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Uplimit AI-Powered ELP
27Aug

Uplimit AI-Powered ELP

Uplimit Secures $11M in Series A Funding to Enhance AI-Powered Enterprise Learning SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Uplimit, a leading provider of AI-powered enterprise learning solutions, has announced the successful completion of an $11M Series A funding round. This funding, led by Salesforce Ventures with participation from existing investors GSV Ventures, Greylock Partners, and Cowboy Ventures, as well as new investors Translink Capital, Workday Ventures, and Conviction, underscores the growing importance of effective employee upskilling in response to the rapid advancements in Generative AI technology. Uplimit AI-Powered ELP. “Helping employees stay ahead of technological advancements is now a critical priority for the organizations we serve,” said Claudine Emeott, Partner at Salesforce Ventures and Head of the Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund. “AI has the potential to equip both companies and individuals with the necessary skills to thrive, and Uplimit is at the forefront of integrating AI into education and training. We are excited to support their continued growth and look forward to seeing the significant impact they will have in the coming years.” “AI has the potential to equip both companies and individuals with the necessary skills to thrive, and Uplimit is at the forefront of integrating AI into education and training. We are excited to support their continued growth and look forward to seeing the significant impact they will have in the coming years.” Claudine Emeott, Partner at Salesforce Ventures and Head of the Salesforce Ventures Impact Fund Uplimit AI-Powered ELP With this new funding, Uplimit plans to expand its enterprise platform offerings, aiming to provide comprehensive upskilling solutions to more organizations and employees. Traditional education systems often require extensive resources for content creation, personalized feedback, and support, which can hinder scalability. While some scalable solutions exist, they often compromise on quality and outcomes. Uplimit is addressing this challenge with an innovative approach that combines scale and effectiveness. Their AI-driven platform enhances cohort management, learner support, and course authoring, enabling companies to deliver personalized learning experiences at scale. Uplimit’s recent introduction of AI-enabled role-play scenarios provides learners with immediate feedback, revolutionizing training and development for roles such as managers, support teams, and sales professionals. “Quality education has historically been a scarce resource, but AI is changing that,” said Julia Stiglitz, CEO and Co-founder of Uplimit. “AI allows us to create and update educational content rapidly, ensuring that learners receive personalized experiences even in large-scale courses. This is crucial as the demand for new skills, driven by the rapid evolution of AI technologies, continues to grow. Uplimit provides the tools needed for employees to quickly grasp new skills, tailored to their current knowledge and needs.” Uplimit has collaborated with a diverse range of companies, from Fortune 500 giants like GE Healthcare and Kraft Heinz to innovative startups such as Procore. Databricks, a leader in AI-powered data intelligence, was an early adopter of Uplimit’s platform for customer education. “We needed a learning platform that could scale to hundreds of thousands of learners while maintaining high levels of engagement and completion,” said Rochana Golani, VP of Learning and Enablement at Databricks. “Uplimit’s platform offers the perfect blend of real-time human instruction and personalized AI support, along with valuable peer interaction. This approach is set to be transformative for many of our customers.” The new funding will enable Uplimit to further enhance its enterprise and customer education offerings, expanding its AI capabilities to include advanced cohort management tools, rapid course feedback integration, interactive practice and assessment modules, and AI-powered course authoring. Join us on August 14th for our launch event, where we will explore how this funding will accelerate our mission and demonstrate the impact our platform is having on enterprise learning. About Uplimit Uplimit is a comprehensive AI-driven learning platform designed to equip companies with the tools needed to train employees and customers in emerging skills. The platform leverages AI to scale learning programs effectively, offering features such as AI-powered learner support, generative AI for content creation, and live cohort management tools. This approach ensures high engagement and completion rates, significantly surpassing traditional online courses. Uplimit also offers a marketplace of advanced courses in AI, technology, and leadership, taught by industry experts. Founded by Julia Stiglitz, Sourabh Bajaj, and Jake Samuelson, Uplimit is backed by Salesforce Ventures, Greylock Partners, Cowboy Ventures, GSV Ventures, Conviction, Workday Ventures, and Translink Capital, with contributions from the co-founders of OpenAI and DeepMind. Notable customers include GE Healthcare, Kraft Heinz, and Databricks. Uplimit has been featured in leading industry publications such as ATD, Josh Bersin, and Fast Company. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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August 27, 2024in Generative AI
Winter 25 Release Notes
20Aug

Winter 25 Release Notes

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

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August 20, 2024in Generative AI, Snowflake, Unified Knowledge
Salesforce End User Training
20Aug

Salesforce End User Training

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

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August 20, 2024in Salesforce
Generative AI Overview
19Aug

Generative AI Overview

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

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August 19, 2024in Generative AI, Salesforce Einstein

Boost Service Rep Productivity

Tips to Boost Service Rep and Field Service Tech Productivity Serviceblazer Allie Lawler shares top tactics for improving the productivity of service reps and field technicians. With over a decade of experience in the customer service industry, she has firsthand knowledge of how the landscape has changed, becoming more demanding and complex. Increased caseloads, rising customer expectations, and the pressure to generate revenue are placing significant stress on service teams. Research shows that 65% of service reps and 66% of mobile workers report that cases have become more complex. This complexity, combined with the rise of autonomous AI and heightened customer demands, can lead to burnout. Lawler explains that 69% of decision-makers in the service industry say that service rep attrition is a moderate to major challenge, which underscores the need for strategic solutions. Here are her top three strategies to boost productivity using Service Cloud and Salesforce Field Service, helping service teams thrive in today’s challenging environment. 1. Simplify Disjointed Processes One of the biggest productivity challenges for service reps and field techs is disjointed workflows. Although we picture service professionals actively engaging with customers, studies show that 61% of their day is spent on administrative tasks, internal meetings, and navigating fragmented systems. These disjointed processes slow down response times, increase the likelihood of errors, and hurt the customer experience. Streamline User Experience: A better-designed user experience can significantly reduce the time spent on non-customer-facing tasks. For instance, using Salesforce Lightning pages with Related Record and Dynamic Related List Components allows service reps to access all relevant information — from case details to account data — in one place. Quick-access buttons for workflows and automation further cut down the time spent searching for information, improving efficiency and customer satisfaction. Improve Accessibility: Enhanced accessibility benefits the entire team. Features like clear labeling and visual icons on Lightning Pages improve usability for everyone. These small changes can make navigating the system easier, especially for reps with visual impairments or those looking for a more intuitive experience. Make Pages Dynamic: Instead of overwhelming reps with unnecessary fields, conditional visibility can simplify the interface. By only displaying relevant fields at the right time, reps can focus on what’s important, reducing distractions and improving workflow efficiency. For mobile field technicians, ensuring they only see actionable information—like work order details or scheduling notes—can help them serve customers faster without wading through irrelevant data. 2. Empower Reps and Technicians to Make Decisions Autonomy is key to increasing both productivity and job satisfaction. Giving reps the ability to make decisions without needing constant managerial approval empowers them to solve issues faster and reduces customer wait times. Enable Exception-Based Approvals: One way to grant reps more decision-making power is through exception-based approvals. For example, allowing service reps to offer small discounts or credits without needing manager approval increases efficiency. Setting approval thresholds — such as allowing reps to approve discounts under 2%, but requiring approval for anything higher — strikes a balance between empowering reps and managing risk. Expand Field Technicians’ Roles: Field technicians can be given the ability to upsell services or renew contracts while they’re onsite, further enhancing productivity. With Field Service Mobile extensions, techs can access tools that allow them to complete tasks, upsell services, or even renew contracts directly from their mobile devices. This not only speeds up service but also contributes to revenue generation. 3. Use Metrics to Drive Motivation Keeping service reps and technicians motivated is crucial for maintaining productivity. Lawler suggests using both individual and team metrics to create a culture of accountability and improvement. Build a Leaderboard: A leaderboard that highlights top performers encourages healthy competition and gives reps something to strive toward. Recognition of their efforts helps create a motivated and engaged workforce. Provide Access to Personal Metrics: Giving reps access to their own performance metrics fosters a sense of ownership and encourages continuous improvement. For example, Lawler recommends using dynamic dashboards on the service reps’ homepages, showing them key metrics like case closures and current caseloads. Field technicians can also view their performance metrics by using deep links from the Field Service app to the Salesforce mobile app. This allows them to track their appointments, customer satisfaction scores, and overall performance, creating a sense of pride and motivation to improve. Boosting Productivity: A Summary By making small but impactful changes to the user experience, granting autonomy, and recognizing achievements, service organizations can significantly enhance productivity. Streamlining workflows, empowering decision-making, and motivating with metrics will help both service reps and field techs thrive — leading to happier customers and more successful teams. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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August 17, 2024in Data
The Role of Data to Harness AI
13Aug

The Role of Data to Harness AI

Harnessing AI for Enhanced Sales and Service: The Role of Data Organizations are racing to leverage AI to enhance their sales and service experiences. The Role of Data to Harness AI cannot be underestimated. However, great AI solutions rely on quality data. Traditionally, companies have managed structured data—neatly organized into rows and columns, such as customer engagement data from CRM systems. But businesses also hold a wealth of unstructured data in formats like documents, images, audio, and video recordings. This unstructured data can be highly valuable, offering deeper AI insights that are more accurate and comprehensive, grounded in real customer interactions. Yet, many organizations struggle to effectively access, integrate, and utilize their unstructured data to gain a holistic customer view. With advancements in large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, organizations can now bridge this gap. To succeed in the AI era, companies need to develop integrated, federated, intelligent, and actionable solutions across all customer touchpoints while managing complexity. Leveraging Unstructured Data for Superior AI Performance For instance, when a customer seeks help with a recent purchase, they typically start with a company’s chatbot. To ensure a relevant and positive experience, the chatbot must be informed by comprehensive customer data, including recent purchases, warranty details, and past interactions. Additionally, the chatbot should draw on broader company data, such as insights from other customers and internal knowledge base articles. This data can be spread across structured databases and unstructured files, like warranty contracts or knowledge articles. Accessing and utilizing both types of data is crucial for a satisfying interaction. The key to accurate AI responses is augmenting LLMs with both real-time structured and unstructured data from within a company’s systems. An effective approach is Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), which combines proprietary data with generative AI to enhance contextuality, timeliness, and relevance. Ensuring Relevance Across Scenarios A unified view of customer data—both structured and unstructured—provides the most relevant information for any situation. For example, financial institutions can leverage this comprehensive data to offer real-time market insights tailored to individual banking needs, providing actionable advice based on current information. Companies are increasingly exploring RAG technology to improve internal processes and deliver precise, up-to-date information to employees. This approach enhances contextual assistance, personalized support, and decision-making efficiency across the organization. The Role of Data to Harness AI Preparing Data for AI: Key Steps By addressing these areas, organizations can harness the full potential of AI, transforming customer interactions and enhancing service efficiency. Talk to Tectonic today if your data is ina disarray. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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August 13, 2024in Generative AI
Qwary Salesforce Integration
13Aug

Qwary Salesforce Integration

Qwary Enhances Customer Insights with New Salesforce Integration HERNDON, Va., Aug. 13, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — While surveys have long been a staple for gathering customer feedback, data entry often poses a challenge in obtaining comprehensive insights. Qwary’s new Salesforce integration aims to resolve this issue by enabling seamless data transfer and synchronization between the two platforms. This integration allows teams to consolidate customer information into a single hub, providing real-time visibility and enhancing strategic planning and collaboration. Key features include creating email campaigns, importing contacts, mapping survey results, and automating event-based workflows. What Is Qwary’s Salesforce Integration? Qwary’s Salesforce integration is designed to streamline the analysis of Salesforce survey data, offering a more efficient way to understand customer interactions with your brand. By integrating survey feedback with CRM data, this tool helps you quickly adapt your products and services to meet evolving customer needs. It tracks customer journeys, collects feedback, and reveals pain points, enabling you to deliver tailored solutions. Benefits of Using Qwary’s Salesforce Integration Qwary’s integration offers several notable benefits: Automate Feedback Collection The integration automates the feedback collection process by triggering surveys at strategic points in the customer lifecycle. This allows your team to act swiftly to foster engagement and generate leads. Gain Actionable Insights Seamlessly integrating with Salesforce CRM, Qwary scores, analyzes, and enriches customer data, helping your team identify emerging trends and seize opportunities for personalization and customer development. Synchronize Data Automatically With Qwary’s integration, your contact data is consolidated into a single, reliable source of truth. Whether you’re using Salesforce or Qwary, automated data synchronization ensures consistency and provides real-time updates. Collaborate Effectively The integration promotes effective teamwork by sharing data between Salesforce and Qwary, enabling your team to solve problems collaboratively and refine strategies to boost customer retention. Key Capabilities Qwary’s Salesforce integration excels in managing customer feedback, automating workflows, and consolidating contact data: Salesforce Workflow Automation The integration simplifies scheduling and automating survey triggers, eliminating manual processes. Surveys can be initiated via email or following significant events, with responses seamlessly mapped into Salesforce. This creates a comprehensive view of customer behavior, helping your team act on insights, strengthen connections, and enhance satisfaction. Contact Data Importation Qwary facilitates quick access to Salesforce contacts, providing a holistic view of your customer base. The integration streamlines contact data importation and updates, eliminating manual data entry and speeding up data management. Potential Business Impacts By combining automation, synchronization, and data consolidation with a user-friendly interface, Qwary’s Salesforce integration enhances your sales team’s ability to collect and leverage customer feedback. Immediate access to comprehensive consumer insights allows your business to respond promptly to customer needs, improving satisfaction and loyalty. Real-time data aggregation helps your company adapt quickly and refine offerings to exceed customer expectations. Stay Ahead with Qwary’s Salesforce Integration Qwary continuously updates its solutions to meet the evolving needs of businesses focused on customer engagement. Leveraging automation, synchronization, and advanced analytics through an accessible platform, Qwary’s Salesforce integration empowers your team to enhance offerings and connect with customers efficiently. By optimizing the use of survey data and Salesforce feedback, Qwary keeps your business at the forefront of market trends, enabling you to consistently delight your customers. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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August 13, 2024in Generative AI, Marketing Automation, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Einstein, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Managed Services, Salesforce Marketing Automation, Salesforce Optimization, Salesforce Personalization
Small Language Models
10Aug

Small Language Models

Large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT-4 have gained acclaim for their versatility across various tasks, but they come with significant resource demands. In response, the AI industry is shifting focus towards smaller, task-specific models designed to be more efficient. Microsoft, alongside other tech giants, is investing in these smaller models. Science often involves breaking complex systems down into their simplest forms to understand their behavior. This reductionist approach is now being applied to AI, with the goal of creating smaller models tailored for specific functions. Sébastien Bubeck, Microsoft’s VP of generative AI, highlights this trend: “You have this miraculous object, but what exactly was needed for this miracle to happen; what are the basic ingredients that are necessary?” In recent years, the proliferation of LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude has been remarkable. However, smaller language models (SLMs) are gaining traction as a more resource-efficient alternative. Despite their smaller size, SLMs promise substantial benefits to businesses. Microsoft introduced Phi-1 in June last year, a smaller model aimed at aiding Python coding. This was followed by Phi-2 and Phi-3, which, though larger than Phi-1, are still much smaller than leading LLMs. For comparison, Phi-3-medium has 14 billion parameters, while GPT-4 is estimated to have 1.76 trillion parameters—about 125 times more. Microsoft touts the Phi-3 models as “the most capable and cost-effective small language models available.” Microsoft’s shift towards SLMs reflects a belief that the dominance of a few large models will give way to a more diverse ecosystem of smaller, specialized models. For instance, an SLM designed specifically for analyzing consumer behavior might be more effective for targeted advertising than a broad, general-purpose model trained on the entire internet. SLMs excel in their focused training on specific domains. “The whole fine-tuning process … is highly specialized for specific use-cases,” explains Silvio Savarese, Chief Scientist at Salesforce, another company advancing SLMs. To illustrate, using a specialized screwdriver for a home repair project is more practical than a multifunction tool that’s more expensive and less focused. This trend towards SLMs reflects a broader shift in the AI industry from hype to practical application. As Brian Yamada of VLM notes, “As we move into the operationalization phase of this AI era, small will be the new big.” Smaller, specialized models or combinations of models will address specific needs, saving time and resources. Some voices express concern over the dominance of a few large models, with figures like Jack Dorsey advocating for a diverse marketplace of algorithms. Philippe Krakowski of IPG also worries that relying on the same models might stifle creativity. SLMs offer the advantage of lower costs, both in development and operation. Microsoft’s Bubeck emphasizes that SLMs are “several orders of magnitude cheaper” than larger models. Typically, SLMs operate with around three to four billion parameters, making them feasible for deployment on devices like smartphones. However, smaller models come with trade-offs. Fewer parameters mean reduced capabilities. “You have to find the right balance between the intelligence that you need versus the cost,” Bubeck acknowledges. Salesforce’s Savarese views SLMs as a step towards a new form of AI, characterized by “agents” capable of performing specific tasks and executing plans autonomously. This vision of AI agents goes beyond today’s chatbots, which can generate travel itineraries but not take action on your behalf. Salesforce recently introduced a 1 billion-parameter SLM that reportedly outperforms some LLMs on targeted tasks. Salesforce CEO Mark Benioff celebrated this advancement, proclaiming, “On-device agentic AI is here!” Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Guide to Creating a Working Sales Plan Creating a sales plan is a pivotal step in reaching your revenue objectives. To ensure its longevity and adaptability to Read more CRM Cloud Salesforce What is a CRM Cloud Salesforce? Salesforce Service Cloud is a customer relationship management (CRM) platform for Salesforce clients to Read more

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August 10, 2024in Generative AI
What is a CRM
09Aug

What is a CRM?

Ask ten small and midsize business (SMB) owners to define a customer relationship management (CRM) system, and you’ll likely receive ten different answers. For some, a CRM supports their sales process; for others, it measures sales or stores customer histories. However, the true value of a CRM lies beyond these basic functions, according to Adam Alfano, EVP of Small Business Sales at Salesforce. “Unlocking the real enterprise value comes when the CRM becomes a front office platform that leverages one of your business’s most valuable assets—your data,” Alfano explains. An effective CRM with comprehensive capabilities helps your front office team, those interacting directly with customers, serve clients more efficiently. It also aids sales teams in automating and refining their processes. By understanding the full potential of today’s CRM solutions, you can harness data to: These elements can lead to transformative results for your business. Here’s how: Building a Solid Data Foundation Most business leaders acknowledge the importance of data, but making meaningful use of it can be challenging. According to a global AWS survey, over half (53 percent) of SMBs are unsure what insights their data could reveal. A common problem is data siloing, where information is scattered across different platforms, making it difficult to gain a comprehensive view and derive actionable insights. The most valuable CRMs integrate back-office and front-office processes, providing a unified platform. Salesforce CRM, powered by Salesforce’s Data Cloud, connects all your CRM data and integrates other data sources, eliminating silos that hinder productivity and growth. “When all your data is centralized, your employees can deliver better customer experiences with a unified view of customers and business,” Alfano says. Quick Wins with AI A 2024 survey by Inc. and Salesforce reveals that 91 percent of CEOs are optimistic about AI’s potential. However, impactful AI applications don’t need to be complex or grand. Alfano suggests starting with simple AI applications to boost efficiency. “Successful companies often create a checklist of tasks they can automate,” Alfano notes. Identify friction points and repetitive tasks that can be automated. A robust CRM will include integrated AI to handle functions such as: By automating routine tasks, salespeople can focus on more strategic activities, like engaging with customers and having value-driven conversations. Salesforce’s Sales Cloud, for instance, features AI technology that includes predictive AI for accurate forecasting and recommendations on the “next best action” to close deals and build relationships. Partnering for Success The most successful CRM implementations involve stakeholders from across the organization, along with gathering feedback from employees and customers to refine processes and explore new use cases. Choosing a technology provider that acts as a true partner is also crucial. They should offer guidance on leveraging the platform to achieve your goals. With the right CRM, SMBs can operate more efficiently, boost sales, enhance customer and employee experiences, and compete effectively with larger enterprises. “You can accomplish more with fewer resources and scale your processes without needing a larger workforce,” Alfano explains. “SMBs are already demonstrating impressive competitive and operational capabilities, largely due to these advanced tools.” Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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August 9, 2024in Salesforce
Demandbase One for Sales iFrame
09Aug

Demandbase One for Sales iFrame

Understanding the Demandbase One for Sales iFrame in Salesforce The Demandbase One for Sales iFrame (formerly known as Sales Intelligence) allows sales teams to access deep, actionable insights directly within Salesforce. This feature provides account-level and people-level details, including engagement data, technographics, intent signals, and even relevant news, social media posts, and email communications. By offering this level of visibility, sales professionals can make informed decisions and take the most effective next steps on accounts. Key Points: Overview of the Demandbase One for Sales iFrame The iFrame is divided into several key sections: Account, People, Engagement, and Insights tabs. Each of these provides critical information to help you better understand and engage with the companies and people you’re researching. Account Tab People Tab Engagement Tab Final Notes: The Demandbase One for Sales iFrame is a powerful tool that provides a complete view of account activity, helping sales teams make informed decisions and drive results. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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August 9, 2024in Data
SearchGPT and Knowledge Cutoff
07Aug

SearchGPT and Knowledge Cutoff

Tackling the Knowledge Cutoff Challenge in Generative AI In the realm of generative AI, a significant hurdle has been the issue of knowledge cutoff—where a large language model (LLM) only has information up until a specific date. This was an early concern with OpenAI’s ChatGPT. For example, the GPT-4o model that currently powers ChatGPT has a knowledge cutoff in October 2023. The older GPT-4 model, on the other hand, had a cutoff in September 2021. Traditional search engines like Google, however, don’t face this limitation. Google continuously crawls the internet to keep its index up to date with the latest information. To address the knowledge cutoff issue in LLMs, multiple vendors, including OpenAI, are exploring search capabilities powered by generative AI (GenAI). Introducing SearchGPT: OpenAI’s GenAI Search Engine SearchGPT is OpenAI’s GenAI search engine, first announced on July 26, 2024. It aims to combine the strengths of a traditional search engine with the capabilities of GPT LLMs, eliminating the knowledge cutoff by drawing real-time data from the web. SearchGPT is currently a prototype, available to a limited group of test users, including individuals and publishers. OpenAI has invited publishers to ensure their content is accurately represented in search results. The service is positioned as a temporary offering to test and evaluate its performance. Once this evaluation phase is complete, OpenAI plans to integrate SearchGPT’s functionality directly into the ChatGPT interface. As of August 2024, OpenAI has not announced when SearchGPT will be generally available or integrated into the main ChatGPT experience. Key Features of SearchGPT SearchGPT offers several features designed to enhance the capabilities of ChatGPT: OpenAI’s Challenge to Google Search Google has long dominated the search engine landscape, a position that OpenAI aims to challenge with SearchGPT. Answers, Not Links Traditional search engines like Google act primarily as indexes, pointing users to other sources of information rather than directly providing answers. Google has introduced AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience or SGE) to offer AI-generated summaries, but it still relies heavily on linking to third-party websites. SearchGPT aims to change this by providing direct answers to user queries, summarizing the source material instead of merely pointing to it. Contextual Continuity In contrast to Google’s point-in-time search queries, where each query is independent, SearchGPT strives to maintain context across multiple queries, offering a more seamless and coherent search experience. Search Accuracy Google Search often depends on keyword matching, which can require users to sift through several pages to find relevant information. SearchGPT aims to combine real-time data with an LLM to deliver more contextually accurate and relevant information. Ad-Free Experience SearchGPT offers an ad-free interface, providing a cleaner and more user-friendly experience compared to Google, which includes ads in its search results. AI-Powered Search Engine Comparison Here’s a comparison of the AI-powered search engines available today: Search Engine Platform Integration Publisher Collaboration Ads Cost SearchGPT (OpenAI) Standalone prototype Strong emphasis Ad-free Free (prototype stage) Google SGE Built on Google’s infrastructure SEO practices, content partnerships Includes ads Free Microsoft Bing AI/Copilot Built on Microsoft’s infrastructure SEO practices, content partnerships Includes ads Free Perplexity AI Standalone Basic source attribution Ad-free Free; $20/month for premium You.com AI assistant with various modes Basic source attribution Ad-free Free; premium tiers available Brave Search Independent search index Basic source attribution Ad-free Free Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more

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August 7, 2024in Generative AI
Box Acquires Alphamoon
07Aug

Box Acquires Alphamoon

Box Inc. has acquired Alphamoon to enhance its intelligent document processing (IDP) capabilities and its enterprise knowledge management AI platform. Now that Box acquires Alphamoon, it will imr improves IDP. Box Acquires Alphamoon IDP goes beyond traditional optical character recognition (OCR) by applying AI to scanned paper documents and unstructured PDFs. While AI technologies like natural language processing (NLP), workflow automation, and document structure recognition have been around for some time, Alphamoon introduces generative AI (GenAI) into the mix, providing advanced capabilities. According to Rand Wacker, Vice President of AI Product Strategy at Box, the integration of GenAI helps not only with summarizing and extracting content from documents but also with recognizing document structures and categorizing them. GenAI works alongside existing OCR and NLP tools, making the digital conversion of paper documents more accurate. Box Acquires Alphamoon – Not LLM Although Box hasn’t acquired a large language model (LLM) outright, it has gained a toolkit that will enhance its Box AI platform. Box AI already uses retrieval-augmented generation to combine a user’s content with external LLMs, ensuring data security while training Box AI to better recognize and categorize documents. Alphamoon’s technology will further refine this process, enabling administrators to create tools more efficiently within the Box ecosystem. “For example, if Alphamoon’s OCR misreads or misextracts something, the system can adjust that specific part and feed it back into the LLM,” Wacker explained. “This approach is powered by an LLM, but it’s specifically trained to understand the documents it encounters, rather than relying on generic content from the internet.” Previewing an upcoming report from Deep Analysis, founder Alan Pelz-Sharpe shared that a survey of 500 enterprises across various industries, including financial services, manufacturing, healthcare, and government, revealed that 53% of enterprise documents still exist on paper. This highlights the need for Box users to have more precise tools to digitize contracts, letters, invoices, faxes, and other paper-based documents. Alphamoon’s generative AI-driven IDP solution allows for human oversight to ensure that attributes are correctly imported from the original documents. Pelz-Sharpe noted that IDP is challenging, but AI has made significant advancements, especially in handling imperfections like crumpled paper, coffee stains, and handwriting. He added that this acquisition addresses a critical gap for Box, which previously relied on partners for these capabilities. Box Buys Alphamoon – Integration Box plans to integrate Alphamoon’s tools into its platform later this year, with deeper integrations expected next year. These will include no-code app-building capabilities related to another acquisition, Crooze, as well as Box Relay’s forms and document generation tools. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more Top Ten Reasons Why Tectonic Loves the Cloud The Cloud is Good for Everyone – Why Tectonic loves the cloud You don’t need to worry about tracking licenses. Read more

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August 7, 2024in Generative AI

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