PHAs Archives - gettectonic.com

14Oct

Battle of Copilots

Salesforce is directly challenging Microsoft in the growing battle of AI copilots, which are designed to enhance customer experience (CX) across key business functions like sales and support. In this competitive landscape, Salesforce is taking on not only Microsoft but also major AI rivals such as Google Gemini, OpenAI GPT, and IBM watsonx. At the heart of this strategy is Salesforce Agentforce, a platform that leverages autonomous decision-making to meet enterprise demands for data and AI abstraction. Salesforce Dreamforce Highlights One of the most significant takeaways from last month’s Dreamforce conference in San Francisco was the unveiling of autonomous agents, bringing advanced GenAI capabilities to the app development process. CEO Marc Benioff and other Salesforce executives made it clear that Salesforce is positioning itself to compete with Microsoft’s Copilot, rebranding and advancing its own AI assistant, previously known as Einstein AI. Microsoft’s stronghold, however, lies in Copilot’s seamless integration with widely used products like Teams, Outlook, PowerPoint, and Word. Furthermore, Microsoft has established itself as a developer’s favorite, especially with GitHub Copilot and the Azure portfolio, which are integral to app modernization in many enterprises. “Salesforce faces an uphill battle in capturing market share from these established players,” says Charlotte Dunlap, Research Director at GlobalData. “Salesforce’s best chance lies in highlighting the autonomous capabilities of Agentforce—enabling businesses to automate more processes, moving beyond basic chatbot functions, and delivering a personalized customer experience.” This emphasis on autonomy is vital, given that many enterprises are still grappling with the complexities of emerging GenAI technologies. Dunlap points out that DevOps teams are struggling to find third-party expertise that understands how GenAI fits within existing IT systems, particularly around security and governance concerns. Salesforce’s focus on automation, combined with the integration prowess of MuleSoft, positions it as a key player in making GenAI tools more accessible and intuitive for businesses. Elevating AI Abstraction and Automation Salesforce has increasingly focused on the idea of abstracting data and AI, exemplified by its Data Cloud and low-level UI capabilities. Now, with models like the Atlas Reasoning Engine, Salesforce is looking to push beyond traditional AI assistants. These tools are designed to automate complex, previously human-dependent tasks, spanning functions like sales, service, and marketing. Simplifying the Developer Experience The true measure of Salesforce’s success in its GenAI strategy will emerge in the coming months. The company is well aware that its ability to simplify the developer experience is critical. Enterprises are looking for more than just AI innovation—they want thought leadership that can help secure budget and executive support for AI initiatives. Many companies report ongoing struggles in gaining that internal buy-in, further underscoring the importance of strong, strategic partnerships with technology providers like Salesforce. In its pursuit to rival Microsoft Copilot, Salesforce’s future hinges on how effectively it can build on its track record of simplifying the developer experience while promoting the unique autonomous qualities of Agentforce. 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

October 14, 2024in AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Google, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Copilots, Salesforce Optimization, Technology

13Oct

AI Agents, Tech’s Next Big Bet

What Marketers Need to Know About AI Agents, Tech’s Next Big Bet Companies like Salesforce and OpenAI are making significant investments in AI agents, which are digital assistants poised to represent the next evolution of artificial intelligence. These agents promise to autonomously handle a variety of tasks, from making reservations to negotiating business deals. During OpenAI’s DevDay event in San Francisco last week, the company showcased a voice bot that successfully ordered 400 chocolate-covered strawberries from a local delivery service, specifying delivery and payment terms with minimal issues. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stated, “2025 is when agents will work,” highlighting the potential for these technologies to revolutionize workflows. While this may seem futuristic, companies like Salesforce, HubSpot, and Pactum AI are already implementing their own AI agents, though examples from brands like Qantas Airways remain relatively scarce—a point of discussion at Advertising Week New York. What Are AI Agents? AI agents extend beyond mere chatbots. According to Parasvil Patel, a partner at Radical Ventures, they lack a single unifying definition and encompass a wide range of functionalities, from automating workflows to scheduling meetings. The overarching goal, however, is clear: “The ultimate aim is to execute work autonomously,” Patel explained. Currently, AI agents are in the “co-pilot” phase, handling specific tasks such as summarizing meetings. The true breakthrough will occur when they transition to “autopilot,” managing more complex tasks without human intervention. According to Patel, this shift could take up to 24 months. When Did They Emerge? AI agents first gained attention on social media in early 2023, with various startups, including AutoGPT—an open-source application built on OpenAI’s models—promising autonomous capabilities. However, Patel notes that many of these early experiments were not robust enough to be deployed effectively in production environments. How Are Companies Using AI Agents? The appeal of AI agents lies in their ability to save time, enhance efficiency, and free employees from repetitive tasks. For instance, a large distribution company struggling to manage 100,000 suppliers utilized Pactum’s AI, which deploys autonomous agents for negotiations. Instead of seeing negotiations as a dead end, these AI agents continuously customized payment deals based on the speed of suppliers’ goods. This approach led to price discounts, rebates, and allowances. Salesforce has also seen positive results with its AI agents. Its pilot program, AgentForce, launched with five clients—including OpenTable and global publisher Wiley—and achieved a 40% increase in case resolution compared to its previous chatbot for Wiley. At the firm’s Dreamforce event, Salesforce demonstrated AgentForce with Ask Astro, assisting attendees in planning their schedules by suggesting sessions and making reservations. Salesforce’s chief marketing officer, Ariel Kelman, stated that the company has heavily invested in developing its AI agent platform in response to client demand. “What companies are figuring out with generative AI is how to deliver productivity improvements for employees and provide meaningful interactions with customers,” he noted. What About Roadblocks? The journey to fully functional AI agents is not without challenges. Managing different data formats—text, images, and videos—can be complex, as highlighted by William Chen, director of product management for AI & emerging tech at Agora. “Your system is only as good as your data source,” he said. For Salesforce, the challenge lies in the nascent customer adoption of AI agents, with companies just beginning to explore how to leverage them for productivity, according to Kelman. The key challenge is determining what solutions work best for employees and customers across various use cases. Are Jobs at Risk? Not necessarily. AI agents are unlikely to replace jobs in the immediate future. Instead, they allow employees to focus on more strategic and meaningful tasks. Rand explained, “The role of people will shift to configuring the autopilot, rather than flying the plane, which is a positive change.” For example, a major logistics client of Pactum, which previously relied on human negotiators for managing deals with freight providers, can now use AI agents to negotiate more efficiently. This adaptability allows companies to dynamically shift their business strategies based on market conditions. What’s Next? While early adopters of AI agents are seeing initial successes, there’s much more to discover. Salesforce plans to launch its next AI agent later this month: a Sales Development Representative (SDR) designed to manage early-stage sales interactions. Typically, human SDRs follow up on marketing leads through emails and calls, but this AI agent will qualify leads, providing human salespeople with a targeted list of 50 to 100 prospects eager to engage. “Instead of receiving a list of 500 leads, they’ll get a refined list of those who actually want to talk,” Kelman concluded. 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

October 13, 2024in Artificial Intelligence, Data, Generative AI, Salesforce

13Oct

Einstein Copilot for Healthcare

Einstein Copilot for Healthcare – Salesforce has introduced a new AI-powered healthcare assistant within its CRM system, marking its latest move to expand into the healthcare industry. As AI development accelerates, tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, and Salesforce are capitalizing on the opportunity to integrate AI and cloud technologies into healthcare to streamline administrative and operational tasks. Salesforce’s healthcare-specific AI tool, Einstein Copilot, is a conversational assistant that leverages an organization’s private data to provide relevant responses. Einstein Copilot enables healthcare providers and care teams to digitally capture and summarize information from both clinical and nonclinical sources, update patient records, and automate manual workflows. Key Features of Einstein Copilot Providers can use Einstein Copilot to generate patient summaries that include medications, diagnoses, social determinants, assessments, clinical service requests, and care gaps. A care manager can also ask the assistant to find an in-network provider based on location, specialty, and insurance coverage, and auto-fill referral forms using natural language prompts. The AI assistant can also trigger workflows for tasks such as sending referrals, scheduling appointments, and updating care plans. Salesforce expects Einstein Copilot to be HIPAA-compliant by summer 2024, with Copilot: Health Actions slated for general availability in winter 2024. Digitizing Health Assessments Salesforce is adding a feature called Assessment Generation that allows healthcare organizations to digitize standardized health assessments. These can be automatically populated into Salesforce Health Cloud, filled out electronically, and tracked for progress over time. Reducing Administrative Waste Salesforce cites research from McKinsey & Co. showing that administrative costs account for nearly a quarter of U.S. healthcare spending, with a potential savings of up to $320 billion. By integrating AI and CRM tools, Salesforce aims to reduce the operational burden on healthcare providers and improve patient outcomes. Amit Khanna, Senior Vice President and General Manager for Health at Salesforce, highlighted the value of these innovations: “These new data, AI, and CRM features reduce the administrative and operational burden for healthcare providers, leading to better outcomes for patients. With Salesforce’s trusted AI, healthcare organizations excited about generative AI—but wary of clinical and security concerns—can confidently integrate these innovations into their workflows.” Early Adopters and Impact Healthcare providers including Baptist Health South Florida and HarmonyCares are already leveraging Salesforce to personalize patient interactions and create unified patient views. HarmonyCares, which operates across 14 states with over 150 primary care providers, has used Salesforce’s AI-driven field service platform to streamline patient scheduling. The company reported a 50% increase in self-scheduling efficiency since adopting the platform and plans to expand its use of Salesforce Health Cloud for care management and engagement. Kristin Darby, Chief Information Officer at HarmonyCares, emphasized the benefits of AI in healthcare: “AI will dramatically improve our ability to quickly synthesize patient needs and preferences, enabling us to offer a more personalized experience with greater accuracy.” However, the integration of AI in healthcare is not without skepticism. A recent survey revealed that 69% of individuals are uncomfortable with AI being used to diagnose them, though more than half are open to its use in nonclinical tasks like scheduling and billing. Salesforce’s Healthcare Journey Salesforce first launched Health Cloud in 2015 to help providers manage patients by aggregating data from electronic medical records, devices, and wearables. In 2022, the company expanded this offering with Customer 360 for Health, a unified platform that combines real-time data from Data Cloud, Einstein AI, and automation tools like Flow to streamline processes such as prior authorizations, intake, and patient scheduling. 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

October 13, 2024in Generative AI, Salesforce Einstein, Salesforce Health and Life Sciences Solutions, Salesforce Health Cloud, Salesforce Optimization

AI is revolutionizing BI by transforming it from a retrospective tool into a proactive, real-time decision-making engine.

11Oct

AI Startup Sierra

Bret Taylor, the board chairman of OpenAI, appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street” to discuss his AI startup, Sierra, which he co-founded in March 2023. Sierra focuses on helping businesses build AI agents that can directly interact with customers, offering capabilities such as answering questions, automating processes, and performing tasks traditionally handled on websites. “This is how companies will offer a branded customer experience capable of having conversations and handling everything you can do on the website,” Taylor explained. Sierra is already valued at approximately $4 billion, and Taylor expressed enthusiasm for building a long-lasting enterprise. Commenting on the current “AI wave,” Taylor predicted the rise of at least 10 “meaningful” enterprise software companies and at least one trillion-dollar consumer company. He also touched on the ongoing discussion around tech regulation, emphasizing that Silicon Valley should focus more on empowering smaller tech companies rather than breaking up larger ones. He noted that the U.S. remains a top destination for entrepreneurs due to its access to capital and relatively light regulation, warning that overly complex regulations could inadvertently strengthen incumbents by increasing challenges for startups. Taylor’s role at OpenAI became more prominent after CEO Sam Altman was temporarily ousted in November. Since then, he has been guiding the company through a period of transition, including leadership changes and its shift toward becoming a for-profit entity. 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

October 11, 2024in Enterprise

08Oct

dbt Labs and Salesforce

dbt Labs, a leader in analytics engineering, announced at Coalesce 2024 a groundbreaking partnership with Salesforce to integrate Salesforce Data Cloud’s AI, automation, and analytics capabilities with dbt Labs’ expertise in data transformation and metrics management. This collaboration aims to deliver a seamless, trustworthy, and comprehensive data experience for users. “Together, Salesforce and dbt Labs are redefining what’s possible with data,” said Ryan Segar, Chief Customer Officer at dbt Labs. “By integrating our solutions, we’re helping customers accelerate their analytics development journey, delivering powerful, flexible data insights that drive better business outcomes.” The partnership offers Salesforce Data Cloud, Tableau, and Agentforce users access to dbt Labs’ robust data transformation pipeline, ensuring high data accuracy, quality, and reliability. An independent metrics layer from dbt Labs will allow Salesforce and Tableau users to define, manage, and standardize key business metrics, providing consistent and comparable insights across platforms. This supports confident, data-driven decision-making directly within the flow of work. New integrations include the ability to connect dbt Semantic Layer with Tableau Pulse, export metrics from dbt Cloud to Tableau Cloud, and leverage dbt models within Tableau and Einstein. Future integrations will explore features such as alignment with Tableau Semantics and enabling instant Tableau analytics from the dbt Cloud console. Ali Tore, Senior Vice President of Advanced Analytics at Salesforce, emphasized the benefits of this collaboration: “By combining the strengths of dbt with Salesforce Data Cloud, we’re empowering customers with AI-powered insights built on a foundation of trusted, reliable data. This integration unlocks the full potential of their data to drive impactful business outcomes.” With over 50,000 teams already using dbt, Salesforce customers can now leverage advanced data modeling techniques trusted by leading global organizations. This partnership offers scalable, robust data modeling directly within Salesforce Data Cloud, benefiting both technical and non-technical users alike. 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

October 8, 2024in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Data Cloud

08Oct

Revolution Customer Service with Agentforce

Agentforce stole the spotlight at Dreamforce, but it’s not just about replacing human workers. Equally significant for Service Cloud was the focus on how AI can be leveraged to make agents, dispatchers, and field service technicians more productive and proactive. Join a conversation to unpack the latest Sales Cloud innovations, with a spotlight on Agentforce for sales followed by a Q&A with Salesblazers. During the Dreamforce Service Cloud keynote, GM Kishan Chetan emphasized the dramatic shift over the past year, with AI moving from theoretical to practical applications. He challenged customer service leaders to embrace AI agents, highlighting that AI-driven solutions can transform customer service from delivering “good” benefits to achieving exponential growth. He noted that AI agents are capable of handling common customer requests like tech support, scheduling, and general inquiries, as well as more complex tasks such as de-escalation, billing inquiries, and even cross-selling and upselling. In practice, research by Valoir shows that most Service Cloud customers are still in the early stages of AI adoption, particularly with generative AI. While progress has accelerated recently, most companies are only seeing incremental gains in individual productivity rather than the exponential improvements highlighted at Dreamforce. To achieve those higher-level returns, customers must move beyond simple automation and summarization to AI-driven transformation, powered by Agentforce. Chetan and his team outlined four key steps to make this transition. “Agentforce represents the Third Wave of AI—advancing beyond copilots to a new era of highly accurate, low-hallucination intelligent agents that actively drive customer success. Unlike other platforms, Agentforce is a revolutionary and trusted solution that seamlessly integrates AI across every workflow, embedding itself deeply into the heart of the customer journey. This means anticipating needs, strengthening relationships, driving growth, and taking proactive action at every touchpoint,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO, Salesforce. “While others require you to DIY your AI, Agentforce offers a fully tailored, enterprise-ready platform designed for immediate impact and scalability. With advanced security features, compliance with industry standards, and unmatched flexibility. Our vision is bold: to empower one billion agents with Agentforce by the end of 2025. This is what AI is meant to be.” In contrast to now-outdated copilots and chatbots that rely on human requests and strugglewith complex or multi-step tasks, Agentforce offers a new level of sophistication by operating autonomously, retrieving the right data on demand, building action plans for any task, and executing these plans without requiring human intervention. Like a self-driving car, Agentforce uses real-time data to adapt to changing conditions and operates independently within an organizations’ customized guardrails, ensuring every customer interaction is informed, relevant, and valuable. And when desired, Agentforce seamlessly hands off to human employees with a summary of the interaction, an overview of the customer’s details, and recommendations for what to do next. Deploy AI agents across channelsAgentforce Service Agent is more than a chatbot—it’s an autonomous AI agent capable of handling both simple and complex requests, understanding text, video, and audio. Customers were invited to build their own Service Agents during Dreamforce, and many took up the challenge. Service-related agents are a natural fit, as research shows Service Cloud customers are generally more prepared for AI adoption due to the volume and quality of customer data available in their CRM systems. Turn insights into actionLaunching in October 2024, Customer Experience Intelligence provides an omnichannel supervisor Wall Board that allows supervisors to monitor conversations in real time, complete with sentiment scores and organized metrics by topics and regions. Supervisors can then instruct Service Agent to dive into root causes, suggest proactive messaging, or even offer discounts. This development represents the next stage of Service Intelligence, combining Data Cloud, Tableau, and Einstein Conversation Mining to give supervisors real-time insights. It mirrors capabilities offered by traditional contact center vendors like Verint, which also blend interaction, sentiment, and other data in real time—highlighting the convergence of contact centers and Service Cloud service operations. Empower teams to become trusted advisorsSalesforce continues to navigate the delicate balance between digital and human agents, especially within Service Cloud. The key lies in the intelligent handoff of customer data when escalating from a digital agent to a human agent. Service Planner guides agents step-by-step through issue resolution, powered by Unified Knowledge. The demo also showcased how Service Agent can merge Commerce and Service by suggesting agents offer complimentary items from a customer’s shopping cart. Enable field teams to be proactiveSalesforce also announced improvements in field service, designed to help dispatchers and field service agents operate more proactively and efficiently. Agentforce for Dispatchers enhances the ability to address urgent appointments quickly. Asset Service Prediction leverages AI to forecast asset failures and upcoming service needs, while AI-generated prework briefs provide field techs with asset health scores and critical information before they arrive on site. Setting a clear roadmap for adopting Agentforce across these four areas is an essential step toward helping customers realize more than just incremental gains in their service operations. Equally important will be helping customers develop a data strategy that harnesses the power of Data Cloud and Salesforce’s partner ecosystem, enabling a truly data-driven service experience. Investments in capabilities like My Service Journeys will also be critical in guiding customers through the process of identifying which AI features will deliver the greatest returns for their specific needs. Agentforce leverages Salesforce’s generative AI, like Einstein GPT, to automate routine tasks, provide real-time insights, and offer personalized recommendations, enhancing efficiency and enabling agents to deliver exceptional customer experiences. Agentforce is not just another traditional chatbot; it is a next-generation, AI-powered solution that understands complex queries and acts autonomously to enhance operational efficiency. Unlike conventional chatbots, Agentforce is intelligent and adaptive, capable of managing a wide range of customer issues with precision. It offers 24/7 support, responds in a natural, human-like manner, and seamlessly escalates to human agents when needed and redefining customer service by delivering faster, smarter, and more effective support experiences. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM

October 8, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Salesforce, Unified Knowledge

07Oct

Coveo and Salesforce Data Cloud

Coveo Integrates with Salesforce Data Cloud for Enhanced Data Access Coveo has officially integrated with Salesforce Data Cloud, providing companies with improved access to a broad range of data across the Salesforce ecosystem. This integration enhances the capabilities of Salesforce’s Service Cloud, Commerce Cloud, and Experience Cloud by offering secure access to a wide array of enterprise data sources and engagement data from Coveo-powered search experiences. By leveraging Coveo’s advanced indexing and security features, the integration enables enterprises to seamlessly inject external content into Salesforce experiences through Data Cloud. It also delivers comprehensive analytics across both platforms, allowing businesses to track interactions and touchpoints more effectively. “Coveo has worked closely with Salesforce on a global scale for over a decade,” said Laurent Simoneau, president and CTO of Coveo. “The integration of Coveo with Salesforce creates a powerful synergy, particularly beneficial for large enterprises with complex content ecosystems. Coveo’s robust indexing and relevance capabilities, combined with Salesforce Data Cloud, provide secure access to external data sources, boosting performance and delivering added value across all Salesforce Clouds. This integration sets a new standard for unifying enterprise data and elevating the customer experience.” Kishan Chetan, executive vice president and general manager of Service Cloud at Salesforce, emphasized the impact on service interactions: “Providing precise answers during service interactions is crucial for reducing service costs and improving customer satisfaction, especially for large enterprises managing vast amounts of content and diverse customer bases. Coveo’s ability to connect to extensive content sources and enhance relevance is a key enabler for enterprises with complex search needs in Service Cloud.” 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

October 7, 2024in Salesforce Data Cloud

07Oct

Salesforce LlamaRank

Document ranking remains a critical challenge in information retrieval and natural language processing. Effective document retrieval and ranking are crucial for enhancing the performance of search engines, question-answering systems, and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) systems. Traditional ranking models often struggle to balance result precision with computational efficiency, especially when dealing with large datasets and diverse query types. This challenge underscores the growing need for advanced models that can provide accurate, contextually relevant results in real-time from continuous data streams and increasingly complex queries. Salesforce AI Research has introduced a cutting-edge reranker named LlamaRank, designed to significantly enhance document ranking and code search tasks across various datasets. Built on the Llama3-8B-Instruct architecture, LlamaRank integrates advanced linear and calibrated scoring mechanisms, achieving both speed and interpretability. The Salesforce AI Research team developed LlamaRank as a specialized tool for document relevancy ranking. Enhanced by iterative feedback from their dedicated RLHF data annotation team, LlamaRank outperforms many leading APIs in general document ranking and sets a new standard for code search performance. The model’s training data includes high-quality synthesized data from Llama3-70B and Llama3-405B, along with human-labeled annotations, covering a broad range of domains from topic-based search and document QA to code QA. In RAG systems, LlamaRank plays a crucial role. Initially, a query is processed using a less precise but cost-effective method, such as semantic search with embeddings, to generate a list of potential documents. The reranker then refines this list to identify the most relevant documents, ensuring that the language model is fine-tuned with only the most pertinent information, thereby improving accuracy and coherence in the output responses. LlamaRank’s architecture, based on Llama3-8B-Instruct, leverages a diverse training corpus of synthetic and human-labeled data. This extensive dataset enables LlamaRank to excel in various tasks, from general document retrieval to specialized code searches. The model underwent multiple feedback cycles from Salesforce’s data annotation team to achieve optimal accuracy and relevance in its scoring predictions. During inference, LlamaRank predicts token probabilities and calculates a numeric relevance score, facilitating efficient reranking. Demonstrated on several public datasets, LlamaRank has shown impressive performance. For instance, on the SQuAD dataset for question answering, LlamaRank achieved a hit rate of 99.3%. It posted a hit rate of 92.0% on the TriviaQA dataset. In code search benchmarks, LlamaRank recorded a hit rate of 81.8% on the Neural Code Search dataset and 98.6% on the TrailheadQA dataset. These results highlight LlamaRank’s versatility and efficiency across various document types and query scenarios. LlamaRank’s technical specifications further emphasize its advantages. Supporting up to 8,000 tokens per document, it significantly outperforms competitors like Cohere’s reranker. It delivers low-latency performance, ranking 64 documents in under 200 ms with a single H100 GPU, compared to approximately 3.13 seconds on Cohere’s serverless API. Additionally, LlamaRank features linear scoring calibration, offering clear and interpretable relevance scores. While LlamaRank’s size of 8 billion parameters contributes to its high performance, it is approaching the upper limits of reranking model size. Future research may focus on optimizing model size to balance quality and efficiency. Overall, LlamaRank from Salesforce AI Research marks a significant advancement in reranking technology, promising to greatly enhance RAG systems’ effectiveness across a wide range of applications. With its powerful performance, efficiency, and clear scoring, LlamaRank represents a major step forward in document retrieval and search accuracy. The community eagerly anticipates its broader adoption and further development. 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

October 7, 2024in Data, Salesforce, Technology

06Oct

Real-World AI

Nearly two years after the widespread adoption of generative AI with the launch of ChatGPT, the technology is shifting from experimental phases to real-world implementation. A recent survey by TechTarget’s Enterprise Strategy Group highlights this growing trend, revealing that generative AI adoption has significantly increased over the past year. The firm surveyed 832 professionals globally and found that the use of generative AI is expanding across sectors like software development, research, IT operations, and customer service. “We’re in the acceleration phase,” noted Mark Beccue, an analyst at Enterprise Strategy Group and author of the survey, during an appearance on the Targeting AI podcast. According to the survey, there is no singular use case driving the adoption of generative AI. Instead, organizations are exploring multiple applications while facing challenges, such as the need for enhanced infrastructure. “Organizations feel infrastructure changes are necessary before fully proceeding with generative AI,” Beccue said. This may involve investing in enterprise-level platforms or new development tools, all aimed at facilitating AI application development. Additionally, there’s no clear consensus on which AI models—open or closed source—best suit organizational needs. “It’s likely a combination of both,” Beccue explained. “Companies are realizing no one model meets all their needs, so they’re evaluating what works best in specific scenarios.” Companies that have seen early success with generative AI are those that invested in AI technologies well before ChatGPT made waves. Beccue pointed to companies like Adobe, ServiceNow, and Zoom, which had already been leveraging machine learning, natural language understanding, and process automation for years. “They recognized the potential for AI to enhance their operations and were well-prepared when generative AI gained mainstream attention,” Beccue added. How can Tectonic help you AI? 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

October 6, 2024in Enterprise, Generative AI, Technology

05Oct

Generative AI for Match Commentary

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — Companies are exploring the use of artificial intelligence for sports commentary, showcasing one of the many innovative applications of this technology in the sports arena. ABC7 reporter J.R. Stone recently got a firsthand look at IBM’s integration of Generative AI to analyze and enhance playing abilities during a demonstration at Dreamforce 2024 in San Francisco. This same technology has also been implemented at prestigious events like Wimbledon and the US Open. “This year marks the introduction of Generative AI for match commentary, which utilizes data collected during the games to create real-time analysis and match summaries,” explained Nick Otto from IBM. In a related segment, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff revealed a new AI system called “Agent Force,” while Senator Scott Wiener introduced a bill focused on AI safety. The AI tracks various metrics, including average ball and swing speeds, as well as performance on forehand and backhand shots. To put the technology to the test, Stone faced off against Otto in a ping-pong match, where Otto emerged victorious with a score of 11-7. After the match, the AI generated an entertaining summary: “Nick’s arm must have felt like a whirlwind, spinning the ball at an average speed of 8.45 mph. J.R. tried to keep up, but his 30 forehand shots and 5.56 mph swing speed were no match.” While the advancements in AI are exciting, UCLA Professor Ramesh Srinivasan emphasizes the need for caution. “This technology is both incredible and concerning because it raises questions about the future of human journalists and commentators,” he noted. 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

October 5, 2024in Artificial Intelligence, Data, Generative AI, Salesforce, Technology

04Oct

Commerce Cloud and Agentic AI

Recognizing the demand from both B2B and B2C buyers for seamless, consistent commerce experiences across online and offline channels, Salesforce has introduced an AI-powered, unified commerce version of its Commerce Cloud platform. Salesforce, a leader in merging ecommerce and CRM software, has taken a significant step toward unified commerce with this next-generation update to Salesforce Commerce Cloud. This move aligns with the expectations of both B2B buyers and consumers, who increasingly seek integrated and personalized interactions. The company states that Commerce Cloud now “natively connects all aspects of commerce—B2C, direct-to-consumer, and B2B commerce; order management; and payments—with sales, service, and marketing, all on a single platform.” This integration offers businesses a complete view of the customer journey through a shared catalog and user profile. By unifying elements like catalogs, pricing, orders, and marketing segments, companies can deliver personalized interactions, boost customer loyalty, and drive revenue across all touchpoints. Unified Commerce: A $1.5 Trillion Opportunity Salesforce cites research from Adyen, which indicates that adopting unified commerce strategies could present a $1.5 trillion opportunity for retailers globally. In North America, 76 of the top 2000 online retailers use Salesforce’s ecommerce platform. In 2023, these retailers generated over 6 billion in web sales. Salesforce’s B2B clients include major companies such as Siemens, Schneider Electric, GE Renewable Energy, and Chambers Gasket. AI-Powered Commerce Cloud Salesforce emphasizes that AI powers key aspects of its next-generation Commerce Cloud, enabling the platform to autonomously manage tasks like product recommendations and order lookups by leveraging data from digital and in-store interactions, orders, inventory levels, customer reviews, unified profiles, and CRM information. The AI-backed “Agentforce” agents are designed to assist employees in delivering personalized interactions, strengthening customer relationships, and improving profit margins. According to Justin Racine, Principal of Unified Commerce at Perficient, Salesforce’s efforts to unify the commerce experience across its broad range of products align with the needs of both B2B buyers and consumers. He notes that modern buyers expect brands to connect and communicate with them based on their previous behaviors, preferences, and purchases. Unlocking Revenue with Agentforce Michael Affronti, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Commerce Cloud, highlights that this new version embodies unified commerce by providing businesses with a single, integrated platform. The platform consolidates the entire commerce journey, with AI-powered Agentforce agents unlocking new revenue streams and delivering personalized experiences across every channel. Furniture designer and manufacturer MillerKnoll has already benefited from the unified platform. Frank DeMaria, Vice President of Digital Engineering & Platforms, mentions that the integration of sales, service, marketing, and other functions has helped the company offer personalized experiences and improve online sales and customer satisfaction across its portfolio of brands, including HermanMiller. Key Features of the New Commerce Cloud Racine adds that Salesforce’s new release unifies its product suite under a cohesive platform, providing marketers and business users with a comprehensive 360-degree view of the customer. This enables brands to build experiences and ordering workflows that are predictive rather than reactive. The integration of Agentforce represents a breakthrough, blending AI with brand interactions to unlock potential gains for merchandisers and buyers, and Racine is excited to see how these technologies enhance revenue and customer loyalty. 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

October 4, 2024in Data, Salesforce Commerce Cloud

03Oct

Discharge Planning

Discharge planning is crucial for smoothly transitioning patients from hospital care to the next stage of their recovery. This process requires collaboration among patients, caregivers, and providers to create a personalized plan that ensures continuity of care after hospitalization. Effective discharge planning must consider the patient’s care needs, preferences, and concerns. When done well, it helps prevent readmissions and alleviates strain on both patients and hospitals. However, balancing clinical judgment with patient data can challenge care teams already burdened with heavy workloads. Jean Halpin, COO at Grant Medical Center, shared how the organization has integrated AI tools to predict discharge dates and automate parts of the discharge planning process, helping to streamline patient care. Challenges of Effective Discharge Planning Halpin emphasized that a streamlined discharge process is essential for reducing wait times and improving patient engagement. Yet, various factors influence how quickly patients are discharged, particularly in emergency rooms where delays can affect overall patient flow. “Most of the wait time we experience as patients boils down to a lengthy discharge process that isn’t effectively moving patients,” Halpin explained. “It’s a domino effect. Someone waiting in the ER for a bed is delayed because another patient hasn’t been discharged when they should have been.” To address these inefficiencies, Grant Medical Center implemented the Qventus Inpatient Solution. This tool integrates with electronic health records (EHRs) to analyze patient data—such as clinical notes, history, and labs—and provides recommendations on discharge timing. These insights have helped reduce ER wait times and improved patient flow. Integrating AI into Clinical Workflows Adopting AI in healthcare comes with integration challenges, particularly ensuring that tools enhance, rather than hinder, clinicians’ workflows. Halpin noted that the Qventus tool minimizes disruptions by seamlessly pulling EHR data to generate an estimated discharge date, allowing care teams to focus on patient care without extra administrative burdens. “As a patient’s health changes, the [discharge] date can fluctuate, but AI uses its data to predict the most accurate day based on similar cases,” Halpin explained. “The care teams can then review the date and determine whether they agree, without having to sift through records to develop their own recommendation.” Halpin also highlighted the value of AI in reducing the administrative load. Tasks like coordinating discharges to rehab facilities, ordering tests, and prescribing medication consume significant time, and automating these functions allows care teams to focus more on direct patient care. Embracing AI to Alleviate Healthcare Worker Burdens For healthcare systems adopting AI, accurately assessing its impact is critical. At Grant Medical Center, leadership is measuring success by evaluating employee satisfaction, patient outcomes, and administrative improvements—such as time and cost savings. “By improving our patient flow, we reduced unnecessary stays by nearly 1,400 days. Patients are happy to go home on time, and our care teams can focus on working at the top of their license,” said Halpin. Despite the benefits, Halpin stressed that implementing AI requires thoughtful onboarding to ensure staff are comfortable with the new tools. Training and support are key to making the transition seamless and enabling teams to see how AI can enhance their workflows. “Health system leaders should embrace advancements that help alleviate burdens for workers,” she said. “Once teams understand the tool, they can prioritize patient care while AI handles the time-consuming admin tasks.” Halpin concluded that embracing AI in discharge planning not only improves operational efficiency but also empowers healthcare teams to deliver better, more focused care. 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

October 3, 2024in AI Tools, Data, Salesforce Einstein, Salesforce Health and Life Sciences Solutions, Salesforce Optimization, Technology

03Oct

October 2024 Outage

On October 1st, 2024, Salesforce experienced a significant outage impacting over 80 instances, causing core services to slow to a crawl. The outage, which began around 6:30 UTC, remained unresolved over 8.5 hours later, with the root cause still unknown at that time. The outage has been particularly damaging, as Salesforce emphasizes trust as one of its core values, promoting transparency and reliability in its service delivery. While the Salesforce Trust website, which provides real-time system status updates, remained operational, some users reported difficulty accessing it when they needed outage details, adding to their frustration. This disruption has been a major blow to organizations that depend on Salesforce for essential business functions such as customer relationship management (CRM), sales pipelines, and workflow management. Key Facts About the Outage Am I Affected by the Salesforce Downtime? If you’re unsure whether your instance is affected, you can check the real-time list of impacted cases on the Salesforce Trust website. To do this, identify your organization’s instance (e.g., NA54, EU13) and compare it to the affected list. However, the Trust site itself has experienced intermittent outages during the incident. Customers have reported issues such as: If you’re encountering these problems, your Salesforce instance is likely impacted. How Salesforce is Responding Salesforce has initiated an emergency release in phases, with the first phase nearly complete. Afterward, validation checks will be performed to assess system stability. While some customers have reported that their instances have recovered, others continue to experience severe issues. Salesforce Support has provided general troubleshooting advice, such as using alternative browsers or clearing caches, but many users have found this ineffective, as the root cause lies within Salesforce’s infrastructure, not user-side configurations. What to Do Now Looking Ahead Although the root cause of the outage remains undetermined, Salesforce has committed to providing regular updates. Customers are encouraged to monitor the Salesforce Trust website and communicate with support teams. Once the cause is identified, Salesforce plans to release a detailed report on the incident and how they will prevent future occurrences. Conclusion Salesforce’s outage on October 1st has caused widespread disruption for businesses globally. While emergency updates are underway and some instances are recovering, full resolution may take time. In the meantime, staying updated and preparing for intermittent issues is critial for those who rely on Salesforce for their daily operations. Stay tuned for further updates as Salesforce continues working to restore full functionality across all affected instances. 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

October 3, 2024in Salesforce

03Oct

Scale and AI Influence Shape Partner Ecosystems

Hyperscalers’ Scale and AI Influence Shape Partner Ecosystems Despite their seemingly saturated networks, the largest cloud vendors continue to dominate as top ecosystems for service providers, according to a recent survey. Hyperscalers are playing a critical role in partner alliances, a trend that has only intensified in recent years. A study released by Tercera, an investment firm specializing in IT services, highlights the dominance of cloud giants AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure in the partner ecosystem landscape. More than 50% of the 250 technology service providers surveyed by Tercera identified one of these three vendors as their primary partner. This data comes from Tercera’s third annual report on the Top 30 Partner Ecosystems. The report emphasizes the “gravitational pull” of these hyperscalers, attracting partners despite their already vast networks. Each of the major cloud vendors maintains relationships with thousands of software and services partners. “The hyperscalers continue to defy the law of large numbers when you look at how many partners are in their ecosystems,” said Michelle Swan, CMO at Tercera. The Shift in Channel Alliances The emergence of cloud vendors as top partners for service providers has been evident since at least 2021. That year, a survey by Accenture of 1,150 channel companies found that AWS, Google, and Microsoft accounted for the majority of revenue for these partners. This represents a significant shift in channel economics, where traditionally large hardware companies occupied the top spots in partner alliances. AI’s Role in Partner Ecosystem Growth The rise of generative AI (GenAI) is reshaping alliance strategies, as service providers increasingly align themselves with hyperscalers and their AI technology partners. For instance, AWS channel partners interested in GenAI are likely to work with Anthropic, following Amazon’s $4 billion investment in the AI company. Meanwhile, Microsoft partners tend to collaborate with OpenAI, as Microsoft has committed up to $13 billion in investments to expand their partnership. “They have their own solar systems,” Swan remarked, referencing AWS, Google, Microsoft, and the AI startups within their ecosystems. Tiers of Partner Ecosystems Tercera categorizes its top 30 ecosystems into three tiers. The first tier, known as “market anchors,” includes AWS, Google, Microsoft, and large independent software vendors (ISVs) such as Salesforce and ServiceNow. The second tier, “market movers,” features publicly traded vendors with evolving partner ecosystems. The third tier, “market challengers,” is made up of privately held vendors with a partner-centric focus, such as Anthropic and OpenAI. Generative AI Ecosystem Survey A 2024 generative AI survey conducted by TechTarget and its Enterprise Strategy Group supports the idea that the leading cloud vendors play a central role in AI ecosystems. In a poll of 610 GenAI decision-makers and users, Microsoft topped the list of ecosystems supporting GenAI initiatives, with 54% of respondents citing it as the best ecosystem. Microsoft’s partner, OpenAI, followed with 35%. Google and AWS ranked third and fourth, with 30% and 24% of the responses, respectively. The survey covered a wide range of industries, including business services and IT, further reinforcing the dominant role hyperscalers play in shaping AI and partner ecosystems. 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

October 3, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Google, Hyperforce, Salesforce, Technology

Challenges of EHR Implementation in Healthcare

Challenges of EHR Implementation and How to Overcome Them Implementing an electronic health record (EHR) system is a monumental task, with complexities that require careful planning and execution. Common challenges—such as resistance to change, data migration hurdles, cost overruns, cybersecurity risks, and patient engagement issues—can impede progress. However, understanding these obstacles and applying targeted strategies can pave the way for a smooth transition. 1. Resistance to Change The adoption of a new EHR system affects nearly every workflow in a healthcare organization, often sparking resistance among staff. Fear of change and attachment to familiar processes can hinder implementation. Solution: 2. Data Migration Issues Accurate migration of patient health records is critical, yet transitioning data between systems often presents technical and logistical challenges. Solution: 3. Cost Overruns EHR implementation costs can quickly escalate, extending beyond software and hardware expenses to include consulting fees, training, and operational adjustments. Solution: 4. Heightened Cybersecurity Risks Transitioning sensitive patient data between EHR systems increases vulnerability to breaches, ransomware, and other cybersecurity threats. Solution: 5. Patient Engagement Challenges Patients are often overlooked during EHR transitions, leading to confusion about changes in medication requests, appointment scheduling, and other interactions. Solution: Conclusion EHR implementation is undoubtedly challenging, but with proactive strategies, healthcare organizations can navigate these complexities effectively. By addressing resistance to change, ensuring seamless data migration, managing costs, bolstering cybersecurity, and engaging patients, organizations can achieve a successful EHR transition that enhances workflows, safeguards data, and improves patient outcomes. 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

October 3, 2024in Data, Life Sciences Cloud, Salesforce, Salesforce Health and Life Sciences Solutions, Salesforce Health Cloud

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