Engagement Archives - gettectonic.com - Page 34
Data Collection
02Mar

Collecting Customer Data and Acting On It

Salesforce Data Collection and Customer Journey Mapping for Better Outcomes At the forefront of customer engagement, sales revenue leaders have a pivotal role in shaping a company’s overarching strategy and enhancing customer experience (CX). Through the extraction of valuable insights from Salesforce data collection, they illuminate areas for improvement, fostering long-term revenue growth.  This is all driven by customer data. Customer Journey Mapping A powerful method to gain a comprehensive understanding of the customer journey involves creating a customer journey map. This is based on your Salesforce data collection. This map traces customers’ experiences, unveiling pain points and moments of truth within the sales process. Utilizing this information, companies can enhance CX, predict revenue more accurately, and make data-driven decisions. For instance, if sales revenue executives observe that only a limited number of customers are transitioning from a free service to a paid one, they can experiment with innovative approaches to prompt purchases. Employing digital nudges, such as reminding customers of the limited time remaining to avail the free service, revenue leaders can iterate and refine their strategies until they resonate with customers. Salesforce Next Best Action can notify sales representatives of customers most likely to be ready to convert. Salesforce automations can move likely to convert customers to next best action campaigns and make intuitive decisions based upon predetermined criteria. Thanks to technological advancements in Salesforce, tracking and analyzing customer behavior is now more accessible than ever. Leveraging data analytics, AI, and machine learning, companies can delve deeper into every digital touchpoint, assessing its impact on CX. This empowers revenue leaders to evaluate the success of diverse initiatives, compare the effectiveness of multiple communication channels, and make decisions grounded in data. Decision Based on Salesforce Data Collection One consequential decision involves identifying high-value customers in the sales pipeline. Through data analytics, revenue leaders can ascertain which customers are most likely to complete a purchase, allowing for resource allocation optimization. This approach prevents the squandering of time and resources on low-value prospects and facilitates an accurate prediction of future revenue. Sales revenue leaders emerge as key drivers of growth and CX enhancement. By harnessing technology and data-driven insights, they can make informed decisions, fine-tune customer journeys, and ultimately propel revenue growth. Let Tectonic craft a tailored program for data collection and customer journey mapping today. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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March 2, 2019in Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Salesforce Sales Cloud
salesforce government digital transformation
17Jul

Public Sector Salesforce Solutions

Public Sector Solutions revolutionize public service delivery through flexible and secure e-government tools supporting both service providers and constituents. Designing sites for effective communication, creating dynamic application forms, and streamlining approval processes for licenses and permits are among the capabilities offered. Public sector Salesforce solutions. A government CRM system minimizes manual admin tasks, allowing public servants to focus on enhancing citizens’ lives. Utilize flexible dynamic assessments, care plans, and referrals to assist families and individuals seamlessly. Salesforce recommends exploring a trial org to understand setup recommendations and prepare for implementation. Discover how the Salesforce platform, with a dedicated data model and common components, enables tailored solutions for municipalities, states, provinces, or federal agencies. Public Sector Solutions eschews a one-size-fits-all approach, allowing the combination of various components to address specific agency needs. The cloud-based Salesforce platform, encompassing Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Experience Cloud, serves as the foundation for Public Sector Solutions. Providing relationship management, case management, collaboration, integration, and data insight capabilities, it offers a 360-degree view of constituents while adhering to stringent data security regulations. The Public Sector Solutions data model is designed for government agencies, accommodating diverse tasks such as issuing licenses, conducting inspections, managing grants, and handling emergency programs. Dynamic features include License and Permit Management, Inspection Management, Grantmaking, Emergency Program Management, and Employee Experience. Configurations for Public Sector Solutions include prebuilt apps, granting licenses for specific Salesforce editions with varying usage limits. Additional add-ons, such as CRM Analytics, Intelligent Document Reader, Einstein Relationship Insights, and Business Rules Engine, allow customization to meet specific functionality requirements. Salesforce public sector solutions use standard Salesforce objects to structure and store data related to licensing, permitting, inspections, assessments, case and program management, benefit management, grantmaking, and more. Salesforce is used across various sectors, including technology, retail, insurance, banking, and industrial industries. It is utilized by businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations, for CRM purposes. Tectonic looks forward to assisting you with Public Sector Salesforce Solutions. Content updated December 2023. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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July 17, 2018in Data, Enterprise, Mulesoft, Public Sector Solutions, Salesforce, Salesforce Government Cloud, Salesforce Public Sector Solutions, Technology
Salesforce Case Object
27Jun

Types of Objects and Fields in Salesforce

Salesforce relies heavily on objects, which serve as a fundamental component by offering a framework for data storage and integration into the user interface. Thereby resembling the structure of a database table. Object fields, akin to database columns, and records, resembling database rows, play crucial roles in this system. Standard Objects Salesforce provides standard objects as a foundational CRM structure, encompassing entities like account, contact, opportunity, lead, and campaign. These standard objects act as tables containing records accessible through standard tabs such as Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, Leads, Campaigns, and more. Industry specific Salesforce Clouds have additional standard objects Custom Objects In addition to standard objects, Salesforce permits the creation of custom objects tailored to specific organizational data needs that may not be accommodated by standard objects. For instance, creating a custom object to manage employee checking and saving account details for processing biweekly salary, ensuring privacy by restricting access to the system administrator and the employee who initiated the record. Reports and dashboards can be generated based on data stored in custom objects, typically identified by a __c suffix. Standard vs. Custom Objects The distinctions between standard and custom objects are highlighted in the following table: Standard Object Custom Object Cannot be deleted Can be deleted Grant Access Using Hierarchies sharing access cannot be changed Grant Access Using Hierarchies sharing access can be changed Truncating standard objects is not possible Truncating custom objects is possible Custom fields can be created on standard objects Custom objects include some standard fields like Name, Created by, Last modified by, etc. External Objects Similar to custom objects, external objects enable the mapping of data stored outside the Salesforce organization. These objects rely on an external data source definition, such as Salesforce Connect or OData, to establish connections with external system data. Each external object corresponds to a data table in the external system, with fields mapping to table columns. External objects are typically denoted by a __x suffix. Standard and Custom Fields Both standard and custom objects include standard fields like Name, CreateDate, LastModifiedDate, and Owner fields. Standard fields are predefined and integral to the Salesforce application, while custom fields are tailored to meet specific business needs, allowing addition, modification, and deletion. Custom fields are often identified by a __c suffix and can include custom help text for user guidance. Like2 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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June 27, 2018in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Development Services, Salesforce Implementation Services
salesforce inbox
15May

Salesforce Inbox Explained

Salesforce Inbox explained. Enhance the productivity of sales reps with Inbox features, enabling efficient management of every email message, whether they’re on the move or at their desk. Available in: Lightning Experience Certain features are accessible with Sales Cloud and included in Starter, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited Editions. All features are accessible with Inbox, Sales Engagement, or Sales Cloud Einstein. An Inbox license grants access to Inbox features within the Outlook integration, Gmail integration, and Lightning Experience, and also provides entry to the mobile app. Outlook and Gmail Integration Features Email integrations empower sales reps to interact with Salesforce data directly within Microsoft Outlook and Gmail or through the Salesforce Inbox mobile app. The Outlook integration (with or without Inbox) is accessible as a Salesforce Outlook add-on from the Office Store. The Gmail integration (with or without Inbox) is available as a Salesforce Chrome Extension from the Chrome Web Store. The Inbox mobile app can be obtained from the Apple Store or Google Play Store. Certain Inbox features are also accessible when sending emails from Lightning Experience. Setting Up Inbox To configure Salesforce Inbox, enable the application for desktop, mobile, or both, designate users permitted to use Inbox, and customize Inbox features. All features are accessible with Inbox, Sales Engagement, or Sales Cloud Einstein. Using Inbox Features Boost productivity and efficiency with Inbox. View pertinent Salesforce records alongside your emails and events, and link email messages to Salesforce, keeping your colleagues informed about your communications. Access productivity features wherever you send emails. Once Salesforce Inbox is configured for your organization, Inbox users can install any or all Inbox clients. During installation, users link their email and calendar to Salesforce. Inbox Clients Each user requires an Inbox client to access Inbox features. The app offers various client options to support common Google™ and Microsoft® email platforms for desktop and mobile devices. Choose the client that aligns with your environment. Installing Inbox Clients To utilize Inbox, install the client that is compatible with your platform and email account. Utilizing Inbox Features in Outlook and Gmail Maximize productivity and efficiency with Inbox features directly within Microsoft Outlook® or Gmail™. Using Inbox Mobile Enhance productivity and efficiency while on the move with the Inbox mobile app. Salesforce Inbox Mobile Release Notes Inbox mobile was retired as of February 1, 2024. An Inbox license grants access to Inbox features within the Outlook integration, Gmail integration, and Lightning Experience, and also provides entry to the Inbox mobile app. Legacy Salesforce Inbox Legacy versions of the Salesforce Inbox Outlook add-in and Chrome extension have been retired. Inbox features are now accessible via the Salesforce add-in available in the Microsoft AppSource Store and the Chrome Web Store. An Inbox license unlocks the Inbox features you currently use. To continue utilizing Inbox features in Outlook and Gmail, obtain the Salesforce add-in for Outlook or the Chrome Extension for Gmail. Ensure to uninstall the legacy add-in or extension after installing the new version. Obtain the Salesforce add-in for Outlook Obtain the Salesforce add-in for Gmail (G Suite or Google Workspace email required) Content updated January 2024. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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May 15, 2018in Data, Enterprise, Google, Salesforce, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Sales Cloud
Salesforce analytics insurance
03May

Business Analysis and Project Management Acronyms

Here is a helpful glossary of business analysis and project management acronyms you may encounter when discussing business analysis and project management. Acronym Meaning Definition BPMN Business Process Management Notation “A flow chart method that models the steps of a planned business process from end to end. Its purpose is to model ways to improve efficiency, account for new circumstances or gain competitive advantage.” (source) CCMP Certified Change Management Professional CCMP (Certified Change Management Professional) is aimed at change management professionals, which includes Salesforce Consultants, Business Analysts, Project Managers, Salesforce Admins, and other similar roles. CIO Chief Information Officer The member of the C-suite who takes responsibility for IT systems, especially an organization’s data. DoD Definition of Done “Definition of done” relates to one of the requirements that the user story must adhere to for the Development Team to call it complete. This is following the acceptance criteria being met. FRS Functional Requirements Specification The project documentation where the business requirements are defined from an end user or business perspective. It will specify the expected outcomes. INVEST Independent, Negotiable, Valuable, Estimable, Small, Testable Use the INVEST checklist to assess the quality of a user story. Have you met all the criteria? JTBD Jobs To Be Done JTBD is a methodology for determining what problems users are trying to solve, focused on understanding users in terms of functional, emotional and social needs. JTBD is a core concept in the Strategy Designer Certification. PM Project Manager Project Managers oversee Salesforce projects end-to-end on a variety of Salesforce ‘clouds’ and levels of complexity. Their priority is to ensure the project is successful – delivered on time, and within budget.The responsibilities of a Salesforce Project Manager range from typical organizational tasks and technical acumen, through to work that requires emotional intelligence, tact, solid communication, and many other ‘soft’ skills. PMO Project Management Officers Project Management Officers work with the organization’s leaders to fulfill the same responsibilities as project managers. In addition, PMOs will carry out pre-project planning, such as risk analysis and opportunity analysis. PMP Project Management Professional Project Management Professional (PMP) equips project managers with up-to-date trends and practices with project management tools, processes, and methods. PPM Portfolio Project Management A category of technology that enables project managers to outline, track, and collaborate on a set of ongoing projects. PSA Professional Services Automation A category of technology that combines project management, time tracking, invoicing, resource planning, and more. PSM Professional Scrum Master Scrum helps people and teams deliver value incrementally in a collaborative manner. The entry level PSM-1 is aimed at understanding Scrum best practice when working on Agile projects. You will find this very useful on Salesforce projects. RACI Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed A matrix that delineates who is responsible for what in the context of the business analysis effort. Responsible (person who performs an activity or does the work), Accountable (person who is ultimately accountable for the outcome), Consulted (person who needs to provide feedback or contribute to the activity), Informed (person who needs to know of a decision or action). RFI Request for Information Requests For Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposal (RFPs) are a useful approach for teams evaluating Salesforce tooling – they allow you to quickly source information on features, workflows, and pricing from a range of vendors. RFP Request for Purchase Requests For Information (RFIs) and Requests for Proposal (RFPs) are a useful approach for teams evaluating Salesforce tooling – they allow you to quickly source information on features, workflows, and pricing from a range of vendors. SIPOC Supplier, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers SIPOC is a type of process map that shows the key elements of a process such as Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs, and Customers. SoW Statement of Work The SoW is a legal document that outlines the work to be carried out (the scope), what’s excluded (out of scope), the client-side responsibilities, and the project schedule and fees. SRS System Requirements Specification The project documentation that details how the complete system should function and enumerates hardware, software, and functional and behavioral requirements of the system. UML Unified Modeling Language Diagramming that uses “a common visual language in the complex world of software development that would also be understandable for business users and anyone who wants to understand a system”. (source) UPN Universal Process Notation A simpler and more engaging diagramming notation that has been designed to be easily understood by all the stakeholders and viewed online. As a hierarchical diagram, you are able to drill down to give more detail (with no limit to the number of levels you can go down). business analysis and project management acronyms Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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May 3, 2018in Data, Salesforce, Technology
salesforce chatter app
08Nov

Salesforce Hashtags in Chatter

In Salesforce Chatter, using hashtags serves several purposes, enhancing collaboration and content organization within the platform. Here are some reasons why users might use hashtags in Chatter: Remember that the effectiveness of hashtags in Chatter relies on users adopting and consistently using them. Encouraging a common understanding of hashtag usage and promoting their benefits can lead to improved collaboration and content organization within the Salesforce environment. For instance, suppose you share an update mentioning your ongoing work on a sales presentation for Universal Paper, a customer of yours. Enhance your post by adding the hashtag topic #UniversalPaper. Users can simply click on this topic to access more details about Universal Paper and view ongoing discussions involving individuals and groups interested in Universal Paper. Additionally, anyone can conduct a search for Universal Paper, and the topic will feature in the search results. Clicking on the topic reveals all accessible areas where the topic has been assigned. When composing an update, simply type # followed by your chosen text. While typing, choose a topic from the provided suggestions or press ENTER to include it. Each topic can comprise up to three words. Topics are automatically concluded by commas ( , ) and closing square brackets ( ] ). Other punctuation, symbols, and separators are supported in topic names. Afterward, click Share. The hashtag topic transforms into a link leading to the topic detail page. Furthermore, the topic (excluding the hashtag) is automatically appended to the top-level post in your update. For example, by including #UniversalPaper in a comment beneath your colleague’s post, the topic Universal Paper gets added to your colleague’s original post. Following the posting of an update, the exclusive method to eliminate a hashtag topic in Lightning Experience is by either deleting or editing the post or comment. In Salesforce Classic, removal of the topic from the top-level post is possible. Like2 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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November 8, 2017in Salesforce
Salesforce Data Studio
27Sep

Salesforce Data Studio

Data Studio Overview Salesforce Data Studio is Salesforce’s premier solution for audience discovery, data acquisition, and data provisioning, offering access to the world’s largest premium data ecosystem. It provides: Data Studio is a self-service platform that connects data owners and buyers directly, fostering new opportunities for audience discovery, sharing, and activation. Leading brands like Anheuser-Busch, Conagra, Essence, and Heineken leverage Salesforce Data Studio to enhance the value of their data and drive revenue. Announcing Salesforce Data Studio Salesforce Data Studio addresses the shortcomings of traditional data exchanges and marketplaces. Unlike legacy platforms that rely on intermediaries, Data Studio allows data owners to maintain control and transparency. The platform ensures secure transactions with comprehensive data governance tools, enabling precise control over data access, usage, and duration. Key Features of Salesforce Data Studio: Industry Reactions Salesforce Marketing Cloud: The Leader in Digital Marketing Salesforce Marketing Cloud enables marketers to deliver connected, personalized, and real-time consumer engagement across all channels globally. With Marketing Cloud Einstein, marketers can harness artificial intelligence to optimize timing, channel, content, and audience for their marketing messages. Brands like Dunkin’ Donuts and Nestle Waters rely on Marketing Cloud to enhance engagement and advance their business goals. On average, companies using Marketing Cloud see a 27% increase in campaign effectiveness and a 26% boost in marketing ROI. Pricing and Availability Salesforce Data Studio is available now in several editions: The new Audience Discovery and Search feature will be available starting November 2017. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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September 27, 2017in Artificial Intelligence, Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Technology
Salesforce roles and responsibilities
11Apr

CRM Cloud Salesforce

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

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April 11, 2017in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud, Technology
abc
05Mar

Alphabet Soup of Cloud Terminology

As with any technology, the cloud brings its own alphabet soup of terms. This insight will hopefully help you navigate your way through the terminology, and provide you the knowledge and power to make the decisions you need to make when considering a new cloud implementation. Here’s the list of terms we will cover in this article: Phew—that’s a lot. Let’s dig in to the definitions and examples to help drive home the meanings of the list of terms above. SaaS (Software as a Service) This is probably the most common implementation of cloud services end users experience. This is software that users access through their web browser. Some software may be installed locally to help augment functionality or provide a richer user experience, but the software installed locally has minimal impact on the user’s computer. Figure 1 provides a high-level overview of this concept. Figure 1 High-level overview of Software as a Service You are probably a user Facebook, Google docs, Office 365, Salesforce, or LinkedIn either at home or at work, so you’ve experienced SaaS first hand and probably for a long time. What SaaS tools are you using outside of those mentioned here? Reach out and let me know—I’m very curious. PaaS (Platform as a Service) PaaS allows a developer to deploy code to an environment that supports their software but they do not have full access to the operating system. In this case the developer has no server responsibility or server access. When I first started writing about cloud technology three years ago, this was kind of primitive service. The provider would just give you access to a folder somewhere on the server with just a bit of documentation and then you were on your own. Now there are tools, such as CloudFoundry, that allow a developer to deploy right from their Integrated Development Environment (IDE) or from a command line production release tool. Then CloudFoundry can take the transmitted release and install it correctly into the cloud environment. With a little trial and error, anyone with a bit of technical skills can deploy to a tool like CloudFoundry where the older style of PaaS took a lot of skill and experience to deploy correctly. IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) Originally IaaS dealt with a provider giving a user access to a virtual machine located on a system in the provider’s data center. A virtual machine is an operating system that resides in a piece of software on the host computer. Virtual Box, Parallels and VMWare are examples of software that provide virtualization of operating systems called Virtual Machines (VM) Virtualization of servers was all the rage for a while, but when you try to scale within the cloud with multiple virtual servers there are a lot of drawbacks. First, it’s a lot of work to make VMs aware of each other and they don’t always share filesystems and resources easily. Plus, as your needs grow, VMs with a lot of memory and disk space are very expensive, and very often an application on a VM is only using a portion of the OS. For example, if you are deploying a tool that does data aggregation and runs as a service you won’t be taking advantage of the web server that might be running on server too. The issues mentioned in the previous paragraph are common headaches for those moving their on-premise implementations to the cloud, and those headaches gave rise to Docker. Docker is a lighter weight form of virtualization that allows for easier sharing of files, versioning, and configuration. Servers that could only host a few VMs can host thousands of Docker images, so providers get better bang for the buck for their server purchases. Further explanation of Docker is an article all by itself, but for now it’s import to realize that Docker needs to be part of any discussion of moving your applications to the cloud. DaaS (Desktop as a Service) Desktop computers are expensive for large corporations to implement and maintain. The cost of the OS, hardware, security software, productivity software, and more start to add up to where it makes a major impact on any corporation’s budget. Then just as they finish deploying new systems to everyone in the company, it’s time to start upgrading again because Microsoft just released a new OS. Another fact with most desktop computers is that they are heavily underutilized, and DaaS allows an IT department to dynamically allocate RAM and disk space based on user need. In addition backups and restores are a breeze in this environment, and if you are using a third party provider all you need to do is make a phone call when a restore of a file or desktop is needed. Plus upgrades to new operating systems are seamless because the DaaS provider takes care of them for you. The main advantage I see with DaaS is security. With one project I was involved with, we restored the state of each Desktop to a base configuration each night. While this did not affect user files, it did remove any malware that might have been accidently installed by a user clicking on the wrong email. Documents from Microsoft Office or Adobe products were scanned with a separate antivirus program residing on the storage system they were a part of, and the network appliance that we used did not allow for the execution of software. That made it very secure for the client I was working with. So what does a user have on their desktops? Luckily in recent years there has been an explosion of low cost computing devices, such as a Raspberry PI, that support Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) so your users could access a windows desktop from the linux-based PI which you can get for a measely . DaaS is awesome for your average information worker, but for a power user like a software developer this setup in my experience doesn’t work well. Your average developer needs

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March 5, 2016in Data, Google, Salesforce, Technology
Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation
02Sep

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 of industry clouds: Salesforce Health Cloud. This new cloud CRM offering aims to become a catalyst for positive change in the healthcare industry, shifting focus from traditional critical care to a more holistic patient-centric approach. Salesforce identifies a gap in existing systems, which are heavily centered around electronic medical record (EMR) systems designed primarily for billing rather than comprehensive patient care. Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation by bringing a patient-focused tool kit to medical care. Industry Transformation The healthcare sector is reorienting itself around health outcomes rather than billing outcomes. Joshua Newman, a former primary care doctor and current Chief Medical Officer and General Manager of Salesforce Health Care and Life Sciences, elaborated on this transformation in a recent blog post: “Because of the Affordable Care Act and new outcome-based reimbursements, healthcare providers are treating patients like customers for the first time. This shift is beneficial for patients as it places patient relationships — not records or revenue-cycle management systems — at the center of care delivery.” This shift is echoed by industry leaders like Jeroen Tas, CEO of Philips Healthcare Informatics Solutions and Services, who described the transformation in healthcare as connecting previously unlinked data to make it actionable and improve patient outcomes. Key Components of Salesforce Health Cloud Set to be available from February 2016, Salesforce Health Cloud is built on the Salesforce Service Cloud platform and includes: How Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Building on Experience Health Cloud benefits from having a qualified physician at the helm, enhancing its industry relevance. Salesforce has leveraged the experience of long-term health customers such as Centura Health, DJO Global, Radboud University Medical Center, and the University of California, San Francisco, in designing the solution. Exploiting Scale Salesforce is targeting its industry cloud solutions at volume market opportunities, aiming for solutions that both clinicians and patients can interact with. This aligns with the broader strategy outlined in the Financial Services Cloud launch. Working with Partners Pre-built integrations into EMR and other data sources are key components of the Healthcare Cloud, facilitated by ecosystem integration partners Mulesoft and Persistent Systems. Philips provides connectivity to medical devices and applications leveraging its HealthSuite digital platform. Integration partners are delivering services for implementation, connectivity, and content management. Showcasing the Platform Salesforce is emphasizing the proactive approach to healthcare demanded by a new generation of ‘digital native’ consumers. Research indicates that 71% of millennials want doctors to provide a mobile app for health management, and 63% are interested in sharing data from wearables with their doctors. However, getting healthcare professionals to adopt new technologies like Chatter is a significant step forward, as noted by Newman. Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation The rapid succession of industry cloud announcements from Salesforce suggests that the public sector and life sciences clouds might also debut before Dreamforce, which starts in two weeks. Both the Health Cloud and Financial Services Cloud signify Salesforce’s commitment to driving substantial transformations in their respective industries. These initiatives represent big bets on radical change rather than incremental improvements, positioning Salesforce as a key player in the ongoing evolution of industry-specific cloud solutions. Learning that your industry is targeted by a Salesforce industry cloud can be likened to the traditional Chinese curse of living in interesting times, signaling impending significant changes. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

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September 2, 2015in Data, Life Sciences Cloud, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Health Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud
Salesforce OEM AppExchange
30Nov

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. This move allows on-demand service providers in various industries to leverage Salesforce’s powerful platform. The OEM edition extends the Salesforce.com platform to third-party SaaS providers, enabling them to tap into its core features, such as the operating system, customization tools, Web Service APIs, workflow, and business logic, according to Kendall Collins, Salesforce’s Vice President of Product Marketing. For example, a real estate management software vendor could utilize Salesforce’s dashboard, customizing it to track real estate data like foreclosures instead of sales opportunities. AppExchange OEM Edition will be available for per user per month, with users managing the pricing and availability of their specific solutions. This expansion highlights the growing adoption of the on-demand model in industries beyond CRM. ISV (Independent Software Vendor) companies commonly sell licenses for their apps via the Salesforce AppExchange, which is one of the most popular methods. For example, they might sell five licenses for a managed package app. With the new AppExchange checkout features powered by Stripe (previously Recurly), processing payments for these licenses is straightforward. Some companies choose to make revenue by selling CRM licenses in addition to their apps, often offering customers discounted CRM licenses. These ISV licenses are custom-built and contractually limited to specific objects and permissions. A significant level of trust is involved, as Salesforce can audit the end-customer at any time to ensure they are only using the objects specified in the agreement. When it comes to pricing, ISVs often charge in two parts: one fee for the app license and another for the CRM license. However, this is typically bundled as a single charge to the customer for simplicity. Customers can adopt these ISV apps as part of a broader Salesforce org, using several onboarding methods, including Trialforce, an AppExchange free trial, or an install with a trial period expiration date. These apps are often integrated into larger business processes, providing value beyond their standalone features. OEM Licensing: OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) and Embedded licensing are essentially the same. OEM licenses are designed for internal apps. For portals, ISV Portal licenses are used, though these do not include Chatter and must interact via a Force.com site. These licenses function similarly to Authenticated Website or Customer Portal licenses. OEM licensing allows companies to use Salesforce as a controlled environment to present their app. For instance, a developer might opt for the OEM model to prevent end-users from making any customizations. The app would have one admin user who sees that it is running on Salesforce, while other users interact with it through a custom interface built on a Force.com site. A common concern for OEM app developers is pricing. While Chatter Plus licenses cost $15 per month (for CRM only), developers often seek clarification on the cost of OEM licenses from Salesforce, hoping for a rate lower than $15 per user per month. They must also factor in their own fees on top of the Salesforce OEM license price. Key Differences Between ISV and OEM Licensing: In an OEM setup, at least one full Salesforce System Administrator is required in the customer’s org. However, this admin does not have the ability to add more licenses to the org or alter the customizations visible to end-users, so their influence over the app’s functionality is limited. ISV app licenses offer more flexibility and are commonly available on the AppExchange, OEM apps represent a complete solution that uses Salesforce as a platform but often hides the underlying Salesforce infrastructure from end-users. Like1 Related Posts The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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November 30, 2006in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Development Services, Salesforce Implementation Services

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