AI and automation are reshaping the workplace. The new features unveiled at Dreamforce 2024 highlight how Slack and Salesforce are helping organizations work smarter, not harder. With these capabilities, teams can accelerate their performance and deliver better outcomes.
Deploying Salesforce Flow tests is not just about hitting “go” and hoping for the best. It requires more than simply moving automations from a Sandbox environment to production. Successful deployment demands thoughtful planning and attention to detail. In this post, we’ll dive deeper into deploying Flow tests effectively, covering key factors like independent testing and ensuring environment consistency. Building on our ongoing series, we’ll provide practical insights to help you achieve smooth deployments and reliable test execution. Key Considerations for Deploying Flow Tests Steps to Deploy Flow Tests Using Change Sets Final Thoughts Deploying Flow tests effectively is critical for maintaining the integrity of your automations across environments. Skipping the testing phase is like driving with a blindfold—one mistake could disrupt your workflows and cause chaos in critical processes. By following these guidelines, particularly focusing on independent testing and post-deployment checks, you can help ensure your Salesforce Flows continue to operate smoothly. Stay tuned for future insights for Flownatics where we’ll dive into more advanced aspects of Flow tests, helping you further optimize your Salesforce automation processes. Need more advice on testing your automations in Salesforce? Let’s chat! 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 AI and Cohere-Powered Slack Agents: Seamless CRM Data Interaction and Enhanced Productivity Slack agents, powered by Salesforce AI and integrated with Cohere, enable seamless interaction with CRM data within the Slack platform. These agents allow teams to use natural language to surface data insights and take action, simplifying workflows. With Slack’s AI Workflow Builder and support for third-party AI agents, including Cohere, productivity is further enhanced through automated processes and customizable AI assistants. By leveraging these technologies, Slack agents provide users with direct access to CRM data and AI-powered insights, improving efficiency and collaboration. Key Features of Slack Agents: Salesforce AI and Cohere Productivity Enhancements with Slack Agents: Salesforce AI and Cohere AI Agent Capabilities in Slack: Salesforce and Cohere Data Security and Compliance for Slack Agents FAQ What are Slack agents, and how do they integrate with Salesforce AI and Cohere?Slack agents are AI-powered assistants that enable teams to interact with CRM data directly within Slack. Salesforce AI agents allow natural language data interactions, while Cohere’s integration enhances productivity with customizable AI assistants and automated workflows. How do Salesforce AI agents in Slack improve team productivity?Salesforce AI agents enable users to interact with both CRM and conversational data, update records, and analyze opportunities using natural language. This integration improves workflow efficiency, leading to a reported 47% productivity boost. What features does the Cohere integration with Slack AI offer?Cohere integration offers customizable AI assistants that can help generate workflows, summarize channel content, and provide intelligent responses to user queries within Slack. How do Slack agents handle data security and compliance?Slack agents leverage cloud-native DLP solutions, automatically detecting sensitive data across different file types and setting up automated remediation processes for enhanced security and compliance. Can Slack agents work with AI providers beyond Salesforce and Cohere?Yes, Slack supports AI agents from various providers. In addition to Salesforce AI and Cohere, integrations include Adobe Express, Anthropic, Perplexity, IBM, and Amazon Q Business, offering users a wide array of AI-powered capabilities. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Key Dates for the Winter ’25 Release Winter ’25 is Approaching! Can you believe it’s that time of year again? Salesforce is gearing up for its most anticipated release of the year, and Demand Chain is here to assist you in getting ready. There’s a lot to explore, so grab your coffee (or your preferred caffeinated beverage) and let’s dive in! Starting August 8, 2024, admins can sign up for a pre-release Developer Edition environment to access new features. Be sure to check out the Release Notes available from August 14, 2024, to stay updated on the latest enhancements for the products you use. Each release includes a Sandbox Preview Guide to help you determine the best next steps for your sandbox environment. The Sandbox previews, which began on August 30, 2024, allow you to test, identify, and report bugs before the major release hits your production instance. Let’s work together to ensure we’re “Release Ready”! Admin Insights User Access Summary To streamline the process of determining user permissions, administrators can now easily view all permissions granted to a specific user in just a few clicks. The “Access Granted By” feature, introduced in Spring ’24, is enhanced in Winter ’25 to show the specific sources of a user’s access. Inline Editing with Enhanced User List View With the Winter ’25 release, you can configure user list views just like any other list view in Salesforce. Now, you can view, sort, filter, and modify user records directly within the list view without navigating away. Conditional Formatting for Fields Conditional formatting can now be applied to fields on pages with Dynamic Forms enabled. Using rulesets, you can customize icons and colors based on specific criteria related to field values. Enhanced Custom Report Setup (Beta) Enhance your custom report types with the redesigned Custom Report page in Setup. The new summary page offers greater flexibility and visibility into report details, with features like drag-and-drop sections, field search, name customization, and the Lookup Fields button for adding up to 1,000 fields to the report type layout. Sales Cloud Updates Optimize Strategic Planning with Account Plans Empower your sales team to take a strategic approach to account planning and growth. Account plans allow you to view opportunity details, conduct a SWOT analysis, capture customer needs, set measurable objectives, and visualize key stakeholders. Seller Home Available for All Apps Seller Home now provides your sales team with a comprehensive view of their business and can be added to any standard or custom app with the Winter ’25 release. Forecasting Enhancements Service Cloud Innovations My Service Journey (Beta) Explore Service Cloud with My Service Journey, where you can discover relevant capabilities and filter by business areas, Salesforce edition, and new features. If you find something of interest but lack access, you can easily contact your Salesforce Account Executive directly from the platform. Enhanced Messaging Channels and Capabilities Salesforce has broadened its messaging options to include additional channels like LINE Messaging, Bring Your Own Channel (BYOC), BYOC for Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS), and Unified Messaging for SMS. Flow Updates Flow Action Buttons Now Generally Available With the removal of the beta flag, Flow Action Buttons can now be disabled based on specific criteria. Flow Repeater Enhancements Improve user experience by prepopulating data within screen flows, allowing users to easily change a collection of records. You can also control whether users can add new items. Transform Element Enhancements New data types (e.g., Boolean, Date, Picklist, Text) are now available for use as Target Data values. Developer Insights Real-Time Preview of Lightning Web Components Developers can now preview Lightning Web Components in real-time by enabling Local Dev (Beta) in their developer sandbox. Changes to the source code will automatically update the preview, eliminating the need to refresh manually. Manufacturing Updates Inventory Search and Transfer Empower inventory managers to maintain optimal levels, fulfill product demands, and enhance inventory processes by easily searching and tracking stock across various locations. Consider Decimal Values for Forecasts Accurately forecast quantities with new decimal fields on Sales Agreements, supported by a new node in the Data Processing Engine templates. AI/Data Cloud Highlights The Winter ’25 release introduces a variety of new and enhanced Einstein AI features, transforming how businesses leverage artificial intelligence. Salesforce Einstein is leading the way with tools that boost productivity, enhance customer engagement, and facilitate data-driven decision-making. Main Einstein Feature Summary Table The release notes highlight key Einstein AI features across various clouds, such as Communications, Education, Field Service, Industries, Marketing, Sales, and Service. Features like Einstein Quick Quote, Alumni Metrics, and AI-driven insights are designed to enhance productivity and decision-making. Einstein Personalization: Data Cloud Einstein Personalization works with Data Cloud to deliver personalized experiences across Salesforce clouds. Customized Work Summaries in Copilot You can now tailor how Einstein drafts Work Summaries in Copilot by setting your formatting rules or restrictions for the prompt template. Sales Signals Sales managers and teams can access enhanced features from Sales Signals, including relevant metrics, key themes, and featured mentions. The revamped Signals page matches the updated ECI interface, providing more metrics and relevant data. AI Enhancements to Emails AI-driven improvements are being introduced in areas of Salesforce where emails are generated. Flow Builder Enhancements The release includes several AI enhancements to the Flow Builder, improving how flows are constructed and optimized. AI Accelerator and Scoring Framework Utilize AI Accelerator to obtain predictions across multiple Industry clouds, enabling the creation of generic propensity models without coding by leveraging the Scoring Framework. 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
With AI tools becoming increasingly prevalent in workplaces worldwide, the focus has shifted from their novelty to optimizing productivity and effectiveness. AI Agents and Work. At Dreamforce 2024, AI agents were a hot topic, particularly with the launch of Salesforce’s new Agentforce platform. However, Slack also made its mark in the AI space, keen to demonstrate its role in transforming the future of work. TechRadar Pro sat down with Slack CEO Denise Dresser to explore how AI is reshaping the platform and why businesses should embrace this transformation. “Work is Broken” “Work, fundamentally, is broken,” Dresser stated, explaining that many workers spend too much time on what she describes as “the work of work.” This often involves switching between disconnected enterprise apps and navigating through data silos just to access the basic information needed to perform their jobs. Dresser emphasized that AI is poised to relieve much of this burden. She highlighted the “incredible wave” of AI adoption across industries, with over 13,000 AI-powered apps built on Slack. “We’re really investing in ensuring AI works for every worker, driving more productivity,” she said, noting that we’re in one of the most significant periods of change in the workplace, full of both opportunity and questions. Slack’s AI-Powered Enhancements With the support of its parent company, Salesforce, Slack has fully embraced AI, offering a broad range of tools designed to improve productivity. Dresser pointed to Slack’s summarization tools, which streamline workflows by surfacing important items from channels and conversations—tools she finds invaluable in her own workday. In addition, Slack’s Huddles—quick, impromptu meetings—now come with AI enhancements, including a new canvas sidebar that generates summaries, notes, and action items in real-time from a live transcript. Slack AI is also integrated into Workflow Builder, allowing users to automate processes using natural language, eliminating the resistance that some workers may feel toward adopting AI. “Slack is the natural place for work,” Dresser said, explaining that the future of work will involve searching, collaborating, and taking action all within the flow of daily tasks. “That vision has never been more true, and never been more real, because this moment is here.” The Era of AI Agents AI agents represent another major step forward for Slack. Dresser noted that third-party integrations with tools like Adobe, Box, and Workday will help facilitate seamless conversations across multiple apps without the need to switch between them. “The era of agents is a big idea, and it’s happening now,” she remarked. However, Dresser stressed the importance of ensuring a smooth transition, noting that onboarding customers effectively will be key to fulfilling this vision. “We think that’s the future.” Looking Ahead: AI at the Core of Work With the technology now in place, the responsibility lies with workers and managers to leverage AI to enhance their daily routines. “What we focus on is making sure we build a product that people love,” Dresser said, adding, “there’s really no one in the world that can offer the breadth of product that can operate across your entire business at the scale we can.” Dresser concluded with optimism about the future of work: “We’re really excited about this innovation meeting this moment. I don’t think there could be a better time for us, and we’re very optimistic about what’s ahead.” Slack’s AI-powered future is designed to break down barriers, streamline workflows, and make work more efficient for everyone. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Salesforce Unveils Innovative Slack Updates Ahead of its Dreamforce conference in San Francisco later this week, Salesforce has introduced several groundbreaking updates to Slack, designed to consolidate company knowledge, data, agents, apps, and automation into a unified, agent-powered work operating system. New Slack Innovations. The latest enhancements to Slack include: Denise Dresser, CEO of Slack, commented on the updates: “Slack’s agent-powered work operating system is transforming productivity by seamlessly integrating purpose-built AI, customer data, and automation into the everyday workflow. This innovation isn’t just about improving how work gets done—it’s about unlocking new levels of productivity to drive business success across every team and department. In a complex work environment, true productivity demands a future-ready work operating system, and Slack is leading the way.” For more information on these updates and how they can benefit your organization, stay tuned for further details from Dreamforce. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Integrate Salesforce Account Engagement, fka Pardot, with Evernote Using Tray.io for Seamless Automation Connecting Salesforce Marketing Cloud Account Engagement and Evernote is simple and powerful with the Tray.io platform. Using Tray.io’s connectors, you can integrate Pardot with Evernote and other services without needing multiple integration tools. About Account Engagement: Account Engagement, formerly known as Pardot, is Salesforce’s lead marketing automation system, designed to help businesses reach potential clients through automated email, targeted campaigns, and other channels. Getting Started with Pardot on Tray.io Once authenticated, you can use Tray.io’s intuitive workflow builder to create custom automation flows between Pardot and Evernote. This integration allows teams to sync notes, manage lead information, and coordinate marketing tasks with minimal effort, maximizing both platforms’ capabilities. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Salesforce Expands Slack Automation with New Workflow Features Salesforce has introduced new capabilities in Slack, allowing customers to build workflows that automatically trigger when an event occurs in third-party apps like PagerDuty, Asana, Bitbucket, and others. This update also enhances the user experience, making it more intuitive to create workflows in Slack. Users now have access to over 50 plug-and-play templates tailored to common productivity tasks. Additionally, developers gain access to more coding languages and tools for building custom workflows, which can be easily shared with their teams. Why It Matters Key Highlights Workflow Builder, Slack’s no-code automation tool, empowers users to streamline tasks directly within Slack, reducing the burden on IT teams. Salesforce highlights the following new features: From Slack’s Perspective Slack has also made it easier to customize workflows with expanded developer tools. Developers can now build custom steps using open APIs and new developer resources, integrating these steps into Workflow Builder. These tools support additional programming languages, including JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, and Java, further enhancing the flexibility of custom workflows. According to Rob Seaman, Slack’s Chief Product Officer, “At Slack, one of our product principles is ‘don’t make me think.’ We’re applying that to automation, making it intuitive and delightful for everyone. These new features empower both developers and end users to automate any business process across their apps seamlessly in Slack.” What This Means for Businesses As companies seek ways to increase productivity without overloading IT teams, automation has become a critical solution. Tools like Slack’s no-code Workflow Builder enable users of any skill level to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time for more strategic work. This is particularly important in an era where skilled workers, especially in data science and programming, are in short supply. The expanded capabilities in Workflow Builder make it easier to create powerful workflows that integrate with third-party systems. In addition, Salesforce has expanded Slack AI, initially launched in April as an add-on for paying customers, to support multiple languages, including Japanese and Spanish. This ongoing development strengthens Slack’s position as a central hub for workplace automation. 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
Slack Advances Its Work Operating System with Enhanced Automation Capabilities With 3,000 workflows created this year alone, Rivian relies on Slack’s automation features to save time and boost team productivity. Slack Operating System are making a world of difference. Salesforce has announced new innovations in Slack, making it easier for users to build automations regardless of their technical expertise. Key Updates: Why This Matters: With 71% of business leaders under pressure to increase team productivity, and 70% of IT leaders concerned that rising business demands could stifle innovation, automation is crucial. A recent survey reveals that 77% of users believe automating routine tasks would significantly boost productivity. Companies need user-friendly, no-code automation solutions that enhance productivity without overburdening IT departments. A Closer Look: Slack’s Perspective: Rob Seaman, Chief Product Officer at Slack, stated, “At Slack, one of our product principles is ‘don’t make me think.’ We’re applying that principle to the traditionally technical and time-consuming area of automation, making it an intuitive and delightful productivity driver for everyone. These new features make Slack even more powerful, giving both developers and end users the tools they need to automate any business process across their work apps.” Customer Reaction: “Automation is a core capability that increases productivity and saves time for Rivian employees when doing repetitive work. Workflow Builder allows Slack users to easily create no-code automation at any experience level. Our Slack users created approximately 3,000 workflows in 2024, with heavy adoption in Production, Operation, and Service groups,” said Anoop Narang, Head of Digital Workplace & Solutions at Rivian. Availability: The enhancements to Workflow Builder are now generally available to all customers. Other app updates you might have missed. Slack 4.40.120 August 27, 2024 Bug Fixes Slack 4.39.95 July 29, 2024 Bug Fixes Slack 4.39.93 July 18, 2024 Bug Fixes Slack 4.39.90 July 8, 2024 Bug Fixes Slack 4.39.89 June 25, 2024 Bug Fixes 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
When and Why Should You Use a Flow in Salesforce? Flow is Salesforce’s premier tool for creating configurable automation and guided user experiences. If you need to build a process that doesn’t require the complexity of Apex code, Flow should be your go-to solution. It’s versatile, user-friendly, and equipped to handle a wide range of business automation needs. Legacy tools like Process Builder and Workflow Rules are being phased out, with support ending in December 2025. While you may choose to edit existing automations in these tools temporarily, migrating to Flow should be a top priority for future-proofing your Salesforce org. Capabilities of FlowFlows allow you to: When Should You Avoid Using a Flow?Although Flow is powerful, it’s not the right choice in every scenario. Here are situations where it may not be suitable: Creating a Flow in Salesforce Pro Tips for Flow Building Flow vs. Apex: Which to Choose?Flows are simpler, faster to deploy, and accessible to admins without coding expertise. Apex, on the other hand, is suited for complex use cases requiring advanced logic or integrations. Here’s when Apex should be used instead: Why Flows Are the FutureSalesforce has positioned Flow as the central automation tool by deprecating Workflow Rules and Process Builder. With every release, Flow’s capabilities expand, making it easier to replace tasks traditionally requiring Apex. For instance: Final ThoughtsSalesforce admins should prioritize building and migrating automation to Flow. It’s a scalable and admin-friendly tool that ensures your org stays up-to-date with Salesforce’s evolving ecosystem. Whether you’re automating basic processes or tackling complex workflows, Flow provides the flexibility to meet your needs. 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
Developer Enhancements Salesforce Flow Enhancements Flow Orchestrator Enhancements How to Access and Use Key Salesforce Features View the Automation Lightning App: Manage Steps in an Orchestration Stage: Customize the Flow Orchestration Work Guide Component: Customize SMS One-Time Password Delivery for Experience Cloud Sites: Control Authenticated Callouts Permissions: Improve Data Transmission Speed and Security with TLS 1.3: Enable LWC Stacked Modals: Additional Enhancements: Salesforce Mobile App Enhancements Resolve Sync Issues with Offline Drafts: Access Hyperlinks in Enhanced Reports: Messaging in the Salesforce Mobile App: Seller-Focused Sales Mobile Experience: Stay Informed About Upcoming Releases: Check Out Resources: 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
Capture Forecasts with Forecast Submissions Track sales forecasts accurately: Submit and review forecasts to keep them up-to-date with the latest estimates and quota comparisons. Available in Lightning Experience for Professional, Developer, Enterprise, and Unlimited editions with Sales Cloud. Forecast SubmissionsHow: Enable Forecast Submissions by navigating to the Forecast Settings page in Setup. Sales reps and managers can then use icons in the forecast summary to submit forecasts or review past submissions. Note that forecast submissions are restricted to forecast types excluding product family or other forecast groups. Expand the Reach of Your Enhanced CMS ContentHow: To publish content from enhanced CMS workspaces to Aura site channels using non-enhanced APIs, ensure the “Use non-enhanced APIs” setting is enabled by default. This setting allows you to continue using non-enhanced CMS Managed Content Resources without disrupting your existing processes. New workspaces created as of Winter ‘25 will be enhanced by default. Monitor Additional User PermissionsHow: Access additional user permission metrics from the Security Center under the User category in Security Overview. Metrics include permissions like Retain Field History, View Real-time Event Monitoring Data, and more. Integrate Knowledge and Unified Knowledge with Data CloudHow: In Data Cloud Setup, select Salesforce CRM and Standard Data Bundles. Choose Service Cloud and install or update the Service data kit. This integration prepares your Knowledge base for future enhancements with Data Cloud. Boost Service Efficiency by Automating Milestone Actions with FlowHow: Open the milestone from an entitlement process, click Add Actions, and select New Flow to add the autolaunched flow. Customize and activate this action in Flow Builder. Additional Enhancements Reference Multiple Picklist Values in Restriction and Scoping Rules Streamlined State and Country Picklist Setup Restore Only the Latest Entity History Records Selective Sandbox Access for Developer Sandboxes Find and Merge Duplicate Prospect Records Retirement of Campaign Member Status Chart Enhance Sales Forecast Accuracy with Manager Judgment Connect Unified Knowledge to More Systems Prioritize Cases by Tracking Milestone Time Renamed and Retired Features Retired: Social Customer Service Starter Pack, Embedded Appointment Management, Embedded Flows, Close Date Predictions, Cadence Builder Classic (1.0), Externally Built Models in Einstein Discovery, Einstein Automated Contacts (Feb 2025), Salesforce Functions (Jan 31, 2025), Embedded Appointment Management (Jun 17, 2025), Legacy Chat (Feb 14, 2026), Salesforce for Outlook (Dec 2027). 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 Winter ’25 updates and retirements are available through the pre-release program. On August 30, 2024, Sandboxes will be upgraded, providing your organization with the Winter ’25 release experience. Connecting Unified Knowledge to Third-Party SystemsSteps to Implement: Before adding a connector, review the connector requirements in the Zoomin documentation. Then, in Setup, enter “Unified Knowledge” in the Quick Find box and select it. Click “Add a Source” and choose your desired connector. Help Agents Prioritize Cases with Milestone TrackingEnhance your agents’ ability to prioritize cases and maintain high service standards by tracking the time remaining for case milestones. With the “Time to Next Milestone” column in the case list view, agents can easily identify overdue, nearly due, or paused cases. This feature previously lacked a clear prioritization indicator, especially when managing multiple cases.Steps to Implement: Open the case list view and check the “Time to Next Milestone” column to see the time left for the current milestone and when the next one begins. Use sorting and filtering options to focus on cases with overdue or paused milestones. Feature Renaming and Retirement Developer’s Point of View Quickly Develop Lightning Web Components with Real-Time Preview (Beta)Speed up LWC development using Local Dev (beta), which provides a real-time preview of your Lightning app or Experience Cloud site. The preview updates automatically as you make code changes, helping you iterate faster without needing to deploy or refresh manually. This new experience is an improvement over the limited capabilities of the LWC Local Development Server.Steps to Implement: To enable Local Dev, go to Setup, search for “Local Dev” in the Quick Find box, and select it. Then, enable Local Dev (Beta) for all users in your org. Gain Insight into Component Code with LWS DistortionsDebug your Lightning Web Security (LWS) components by toggling specific distortions on and off to observe different behaviors. Steps to Implement: Enable debug mode in your Salesforce org. With your component loaded in a browser, open the developer console, list flags using $LWS.namespaces.c.distortions, and toggle distortions by setting their associated flags. Develop Lightning Web Components with TypeScript (Developer Preview)Improve productivity and code quality by developing LWCs with TypeScript. This new capability allows you to write and convert components using TypeScript. Steps to Implement: Install TypeScript v5.4.5 or later. Ensure your project has a tsconfig.json file with target set to “ESNext”. Configure the paths option for each LWC module. The Lightning Language Server extension for VS Code can automate this setup for Salesforce DX projects. Prepare for Native Shadow DOM in Base Lightning ComponentsSalesforce is updating base Lightning components to support native shadow DOM for better performance and standards compliance. Ensure your tests do not depend on the previous internal DOM structure of these components. Track Apex Exceptions with Free-Tier Event MonitoringNow, you can track unhandled exceptions in Apex code using free-tier Event Monitoring, which provides detailed logs for troubleshooting.Steps to Implement: Review and analyze Apex Unexpected Exception event logs instead of relying on email alerts. Understand SOQL Error ChangesRecent updates may affect Apex code that parses SOQL error messages, particularly dynamic SOQL code.Steps to Implement: Review these changes and update your code as necessary to handle new error messages. Consistent Behavior When Iterating SetsIn API version 62.0 and later, modifying set elements during iteration will throw an exception, providing more consistent behavior.Example Code: apex Copy code Set<String> set_string = new Set<String>{‘one’, ‘two’, ‘three’}; for (String str : set_string) { System.debug(str); set_string.remove(str); // This will throw an exception in API 62.0+ } Write Mock SOQL Tests for External ObjectsIncrease your Apex test coverage and quality by mocking SOQL queries for external objects using the new SOQL stub methods.Steps to Implement: Create mock test classes by extending the System.SoqlStubProvider class and overriding the handleSoqlQuery() method. Register the mock provider using Test.createSoqlStub(). Process Platform Events at Scale with Parallel SubscriptionsImprove the processing of high-volume platform events in Apex triggers by using parallel subscriptions, allowing simultaneous event processing.Steps to Implement: Use the Tooling API or Metadata API to configure parallel subscriptions by specifying the event field for partitioning and the number of partitions in PlatformEventSubscriberConfig. Salesforce Flow Enhancements Flow Orchestrator Enhancements Customize the Flow Orchestration Work Guide Component Overview: Tailor how the Flow Orchestration Work Guide component appears to users based on their assigned tasks. You can customize the component differently for each record page it’s added to. Note that changes you make will not affect the component’s appearance in Lightning App Builder. Features: Availability: Applies to Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. Customize SMS One-Time Password Delivery for Experience Cloud Sites Overview: Enhance identity verification for external users by creating an Apex handler to send one-time passwords (OTPs) via SMS. Personalize the content and short code of the message as needed. Updates: Implementation Steps: Note: Enabling this feature affects all Experience Cloud sites, so ensure you create an Apex handler for each site to avoid disruptions. Control Authenticated Callouts More Easily Overview: Simplify configuring permissions for named credentials, allowing users to make authenticated callouts to external systems more efficiently. Most standard permission sets and profiles now include access to the User External Credentials object by default. Note: For guest user profiles and custom permission sets, manual access to User External Credentials is still required. Availability: Applies to Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic (not available in all orgs) in all editions. Improve Data Transmission Speed and Security with TLS 1.3 Overview: Salesforce now supports TLS 1.3 for outbound HTTPS callouts, enhancing security with stronger encryption and faster connection establishment. Note: Existing callouts using TLS 1.2 are not impacted. Availability: Applies to Lightning Experience, Salesforce Classic (not available in all orgs), and all mobile app versions in all editions. Enable LWC Stacked Modals Overview: As part of the internal migration from Aura to LWC, Lightning Experience now uses LWC for more modals, improving performance, especially for record creation and editing. Changes: Availability: First available in Summer ’24. Applies to Lightning Experience in all editions. Additional Enhancements Salesforce Platform Login License: Provides flexible
The Winter ’25 release is available through the pre-release program. On August 30, 2024, Sandboxes will be upgraded, providing your organization with the Winter ’25 release experience. Set Up Your Pay Now Store Quickly and Easily Use the streamlined automated setup to get your Pay Now store up and running effortlessly. The guided process walks you through each step needed to configure your store. This feature is available in Salesforce Payments for Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer editions. How to Set Up: Gain Insight into How User Permissions Are Granted Simplify user management with visibility into the profiles, permission sets, and permission set groups that grant permissions to a user. The User Access Summary now provides detailed information about a user’s assigned object, field, user, and custom permissions. Previously, identifying the source of a user’s permissions required multiple steps, but now you can access this information with just a few clicks. This change applies to Lightning Experience in all editions. How to Use: See How Object Access Is Granted in Object Manager Quickly view the permission sets, permission set groups, and profiles that grant access to an object, along with the level of access provided. The read-only Object Access Summary in Object Manager allows for quick checks during troubleshooting, reviews, or when deciding how to grant user access. This update is available in Lightning Experience across all editions. How to Access: Improve Performance for List Views on Custom and Standard Objects To enhance performance and meet the latest accessibility standards, list views for both custom and standard objects now render using Lightning Web Components (LWC) instead of Aura. LWC, Salesforce’s latest framework, delivers data faster and enables new features for list views. Previously, only custom object list views in sandboxes used LWC. This update applies to Lightning Experience in all editions. How to Use: Configure Record Highlights in Lightning App Builder Enhance your Lightning pages with the new Dynamic Highlights Panel, which lets you configure important fields directly within the Lightning App Builder. Previously, this was only possible through compact layouts in Setup. The Dynamic Highlights Panel can hold up to 12 fields and adjusts responsively to browser size. This feature is available in Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. How to Implement: Make Record Fields Stand Out with Conditional Formatting Highlight key information on record pages using conditional formatting in Lightning App Builder. On Dynamic Forms-enabled pages, you can assign custom icons and colors to fields based on defined criteria, such as field values or other conditions on the page. This feature is available on a rolling basis starting in early September 2024 for Group, Professional, Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. How to Use: Save Time with New Messaging Components for Enhanced Bots (Generally Available) Empower customers and save service agents’ time with the new messaging components for enhanced bots. These include authentication, custom, form, and payment messaging components, which can handle more complex use cases on enhanced Apple Messages for Business channels. The form component is also available for Messaging for In-App and Web. These updates apply to Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions, with bot setup available only in Lightning Experience. How to Implement: Enhance Your LWR Site Experience by Curating Data Providers on a Page (Beta) Enhance LWR site pages by adding and configuring data providers in Experience Builder. This feature allows you to access data from different sources, such as Apex or Record data providers, directly within your site page and its components. This change is available in Professional, Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer editions for LWR sites accessed through Lightning Experience. A community license is required to use this feature. How to Use: To configure data providers on an LWR Site page in Experience Builder: Enabling or Disabling Modernized Record Experience in Aura Sites You can now use upgraded record components based on Lightning web component technology to see stylistic changes in your Aura sites. These updates, previously limited to sandbox environments, are now available in production environments for the Create Record Form, Record Banner, and Record Detail components. This update is applicable to Aura sites accessed through Lightning Experience and Salesforce Classic in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. When you enable the Use Lightning web components on your record pages in Aura sites setting, the Create Record Form, Record Banner, and Record Detail components display minor style changes. Some key updates include: Daily Summary of Service Appointments Requiring Immediate Attention Boost dispatcher productivity by using Einstein Copilot Field Service actions to get a daily summary of service appointments needing immediate attention, such as those with rule violations, overlaps, SLA risks, or emergencies. Each category in the summary is converted into a filter in the appointment list for quick resolution. Customize the summary to include additional categories. This feature is available in Lightning Experience in the Einstein 1 Field Service Edition with the Field Service Managed Package installed. To use this feature: Assigning Opportunity Splits to Territories Sales teams can now assign opportunity splits and opportunity product splits to territories, enabling them to report on how territories contribute to overall sales. Previously, splits could only be associated with the parent opportunity’s territory. Now, teams can also forecast based on split amounts across territories. This update applies to Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer editions. To enable this feature: Strategic Planning with Account Plan Enhance your strategic planning with Account Plans by nurturing existing relationships and growing key accounts. Use Account Plans to research and analyze accounts, set objectives with actionable metrics, and monitor growth and development from a single repository within Salesforce. This feature applies to Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Performance, and Unlimited editions and in Einstein 1 Sales Edition. This feature will be rolled out to production environments after the Winter ’25 release and will be available to all customers by October 29, 2024. It is accessible in sandboxes only after its production release. To use Account Plans: Forecast Submissions Forecast submissions
Salesforce Flow enables teams to create complex business automations with clicks, not code. This approach allows admins to manage more of the business logic, reducing the dependency on developers and increasing project velocity, thus delivering value to the business more quickly. However, deploying Salesforce Flows often poses significant challenges. In this article, we’ll explore why deploying Flows can be tricky and how Gearset Flow Navigator simplifies the process with visual comparison tools for easy, declarative deployments. Join us to learn about tackling Flow deployments. Challenges in Deploying Salesforce Flows Deploying Salesforce Flows can be complex, particularly when using change sets, due to several issues: While tools using the Metadata API offer an alternative, they typically represent Flows as XML, which has its drawbacks: A New Solution for Salesforce Flow Deployments Despite Flow Builder’s user-friendly design for no-code admins, deployment can still be a challenging and frustrating experience. This affects the entire team and the broader business. Gearset’s new Flow Navigator addresses these pain points with industry-first functionality designed to simplify Flow deployments. Key Features of Flow Navigator Visualize Differences in Flows Between Environments:Gearset’s Flow Navigator offers a visual interface to compare source and target environments, such as Salesforce orgs or Git branches. The tool highlights new or changed elements in the Flow, making it easy to identify changes. A sidebar provides a detailed breakdown of changes, allowing users to quickly spot any unintended modifications. Detailed Breakdown of Changes:Users can drill down into specific Flow elements to review changes in a simple, tabular format. This ensures that only the intended changes are deployed. Switch Versions with a Click:The tool allows users to compare different versions of a Flow, which is particularly useful if the latest version includes in-progress work that shouldn’t be deployed. Automatic Flow Activation:Gearset can automatically activate Flows post-deployment, eliminating the need for manual activation steps and reducing the chance of errors. Flow Deployments that Resemble Flow Builder:Flow Navigator provides a more familiar and accessible deployment experience for no-code developers, avoiding the complexity of XML. Gearset offers a 30-day trial, allowing users to explore the platform and its Flow Navigator feature at no cost. By addressing these common challenges, Gearset’s Flow Navigator ensures smoother and more reliable Flow deployments, enhancing the overall efficiency and productivity of teams working with Salesforce. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
