Insights - gettectonic.com - Page 44
Repayment Schedules With Salesforce

Repayment Schedules With Salesforce

Simplifying Repayment Schedules: Elevating Borrower Experience with Salesforce In the rapidly changing financial services industry, managing loan repayment schedules efficiently is vital for both lenders and borrowers. A well-designed system can significantly enhance the borrower experience, streamline operations, and boost overall efficiency. Salesforce software emerges as a powerful solution that simplifies repayment schedules and fosters better communication between lenders and borrowers. This article explores how Salesforce can revolutionize repayment management with its comprehensive features. Understanding Repayment Schedules Repayment schedules define how a borrower will pay back their loan over time, detailing payment amounts, due dates, interest rates, and the total loan duration. A clear and well-structured repayment schedule not only helps borrowers manage their finances but also ensures that lenders receive timely payments. The complexity of repayment schedules can vary based on factors like loan terms, interest rates, and borrower profiles. Therefore, having an effective system to manage these variables is crucial for maintaining accuracy and transparency throughout the borrowing process. The Role of Salesforce in Loan Management Salesforce offers an extensive suite of tools designed to enhance customer relationship management (CRM) across various industries, including finance. By utilizing Salesforce’s capabilities, lenders can develop customized solutions that address key aspects of loan management, such as: 1. Automated Amortization SchedulesSalesforce enables the automated creation of amortization schedules tailored to individual loans. This feature minimizes manual errors and ensures accurate calculations from the start. Automation allows lenders to provide borrowers with clear payment plans, including details on principal reductions and interest accruals over time. 2. Custom Borrower PortalsOne of Salesforce’s major strengths is the ability to create custom borrower portals. These portals allow clients to access their repayment schedules anytime, view upcoming payments, track their balances in real-time, and even make payments through secure channels. This transparency builds trust between lenders and borrowers, enhancing overall satisfaction. 3. Document ManagementEffective document management is essential for maintaining organized records related to loans and repayments. Salesforce’s document management features enable lenders to securely store important documents—such as contracts, amendments, or communications—within each borrower’s profile. This accessibility simplifies audits and reviews while ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Streamlined Communication with Automated Alerts A common challenge for borrowers is keeping track of payment deadlines and understanding when payments are due. Salesforce addresses this by offering automated alerts via email or text message, reminding borrowers of upcoming due dates or changes in payment schedules. These notifications help keep borrowers informed about their obligations without overwhelming them, balancing proactive communication with user-friendliness. Enhanced Reporting & Analytics Salesforce provides powerful reporting tools that allow lenders to effectively analyze repayment patterns across different portfolios. By identifying trends related to timely payments, defaults, or late fees, financial institutions can strategically tailor their offerings. Detailed dashboards also present key performance indicators (KPIs) related to collection efficiency, aiding in risk assessment and decision-making processes. Portfolio Management Integration Integrating portfolio management features within Salesforce allows lenders to monitor individual loans and gain insights into overall portfolio health. This includes tracking repayments received versus outstanding balances owed by all clients collectively. This holistic view supports decision-making around refinancing options for struggling clients and identifying growth opportunities based on historical data trends. This integration enhances lender profitability while improving borrower experiences. Conclusion: Transforming the Borrower Experience Integrating Salesforce software into loan repayment scheduling represents a significant advancement in enhancing borrower experiences in the financial services industry. From automating complex amortization calculations to providing personalized customer portals, Salesforce empowers both lenders and borrowers at every stage of the process. By embracing technology like Salesforce, lenders can streamline communication, reduce administrative burdens, and position themselves favorably against competitors. This buildss long-lasting relationships built on trust and reliability, ultimately benefiting all parties involved. Contact Tectonic today to explore lending solutions from Salesforce. 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

Read More
Winter 25 Salesforce Release

Get Ready for Winter 25 Salesforce Release

Salesforce Winter 25 Release notes are here. Salesforce Overall Learn about new features and enhancements that affect your Salesforce experience overall. August 8: Get early access by signing up for a Pre-Release org Admins can sign up for a pre-release Developer Edition environment, which is full of all the Winter ’25 features to explore to your heart’s content. Developer environments are stand-alone environments where you can learn, build, and get comfortable with features and functionality. If you already had a pre-release org for Summer ’24, you can log back into that one. August 14: Review the Release Notes Search the products you use for release updates in the Release Notes section of Salesforce Help. The notes will go live August 14 and we will share the link here. Get help from the community! With each release, there are a number of blogs by community members who break it down. Check out the Release Readiness Trailblazer Community Group where you can continue to get updates, share your favorite features, and ask questions about the upcoming release. August 19: Be Release Ready with Winter ’25 features for Admins Starting on August 19th, we’ll begin publishing blog posts on the Admin Blog to help you Be Release Ready with Winter ’25 features. Get ready to dive into blog posts featuring Winter ’25 user access highlights and more! As blog posts and more release resources become available, we’ll be updating the Be Release Ready page with all the resources and information you need to get started with Winter ’25. August 29 before 5 p.m. PT: Be sure to refresh your Sandbox Once you’ve explored the pre-release org and reviewed the Release Notes for features that are important to you, it’s time to try out features related to your customizations in your sandbox. This is a great time to evaluate how specific features may be useful or impact the way your organization uses Salesforce. During each release, there is a group of sandboxes slated to remain on the non-preview instance (i.e. the current release) while there is another group of sandboxes that will upgrade to the preview instance. Use the Salesforce Sandbox Preview Guide to determine the plan for your sandbox instance(s). Use the tool where you can search by sandbox instance and then specify what you want to do with your sandbox — stay on the non-preview or move to preview. It will then instruct you to refresh your sandbox to get to the desired instance or inform you that there is no action needed because your sandbox is slated for the desired instance. Contact Tectonic today if you need assistance getting Salesforce release ready. 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

Read More
Why Choose Salesforce as Your Mortgage CRM?

Banking Complaints to Profits

Tectonic: Elevating Complaint Management in Banking with Salesforce Customer satisfaction is key in banking, but complaints are unavoidable. Banking Complaints to Profits is not only learning from complaints but increasing revenue by them. Banking complaints also present a unique opportunity. Handled effectively, complaints can offer valuable insights that drive process improvements and ultimately strengthen customer relationships. Banking Complaints to Profits Banks need a robust, strategic complaint management system to capitalize on this opportunity. Such a system must go beyond simply documenting and resolving grievances. It must enable banks to proactively identify trends, assess root causes, and implement targeted solutions that address individual complaints and prevent future issues. Salesforce offers a comprehensive platform that can transform your complaint management process. Let’s explore how its key features align perfectly with the needs of a strategic approach. Streamlining Complaint Intake Salesforce simplifies and customizes the process of collecting customer complaints, aligning with your specific policies and regulatory needs. Its dynamic intake process ensures a smooth and compliant experience for your customers and your team. Efficient Complaint Lifecycle Management Salesforce streamlines the entire complaint management process, ensuring seamless routing to the right teams and individuals for swift resolution. Automated assignments, milestone tracking, and clear follow-up expectations (including Service Level Agreements) guarantee accountability and efficiency at every stage. Automated escalations expedite resolutions when needed, ensuring regulatory compliance and maximizing customer satisfaction. Securing Your Complaint Data Salesforce prioritizes data security with Shield and Financial Services Cloud’s Compliance Data Sharing Model to ensure the confidentiality of sensitive complaint information through robust access controls and permissions. This guarantees that only authorized personnel can view and interact with sensitive data, maintaining the highest levels of privacy and compliance. Centralizing and Unifying Your Data Beyond security, Salesforce eliminates information silos by centralizing complaint data from across your organization. This creates a single source of truth, providing a comprehensive and unified view of customer feedback. This holistic perspective enables deeper analysis, informed decision-making, and a more proactive and practical approach to complaint management. Harnessing Complaint Data for Continuous Improvement Financial Services Cloud’s Case Management and Data Processing Engines can give you a complete view of customer complaints and their lifecycle. By harnessing this case data within CRM Analytics, you can enhance the customer 360, proactively monitor trends, prioritize areas for improvement, and enhance the customer experience while effectively mitigating risk. The Future of Complaint Management: Salesforce as a Strategic Advantage In an increasingly competitive and regulated landscape, banks must be equipped to address customer complaints efficiently and leverage them for continuous improvement. By combining Salesforce’s power with a strategic, customer-centric approach, banks can turn complaints into a catalyst for growth, ensuring a more resilient and customer-focused future. At Tectonic, we’ve watched firsthand how a well-designed complaint management system can transform customer interactions from points of friction into opportunities for improvement. Our experience in the financial services sector has taught us that technology is only part of the equation. A comprehensive approach, encompassing data-driven insights, staff training, and ongoing process optimization, is essential for maximizing the benefits of any system. Chat with our financial services experts to learn how Salesforce can transform your complaint management process to deliver exceptional service and strengthen trusted customer relationships. 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

Read More
Slack AI Exploit Prevented

Slack AI Exploit Prevented

Slack AI Exploit Prevented. Slack has patched a vulnerability in its Slack AI assistant that could have been for insider phishing attacks, according to an announcement made by the company on Wednesday. This update follows a blog post by PromptArmor, which detailed how an insider attacker—someone within the same Slack workspace as the target—could manipulate Slack AI into sending phishing links to private channels that the attacker does not have access to. The vulnerability is an example of an indirect prompt injection attack. In this type of attack, the attacker embeds malicious instructions within content that the AI processes, such as an external website or an uploaded document. In this case, the attacker could plant these instructions in a public Slack channel. Slack AI, designed to use relevant information from public channels in the workspace to generate responses, could then be tricked into acting on these malicious instructions. While placing such instructions in a public channel poses a risk of detection, PromptArmor pointed out that an attacker could create a rogue public channel with only one member—themselves—potentially avoiding detection unless another user specifically searches for that channel. Salesforce, which owns Slack, did not directly reference PromptArmor in its advisory and did not confirm to SC Media that the issue it patched is the same one described by PromptArmor. However, the advisory does mention a security researcher’s blog post published on August 20, the same day as PromptArmor’s blog. “When we became aware of the report, we launched an investigation into the described scenario where, under very limited and specific circumstances, a malicious actor with an existing account in the same Slack workspace could phish users for certain data. We’ve deployed a patch to address the issue and have no evidence at this time of unauthorized access to customer data,” a Salesforce spokesperson told SC Media. How the Slack AI Exploit Could Have Extracted Secrets from Private Channels PromptArmor demonstrated two proof-of-concept exploits that would require the attacker to have access to the same workspace as the victim, such as a coworker. The attacker would create a public channel and lure the victim into clicking a link delivered by the AI. In the first exploit, the attacker aimed to extract an API key stored in a private channel that the victim is part of. The attacker could post a carefully crafted prompt in the public channel that indirectly instructs Slack AI to respond to a request for the API key with a fake error message and a URL controlled by the attacker. The AI would unknowingly insert the API key from the victim’s private channel into the URL as an HTTP parameter. If the victim clicks on the URL, the API key would be sent to the attacker’s domain. “This vulnerability shows how a flaw in the system could let unauthorized people see data they shouldn’t see. This really makes me question how safe our AI tools are,” said Akhil Mittal, Senior Manager of Cybersecurity Strategy and Solutions at Synopsys Software Integrity Group, in an email to SC Media. “It’s not just about fixing problems but making sure these tools manage our data properly. As AI becomes more common, it’s important for organizations to keep both security and ethics in mind to protect our information and keep trust.” In a second exploit, PromptArmor demonstrated how similar crafted instructions could be used to deliver a phishing link to a private channel. The attacker would tailor the instructions to the victim’s workflow, such as asking the AI to summarize messages from their manager, and include a malicious link. PromptArmor reported the issue to Slack on August 14, with Slack acknowledging the disclosure the following day. Despite some initial skepticism from Slack about the severity of the vulnerability, the company patched the issue on August 21. “Slack’s security team had prompt responses and showcased a commitment to security and attempted to understand the issue. Given how new prompt injection is and how misunderstood it has been across the industry, this is something that will take the industry time to wrap our heads around collectively,” PromptArmor wrote in their blog. New Slack AI Feature Could Pose Further Prompt Injection Risk PromptArmor concluded its testing of Slack AI before August 14, the same day Slack announced that its AI assistant could now reference files uploaded to Slack when generating search answers. PromptArmor noted that this new feature could create additional opportunities for indirect prompt injection attacks, such as hiding malicious instructions in a PDF file by setting the font color to white. However, the researchers have not yet tested this scenario and noted that workspace admins can restrict Slack AI’s ability to read files. 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

Read More
Salesforce Implementation in Insurance

Salesforce Implementation in Insurance

Best Practices for Salesforce Implementation in Insurance Companies In the digital world of the insurance industry, technological innovation is a major key to staying competitive. As insurance companies face growiing customer expectations, regulatory requirements, and market shifts, the deployment of robust CRM solutions like Salesforce has become a strategic necessity. CRMs are foundational to building a customer-centric business. However, successful Salesforce implementation requires more than just installing software—it involves strategic planning, careful execution, and adherence to best practices. Customer relationship management (CRM) systems can face several challenges in the insurance industry, including: Salesforce Implementation in Insurance Generating a smooth transition to an Insurance CRM post-implementation is crucial to maxixing your investment and minimizing your disruptions. Here are key guidelines for effectively implementing Salesforce in insurance companies. Define Clear Objectives and Metrics Before starting a Salesforce implementation, it’s crucial for insurance companies to establish clear objectives that align with their business goals. Whether the aim is to improve customer engagement, streamline claims processing, or boost agent productivity, defining SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals is essential. Identifying key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress ensures accountability and fosters continuous improvement throughout the process. Tailor Salesforce to Insurance Workflows CRM solutions must be customized to fit the unique workflows, processes, and terminology of the insurance industry. This could include configuring custom objects for policy management, automating underwriting workflows, or integrating with third-party systems for claims adjudication. Customizing Salesforce in this way not only enhances system usability but also ensures that it seamlessly integrates with existing operations, maximizing efficiency and user adoption. Empower Agents with Mobile Capabilities In the digital world, insurance agents often work remotely, meeting clients and closing deals outside the office. Providing agents with mobile capabilities via Salesforce’s mobile app allows them to access vital information, manage leads, and collaborate with colleagues anytime, anywhere. Real-time access to client data, policy details, and sales tools boosts agent productivity, responsiveness, and overall customer satisfaction. Integrate Data Sources for a 360-Degree Customer View A comprehensive view of customers is essential for delivering personalized experiences and anticipating their needs. Integrating various data sources—such as customer profiles, policy information, claims history, and interaction records—into Salesforce creates a unified view of each customer’s journey. Utilizing Salesforce’s integration features helps break down data silos, improve cross-functional collaboration, and provide actionable insights for better decision-making. Know Your Super Users and Mentors If not prior to then certainly during end-user traing you will notice quick learners and advocates for the software. Some people will have their light bulb ah-ha moments quicker than others. Most people will not have them until you directly speak to how the CRM is going to make their work life easier. Designating such an invidual as the department or team CRM champion brings a local, known point of contact for users while learning, provides infectious excitement for the solution and will continously provide user training and support. Prioritize Data Security and Compliance Given the sensitive nature of customer information, data security and compliance are critical for insurance companies. Salesforce offers extensive security features and compliance tools to protect sensitive data and adhere to regulations like GDPR and HIPAA. Implementing measures such as encryption, access controls, and audit trails within Salesforce ensures data confidentiality, integrity, and availability, which is vital for maintaining customer trust and meeting regulatory requirements. Show the Value Proposition Any time a new part of the martech stack is added there will be some fear and trepidation among staff. It is important to dispel their fears by getting buy-in from users and stakeholders alike. Some clients will conduct a sentiment analysis guaging what stakeholders feel about this technology change. Invest in User Training and Change Management The success of Salesforce implementation is as much about people as it is about technology. Comprehensive user training and change management are crucial for ensuring high adoption rates and maximizing ROI. Providing customized training sessions, user guides, and continuous support helps employees become proficient in using Salesforce. Additionally, gathering feedback, addressing concerns, and fostering a culture of continuous learning are important aspects of effective change management. Hopefully while gauging employee and stakeholder buy-in you also got a sense of the roadblocks and challenges your team fearfully anticipate. You should tailor all training and change management to the team’s expected usage as well as their concerns. Using the Right Training Delivery Companies may experience employee resistance while planning training and skill enhancing programs. Diversify the training delivery method to keep it interesting and educational for all users. The more learning styles you can speak to, the more effective your training will be. A mix of self-paced learning,. Salesforce Trailheads, in-person classes, webinars, videos and easy-to-use how-to guides ensure all your team hits the ground running with confidence and knowledge. What is the role of CRM in the insurance industry? CRM for insurance companies consolidates the databases and centralizes all information related to contacts, orders, transactions, previous interactions, policy details, claims requests, etc. This simplifies data management and helps eliminate data silos. CRM stands for Customer Relationship Management. A CRM solution for insurance agents is software that addresses needs specific to insurance agencies and brokers. Salesforce implementation offers significant benefits for insurance companies looking to modernize their operations, enhance customer experiences, and achieve growth. By following best practices—such as setting clear objectives, customizing Salesforce to fit specific workflows, empowering agents with mobile tools, integrating data for comprehensive customer views, prioritizing data security and compliance, and investing in training and change management—insurance companies can fully leverage Salesforce’s capabilities and excel in a competitive market. As a trusted Salesforce consulting partner, we are committed to supporting insurance companies in their digital transformation journeys. Contact Tectonic today to learn how we can assist in your Salesforce implementation efforts. What is the difference between insurance CRM and AMS? So what’s the insurance difference between CRM and agency management? The main difference between the two is that insurance CRM prioritizes relationships between client and agent, while insurance agency management systems help agents organize and

Read More
Salesforce and the Connected Car

Salesforce and the Connected Car

The concept of the Connected Car has been a topic of discussion for years, often accompanied by ambitious predictions from consultants about its market potential. For example, McKinsey in 2021 projected that by 2030, Connected Cars would constitute 95% of all vehicles on the road. Central to the success of these vehicles is data, with each one generating approximately 25 GB of data per hour. That’s a lot of data. Like a whole truckload of data! Salesforce and the Connected Car is uniquely a perfect fit. However, this raises two critical questions. First, do consumers actually understand what a Connected Car is? Second, if they do, are they comfortable sharing their personal data with automakers to enhance their driving experience? In January, Salesforce conducted a study of 2,188 car owners in the U.S., revealing some unsettling insights. A significant portion of drivers—over two-thirds (65%)—are unfamiliar with the concept of a Connected Car. Even more telling, over a third (37%) had never heard the term before. As of now, two-thirds of respondents either don’t have connected features in their cars or are not using them if they do. This includes features like Apple CarPlay and others. Personally, while shopping for a car I look for all those connected bells and whistles. On the flip side, this presents a considerable opportunity for automakers. According to Salesforce’s data, drivers expressed a willingness to pay a premium for advanced features, such as driver assistance, touchscreens, and smartphone integration. When it comes to sharing personal data, however, there’s still work to be done. While over half of respondents (54%) are comfortable with cars collecting data on vehicle diagnostics or seatbelt usage (35%), fewer are okay with data collection on driving speed (34%) or route history (31%). The discomfort grows when it comes to more sensitive data like voice recordings (17%), biometrics (13%), or text messages (12%). There are incentives that could encourage data sharing. For example, over two-thirds of respondents (67%) would be willing to exchange personal data for better insurance rates. Other incentives include advanced driver personalization (43%), such as customized seat and mirror settings, and enhanced personal safety features like real-time health monitoring (36%). Introducing Salesforce Connected Vehicle Salesforce for the Automotive IndustryIn response to these trends, Salesforce has introduced Connected Vehicle, a new application within the Automotive Cloud, alongside new partnerships with Qualcomm and AWS. These innovations aim to help automakers create the cars of the future. According to Salesforce: With a single console and a ready-to-use set of industry-specific, low-code/no-code development tools, Connected Vehicle helps automakers roll out new services and features to drivers faster. It enables bidirectional, over-the-air (OTA) capabilities for data sharing and software updates between the cloud and the vehicle via wireless or cellular networks. Key features for automakers include: Connected Vehicle is available today, with additional features like Connected Vehicle Summary, Interaction Summary, Warranty Summary, and Sales Agreement expected to be generally available in the fall. Why Now? The Connected Car has been around in some form since 2005, but according to Achyut Jajoo, SVP & GM of Automotive at Salesforce, connectivity is just the beginning. He explains: “One big challenge for automakers was that once a car left the factory, it was difficult to update its software or add new capabilities. The car was limited to the features it shipped with, unless you took it back to the dealership. But today, the fundamental architecture of these vehicles is changing. I often describe it as a phone on wheels. With standardized chips and modules, data can now be pushed to the cloud, allowing for real-time control and updates.” This shift means that once a vehicle leaves the factory, its performance and features can evolve over time. This “software-defined vehicle” revolution allows for continuous enhancements and the deployment of new capabilities that weren’t possible before. While connectivity is an essential piece, this software-driven approach is the real game changer. As for Salesforce’s role and its partnerships with AWS and Qualcomm, Jajoo says: “We are known for taking data and creating customer experiences. When we looked at the automotive market, we saw how complicated it is. We heard horror stories and realized that by partnering with other tech powerhouses, we could provide an end-to-end solution. This approach was shaped by our discussions with customers who said they struggled with these challenges and would love for us to collaborate.” Final Thought We may not be close to McKinsey’s 95% prediction quite yet, but the trajectory is clear. With data being central to success—and consumer trust in how that data is used—Salesforce’s collaboration with AWS and Qualcomm seems like a smart move. Apparently I am the ideal customer as I want my vehicle connected! By Tectonic’s Senior Consultant, Shannan Hearne 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

Read More
Salesforce Home Page Customization

Salesforce Home Page Customization

Salesforce is a powerful tool, but a generic homepage can overwhelm you with information. Salesforce Home Page Customization is the solution. The good news? You can customize your Salesforce homepage to create a personalized dashboard that enhances productivity and keeps you focused on what matters most. In this insight, we’ll explore the steps to customize the Salesforce homepage for both Lightning and Classic experiences and show you how to create a space that truly works for you and your users. Why Salesforce Home Page Customization? A well-designed homepage serves as your command center within Salesforce. By strategically adding components like reports, charts, and to-do lists, you can quickly see key metrics, prioritize tasks, and access frequently used features—all on one screen. This leads to: Ready to Customize the Salesforce Homepage? There are two main interfaces for customizing Salesforce homepages: Lightning App Builder and Home Page Layouts (Classic). The method depends on whether you’re using Salesforce Classic or Lightning Experience. Lightning Experience Salesforce Classic Assign the Home Page Here’s how to assign your new homepage to specific users or profiles: Conclusion By following these steps, you can customize the Salesforce homepage and unlock a new level of efficiency within your organization. For those seeking a solution beyond the basics, Salesforce Customization Services are readily available to craft a truly transformative Salesforce experience. Ready to take control and personalize your Salesforce experience? Start by customizing your homepage today! 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

Read More
Collabrate With AI

Collabrate With AI

Many artists, writers, musicians, and creators are facing fears that AI is taking over their jobs. On the surface, generative AI tools can replicate work in moments that previously took creators hours to produce—often at a fraction of the cost and with similar quality. This shift has led many businesses to adopt AI for content creation, leaving creators worried about their livelihoods. Yet, there’s another way to view this situation, one that offers hope to creators everywhere. AI, at its core, is a tool of mimicry. When provided with enough data, it can replicate a style or subject with reasonable accuracy. Most of this data has been scraped from the internet, often without explicit consent, to train AI models on a wide variety of creative outputs. If you’re a creator, it’s likely that pieces of your work have contributed to the training of these AI models. Your art, words, and ideas have helped shape what these systems now consider ‘good’ in the realms of art, music, and writing. AI can combine the styles of multiple creators to generate something new, but often these creations fall flat. Why? While image-generating AI can predict pixels, it lacks an understanding of human emotions. It knows what a smile looks like but can’t grasp the underlying feelings of joy, nervousness, or flirtation that make a smile truly meaningful. AI can only generate a superficial replica unless the creator uses extensive prompt engineering to convey the context behind that smile. Emotion is uniquely human, and it’s what makes our creations resonate with others. A single brushstroke from a human artist can convey emotions that might take thousands of words to replicate through an AI prompt. We’ve all heard the saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” But generating that picture with AI often takes many more words. Input a short prompt, and the AI will enhance it with more words, often leading to results that stray from your original vision. To achieve a specific outcome, you may need hours of prompt engineering, trial, and error—and even then, the result might not be quite right. Without a human artist to guide the process, these generated works will often remain unimpressive, no matter how advanced the technology becomes. That’s where you, the creator, come in. By introducing your own inputs, such as images or sketches, and using workflows like those in ComfyUI, you can exert more control over the outputs. AI becomes less of a replacement for the artist and more of a tool or collaborator. It can help speed up the creative process but still relies on the artist’s hand to guide it toward a meaningful result. Artists like Martin Nebelong have embraced this approach, treating AI as just another tool in their creative toolbox. Nebelong uses high levels of control in AI-driven workflows to create works imbued with his personal emotional touch. He shares these workflows on platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter, encouraging other creators to explore how AI can speed up their processes while retaining the unique artistry that only humans can provide. Nebelong’s philosophy is clear: “I’m pro-creativity, pro-art, and pro-AI. Our tools change, the scope of what we can do changes. I don’t think creative AI tools or models have found their best form yet; they’re flawed, raw, and difficult to control. But I’m excited for when they find that form and can act as an extension of our hands, our brush, and as an amplifier of our artistic intent.” AI can help bring an artist 80% of the way to a finished product, but it’s the final 20%—the part where human skill and emotional depth come in—that elevates the piece to something truly remarkable. Think about the notorious issues with AI-generated hands. Often, the output features too many fingers or impossible poses, a telltale sign of AI’s limitations. An artist is still needed to refine the details, correct mistakes, and bring the creation in line with reality. While using AI may be faster than organizing a full photoshoot or painting from scratch, the artist’s role has shifted from full authorship to that of a collaborator, guiding AI toward a polished result. Nebelong often starts with his own artwork and integrates AI-generated elements, using them to enhance but never fully replace his vision. He might even use AI to generate 3D models, lighting, or animations, but the result is always driven by his creativity. For him, AI is just another step in the creative journey, not a shortcut or replacement for human effort. However, AI’s ability to replicate the styles of famous artists and public figures raises ethical concerns. With platforms like CIVIT.AI making it easy to train models on any style or subject, questions arise about the legality and morality of using someone else’s likeness or work without permission. As regulations catch up, we may see a future where AI models trained on specific styles or individuals are licensed, allowing creators to retain control over their works in the same way they license their traditional creations today. The future may also see businesses licensing AI models trained on actors, artists, or styles, allowing them to produce campaigns without booking the actual talent. This would lower costs while still benefiting creators through licensing fees. Actors and artists could continue to contribute their talents long after they’ve retired, or even passed on, by licensing their digital likenesses, as seen with CGI performances in movies like Rogue One. In conclusion, AI is pushing creators to learn new skills and adapt to new tools. While this can feel daunting, it’s important to remember that AI is just that—a tool. It doesn’t understand emotion, intent, or meaning, and it never will. That’s where humans come in. By guiding AI with our creativity and emotional depth, we can produce works that resonate with others on a deeper level. For example, you can tell artificial intelligence what an image should look like but not what emotions the image should evoke. Creators, your job isn’t disappearing. It’s

Read More
Winter 25 Release Notes

Winter 25 Release Notes

The Winter ’25 release is available through the pre-release program. On August 30, 2024, Sandboxes will be upgraded, providing your organization with the Winter ’25 release experience. Set Up Your Pay Now Store Quickly and Easily Use the streamlined automated setup to get your Pay Now store up and running effortlessly. The guided process walks you through each step needed to configure your store. This feature is available in Salesforce Payments for Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer editions. How to Set Up: Gain Insight into How User Permissions Are Granted Simplify user management with visibility into the profiles, permission sets, and permission set groups that grant permissions to a user. The User Access Summary now provides detailed information about a user’s assigned object, field, user, and custom permissions. Previously, identifying the source of a user’s permissions required multiple steps, but now you can access this information with just a few clicks. This change applies to Lightning Experience in all editions. How to Use: See How Object Access Is Granted in Object Manager Quickly view the permission sets, permission set groups, and profiles that grant access to an object, along with the level of access provided. The read-only Object Access Summary in Object Manager allows for quick checks during troubleshooting, reviews, or when deciding how to grant user access. This update is available in Lightning Experience across all editions. How to Access: Improve Performance for List Views on Custom and Standard Objects To enhance performance and meet the latest accessibility standards, list views for both custom and standard objects now render using Lightning Web Components (LWC) instead of Aura. LWC, Salesforce’s latest framework, delivers data faster and enables new features for list views. Previously, only custom object list views in sandboxes used LWC. This update applies to Lightning Experience in all editions. How to Use: Configure Record Highlights in Lightning App Builder Enhance your Lightning pages with the new Dynamic Highlights Panel, which lets you configure important fields directly within the Lightning App Builder. Previously, this was only possible through compact layouts in Setup. The Dynamic Highlights Panel can hold up to 12 fields and adjusts responsively to browser size. This feature is available in Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. How to Implement: Make Record Fields Stand Out with Conditional Formatting Highlight key information on record pages using conditional formatting in Lightning App Builder. On Dynamic Forms-enabled pages, you can assign custom icons and colors to fields based on defined criteria, such as field values or other conditions on the page. This feature is available on a rolling basis starting in early September 2024 for Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. How to Use: Save Time with New Messaging Components for Enhanced Bots (Generally Available) Empower customers and save service agents’ time with the new messaging components for enhanced bots. These include authentication, custom, form, and payment messaging components, which can handle more complex use cases on enhanced Apple Messages for Business channels. The form component is also available for Messaging for In-App and Web. These updates apply to Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions, with bot setup available only in Lightning Experience. How to Implement: Enhance Your LWR Site Experience by Curating Data Providers on a Page (Beta) Enhance LWR site pages by adding and configuring data providers in Experience Builder. This feature allows you to access data from different sources, such as Apex or Record data providers, directly within your site page and its components. This change is available in Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer editions for LWR sites accessed through Lightning Experience. A community license is required to use this feature. How to Use: To configure data providers on an LWR Site page in Experience Builder: Enabling or Disabling Modernized Record Experience in Aura Sites You can now use upgraded record components based on Lightning web component technology to see stylistic changes in your Aura sites. These updates, previously limited to sandbox environments, are now available in production environments for the Create Record Form, Record Banner, and Record Detail components. This update is applicable to Aura sites accessed through Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. When you enable the Use Lightning web components on your record pages in Aura sites setting, the Create Record Form, Record Banner, and Record Detail components display minor style changes. Some key updates include: Daily Summary of Service Appointments Requiring Immediate Attention Boost dispatcher productivity by using Einstein Copilot Field Service actions to get a daily summary of service appointments needing immediate attention, such as those with rule violations, overlaps, SLA risks, or emergencies. Each category in the summary is converted into a filter in the appointment list for quick resolution. Customize the summary to include additional categories. This feature is available in Lightning Experience in the Einstein 1 Field Service Edition with the Field Service Managed Package installed. To use this feature: Assigning Opportunity Splits to Territories Sales teams can now assign opportunity splits and opportunity product splits to territories, enabling them to report on how territories contribute to overall sales. Previously, splits could only be associated with the parent opportunity’s territory. Now, teams can also forecast based on split amounts across territories. This update applies to Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. To enable this feature: Strategic Planning with Account Plan Enhance your strategic planning with Account Plans by nurturing existing relationships and growing key accounts. Use Account Plans to research and analyze accounts, set objectives with actionable metrics, and monitor growth and development from a single repository within Salesforce. This feature applies to Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited editions and in Einstein 1 Sales Edition. This feature will be rolled out to production environments after the Winter ’25 release and will be available to all customers by October 29, 2024. It is accessible in sandboxes only after its production release. To use Account Plans: Forecast Submissions Forecast submissions

Read More
Salesforce End User Training

Salesforce End User Training

Preparing Training Materials: How to Create an End-User Training Document Drafting a user-friendly training document, whether it’s a Training Manual or Training Guide, is as crucial as conducting the training itself. This document, which can be formatted as a PDF, presentation, or other formats, should provide clear instructions and visuals that help users navigate the Salesforce application effectively. Below are key strategies for crafting an effective end-user training document. 1. Understand the End-User Before drafting the document, it is important to assess the users’ technical skills and familiarity with Salesforce. This helps in identifying knowledge gaps and tailoring the training material to suit their needs, ensuring the content is accessible and comprehensible. 2. Break Down the Training into Smaller Procedures Organize the document into smaller sections, each focused on specific tasks or procedures. This not only makes the content less overwhelming but also allows users to easily refer to specific instructions without sifting through lengthy explanations. 3. Organize the Document Logically Align the content with the natural flow of business processes, avoiding unnecessary jumps between different features. A well-structured, hyperlinked table of contents makes navigation easier and more intuitive. 4. Include Screenshots Visual aids like screenshots are essential in guiding users through Salesforce. Ensure the screenshots are focused on relevant elements, and blur any unnecessary or sensitive information. Clear, well-annotated images enhance understanding and make the document more engaging. 5. Keep Instructions Clear and Concise Ensure that each step is succinct and to the point. Overly detailed instructions can confuse users, so focus on delivering clear, actionable guidance. How to Record Video Tutorials Sometimes, written instructions may not fully convey how to use Salesforce features effectively. In such cases, video tutorials are a great supplement. These can be comprehensive guides or broken into shorter segments based on specific functions. Supplementary Materials Additional resources like FAQs, cheat sheets, glossaries, and links to official Salesforce documentation can provide valuable support for users. These materials encourage independent learning and build confidence in using Salesforce. Training Delivery Methods There are multiple ways to deliver end-user training. Below are the most effective: Structuring the Salesforce End-User Training Whether the users are new to Salesforce or have some familiarity, it’s important to structure the training content in a way that reflects real-world processes. Rather than teaching isolated features, organize the material based on the actual workflow users will encounter. To make virtual training engaging, live demonstrations of features are recommended rather than simply reading through the training document. Short breaks can help prevent information overload, while interactive exercises in a Salesforce sandbox can enhance hands-on learning. Post-Training Follow-up After training, make the materials available in a shared folder for users to reference as needed. Gathering feedback is essential for improving the training experience. Adjust the training documents and video tutorials based on this feedback to ensure they remain clear and useful. Additionally, collecting feedback from the client on the effectiveness of the training session itself helps to refine future training efforts. By focusing on clarity, structure, and real-world application, training documents and sessions will empower users to fully leverage Salesforce’s capabilities. 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

Read More
SaaS Data Protection from Own

SaaS Data Protection from Own

ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Own, the industry leader for SaaS data protection and activation, today announced the release of Continuous Data Protection for Salesforce customers, further strengthening its product offering to include unprecedented recovery and analysis capabilities. In an industry-first approach, Own Continuous Data Protection provides a turn-key solution that delivers significant value to customers that have mission-critical, frequently changing, or highly valuable data within Salesforce. Own is the only SaaS data protection platform that proactively detects and stores data changes in Salesforce by leveraging platform events to prevent data loss. “This innovative approach to Continuous Data Protection will provide our Salesforce customers with an unparalleled advantage for capturing every change to their data ” said Adrian Kunzle, Chief Technology Officer at Own. “From the company’s inception almost 10 years ago, it has been our goal to ensure that no company operating in the cloud loses their data. At Own, we are the first to reimagine Continuous Data Protection for greater data resilience and scalability, and to ensure business continuity. This new solution offers true continuous data protection, and equips our customers with the most complete dataset to enable greater data fidelity to power AI models.” Own’s release of Continuous Data Protection (CDP) is a groundbreaking development in data protection and activation. Traditionally, backup and recovery solutions that specialize in protecting SaaS application data leverage a high-frequency model that provides multiple snapshots per week or day. Continuous Data Protection from Own pushes data changes to a backup as they happen, allowing businesses to capture changes in their data in near real-time. In addition to creating a more resilient and scalable approach, the higher-fidelity datasets this offering creates will enable organizations to unlock new ways of leveraging analytics and AI models across their vital information. “This innovative approach to Continuous Data Protection will provide our Salesforce customers with an unparalleled advantage for capturing every change to their data,” said Adrian Kunzle, Chief Technology Officer at Own. “From the company’s inception almost 10 years ago, it has been our goal to ensure that no company operating in the cloud loses their data. At Own, we are the first to reimagine Continuous Data Protection for greater data resilience and scalability, and to ensure business continuity. This new solution offers true continuous data protection, and equips our customers with the most complete dataset to enable greater data fidelity to power AI models.” Continuous Data Protection is a step forward in the world of SaaS data protection, enabling Own Recover for Salesforce customers to recover rapidly changing, mission-critical data faster, enhancing data resiliency and scalability. Continuous Data Protection provides the ability to: The Continuous Data Protection offering will be generally available on August 19, 2024. About Own Own is the industry leader in SaaS data protection and activation, trusted by thousands of organizations to ensure the availability, security, and compliance of mission-critical data, while unlocking new ways to gain deeper insights faster. Own ensures data resiliency and empowers organizations to bring historical context to life for predictive insights and inspiration. By partnering with some of the world’s largest SaaS ecosystems such as Salesforce, ServiceNow and Microsoft Dynamics 365, Own enables customers around the world to truly own their data and transform their business. It’s their platform. It’s your data. Own it. 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

Read More
Generative AI Overview

Generative AI Overview

Editor’s Note: AI Cloud, Einstein GPT, and other cloud GPT products are now Einstein. For the latest on Salesforce Einstein The Rise of Generative AI: What It Means for Business and CRM Generative artificial intelligence (AI) made headlines in late 2022, sparking widespread curiosity and questions about its potential impact on various industries. What is Generative AI? Generative AI is a technology that creates new content—such as poetry, emails, images, or music—based on a set of input data. Unlike traditional AI, which focuses on classifying or predicting, generative AI can produce novel content with a human-like understanding of language, as noted by Salesforce Chief Scientist Silvio Savarese. However, successful generative AI depends on the quality of the input data. “AI is only as good as the data you give it, and you must ensure that datasets are representative,” emphasizes Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer. How Does Generative AI Work? Generative AI can be developed using several deep learning approaches, including: Other methods include Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs), which generate new data or create 2D and 3D images based on sample data. Generative AI and Business Generative AI has captured the attention of global business leaders. A recent Salesforce survey found that 67% of IT leaders are focusing on generative AI in the next 18 months, with 33% considering it a top priority. Salesforce has long been exploring generative AI applications. For instance, CodeGen helps transform simple English prompts into executable code, and LAVIS makes language-vision AI accessible to researchers. More recently, Salesforce’s ProGen project demonstrated the creation of novel proteins using AI, potentially advancing medicine and treatment development. Ketan Karkhanis, Salesforce’s Executive VP and GM of Sales Cloud, highlights that generative AI benefits not just large enterprises but also small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by automating proposals, customer communications, and predictive sales modeling. Challenges and Ethical Considerations Despite its potential, generative AI poses risks, as noted by Paula Goldman and Kathy Baxter of Salesforce’s Ethical AI practice. They stress the importance of responsible innovation to ensure that generative AI is used safely and ethically. Accuracy in AI recommendations is crucial, and the authoritative tone of models like ChatGPT can sometimes lead to misleading results. Salesforce is committed to building trusted AI with embedded guardrails to prevent misuse. As generative AI evolves, it’s vital to balance its capabilities with ethical considerations, including its environmental impact. Generative AI can increase IT energy use, which 71% of IT leaders acknowledge. Generative AI at Salesforce Salesforce has integrated AI into its platform for years, with Einstein AI providing billions of daily predictions to enhance sales, service, and customer understanding. The recent launch of Einstein GPT, the world’s first generative AI for CRM, aims to transform how businesses interact with customers by automating content creation across various functions. Salesforce Ventures is also expanding its Generative AI Fund to $500 million, supporting AI startups and fostering responsible AI development. This expansion includes investments in companies like Anthropic and Cohere. As Salesforce continues to lead in AI innovation, the focus remains on creating technology that is inclusive, responsible, and sustainable, paving the way for the future of CRM and business. The Future of Business: AI-Powered Leadership and Decision-Making Tomorrow’s business landscape will be transformed by specialized, autonomous AI agents that will significantly change how companies are run. Future leaders will depend on these AI agents to support and enhance their teams, with AI chiefs of staff overseeing these agents and harnessing their capabilities. New AI-powered tools will bring businesses closer to their customers and enable faster, more informed decision-making. This shift is not just a trend—it’s backed by significant evidence. The Slack Workforce Index reveals a sevenfold increase in leaders seeking to integrate AI tools since September 2023. Additionally, Salesforce research shows that nearly 80% of global workers are open to an AI-driven future. While the pace of these changes may vary, it is clear that the future of work will look vastly different from today. According to the Slack Workforce Index, the number of leaders looking to integrate AI tools into their business has skyrocketed 7x since September 2023. Mick Costigan, VP, Salesforce Futures In the [still] early phases of a major technology shift, we tend to over-focus on the application of technology innovations to existing workflows. Such advances are important, but closing the imagination gap about the possible new shapes of work requires us to consider more than just technology. It requires us to think about people, both as the customers who react to new offerings and as the employees who are responsible for delivering them. Some will eagerly adopt new technology. Others will resist and drag their feet. 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

Read More
gettectonic.com