Artificial Intelligence (AI) is significantly transforming threat detection by enabling faster, more accurate identification of potential security breaches through its ability to analyze vast amounts of data in real-time, detect anomalies and patterns that might indicate a threat, even when those threats are new or previously unknown, thus providing a proactive approach to cybersecurity compared to traditional rule-based systems.
In 2023, Salesforce Admins created 230,000 objects, generated over 2.7 billion reports monthly, and performed 1 trillion AI predictions weekly. These figures highlight the critical role of an Admin in the Salesforce ecosystem. However, becoming an expert Salesforce Admin requires more than just technical know-how. A blend of both technical and soft skills is essential to truly excel in this role. Whether you’re new to the role or looking to enhance your skills, learning the right abilities is key to thriving as a Salesforce Admin. In this guide, we’ll cover the essential Salesforce Admin skills you need to effectively manage the platform and drive business success. Key Takeaways 14 Essential Salesforce Admin Skills to Master These are some of the key skills outlined in Salesforce’s “Admin Skills Kit” that will help you secure top Salesforce Admin positions. 1. Communication Strong communication skills are critical for Salesforce Admins, who act as the link between technical teams, stakeholders, and users. You’ll need to explain complex processes clearly so that all parties can understand. Why It Matters: Clear communication ensures users can effectively engage with the platform and make informed decisions based on Salesforce data. How To Improve: Practice simplifying technical concepts, actively listen to others’ needs, and refine your ability to convey information clearly. 2. Problem Solving Challenges will arise in your role, from system errors to user issues. Having strong problem-solving skills allows you to identify the root cause of issues and quickly implement effective solutions. Why It Matters: Efficient problem resolution minimizes downtime and keeps the Salesforce platform running smoothly. How To Improve: Break down problems into manageable parts, brainstorm solutions, and always evaluate the impact of your decisions. 3. Attention to Detail Salesforce admins deal with complex data and processes that require accuracy. From maintaining data integrity to configuring processes, attention to detail is crucial. Why It Matters: Even small errors can result in inaccurate data, security risks, or inefficient processes. How To Improve: Double-check your work, use Salesforce validation tools, and ensure all workflows are correctly configured before launching. 4. Learner’s Mindset Salesforce evolves constantly, with frequent updates and new features. A learner’s mindset helps you stay on top of these changes and continuously improve your skills. Why It Matters: The more you know, the more value you bring. Keeping up with updates ensures you’re using the latest tools to benefit your organization. How To Improve: Engage with Salesforce communities, complete Trailhead modules, and attend webinars to stay current. 5. User Management As an Admin, you’ll be responsible for managing users, creating profiles, setting roles and permissions, and ensuring proper access to data. Why It Matters: Proper user management boosts productivity while ensuring data security. How To Improve: Learn the ins and outs of Salesforce profiles, roles, and permission sets, and practice managing users in a sandbox environment. 6. Security Management In today’s digital age, data security is a top priority. Salesforce Admins are responsible for safeguarding organizational data from unauthorized access or breaches. Why It Matters: Poor security can lead to data leaks, damaging the company’s reputation and finances. How To Improve: Master security settings, understand field-level permissions, and stay informed on two-step verification and audit tracking. 7. Business Analysis Admins need to understand the business needs of their organization. Business analysis skills help you gather requirements, understand workflows, and tailor Salesforce to meet those needs. Why It Matters: The better you understand the business, the more effectively you can customize Salesforce to add value. How To Improve: Collaborate with stakeholders to identify pain points and design solutions that address specific business needs. 8. Data Analysis Working with large data sets is a regular part of being a Salesforce Admin. Knowing how to analyze data and generate insights is essential. Why It Matters: Data analysis drives informed decision-making, streamlines workflows, and improves communication. How To Improve: Familiarize yourself with Salesforce’s reporting tools, dashboards, and data export features. 9. Data Management Effective data management is critical to maintaining a well-functioning Salesforce system. This involves data transfers, cleaning, deduplication, and archiving. Why It Matters: Clean and organized data supports accurate reporting and better decision-making. How To Improve: Learn best practices for data imports, validation rules, and data maintenance tools like Data Loader. 10. Designer’s Mindset Admins with a designer’s mindset can create user-friendly interfaces and workflows that enhance the system’s usability. Why It Matters: A well-designed interface improves the user experience, making work more efficient and enjoyable. How To Improve: Use the Lightning App Builder to create custom page layouts and optimize user flows. 11. Change Management When implementing new processes or updates, effective change management is key. This includes communication, ensuring smooth transitions, and training users on new features. Why It Matters: Proper change management ensures high adoption rates and a smooth transition to new features or updates. How To Improve: Develop communication plans, conduct training, and gather user feedback during transitions. 12. Process Automation Salesforce’s automation capabilities allow admins to streamline repetitive tasks. Automation skills help you create workflows, approval processes, and automated communications. Why It Matters: Automating repetitive tasks saves time and ensures that critical business processes are followed consistently. How To Improve: Learn how to use Flows, Process Builder, and Workflow Rules to automate business operations. 13. Product Management A product management mindset helps Admins align the platform with users’ and stakeholders’ needs, ensuring Salesforce delivers value to the organization. Why It Matters: Meeting evolving business needs ensures you continue to add value as an Admin. How To Improve: Collect user feedback, prioritize requests, and align updates with overall business goals. 14. Project Management Salesforce Admins often lead projects such as implementing new features or migrating data. Strong project management skills are essential to execute these tasks effectively. Why It Matters: Good project management ensures that goals are met on time and within budget. How To Improve: Get comfortable with project management tools, scheduling, resource management, and stakeholder communication. Conclusion The role of a Salesforce Admin combines both technical and soft skills like communication,
The life of Salesforce admins is rapidly evolving as artificial intelligence (AI) becomes integral to business operations. Let’s examine the Life of a Salesforce Admin in the AI Era. By 2025, the Salesforce admin’s role will expand beyond managing CRM systems to include leveraging AI tools to enhance efficiency, boost productivity, and maintain security. While this future offers exciting opportunities, it also comes with new responsibilities that require admins to adapt and learn. So, what will Salesforce admins need to succeed in this AI-driven landscape? The Salesforce Admin’s Role in 2025 In 2025, Salesforce admins will be at the forefront of digital transformation, helping organizations harness the full potential of the Salesforce ecosystem and AI-powered tools. These AI tools will automate processes, predict trends, and improve overall efficiency. Many professionals are already enrolling in Salesforce Administrator courses focused on AI and automation, equipping them with the essential skills to thrive in this new era. Key Responsibilities in Life of a Salesforce Admin in the AI Era 1. AI Integration and Optimization Admins will be responsible for integrating AI tools like Salesforce Einstein AI into workflows, ensuring they’re properly configured and tailored to the organization’s needs. Core tasks include: 2. Automating Processes with AI AI will revolutionize automation, making complex workflows more efficient. Admins will need to: 3. Data Management and Predictive Analytics Admins will leverage AI to manage data and generate predictive insights. Key responsibilities include: 4. Enhancing Security and Compliance AI-powered security tools will help admins proactively protect systems. Responsibilities include: 5. Supporting AI-Driven Customer Experiences Admins will deploy AI tools that enhance customer interactions. Their responsibilities include: 6. Continuous Learning and Upskilling As AI evolves, so too must Salesforce admins. Key learning areas include: 7. Collaboration with Cross-Functional Teams Admins will work closely with IT, marketing, and sales teams to deploy AI solutions organization-wide. Their collaborative efforts will include: Skills Required for Future Salesforce Admins 1. AI and Machine Learning Proficiency Admins will need to understand how AI models like Einstein AI function and how to deploy them. While not requiring full data science expertise, a solid grasp of AI concepts—such as predictive analytics and machine learning—will be essential. 2. Advanced Data Management and Analysis Managing large datasets and ensuring data accuracy will be critical as admins work with AI tools. Proficiency in data modeling, SQL, SOQL, and ETL processes will be vital for handling AI-powered data management. 3. Automation and Process Optimization AI-enhanced automation will become a key responsibility. Admins must master tools like Salesforce Flow and Einstein Automate to build intelligent workflows and ensure smooth process automation. 4. Security and Compliance Expertise With AI-driven security protocols, admins will need to stay updated on data privacy regulations and deploy tools that ensure compliance and prevent data breaches. 5. Collaboration and Leadership Admins will lead the implementation of AI tools across departments, requiring strong collaboration and leadership skills to align AI-driven solutions with business objectives. Advanced Certifications for AI-Era Admins To stay competitive, Salesforce admins will need to pursue advanced certifications. Key certifications include: Tectonic’s Thoughts The Salesforce admin role is transforming as AI becomes an essential part of the platform. By mastering AI tools, optimizing processes, ensuring security, and continuously upskilling, Salesforce admins can become pivotal players in driving digital transformation. The future is bright for those who embrace the AI-powered Salesforce landscape and position themselves at the forefront of innovation. 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
The Third Wave of AI at Salesforce: How Agentforce is Transforming the Landscape At Dreamforce 2024, Salesforce unveiled several exciting innovations, with Agentforce taking center stage. This post explores the key changes and enhancements designed to improve efficiency and elevate customer interactions. Introducing Agentforce Agentforce is a customizable AI agent builder that empowers organizations to create and manage autonomous agents for various business tasks. But what exactly is an agent? An agent is akin to a chatbot but goes beyond traditional capabilities. While typical chatbots are restricted to scripted responses and predefined questions, Agentforce agents leverage large language models (LLMs) and generative AI to comprehend customer inquiries contextually. This enables them to make independent decisions, whether processing requests or resolving issues using real-time data from your company’s customer relationship management (CRM) system. The Role of Atlas At the heart of Agentforce’s functionality lies the Atlas reasoning engine, which acts as the operational brain. Unlike standard assistive tools, Atlas is an agentic system with the autonomy to act on behalf of the user. Atlas formulates a plan based on necessary actions and can adjust that plan based on evaluations or new information. When it’s time to engage, Atlas knows which business processes to activate and connects with customers or employees via their preferred channels. This sophisticated approach allows Agentforce to significantly enhance operational efficiency. By automating routine inquiries, it frees up your team to focus on more complex tasks, delivering a smoother experience for both staff and customers. Speed to Value One of Agentforce’s standout features is its emphasis on rapid implementation. Many AI projects can be resource-intensive and take months or even years to launch. However, Agentforce enables quick deployment by leveraging existing Salesforce infrastructure, allowing organizations to implement solutions rapidly and with greater control. Salesforce also offers pre-built Agentforce agents tailored to specific business needs—such as Service Agent, Sales Development Representative Agent, Sales Coach, Personal Shopper Agent, and Campaign Agent—all customizable with the Agent Builder. Agentforce for Service and Sales will be generally available starting October 25, 2024, with certain elements of the Atlas Reasoning Engine rolling out in February 2025. Pricing begins at $2 per conversation, with volume discounts available. Transforming Customer Insights with Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud Dreamforce also highlighted enhancements to Data Cloud, Salesforce’s backbone for all cloud products. The platform now supports processing unstructured data, which constitutes up to 90% of company data often overlooked by traditional reporting systems. With new capabilities for analyzing various unstructured formats—like video, audio, sales demos, customer service calls, and voicemails—businesses can derive valuable insights and make informed decisions across Customer 360. Furthermore, Data Cloud One enables organizations to connect siloed Salesforce instances effortlessly, promoting seamless data sharing through a no-code, point-and-click setup. The newly announced Marketing Cloud Advanced edition serves as the “big sister” to Marketing Cloud Growth, equipping larger marketing teams with enhanced features like Path Experiment, which tests different content strategies across channels, and Einstein Engagement Scoring for deeper insights into customer behavior. Together, these enhancements empower companies to engage customers more meaningfully and measurably across all touchpoints. Empowering the Workforce Through Education Salesforce is committed to making AI accessible for all. They recently announced free instructor-led courses and AI certifications available through 2025, aimed at equipping the Salesforce community with essential AI and data management skills. To support this initiative, Salesforce is establishing AI centers in major cities, starting with London, to provide hands-on training and resources, fostering AI expertise. They also launched a global Agentforce World Tour to promote understanding and adoption of the new capabilities introduced at Dreamforce, featuring repackaged sessions from the conference and opportunities for specialists to answer questions. The Bottom Line What does this mean for businesses? With the rollout of Agentforce, along with enhancements to Data Cloud and Marketing Cloud, organizations can operate more efficiently and connect with customers in more meaningful ways. Coupled with a focus on education through free courses and global outreach, getting on board has never been easier. If you’d like to discuss how we can help your business maximize its potential with Salesforce through data and AI, connect with us and schedule a meeting with our team. Legacy systems can create significant gaps between operations and employee needs, slowing lead processes and resulting in siloed, out-of-sync data that hampers business efficiency. Responding to inquiries within five minutes offers a 75% chance of converting leads into customers, emphasizing the need for rapid, effective marketing responses. Salesforce aims to help customers strengthen relationships, enhance productivity, and boost margins through its premier AI CRM for sales, service, marketing, and commerce, while also achieving these goals internally. Recognizing the complexity of its decade-old processes, including lead assignment across three systems and 2 million lines of custom code, Salesforce took on the role of “customer zero,” leveraging Data Cloud to create a unified view of customers known as the “Customer 360 Truth Profile.” This consolidation of disparate data laid the groundwork for enterprise-wide AI and automation, improving marketing automation and reducing lead time by 98%. As Michael Andrew, SVP of Marketing Decision Science at Salesforce, noted, this initiative enabled the company to provide high-quality leads to its sales team with enriched data and AI scoring while accelerating time to market and enhancing data quality. Embracing Customer Zero “Almost exactly a year ago, we set out with a beginner’s mind to transform our lead automation process with a solution that would send the best leads to the right sales teams within minutes of capturing their data and support us for the next decade,” said Andrew. The initial success metric was “speed to lead,” aiming to reduce the handoff time from 20 minutes to less than one minute. The focus was also on integrating customer and lead data to develop a more comprehensive 360-degree profile for each prospect, enhancing lead assignment and sales rep productivity. Another objective was to boost business agility by cutting the average time to implement assignment changes from four weeks to mere days. Accelerating Success with
If you thought Salesforce had fully embraced AI, think again. The company has much more in store. AI All Grown Up and Salesforce is the educator! Alongside the announcement of the new Agentforce platform, Salesforce has teased plans to offer free premium instructor-led courses and AI certifications throughout 2025, reflecting a bold commitment to fostering AI skills and expertise. We’ve talked quite a bit over the last year about the need for AI education, and lo and behold here comes Salesforce to the rescue! AI All Grown Up Ah, they grow up so fast. Once just a baby cradeled in our arms with endless possibilities and potential. It was just like a year or so ago we heard of ChatGPT. Prior to that most people’s main exposure to artificial intelligence was their smart phones, which today we realize weren’t reall that smart. Generative, predictive and agentic AI have barreled down the pipeline increasing our vocabulary, and understanding, of what artificial intelligence can do. From generative content to sounds and images, AI continued to amaze us. Then predictive AI did our calculations faster than we could have imagined. Then agentic AI did nearly everything imaginable. AI All Grown Up. Like a very proud mentor of the process, I want to talk about Salesforce’s major contribution. Addressing the AI Skills Gap: Salesforce’s $50 Million Investment As the veritable plethora of AI tools rapidly expands, Salesforce is taking proactive steps to address the growing AI skills gap by investing $50 million into workforce upskilling initiatives. The company aims to ensure that businesses and individuals are prepared to utilize their new wave of AI tools effectively. While the full details have yet to be released, Salesforce has revealed that its premium AI courses and certifications will be made available for free via Trailhead by the end of 2025. This could mean certifications such as AI Associate and AI Specialist, which currently cost $75 and $200 respectively, may soon be offered at no cost. Gratis. Free, Salesforce has also mentioned “premium instructor-led training,” sparking speculation that AI-focused, instructor-led Trailhead Academy courses could become accessible to everyone in the Salesforce ecosystem. Expanding AI Education with Global AI Centers Salesforce’s AI upskilling push is part of a broader initiative to establish “AI Centers” across the globe. Following the opening of its first center in London in June, Salesforce is planning to launch additional AI hubs in cities like Chicago, Tokyo, Sydney, and even a pop-up center in San Francisco. These centers will host in-person premium courses and serve as gathering spaces for industry experts, partners, and customers. This initiative benefits not only the Salesforce ecosystem by increasing AI knowledge where expertise is scarce, but also aligns with Salesforce’s strategy of bringing AI-driven solutions to market through new products like Copilot Studio, Data Cloud, and the newly launched Agentforce platform. Agentforce: Salesforce’s Third Wave of AI On August 28, 2024, Salesforce introduced Agentforce, a suite of autonomous AI agents that marks a significant leap in how businesses engage with customers. Described as the “Third Wave of AI,” Agentforce goes beyond traditional chatbots, providing intelligent agents capable of driving customer success with minimal human intervention. What is Agentforce? Agentforce is a comprehensive platform designed for organizations to build, customize, and deploy autonomous AI agents across various business functions, such as customer service, sales, marketing, and commerce. These agents operate independently, accessing data, crafting action plans, and executing tasks without needing constant human oversight. It is like Artificial Intelligence just graduated highschool and is off to a world of new adventures and growth opportunities at college or university! Key Features of Agentforce: The Technology Behind Agentforce At the core of Agentforce is the Atlas Reasoning Engine, a system designed to mimic human reasoning. Here’s how it works: Customization Tools: Agent Builder Agentforce provides tools like Agent Builder, a low-code platform for customizing out-of-the-box agents or creating new ones for specific business needs. With this tool, users can: The Agentforce Partner Network Salesforce’s partner ecosystem plays a key role in Agentforce’s versatility, with contributions from companies like AWS, Google, IBM, and Workday. Together, they’ve developed over 20 agent actions available through the Salesforce AppExchange. As proud parents we watch our Artificial Intelligence child venture into the world making friends along the way. Learning social skills. Benefits and Impact of Agentforce Early Adopters and Success Stories Several companies are already benefiting from Agentforce: Availability and Pricing of Salesforce’s AI All Grown Up Agentforce for Service and Sales will be generally available on October 25, 2024, with some components of the Atlas Reasoning Engine launching in February 2025. Pricing starts at $2 per conversation, with volume discounts available. The Future of AI and Work Salesforce’s ambitious vision is to empower one billion AI agents with Agentforce by the end of 2025. This reflects their belief that the future of work will involve a hybrid workforce, where humans and AI agents collaborate to drive customer success. AI All Grown Up and We Couldn’t Be Prouder Our amazing AI child has graduated college and ventured out into the workforce. Agentforce vs. Einstein Bots: What’s the Difference? Conclusion Agentforce represents a major leap forward in AI-powered customer engagement. By providing autonomous, intelligent agents capable of managing complex tasks, Salesforce is positioning itself at the forefront of AI innovation. As businesses continue to explore ways to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction, Agentforce could redefine how organizations interact with customers and streamline their operations. If this is the Third Wave of AI, what will the fourth wave bring? Written by Tectonic’s Solutions Architect, 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
Salesforce has announced plans to broaden access to free AI training through its Trailhead online platform, aiming to equip 100,000 additional students with essential AI skills. With AI becoming a transformative technology that nearly every business is investing in, the demand for AI training is rapidly increasing. To meet this need, Salesforce is expanding its free AI training programs via Trailhead, which offers courses and certifications designed to enhance learners’ AI capabilities. These resources will be available until the end of 2025. At a time when employers need to upskill employees on artificial intelligence, Salesforce is at the ready. In support of this initiative, Salesforce will open new spaces at its San Francisco headquarters, including a pop-up AI Center for in-person training and a dedicated floor for employees to develop AI skills. This expansion represents a $50 million investment in workforce development, addressing the growing AI skills gap. Salesforce aims to help every Trailblazer become an “Agentblazer,” a term for those trained on Salesforce products, by reaching 100,000 more learners through these offerings. Recent expansions to the Trailhead platform include AI-specific courses on fundamentals, ethical AI use, and prompting. Since June 2023, over 2.6 million AI and data badges have been earned by employees, jobseekers, and learners, unlocking critical skills. “AI and agents are reshaping how people work, and it’s essential that everyone has the skills to thrive in this new landscape,” said Brian Millham, president and COO of Salesforce. Tectonic credits Salesforce for offering equal training opportunities for partners, consultants, job seekers, and users. 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
Maximizing Salesforce: How to Hire the Right Salesforce Developer Salesforce has revolutionized how businesses manage customer relationships, becoming a cornerstone for enhancing customer service and engagement. However, to fully leverage its potential, skilled professionals are needed to customize and develop the platform to meet specific business needs. Hiring the right Salesforce developer is crucial for ensuring your organization gets the most out of this powerful tool. In this guide, we’ll explore key considerations before hiring a Salesforce developer, the steps involved in the hiring process, and tips for effective Salesforce recruitment. How to Hire the Right Salesforce Developer. Understanding Salesforce Developer Roles Before diving into the hiring process, it’s essential to understand the different Salesforce roles: Your business needs may require a combination of these roles. Depending on the complexity of your Salesforce environment, you might need more than just a developer. Key Factors to Consider Before Hiring a Salesforce Developer The most critical factor when hiring a Salesforce developer is their skill set. Salesforce development requires deep knowledge of various technologies and tools. Key skills include: Assessing a candidate’s industry-specific experience can provide insight into their ability to address your business challenges. Salesforce certifications validate a professional’s expertise. Key certifications to look for include: These certifications provide assurance of the candidate’s competency. A strong Salesforce developer should not only possess technical skills but also understand business processes. Developers who can translate business requirements into technical solutions will drive business value. Salesforce development often involves troubleshooting complex issues. Assess a candidate’s problem-solving abilities through technical interviews or practical tests. Strong problem-solvers will be invaluable when unexpected challenges arise. Effective communication is vital for a Salesforce developer. They must explain technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders and document processes clearly for future maintenance. How to Hire the Right Salesforce Developer Start by defining the skills, experience, and certifications needed for the role. A well-defined job description will attract the right candidates. Create job postings that reflect the role’s responsibilities and qualifications. Use relevant keywords like “Salesforce job postings” and “Salesforce employment opportunities” to attract suitable candidates. Screen candidates based on their resumes and initial interviews, looking for a strong match between their experience and your job requirements. Evaluate candidates through practical tests to assess their Salesforce-specific coding skills and problem-solving abilities. Conduct multiple interview rounds: Salesforce Recruitment Tips Use platforms like LinkedIn and Salesforce-specific groups to find candidates and connect with the Salesforce community. Partnering with recruitment agencies that specialize in Salesforce roles can streamline the hiring process. Salesforce professionals are in high demand, so offering competitive salaries and benefits is key to attracting top talent. Identify candidates committed to professional development, as Salesforce is constantly evolving with new features and practices. Highlighting your company’s culture, values, and growth opportunities can attract top talent. Why Choose Tectonic – How to Hire the Right Salesforce Developer? Hiring the right Salesforce developer requires a thorough understanding of your business needs, a clear definition of the required skills, and a meticulous hiring process. By emphasizing these factors, you can ensure you recruit the right talent to drive your Salesforce initiatives. However many Salesforce projects don’t require a long term developer, business analyst, or project manager. Outsourcing these roles to Tectonic can provide a valuable savings in cost and improved project outcomes with a clean CRM in place from day one. At Tectonic, we take pride in being a leading Salesforce provider. Our team of certified Salesforce professionals is equipped with the skills and experience to meet your business demands. Whether you need a developer, administrator, or consultant, Tectonic’s rigorous recruiting process ensures we deliver the best talent. Partner with Tectonic to fully harness the potential of Salesforce and elevate your business to the next level. Contact us today to learn more about our Salesforce staffing solutions and how we can help you achieve your CRM goals. 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
The Salesforce Certified AI Associate certification is a professional credential that demonstrates your knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) and its application within Salesforce platforms. This certification is perfect for individuals aiming to enhance their ability to use AI to drive business outcomes. Key topics covered in the certification include: Trailblazer Trailhead for Salesforce Certified AI Associate 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
Salesforce Expands Access to Free AI Training to Address Global Skills Gap SAN FRANCISCO — September 18, 2024 – Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the #1 AI-powered CRM, has announced a significant expansion of its AI skilling initiatives. Starting today, Salesforce will offer its premium AI courses and certifications free of charge to anyone via its online learning platform, Trailhead, through the end of 2025. This initiative aims to help bridge the growing AI skills gap by providing accessible education for individuals across industries. To further support these efforts, Salesforce will open new physical training spaces at its San Francisco headquarters, including a pop-up AI Center offering in-person community courses and a dedicated AI skilling floor for employees. This investment, valued at over $50 million, is designed to empower the workforce with essential AI skills as the demand for AI talent surges globally. Research from Slack highlights a growing urgency among executives to integrate AI into business operations, with interest increasing sevenfold in the last six months. However, more than two-thirds of workers have yet to engage with AI tools, and only 15% feel they possess the necessary training to use them effectively. “The advent of AI and agents represents the biggest technological shift of our generation and will radically change how people work,” said Brian Millham, President and Chief Operating Officer at Salesforce. “We need to ensure everyone has the skills to succeed in this new AI-driven world.” Expanding AI Training Opportunities Salesforce has already helped thousands of professionals acquire technical skills through premium, instructor-led training and certifications. With these new offerings, the company aims to reach an additional 100,000 learners, empowering every Trailblazer to become an “Agentblazer” in this evolving AI landscape. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars in AI education for yourself or your workforce. Salesforce has it at your fingertips for free. Trailhead now offers a wide range of AI-specific courses, covering topics like AI fundamentals, ethical AI use, and prompt engineering. Since June 2023, learners have earned over 2.6 million AI and data badges, helping unlock critical skills for the future of work. Creating Spaces for Hands-on AI Learning In addition to expanding its online offerings, Salesforce is building AI training spaces around the globe. After launching its first AI Center in London, the company will open a pop-up AI Center at its San Francisco headquarters in 2025, with plans for additional locations in Chicago, Tokyo, and Sydney. These centers will host in-person Trailhead courses and bring together experts, partners, and customers to advance AI innovation. Introducing Agentforce — A Groundbreaking AI Suite As part of its ongoing AI revolution, Salesforce is also upskilling its 72,000-strong workforce through quarterly AI learning days and immersive experiences at the newly created AI Knowledge Center in San Francisco. The centerpiece of this initiative is Agentforce, an innovative suite of AI agents designed to enhance productivity in service, sales, marketing, and commerce. By automating repetitive tasks, these agents allow employees to focus on higher-value work. Since the launch of Slack AI in February, Salesforce employees have saved nearly 3 million work hours through AI-driven tools that summarize information, find answers, and generate new ideas. Nearly 40% of the AI and data badges earned on Trailhead belong to Salesforce employees, demonstrating the company’s commitment to internal skilling and innovation. “AI will transform the workforce, creating new roles and opportunities. It’s our responsibility as employers to provide training that prepares workers for the future,” said Nathalie Scardino, President and Chief People Officer at Salesforce. “Grounded in our values, we’re leveraging Salesforce’s full power to help everyone succeed in this AI-driven era.” Related Resources For more information about Salesforce, visit www.salesforce.com or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE. About SalesforceSalesforce is the world’s leading AI-powered CRM, helping organizations of all sizes reimagine their business for the AI age. Powered by its trusted platform, Agentforce, Salesforce brings humans and AI agents together to drive customer success through data-driven insights and actions. Salesforce is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices globally, and trades on the NYSE under the ticker symbol “CRM.” 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
Salesforce and IBM are advancing their longstanding partnership by focusing on transforming sales and service processes with AI, particularly for organizations in regulated industries that seek to leverage enterprise data for automation. The collaboration aims to deliver pre-built AI agents and tools that integrate seamlessly within customers’ IT environments, enabling them to use their proprietary data while maintaining full control over their systems. By merging Salesforce’s Agentforce, a suite of autonomous agents, with IBM’s watsonx capabilities, the partnership will empower businesses to utilize AI agents within their daily applications. IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate will enhance Agentforce with autonomous agents that improve productivity, security, and regulatory compliance. Additionally, IBM customers will have the ability to interact with these agents via Slack, facilitating dynamic conversational experiences. Planned integrations between Salesforce Data Cloud and IBM Data Gate for watsonx will enable access to business data from IBM Z mainframes and Db2 databases, supporting AI workflows across the Agentforce platform. This integration will enhance data analysis and fuel AI-driven processes. Customers will also benefit from a broader range of AI model and deployment options through integration with IBM watsonx.ai. This will include access to IBM’s Granite foundation models, designed for enterprise applications. Enhancing Business Automation with Tailored Autonomous Agents Through the Agentforce Partner Network, businesses can develop and customize AI agents to interact with various enterprise tools and platforms. These agents are designed to perform multi-step tasks, make decisions based on triggers or interactions, and seek user approval for actions beyond their scope. They will help automate routine tasks, increase efficiency, streamline operations, and enhance customer service. IBM’s watsonx Orchestrate will integrate with Salesforce Agentforce to develop new pre-built agents for specific business challenges. These agents will leverage data and AI from both Salesforce and IBM to address various needs: Expanding Data Integration for AI Salesforce and IBM are also advancing data integration strategies through the Zero Copy integration between Salesforce Data Cloud and watsonx.data. This allows data to remain in place while being utilized for AI use cases, without duplication. Joint customers, particularly in financial services, insurance, manufacturing, and telecommunications, will leverage this integration to access and use mainframe datasets from IBM Z and Db2 databases on Salesforce’s platform. IBM will be the first Zero Copy partner to facilitate data flow between IBM Z and Salesforce Cloud, offering secure access to critical enterprise data and enhancing AI agent functionality. With IBM Z handling over 70% of global transaction value, this partnership ensures high standards of security, privacy, and compliance. Improving Efficiency with Slack and IBM watsonx Orchestrate IBM customers will now engage with watsonx Orchestrate agents directly within Slack, supporting AI app experiences with a new interface. This integration allows for seamless interaction with AI agents, automating tasks and enhancing collaboration across systems without leaving Slack. Expanding AI Model and Deployment Options with watsonx.ai A new integration with watsonx.ai will enable customers to deploy customized large language models (LLMs) within Salesforce Model Builder. This includes access to a range of third-party models and IBM’s Granite foundation models, which offer transparency and compliance with regulatory requirements. IBM Granite models are expected to be available within the Salesforce ecosystem by October. Partnering with IBM Consulting for Tailored AI Solutions IBM Consulting will leverage its expertise in Salesforce and AI to help joint customers accelerate the implementation of Agentforce. Through IBM Consulting Advantage, the AI-powered delivery platform, businesses will receive support in selecting, customizing, deploying, and scaling AI agents to meet specific industry needs. Customer Perspective Tectonic is transforming its service stations into preferred journey stops with the help of Salesforce and IBM. The collaboration offers unprecedented flexibility in AI utilization, enabling Tectonic to deliver hyper-personalized services through Agentforce and IBM’s watsonx AI, enhancing customer engagement and satisfaction. 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
Grammarly’s AI Regulatory Master Class: Key Insights on Navigating AI Compliance On August 27, 2024, Grammarly hosted an AI Regulatory Master Class webinar, featuring Scout Moran, Senior Product Counsel, and Alan Luk, Head of Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC). The event provided a comprehensive overview of the current and upcoming AI regulations affecting organizations’ AI strategies, along with guidance on evaluating AI solution providers, including those offering generative AI. While the webinar avoided deep legal analysis and did not serve as legal advice, Moran and Luk spotlighted key regulations emerging from both the U.S. and European Union (EU), highlighting the rapid response of regulatory bodies to AI’s growth. Overview of AI Regulations The AI regulatory landscape is changing quickly. A May 2024 report from law firm Davis & Gilbert noted that nearly 200 AI-related laws have been proposed across various U.S. states. Grammarly’s presentation emphasized the need for organizations to stay updated, as both U.S. and EU regulations are shaping the future of AI governance. The EU AI Act: A New Regulatory Framework The EU AI Act, which took effect on August 2, 2024, applies to AI system providers, importers, distributors, and others connected to the EU market, regardless of where they are based. As Moran pointed out, the Act is designed to ensure AI systems are deployed safely. Unsafe systems may be removed from the market, establishing a regulatory baseline that individual EU countries can strengthen with more stringent measures. However, the Act does not fully define “safety.” Legal experts Hadrien Pouget and Ranj Zuhdi noted that while safety requirements are crucial to the Act, they are currently broad, allowing room for further development of standards. The Act prohibits certain AI practices, such as manipulative systems, those exploiting personal vulnerabilities, and AI used to assess or predict criminal risk. AI systems are categorized into four risk levels: unacceptable, high-risk, limited risk, and minimal risk. High-risk systems—such as those in critical infrastructure or public services—face stricter regulation, while minimal-risk systems like spam filters have fewer requirements. Full enforcement of the Act will begin in 2025. U.S. AI Regulations Unlike the EU, the U.S. focuses more on national security than consumer safety in its AI regulation. The U.S. Executive Order on Safe, Secure, and Trustworthy AI addresses these concerns. At the state level, Moran highlighted trends such as requiring clear disclosure when interacting with AI and giving individuals the right to opt out of having their data used for AI model training. States like California and Utah are leading the way with specific laws (SB-1047 and SB-149, respectively) addressing accountability and disclosure in AI use. Key Considerations When Selecting AI Vendors Moran stressed the importance of thoroughly vetting AI vendors. Organizations should ensure vendors meet cybersecurity standards, such as SOC 2, and clearly define how their data will be used, particularly in training large language models (LLMs). “Eyes off” agreements, which prevent vendor employees from accessing customer data, should also be considered. Martha Buyer, a frequent contributor to No Jitter, emphasized verifying the originality of AI-generated content from providers like Grammarly or Microsoft Copilot. She urged caution in ensuring the ownership and authenticity of AI-assisted outputs. The Importance of Strong Third-Party Agreements Luk highlighted Grammarly’s commitment to data privacy, noting that the company neither sells customer data nor uses it to train models. Additionally, Grammarly enforces agreements preventing its third-party LLM providers from doing so. These contractual protections are crucial for safeguarding customer data. Organizations should also ensure third-party vendors adhere to strict guidelines, including securing customer data, encrypting it, and preventing unauthorized access. Vendors should maintain updated security certifications and manage risks like bias, which, while not entirely avoidable, must be actively addressed. Staying Ahead in a Changing Regulatory Environment Both Moran and Luk stressed the importance of ongoing monitoring. Organizations need to regularly reassess whether their vendors comply with their data-sharing policies and meet evolving regulatory standards. As AI technology and regulations continue to evolve, staying informed and agile will be critical for compliance and risk mitigation. In conclusion, organizations adopting AI-powered solutions must navigate a dynamic regulatory environment. As AI advances and regulations become more comprehensive, remaining vigilant and asking the right questions will be key to ensuring compliance and reducing risks. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more 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 Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more
Defence Technology Solutions from Salesforce: Enabling Secure, Mission-Critical Operations Salesforce provides defense organizations with powerful technology solutions to deliver on their missions quickly and securely. By increasing IT flexibility, enhancing productivity, and safeguarding sensitive data in a secure, compliant cloud environment, Salesforce empowers defence organizations to achieve mission success with confidence. Salesforce Solutions for Defense. Modernizing Personnel Operations Salesforce streamlines workforce management and accelerates employee operations, providing a unified view of personnel and fast, digital workflows. Public sector organizations can transform hiring, recruiting, HR actions, IT requests, and employee services within a trusted operational hub. How It Works: Salesforce enhances productivity and digitizes government employee tasks throughout their lifecycle, from hire to retirement. Maximizing IT Agility Salesforce enables defence organizations to unlock data from legacy systems, cloud applications, and third-party platforms with an API-led approach, securely bridging on-premises and cloud environments. Rapid application development, consolidation, and system access become seamless with Salesforce’s low-code/no-code tools. How It Works: Salesforce compresses development cycles and increases flexibility, enabling defense organizations to deliver on mission objectives faster. Salesforce Solutions for Defense Delivering Successful Case Outcomes Salesforce supports the full case management lifecycle by integrating critical data points from multiple systems into a single, unified view. Defense organizations can empower caseworkers with purpose-built tools, ensuring successful case outcomes while reducing information silos and providing clients with the necessary support. How It Works: Salesforce creates a single source of truth for case management, enabling defense organizations to streamline workflows and improve service outcomes. By leveraging Salesforce’s defense technology solutions, organizations can modernize operations, maximize agility, and ensure successful case management outcomes, all while maintaining the highest levels of security and compliance. Salesforce Solutions for Defense from Tectonic. 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
MuleSoft Certifications Now Unified with Salesforce Certifications As of May 6, 2024, MuleSoft certifications have been officially integrated into the Salesforce Certification program, with management now handled through Webassessor. This move simplifies the certification process, enabling professionals to manage both their Salesforce and MuleSoft credentials within a single platform, streamlining maintenance and tracking. This article delves into the merging of MuleSoft certifications with Salesforce’s Trailhead platform, highlighting what this means for professionals in both ecosystems. The update offers a significant improvement in managing certifications, particularly for those working across both platforms, as Salesforce has owned MuleSoft since 2018. We’ll cover what this change entails for current certification holders, key dates in the transition, and the new opportunities this unified platform brings—including new certifications. What is MuleSoft? MuleSoft is a leading integration platform that enables businesses to connect applications, data, and devices seamlessly. As an Integration Platform as a Service (iPaaS), MuleSoft facilitates the integration of cloud-based and on-premise applications, ensuring smooth workflows across various systems. Acquired by Salesforce in 2018, MuleSoft powers the integration layer of the Salesforce ecosystem, playing a crucial role in enabling businesses to unify their systems and create connected experiences. With the increasing demand for digital transformation and connected systems, MuleSoft expertise is becoming ever more valuable in the job market. MuleSoft Certifications and Training MuleSoft certifications validate expertise in designing, building, and managing integrations using the Anypoint Platform. Prior to this transition, MuleSoft certifications were handled through the MuleSoft Training portal, which was separate from Salesforce’s broader certification system. While this independent platform was functional, it required separate accounts and processes, making exam registration and certification management more cumbersome. By integrating MuleSoft certifications into Trailhead, Salesforce has simplified this process, offering a unified, more user-friendly experience for managing certifications. Transition Timeline The following key dates marked the transition: What This Means for Current MuleSoft Certification Holders For those already certified through MuleSoft, the migration to Salesforce’s certification system should have occurred automatically. MuleSoft credentials were transferred to their Trailblazer profiles for anyone with existing Webassessor accounts. A confirmation email was sent to ensure that the transition was successful. For those without a Webassessor account, one was created on their behalf, with login details provided via email by April 2024. Certification Maintenance MuleSoft certification holders with maintenance pending as of January 1, 2024, are not required to complete additional tasks through the old system. The expectation is that certification holders will have ample time to familiarize themselves with the new Trailhead process before maintenance requirements are introduced in 2025. New Certifications on Trailhead With the migration, certifications such as the MuleSoft Certified Catalyst Specialist and MuleSoft Certified Hyperautomation Specialist have also been integrated into Trailhead. Though not entirely new, these certifications were part of the legacy MuleSoft program, originally launched in late 2022 and early 2023. Summary The integration of MuleSoft certifications into Salesforce’s Trailhead platform marks a significant step towards a unified, more efficient credentialing process. This transition simplifies certification management, making it easier for professionals to stay current across both platforms. By merging these certifications, Salesforce is empowering professionals to fully leverage the combined capabilities of Salesforce and MuleSoft, further enhancing their skill sets in an increasingly interconnected digital landscape. Content updated September 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more 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
The past year brought substantial changes to the Salesforce ecosystem for nonprofits,charities, and ngos. 2024 Changes in Salesforce for Nonprofits include a new cloud, new tools, and more. Whether you’re a casual observer or actively engaged in the nonprofit sector, staying current may feel challenging. As a Salesforce partner deeply involved in helping nonprofits navigate Salesforce, Tectonic provides insights into the current state of Salesforce for nonprofits across three key areas: Platform, Partners, and Community. Understanding the Platform Other Changes Understanding Your Partners Understanding the Community After a year of significant changes, navigating Salesforce for nonprofits has become a bit more complex. Despite these challenges, the ecosystem continues to offer vast possibilities for leveraging technology in service of nonprofit missions. Any content that you come across prior to March 2023 will be about the older generation of Salesforce nonprofit products. They may no longer be relevant. Tectonic is please to announce our Nonprofit Cloud Salesforce Implementation Solutions. 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
As AI adoption accelerates, AI certifications and courses have proliferated, providing deeper knowledge of this rapidly evolving technology. AI Training Options. Numerous AI certifications cover the basics, so we’ve narrowed the field to 10 of the most diverse and comprehensive programs. AI Training Options Artificial intelligence is poised to become the key technology that drives business transformation and gives companies a competitive edge. According to a recent forecast by the International Data Corporation, global spending on AI—including AI-enabled applications, infrastructure, and related services—will more than double to $632 billion by 2028, growing at a compound annual rate of 29% between 2024 and 2028. AI helps businesses boost productivity by automating processes such as robotics and autonomous vehicles, while also supporting existing workforces with technologies like assisted and augmented intelligence. Companies are integrating AI across various sectors, including finance, healthcare, retail, smart home devices, fraud detection, and security surveillance. Why AI certifications are important: 10 of the best AI certifications and courses: Each certification offers unique benefits, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced professional aiming to stay ahead in AI-driven industries. Content updated September 2024. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more 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
