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Cloud Managed Services

Advantages of a Cloud Managed Service Provider

Considering outsourcing your IT management to a cloud managed service provider? Here are several benefits of opting for a cloud expert like Tectonic: Cost Savings: Predictable, Recurring Monthly Costs: Future-Proof Technology: Custom and Integrated Service: Robust Infrastructure: Centralized Network Services and Applications: Coverage on All Service Levels: Disaster Recovery: Fast Response Times: Vendor Interfacing: Tectonic offers Managed Services for all your Salesforce platform IT needs.  Contact us today to get started. 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 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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Pie Chart

Why We Love Pie But Not Pie Charts

Everybody loves pie, but not all of us love pie charts (except when it’s a chart about pie). It turns out, our brains have a hard time comparing the area of shapes. When it comes to visualizing data, we prefer simple and easy to understand. Consider making that pie chart in your next presentation a bar chart. This unsavory position against pie charts reflects Tectonic’s passion for effective data visualizations. When done properly, visualizations help us quickly see new things and digest the size and scale of your business and market. Visualizations that allow you to interact with data and easily see areas where you need to focus, make decision making easier. But many of us are stuck managing from charts of numbers, or at best static visualizations in a power point. You know those presentations that someone spends weeks creating each month to describe the events in the prior month. Is this the kind of efficiency we thought 2018 technology would deliver? When you finally get the information, how do you correctly tie individual results to the trends in your business and markets so you can draw the right conclusions and make decisions? For example: are we generating enough leads, in the right industries, for the right products to generate the revenue we need in Q4? In other words, how do you translate how much pie you have eaten into how full you are? On the surface, it seems easy: If I’m eating pie, it’s late in the meal and I’m probably already full…but what if those assumptions don’t hold true? Are you willing to risk your comfort on it…or your business on it? At Tectonic, we help you align your desired business results with the events and activities in your business. These “analytical pathways” make it simpler to use data to drive your business. We can show you how to unlock the trends in your business and use data to drive new results. Happy Pie Season! 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 How Travel Companies Are Using Big Data and Analytics In today’s hyper-competitive business world, travel and hospitality consumers have more choices than ever before. With hundreds of hotel chains Read more A World Series Lesson for Your Business The Houston Astros won the World Series last night. The first time the organization has won the World Series since Read more Why Your Company Isn’t Like a Baseball Team Recently, Chris shared an excellent post about the new World Series Champion Houston Astros. In short, it was a reminder Read more

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Salesforce AppExchange

What is the Salesforce AppExchange?

The Salesforce AppExchange is a robust enterprise cloud marketplace, adept at swiftly addressing unique business challenges for organizations of any size, department, or industry.   The AppExchange is a marketplace where third-party developers can list their apps for Salesforce users to browse and install. Some are free to use and some have a charge. But all are available because of their integration ability with Salesforce. Each app has its own listing page with a detailed description, screenshots, user reviews, and pricing information. Introduced by Salesforce.com in 2005, the AppExchange website marked the inception of the first public directory of its kind. These powerful apps make a substantial impact by automating tasks, streamlining information and systems, and fostering closer integration with Salesforce. Catering to diverse organizational needs and budgets, the AppExchange offers a mix of both free and paid apps. If there is something you want to do in Salesforce, chances are good there is already an app for that – and you will find it in the Salesforce AppExchange. Navigating through the extensive array of apps, with over 9 million downloads, might seem daunting. Salesforce simplifies this process by providing App Guides that swiftly pinpoint optimal solutions for various business challenges across different sectors. Alongside apps, users can discover components, bolt solutions, lightning data, flow solutions, and consultants. The App Guides spotlight customer-favorite apps, categorizing them based on department or industry-specific business pain points. As users search and install apps, the AppExchange tailors personalized recommendations, enhancing ease and efficiency. Among our preferred apps are: Magic Mover – This remarkable app facilitates the seamless migration of classic notes to lightning-enhanced notes and classic attachments to Salesforce files. It expedites the conversion of numerous attachments and notes into enhanced files. S-Docs – A document generator capable of creating diverse outputs by amalgamating Salesforce data from standard and custom objects. The template editor in S-Docs allows for the design of outputs incorporating data from formula fields, rich text, parent records, child, grandchild, and related objects. Finished documents can be effortlessly emailed directly from Salesforce, capturing the entire interaction seamlessly as an activity. Slack – A highly popular communication and team collaboration hub integrated with Salesforce. This integration enables teams to stay informed about their records within Slack, responding swiftly to new opportunities and fostering seamless collaboration. Customized notifications in Slack provide updates on key information in Salesforce, while slash commands facilitate the search and preview of Salesforce records, including accounts, opportunities, and cases. The AppExchange empowers users to continually tailor their Salesforce experience, enhancing quality, productivity, and efficiency. Content updated January 2024. Like4 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 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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public sector and tribal governent

Why Your Company Isn’t Like a Baseball Team

Recently, Chris shared an excellent post about the new World Series Champion Houston Astros. In short, it was a reminder of how data-driven thinking can have massive results. But what does it take for an organization to achieve this? The first is leadership committed to a long term goal. It took the Astros 6 years of hard work and commitment to a new way of thinking to achieve their goals. The book/movie “Moneyball” does a good job illustrating all of the previous thinking that had to be overcome. After all, people had made life-long careers on that thinking, so why change? If your leadership isn’t committed to this long term, it simply won’t happen. However, it just takes one leader of a part of the organization to lead the way. The second thing you need is data. The baseball world is full of passionate and focused score keepers. Pitch counts, speed, game time temperature, at bats vs lefties, etc. Google actually has a free baseball stats dataset: https://cloud.google.com/bigquery/public-data/baseball. Unfortunately for most of us, there isn’t someone recording each and every movement we make at work (that may be a good thing for some of you). However, it does make it hard to be data driven if you don’t have data. So how do you convince a leader to become data driven and how do you decide what data to capture? Business leaders care about results, so aligning to those will get their support. Those results are driven by actions taken by the organization, so the data that describes those actions is what needs captured. When you take this approach you may find that some of the actions aren’t being recorded at all, many don’t have enough information about them and all of them are difficult to pull together and understand. Even when those hurdles have been overcome, you then face the issue of how to get information back into the hands of the masses who can use it to change the result. At Tectonic, we’ve combined world class salesforce implementation expertise with data science and analytics know how to drive innovative business results. We can help you navigate the above complexities so you can play better baseball. Original url: https://www.gettectonic.com/single-post/2017/11/10/why-your-company-isnt-like-a-baseball-team 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 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 chatter app

Salesforce Hashtags in Chatter

In Salesforce Chatter, using hashtags serves several purposes, enhancing collaboration and content organization within the platform. Here are some reasons why users might use hashtags in Chatter: Remember that the effectiveness of hashtags in Chatter relies on users adopting and consistently using them. Encouraging a common understanding of hashtag usage and promoting their benefits can lead to improved collaboration and content organization within the Salesforce environment. For instance, suppose you share an update mentioning your ongoing work on a sales presentation for Universal Paper, a customer of yours. Enhance your post by adding the hashtag topic #UniversalPaper. Users can simply click on this topic to access more details about Universal Paper and view ongoing discussions involving individuals and groups interested in Universal Paper. Additionally, anyone can conduct a search for Universal Paper, and the topic will feature in the search results. Clicking on the topic reveals all accessible areas where the topic has been assigned. When composing an update, simply type # followed by your chosen text. While typing, choose a topic from the provided suggestions or press ENTER to include it. Each topic can comprise up to three words. Topics are automatically concluded by commas ( , ) and closing square brackets ( ] ). Other punctuation, symbols, and separators are supported in topic names. Afterward, click Share. The hashtag topic transforms into a link leading to the topic detail page. Furthermore, the topic (excluding the hashtag) is automatically appended to the top-level post in your update. For example, by including #UniversalPaper in a comment beneath your colleague’s post, the topic Universal Paper gets added to your colleague’s original post. Following the posting of an update, the exclusive method to eliminate a hashtag topic in Lightning Experience is by either deleting or editing the post or comment. In Salesforce Classic, removal of the topic from the top-level post is possible. 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 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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A World Series Lesson for Your Business

The Houston Astros won the World Series last night. The first time the organization has won the World Series since the club was established in 1962. Since its foundation, the organization has an aggregate won-loss record of less than .500, and more recently been perennial losers and bottom dwellers. Jim Crane, a successful billionaire entrepreneur, bought and took over the team in 2011. In the six years since purchasing the team, he has changed the culture, attitude and environment of the organization in large part based on the more sophisticated use of big data and analytics throughout the organization. The more advanced and aggressive use of data and analytics, and its benefits, is well documented in player valuation, player match up advantages, statistical based strategy, etc..  For more on this, see The Analytics Series: Dodgers-Astros is a Win for Sabermetrics Both teams stress the heavy use of analytics, so it’s only fitting that they are pitted against one another in the World Series. https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2017/10/23/16515642/dodgers-astros-world-series-analytics What is less appreciated and reported is the use of data and analytics and its related advantages throughout the organization. I had the pleasure of hearing Jim Crane speak five years ago. He lamented about the poor reputation and track record of the Astros. However, he committed to changing the environment and attitude of the organization into a first class winning organization from top to bottom. How was he going to do it? A key component of his vision and strategy was introducing, embedding throughout over time, and ultimately driving the business through the aggressive use of sophisticated data and analytics in all phases of the company. The benefits would not only be a better product on the field, but better results across the board: marketing, sales, operations, process improvements, expense reductions, employee productivity and evaluations, company morale, customer perceived value proposition, enhanced brand value and ultimately significant increases in revenues, profitability and overall enterprise value of the organization. The results for the Houston Astros are clear and self-explanatory. It is a timely and great case study showing “winning businesses” are the ones which over time adapt, incorporate and drive their businesses through the use of more sophisticated data and analytics in all elements of their business. If you are not aggressively exploring ways to use data and improve your business through analytics, then beware that someone else in your industry is. The examples are endless: Netflix used customer data, trends, preferences and analytics to build a new business model. Netflix went from start up to multi-billion dollar media and content distribution company, while competitor Blockbuster, having every conceivable advantage at the start, is now out of business a few short years after the emergence of Netflix. Where is the retail industry today versus the astronomical rise of Amazon? Where are the teams that are not using data and analytics compared to the Astros? The Astros are the latest example of a bottom to top change in competitive dynamics and market leader in an industry in less than five short years. Are you interested in a dialogue on how you can start your path to more aggressively use data to help in your company? Understanding your customers, your markets, unearth new opportunities, reduce expenses, shorten the time involved in various phases of your operations, improve your customer experience, enhance your brand value, drive sales, enhance cross sell up sell opportunities, etc. The benefits are real and tangible: grow your revenues faster, reduce expenses, become more efficient and automated, make decisions based on information rather than gut feel, and ultimately significantly enhance your market position, growth opportunity and enterprise value for yourself and your investors. At Tectonic, this is what we do. Please call us to start a dialogue. Tectonic can help your start down the path by: As in the case of the Astros, we can help you transform your business into a data driven organization and help generate all the benefits and opportunities that come with it. Give us a call and we are happy to help you start today. Because if you are not, someone else you are or will be competing against is. Chris WilsonPresident Tectonic, LLC Original url: https://www.gettectonic.com/single-post/2017/11/03/a-world-series-lesson-for-your-business 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 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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Connected Culture

How To Build a Connected Culture

Building a connected culture has become increasingly important because mobile devices and applications have changed the landscape of the IT world. No longer are business users tied to their desks or offices. They can be productive anywhere, thus the content must be updated much more quickly. Reports don’t take weeks to compile, nor do they require the IT organization to deliver the information. The most successful companies are building and deploying solutions that a business user can access from any type of device, at any time, and display the data in the format that they want. To facilitate this type of solution most companies are in the process of migrating their data into the cloud, reducing their infrastructure costs, and allowing a much more enhanced end user experience. The Internet – and more specifically Social Media – has changed how the public’s perception of a particular business or company is viewed (thus directly impacting sales). It used to be said that a happy customer would tell 10 people about their experience and would tell 100 if the experience was bad. With Social Media, the number of people that you tell has grown exponentially. One customer’s angry post can be shared and reposted to 100’s of others, impacting prospective clients. This means that business’s need to be more focused on each client rather than lump all clients in one big basket (a 5% negative rating might have been OK in the past, but no longer). As a business moves to focus on clients, it is imperative that they have great insight to the individual customer, their preferences, and even their desires. Companies have had this data for years but not had the ability to quickly or easily leverage it in order to better serve the client while they are in the middle of a transaction. A connected culture does not come without its downfalls; the information technology groups must change how they do projects. Building and delivering technology changes can no longer be an IT only event. Business users must be more engaged during the entire project, rather than only be engaged through the rollout. Companies must have business stake holders that can spend time each day with the project team. This is hard for many since business users all have full time jobs. In addition, each business must design a cultural process change roadmap as projects move along this drives adoption and make the end product much stronger. Without developing process changes, new technology or a new system will not provide the benefits that the business sponsor is looking for and will be a roadblock to complete adoption of a new technology. While these changes are hard in some organizations, the benefits of a connected culture outweigh the problems and make for smooth transitions and better return on the investment. Given that technology continues to change, it is important for companies to remain agile in their process and recognize the importance technology has in delivering a seamless customer experience. 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 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

What is Advanced Reporting in Salesforce?

Cross Filters, Summary Formulas, and More: Advanced Reporting in Salesforce Salesforce comes with report types out-of-the-box for all standard objects and standard object relationships eg. “Contacts & Accounts” or “Opportunities with Products”. You can view a list of report types when creating a new report. For the custom objects we build, Salesforce also creates report types automatically. Salesforce Reporting is one of the most powerful features, used to give users many different views into their data, and for Admins to demonstrate the value Salesforce has upon the organization’s productivity. Building reports in the Lightning Report Builder, a drag and drop interface, is extremely effective – as a Salesforce Admin, you should have a solid idea of all the options available to you when reporting requirements come up. What are advanced reporting features in Salesforce? These are the tricks Salesforce power-users should know to ultimately create the reports users need – even with challenging data models – in the most efficient and scalable way (with minimal additional configuration). Let’s have a look at some of the more advanced reporting options that Salesforce offers. 1. Custom Report Types Salesforce provides out-of-the-box report types for standard objects and their relationships. When creating a new report, you can choose from a list of available report types. For custom objects, Salesforce automatically generates report types. These report types establish a “with” or “and” relationship based on whether the two objects have a Lookup or Master-detail relationship. Custom Report Types become essential when you need to report on: To create a custom report type: Bonus: You can now automatically add fields to Custom Report Types without manually adding them to each report type. 2. Cross Filters (Exception Reports) When filtering reports, Cross Filters help identify records with or without related records, creating exception reports. They are added like regular filters, using the format: “Show me — [primary object] — with/without — [related object].” Example: “Show me — Contacts — without — Campaign History.” Enhance Cross Filters with additional sub-filters to narrow down related records further. For instance, “Show me — Contacts — without — Activities — with status: ‘open’” will generate a report of contacts with no open activities. Salesforce Admins can master Cross Filters to avoid unnecessary creation of custom report types or rollup fields. 3. Summary Formulas Summary Formulas handle complex calculations at all summary levels, acting like fields once created. In Salesforce Lightning, they are referred to as Summary Formula Columns. To use them: Summary Formulas offer powerful capabilities for in-depth calculations. 4. Row-level Formulas Row-Level Formulas, distinct from Summary Formulas, are applied to single records and displayed on the row itself. An example is checking if two fields on the same record have the same value. 5. Reporting Snapshots Reporting Snapshots capture a snapshot of Salesforce records, freezing data for future reference. Commonly used for tracking Opportunity Pipeline Change over time. 6. Historical Trend Reporting Historical Trend Reporting glances back at historical field values on a specific date. Limited to certain objects and fields, it provides a targeted view of historical data changes. 7. Field-to-field Filters These filters allow the comparison of values in different fields on a Salesforce report, refining report filter criteria. 8. Stacked Summaries Stacked Summaries summarize extensive data for quick review and comparison, activated when adding fields to both rows and columns. 9. Joined Reports Joined Reports combine two reports with different report types into a single view, offering a holistic data view. 10. Report URL Hack Report URL Hacking is a technique to set filter values via URL parameters, supported in Lightning Experience. It allows dynamic filtering without the need for multiple reports, enhancing user experience. This URL hacking can be used to launch specific reports with predefined filters, adding efficiency to report navigation. 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 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 Government Cloud

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. These instances are built on Salesforce Customer 360, featuring both Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings. Key Features: Scale and Secure Apps on a Compliant Government Cloud: Government Cloud Plus for Public Sector: Unique Aspects of Government Cloud Plus: Compliant Environment and Security Measures: Drive Adoption and Salesforce FedRAMP: Salesforce FedRAMP Overview: Salesforce Usage in the U.S. Government: Salesforce Government Cloud Public Sector Solutions Content updated February 2022. 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 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 Certifications

Web Pages That Helped With My Google Data Engineer Exam

Google Data Engineer Exam It seems like every day more resources appear to help you study for the Google Data Engineer certification, so I thought in the interests of being helping you aspiring data engineers with some URLs I found helpful. Life of a BigQuery streaming insert When to use different types of storage in Google cloud The Google Study Guide for the Data Engineer Exam A quick guide on Apache Hadoop (several questions on this) The content on this mobile gaming scenario was covered extensively. This Spotify architecture is helpful because if similar to the scenarios you will deal with on the test This example gives you an idea of what to use Big Table versus Big Query Data Transfer Options for Google Cloud Lots and Lots of Case Studies Look for more helpful posts on studying for your Data Engineer Exam! A Professional Data Engineer makes data usable and valuable for others by collecting, transforming, and publishing data. This individual evaluates and selects products and services to meet business and regulatory requirements. A Professional Data Engineer creates and manages robust data processing systems. This includes the ability to design, build, deploy, monitor, maintain, and secure data processing workloads. Recommended experience: 3+ years of industry experience including 1+ years designing and managing solutions using Google Cloud. 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 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 Data Studio

Salesforce Data Studio

Data Studio Overview Salesforce Data Studio is Salesforce’s premier solution for audience discovery, data acquisition, and data provisioning, offering access to the world’s largest premium data ecosystem. It provides: Data Studio is a self-service platform that connects data owners and buyers directly, fostering new opportunities for audience discovery, sharing, and activation. Leading brands like Anheuser-Busch, Conagra, Essence, and Heineken leverage Salesforce Data Studio to enhance the value of their data and drive revenue. Announcing Salesforce Data Studio Salesforce Data Studio addresses the shortcomings of traditional data exchanges and marketplaces. Unlike legacy platforms that rely on intermediaries, Data Studio allows data owners to maintain control and transparency. The platform ensures secure transactions with comprehensive data governance tools, enabling precise control over data access, usage, and duration. Key Features of Salesforce Data Studio: Industry Reactions Salesforce Marketing Cloud: The Leader in Digital Marketing Salesforce Marketing Cloud enables marketers to deliver connected, personalized, and real-time consumer engagement across all channels globally. With Marketing Cloud Einstein, marketers can harness artificial intelligence to optimize timing, channel, content, and audience for their marketing messages. Brands like Dunkin’ Donuts and Nestle Waters rely on Marketing Cloud to enhance engagement and advance their business goals. On average, companies using Marketing Cloud see a 27% increase in campaign effectiveness and a 26% boost in marketing ROI. Pricing and Availability Salesforce Data Studio is available now in several editions: The new Audience Discovery and Search feature will be available starting November 2017. 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 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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Roles in AI

Salesforce’s Quest for AI for the Masses

The software engine, Optimus Prime (not to be confused with the Autobot leader), originated in a basement beneath a West Elm furniture store on University Avenue in Palo Alto. A group of artificial intelligence enthusiasts within Salesforce, seeking to enhance the impact of machine learning models, embarked on this mission two years ago. While shoppers checked out furniture above, they developed a system to automate the creation of machine learning models. Thus Salesforce’s Quest for AI for the Masses started. Despite being initially named after the Transformers leader, the tie-in was abandoned, and Salesforce named its AI program Einstein. This move reflects the ambitious yet practical approach Salesforce takes in the AI domain. In March, a significant portion of Einstein became available to all Salesforce users, aligning with the company’s tradition of making advanced software accessible via the cloud. Salesforce, although now an industry giant, retains its scrappy upstart identity. When the AI trend gained momentum, the company aimed to create “AI for everyone,” focusing on making machine learning affordable and accessible to businesses. This populist mission emphasizes practical applications over revolutionary or apocalyptic visions. Einstein’s first widely available tool is the Einstein Intelligence module, designed to assist salespeople in managing leads effectively. It ranks opportunities based on factors like the likelihood to close, offering a practical application of artificial intelligence. While other tech giants boast significant research muscle, Salesforce focuses on providing immediate market advantages to its customers. Einstein Intelligence The Einstein Intelligence module employs machine learning to study historical data, identifying factors that predict future outcomes and adjusting its model over time. This dynamic approach allows for subtler and more powerful answers, making use of various data sources beyond basic Salesforce columns. Salesforce’s AI team strives to democratize AI by offering ready-made tools, ensuring businesses can benefit from machine learning without the need for extensive customization by data scientists. The company’s multi-tenant approach, serving 150,000 customers, keeps each company’s data separate and secure. Salesforce’s Quest for AI for the Masses To scale AI implementation across its vast customer base, Salesforce developed Optimus Prime. This system automates the creation of machine learning models for each customer, eliminating the need for extensive manual involvement. Optimus Prime, the AI that builds AIs, streamlines the process and accelerates model creation from weeks to just a couple of hours. Salesforce plans to expand Einstein’s capabilities, allowing users to apply it to more customized data and enabling non-programmers to build custom apps. The company’s long-term vision includes exposing more of its machine learning system to external developers, competing directly with AI heavyweights like Google and Microsoft in the business market. Originally published in WIRED magazine on August 2, 2017 and rewritten for this insight. 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 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 roles and responsibilities

CRM Cloud Salesforce

What is a CRM Cloud Salesforce? Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform for Salesforce clients to provide service and support to their business customers. Salesforce based Service Cloud on its Sales Cloud product, a popular CRM software for sales professionals. Salesforce Sales and Service Clouds are considered core products. Numerous other Salesforce cloud-based products exist. Cloud-based CRM is customer relationship management software that is hosted on the CRM provider’s servers and accessed by its customers through the internet. This kind of software is also called software as a service (SaaS). What is Salesforce Service Cloud, a cloud-based CRM? Salesforce Service Cloud stands as a robust customer relationship management (CRM) platform tailored for Salesforce clients, facilitating seamless service and support for their business clientele. Rooted in Salesforce’s renowned Sales Cloud product, Service Cloud caters to the needs of sales professionals. In essence, a cloud-based CRM, like Salesforce Service Cloud, operates as CRM software hosted on the provider’s servers, accessible to clients via the internet. This software-as-a-service (SaaS) model simplifies access and usage, offering flexibility and scalability to businesses. The SaaS model also makes for ease of implementation and managed services by a third party as everything is accessible in the cloud. Understanding CRM Cloud Salesforce: CRM, or customer relationship management, represents a technology aimed at efficiently managing all interactions and relationships between a company and its customers. The overarching objective is to enhance business relationships, achieved through streamlined processes and improved profitability. When referring to CRM, it typically encompasses a CRM system or platform—a multifaceted tool facilitating contact management, sales management, productivity enhancements, and more. This software zeroes in on nurturing organizational relationships with individual entities, be it customers, service users, colleagues, partners, or suppliers, throughout their lifecycle, spanning from acquisition to support and beyond. The Role of CRM Software: CRM software empowers sales and marketing teams to track and optimize customer interaction journeys, thereby enriching the overall customer experience. By meticulously mapping each touchpoint in the customer journey, CRM solutions bolster customer engagement and satisfaction, fostering long-term relationships. Who Benefits from CRM Software? A CRM system extends its benefits across various business functions, including sales, customer service, business development, marketing, and more. It serves as a centralized repository for customer and prospect information, enabling comprehensive contact management, opportunity identification, service issue resolution, and campaign management. With heightened visibility and data accessibility, teams can collaborate effectively, boosting productivity and driving business growth. The Significance of CRM for Businesses: As the largest and fastest-growing enterprise application software category, CRM software holds increasing importance in modern business operations. Forecasts suggest a substantial surge in worldwide spending on CRM, underlining its pivotal role in organizational strategies centered around customer-centricity and technological enablement. Key Functions of CRM Systems: CRM solutions play a pivotal role in acquiring, retaining, and nurturing customer relationships by organizing and synthesizing customer and prospect data from diverse sources and channels. These platforms facilitate a comprehensive understanding of customer behavior and preferences, driving informed decision-making and personalized engagement strategies. Moreover, modern CRM platforms offer seamless integration with complementary business tools, such as document management, accounting, and surveys, providing businesses with a holistic view of their customers and empowering them to forge stronger relationships and accelerate growth. When people talk about CRM, they usually refer to a CRM system or platform, a tool that helps with contact management, sales management, productivity, and more. Who is CRM software for? A CRM system gives everyone — from sales, customer service, business development, recruiting, marketing, or any other line of business — a better way to manage the external interactions and relationships that drive success. With visibility and easy access to data, it’s easier to collaborate and increase productivity. Everyone in your company can see how customers have been communicated with, what they’ve bought, when they last purchased, what they paid, and so much more. CRM software is increasing in importance as it is the largest and fastest-growing enterprise application software category. Worldwide spending on CRM is expected to reach USD $114.4 billion by 2027. If your business is going to last, you need a strategy for the future that’s centered around your customers and enabled by the right technology. You have targets for sales, business objectives, and profitability. But getting up-to-date, reliable information on your progress can be tricky. How do you translate the many streams of data coming in from sales, customer service, marketing, and social media monitoring into useful business information? More administration means less time for everything else. An active sales team can generate a flood of data. Reps are out on the road talking to customers, meeting prospects, and finding out valuable information – but all too often this information gets stored in handwritten notes, laptops, sticky notes on laptops, or inside the heads of your salespeople. Details can get lost, meetings are not followed up on promptly, and prioritizing customers can be a matter of guesswork rather than a rigorous exercise based on fact. And it can all be compounded if a key salesperson moves on. But it’s not just sales that suffers without CRM. Your customers may be contacting you on a range of different platforms including phone, email, or social media — asking questions, following up on orders, or contacting you about an issue. Without a common platform for customer interactions, communications can be missed or lost in the flood of information — leading to a slow or unsatisfactory response. Salesforce Data Cloud unifies all the data and provides a 360 degree customer view. Even if you do successfully collect all this data, you’re faced with the challenge of making sense of it. It can be difficult to extract intelligence. Reports can be hard to create and they can waste valuable selling time. Managers can lose sight of what their teams are up to, which means that they can’t offer the right support at the right time – while a lack of oversight can also result in a lack of accountability from the

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