforce Several backup solutions are available for Salesforce, each offering unique features and benefits. Notable options include OwnBackup, AvePoint, CloudAlly, Odaseva, Spanning, and Skyvia. Restoring Salesforce Data vs. Relational Databases Restoring data in Salesforce differs from relational databases due to auto-generated IDs and names. Backup packages can handle lookup fields but may encounter challenges with auto-generated fields. Additional Benefits of Backup Tools Backup tools for Salesforce offer additional features like alerting, diff generation, cross-instance restoration, and anonymization, enhancing Salesforce administration capabilities. Conclusion Despite Salesforce being a cloud-based platform, implementing a backup strategy remains crucial. It should be an integral part of the overall Salesforce development strategy to ensure data security and continuity. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Leverage AI and Machine Learning in Your Data Warehouse

Leverage AI and Machine Learning in Your Data Warehouse

5 Reasons to Leverage AI and Machine Learning in Your Data Warehouse Incorporating AI and machine learning (ML) into a data warehouse transforms it into a powerful tool for decision-making and insight generation across the entire organization. Here are five key benefits of integrating AI and ML into your data warehouse: 1. Improved Efficiency AI and ML streamline data warehouse operations by automating time-consuming tasks like data validation and cleansing. These technologies can manage repetitive processes, such as extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL), freeing data teams to focus on higher-priority tasks that drive business value. AI and ML ensure that inconsistencies are addressed automatically, which boosts overall operational efficiency. 2. Faster Performance ML can monitor query performance in real time, identifying bottlenecks and optimizing processes to increase speed and accuracy. Automating data ingestion and delivery enables users to act on insights faster, making real-time decision-making possible. Faster data processing leads to more timely and effective business strategies. 3. Increased Accessibility for All Users AI and ML enhance data quality and simplify data queries, making insights accessible even to non-technical users. By allowing natural language inputs and generating easy-to-understand visualizations, these technologies empower employees at all skill levels to interact with data. When everyone in the organization works from the same data foundation, decision-making becomes more aligned and consistent. 4. More Accurate Forecasting ML’s predictive capabilities allow data warehouses to anticipate trends and proactively solve problems before they arise. Predictive models and anomaly detection help prevent downtime, improve customer demand forecasting, and enhance overall accuracy. The more these algorithms are used, the more refined and effective they become, improving insights and forecasts over time. 5. Reduced Data Storage Costs AI and ML analyze data usage to optimize storage solutions, identifying and eliminating redundant data to free up space. These technologies can also optimize data architecture, making the warehouse more efficient and reducing operational costs. As an organization scales, AI and ML help manage growing data volumes without increasing expenses, ensuring cost-effective data storage and processing. By integrating AI and ML into a data warehouse, organizations can enhance speed, efficiency, and accuracy, driving better decision-making and improving business outcomes. Content updated October 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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Salesforce Nonprofit Cloud

Salesforce Grantseeker Collaboration in Grants Management Nonprofit Cloud

Utilize Salesforce Grants Management for the collaborative collection and review of funding requests. Salesforce Grantseeker Collaboration tool empowers nonprofits. Allow Funding Request Collaborators: Update Invitation to Collaborators: Key Functions of Salesforce Grantseeker Collaboration: Nonprofit Cloud and Nonprofit Success Pack Like Related Posts Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more 50 Advantages of Salesforce Sales Cloud According to the Salesforce 2017 State of Service report, 85% of executives with service oversight identify customer service as a Read more Salesforce Government Cloud: Ensuring Compliance and Security Salesforce Government Cloud public sector solutions offer dedicated instances known as Government Cloud Plus and Government Cloud Plus – Defense. Read more Salesforce SOAP API Salesforce provides programmatic access to your org’s information using simple, powerful, and secure application programming interfaces (APIs). Before reading more Read more

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Salesforce Success Story

Case Study: Google Cloud and Tableau Ecommerce Success

An industry leader in lifesciences research and ecommerce, is tasked with integrating recent acquisitions, standardizing processes, and improving marketing return-on-investment. Ecommerce company moves to the cloud and adopts Google Cloud and Tableau to improve sales and operational efficiency. Google Cloud and Tableau Ecommerce Success to the rescue. Industry: Lifesciences and Biotechnology Research Problem: Leadership requested help driving an improved culture of proactive decision-making, rather than reactive. Implemented : Our solution? Results: Salesforce offers customized solutions for the ecommerce industry, assisting companies in this field to provide outstanding customer experiences, optimize workflows, and spur growth and brand loyalty. Salesforce offers digital transformation technology for life sciences, ecommerce, and biotechnology research industries. If you are considering a Salesforce health and life sciences implementation, contact Tectonic today. Like2 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Salesforce Automation Guide

Salesforce Automation Guide

Salesforce Automation Guide. I cannot lie. There was a time when I thought the greatest thing about Salesforce was that it prevented leads from falling through the cracks. I was a marketing opps person. There was a time I thought readily available information at your fingertips and integration with an email platform was the greatest thing. I was in sales management. Today, as a Solutions Architect, I think Salesforce Automation Guide is the best. Automation provides the tools necessary to automate repetitive processes and daily tasks for your business, such as creating follow-up tasks, sending reminder emails, or updating records. Automations help users save critical time and reduce errors by creating automated processes to complete repetitive tasks. Below, you’ll find resources to help you decide which automations to use depending on your needs. An Intro to Salesforce Automation Before determining which automation best suits your business’s needs, you must first understand what automation means. These resources will help paint a clear picture of what the automation of processes, approvals, and tasks can look like for your organization. They aren’t just time savers. They can be game changers. Why Should You Love Automation?Check out this article highlighting the positive global impact of automation across different industries and countries. Review the customer story on how automation helped digitize an approval process during a time of especially high-volume requests. After reading this, you will understand why automation is so beneficial! Intro to AutomationExplore this documentation to get a high-level overview of the different automation methods. Automation Tools Salesforce provides multiple automation tools depending on the level of complexity needed to achieve your goals. These resources will help you understand which automation tool will best help you reach your business objectives. Automation Tool: FeaturesScroll down within this article to check out the matrix for a breakdown of all the features and actions supported within each automation tool: Approvals, Flow Builder, Einstein Next Best Action, and Apex. Automation Tool: Which One to UseView this video from one of the leading cloud experts that walks you through each automation tool and when and why to use each one. Architect Decision GuideThe Architect Decision Guide will help you evaluate the pros and cons of the different automation tools. Get recommendations from Salesforce product teams on which tools best address different use cases. Automation Implementation A hands-on approach is the best way to learn how to implement automation tools. Dig right in by exploring guided Trailhead modules that will help you understand the steps to enable these tools. Flow BasicsGet to know Flow Builder, the primary tool for creating flows. Learn when to use flows to automate business processes. Automate ApprovalsLearn how you can automate simple approval processes using Flow Builder. Automation Deep Dive As you begin to think about your automation journey, it is useful to study use cases to help guide your automation strategy and energy. Check out these resources to learn how to take your automations even further than you imagined to streamline your business processes. Building a Simple FlowExplore this video to learn how to build a simple visual flow using Flow Builder for a donation request example via an input screen, fields, and choices to collect required customer information. Five Pro Tips for Salesforce FlowFollow these quick tips to get up and running with Salesforce Flow. Troubleshooting Resources Before rolling out your automations to users, make sure you validate and test them just like any other customization. Should you encounter a bug while validating, don’t worry! These resources will guide you through troubleshooting tips if you run into any blockers during the validation process. Troubleshooting Flow Errors Using the Debug ButtonCheck out this helpful Salesforce video on how to fix errors using the Debug button in Flow Builder. Flow TroubleshootingFurther your education with this Trailhead module to learn how to diagnose and fix common flow issues. Go Further with Automation Manage ProductivityDetermine how much time you’re saving your team with the Process Automation Tracker in Salesforce AppExchange. Flow OrchestrationStreamline complex workflows with Flow Orchestration. Our experts will guide you on rolling out multi-step processes that interact with multiple users. Join the Customer Success CommunityConnect with Salesforce experts and other Trailblazers like you. The community is a great place to ask questions, get answers, and share your experiences. Become a TrailblazerConsider blazing your own trail by completing the Trailhead superbadge on process automation. Automation Use Case StridePride makes comfortable sneakers, designed and customized for its customers. The company’s online retail business has grown rapidly in the past year domestically; as a result, they have decided to use Salesforce to help launch their sneakers in international markets. Linda Rosenson, StridePride’s admin, needed to quickly set up Salesforce to create sales processes for all of the additional international markets. As Linda was creating these processes, the Sales Leaders asked her to include a discount on the sneakers if certain criteria were met to help promote sales for the new markets. The tricky part was, each market had its unique set of criteria and rules before the discount could be applied. After mapping out each region’s unique criteria for the discounts, Linda determined that tracking this all manually or on a document for sales reps would be a logistical nightmare. Linda began thinking of automation. She was determined to find a more efficient way to automatically apply the discounts if criteria were met, lessening the chance for human error or missteps. Her goal was to make the process as seamless and efficient as possible. Because Linda had already reviewed the resources on choosing the right automation tool, she knew that Salesforce Flow made the most sense for her use case. This flow would help automate the discount by evaluating criteria based on customer inputs and then automatically applying the discount if applicable. She could even create or update records, create quotes, and send emails through flow elements. She teamed up with StridePride’s business analyst to create a Salesforce Flow. Together, they had it up and running

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Salesforce Field Service

Understanding Salesforce Field Service

Salesforce Field Service is an expansive addition to Salesforce Service Cloud, offering a 360 degree perspective on workforce management, especially in scenarios where services extend beyond the office or work site into the field. This typically involves mobile employees such as service technicians, alongside service agents, dispatchers, and service managers. Let’s dive into the nuances of Salesforce Field Service, addressing key aspects like its definition, user roles, reporting, scheduling, optimization, and more. Salesforce Field Service is also a popular tool in public sector solutioning. Understanding Salesforce Field Service will help to decide if it is right for your service teams. Understanding Salesforce Field Service: Salesforce Field Service, formerly known as Field Service Lightning (FSL), is an extension of Service Cloud designed to provide a comprehensive workforce management view. It seamlessly manages services delivered in the field, such as a electrical installer arriving to fulfill a customer’s order. Field Service Lightning evolves with each Salesforce release, continually enhancing functionality. Salesforce Field Service enhances customer engagement with real-time personalization, optimization of field teams with a scheduling engine, and access to offline data. Components of Salesforce Field Service: Field Service comprises various components, including Service Appointments, Salesforce Service Cloud integration, Territory and Scheduling functionalities, the Field Service Dispatcher Console, and the Field Service Mobile App for Android and iOS with offline capabilities. A detailed data model diagram illustrates the relationship between Service Cloud and Field Service. Users of Salesforce Field Service: Salesforce Field Service is particularly valuable for organizations with mobile field technicians supporting customers. It excels in scenarios with intricate service delivery involving multiple individuals like dispatchers, field technicians, service agents, and service managers. Each user persona interacts with Salesforce Field Service in distinct ways, utilizing tools like the Dispatcher Console or Field Service Mobile App tailored to their roles. Use Cases for Salesforce Field Service: Field Service proves beneficial in diverse service scenarios, including repairs, maintenance, sales visits, and healthcare care visits. It facilitates efficient coordination among dispatchers, field technicians, service agents, and service managers, streamlining processes and enhancing customer satisfaction. Key Terms in Salesforce Field Service: Understanding key terms such as Work Orders, Service Appointments, Contracts, Entitlements, Work Types, Service Territories, Operating Hours, Resources, and Scheduling Policies is essential. These terms collectively form the foundation of Salesforce Field Service’s robust data model and optimized usability. Scheduling and Optimization: Scheduling in Salesforce Field Service is managed through the Dispatcher Console, empowering dispatchers to make informed decisions. Various methods, from manual to fully automated, enable the creation of service appointments, optimizing resource allocation and ensuring efficient service delivery. Forecasting and Planning: Use real-time data to quickly assess the impact of global or in-day optimization on travel time and resource utilization. Refine scheduling policies, get an instant view of optimization results, and KPI changes. Asset Service Management: Move from reactive to proactive service with real-time asset tracking. Monitor service outcomes and create preventive maintenance plans based on asset use, condition, age, and specific criteria. Service Territory Design: Service Territories, categorized as Primary, Secondary, and Relocation Territories, define where teams can perform work. Well-defined territories are crucial for efficient dispatcher satisfaction, requiring thoughtful initial design and ongoing maintenance. Field Service Mobile App: The Salesforce Field Service Mobile app is essential for on-the-move workforces, offering technicians essential information to optimize job execution. Offline capabilities ensure uninterrupted work, and the Visual Remote Assistant feature enables two-way video and audio communication between agents, technicians, and customers. Slack for Field Service: Empower your mobile workforce with seamless connectivity and timely assistance whenever it is needed. Mobilize for service appoints and tap into the expertise of colleagues throughout the organization with the user-friendly Slack interface. Reporting in Salesforce Field Service: Monitoring service efficiency and success involves leveraging Salesforce reports, list views, and other platform analytics. Work Order List Views and Field Service Report Types provide insights into service call-outs and overall performance. Enabling Field Service Lightning: Setting up Salesforce Field Service involves installing it as a Managed Package, assigning licenses to users, and configuring standard objects like Products, Assets, Service Contracts, and Entitlements. Creating records for Service Territories, Service Resources, and Operating Hours establishes the framework for the service model. Field Service Deployments: Deployments in Salesforce Field Service can be time-consuming due to its reliance on object data. Considerations for complex relational data movement between environments and potential risks, such as resistance to automation, require careful attention. Tectonic, as a Salesforce Consulting Partner, can assist your company in deploying Salesforce Field Service. Salesforce Field Service projects, while intricate, can be highly valuable when executed correctly providing a large ROI. Adequate planning, phased implementations, and a long-term perspective contribute to the success of organizations leveraging the capabilities of Salesforce Field Service. If you are looking for a more robust solution, consider Field Service Plus combining dispatch and technician functionality along with Service Cloud and Sales Cloud. Tectonic looks forward to helping your field service team utilize this Salesforce tool. Tectonic is please to announce Salesforce Service Cloud Implementation Solutions. Like2 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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Salesforce Technical Architect

Salesforce Technical Architect Explained

Salesforce Technical Architects are highly sought-after professionals within the Salesforce ecosystem, leveraging their expertise to meticulously map the structure and functionality of Salesforce solutions. Their role ensures that the solution remains efficient, secure, cost-effective, and tailored to the specific needs of the business. A Salesforce Architect A Salesforce Architect plays a pivotal role in designing and implementing robust solutions for enterprise-grade customers utilizing Salesforce products. Their primary responsibility involves recommending optimal solutions based on specified requirements and articulating the trade-offs inherent in selecting one solution over another. Becoming a Salesforce Architect is a combination of experience, deep knowledge of best practices, and to some extent, instinct. Attaining the Certified Technical Architect (CTA) certification is considered a challenging feat within the Salesforce ecosystem, demanding high levels of technical expertise, communication skills, and leadership capabilities to design and implement intricate solutions aligned with business requirements. Certified Salesforce Technical Architect As of recent data, there are approximately 300+ Salesforce Certified Technical Architects worldwide, making it an exclusive and esteemed certification. Technical Architects engage in hands-on execution during IT projects, focusing on a single implementation and specializing in specific domains while defining best practices. The demand for technical architects is substantial, especially those adept at designing, implementing, and managing cloud architectures meeting business expectations. Knowledge of cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, Google Cloud, or Salesforce is essential for technical architects. The Salesforce Architect career path is experiencing rapid growth, with a staggering 1,292% annual growth rate in the past five years. Successful architects are not only big-picture thinkers but also adept problem solvers. Generally possessing a broad and deep technical knowledge complemented by soft skills such as listening, communication, and presentation abilities. Is This Person a Developer? Contrary to common belief, becoming an architect doesn’t necessitate being a developer. However, architects should be able to read code, and recommend coding best practices. They should excel in the declarative (clicks not code) aspects of the platform. Integrating Salesforce with other technologies, governance, and development operations expertise are additional facets that architects bring to the table, blending technical prowess with business acumen for a collaborative and robust future. A Salesforce Architect serves as a trusted advisor and leader, collaborating with business stakeholders to envision and architect solutions to business challenges. Generally acting as the technical team leader. They educate the team on technical best practices, translating business needs into a technical vision for low code or pro code builders. Architects also design organizational strategies and data models. They implement integrations, and provide solutions for large data volumes and data privacy considerations. Their role extends to identifying optimal solutions for business requirements and recommending the use of clicks, code, or a combination based on the business use case. With their extensive problem-solving skills, architects often serve as the final escalation point for production issues. When you work with a Salesforce partner, like Tectonic, a Salesforce Technical Architect will be a part of your team. If your core Salesforce team is missing a solid Salesforce Technical Architect, reach out to Tectonic today for assistance. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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