As the vacation ownership industry grows, focus on innovation, personalization, and partnerships sets Salesforce apart. By leveraging Salesforce and Tableau, the company ensures its systems, teams, and customer experiences evolve to meet the expectations of modern travelers, delivering on its promise of unforgettable vacations.
Successfully adopting AI requires thoughtful planning and a focus on human impact. While the pressure to leverage AI is immense across industries, the path to transforming its potential into meaningful outcomes is less clear. Businesses must address critical questions: What impact do we aim to achieve? Are we prepared for the organizational changes AI will bring? Mark Wakelin, Executive Vice President of Global Professional Services at Salesforce, emphasizes the importance of understanding the “why” behind adopting AI. “You need a clear vision of the impact you want to have and the use cases you’ll deploy,” he explains. A Readiness Checklist Before diving into AI initiatives, organizations must evaluate their readiness. This involves: “This isn’t just a technology equation,” Wakelin notes. “AI is also a legal, ethical, and humanitarian equation. It has the potential to significantly impact humanity, and we need to approach it within the context of workforce operations.” Linking AI to Business Value A common mistake in AI strategies is failing to align initiatives with tangible business outcomes. Wakelin recalls an engineer boasting about processing billions of images with AI but unable to articulate its business application. Companies must start by identifying where AI can have the greatest impact: Trust as the Foundation For AI to succeed, trust must be at the core of its implementation. This includes: “Trust is earned through predictable, integrity-driven behaviors,” says Wakelin. Unlike humans, machines lack relationships, so fostering trust within the ecosystem is crucial. Starting with People AI strategies should prioritize people, not technology. Wakelin stresses the need for transparency and proactive communication about AI implementation. This includes clear plans for: Partnering for Success Salesforce Partner Services supports organizations through this journey by: Reach out to Tectonic today to road map AI adoption for your organization. These steps help customers adopt AI thoughtfully, balancing opportunities with risks, and ensuring initiatives are controlled and trust-driven. A Vision for AI’s Future “AI is the most exciting development of my 35-year career,” Wakelin shares. He envisions AI enhancing productivity, education, and work-life balance while fostering diversity and equity. In the coming years, AI holds the promise of significantly improving society—provided organizations keep people at the center of its evolution. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has unveiled the Roles and Responsibilities Framework for Artificial Intelligence in Critical Infrastructure, a voluntary set of guidelines designed to ensure the safe and secure deployment of AI across the systems that power daily life. From energy grids to water systems, transportation, and communications, critical infrastructure increasingly relies on AI for enhanced efficiency and resilience. While AI offers transformative potential—such as detecting earthquakes, optimizing energy usage, and streamlining logistics—it also introduces new vulnerabilities. Framework Overview The framework, developed with input from cloud providers, AI developers, critical infrastructure operators, civil society, and public sector organizations, builds on DHS’s broader policies from 2023, which align with White House directives. It aims to provide a shared roadmap for balancing AI’s benefits with its risks. AI Vulnerabilities in Critical Infrastructure The DHS framework categorizes vulnerabilities into three key areas: The guidelines also address sector-specific vulnerabilities and offer strategies to ensure AI strengthens resilience while minimizing misuse risks. Industry and Government Support Arvind Krishna, Chairman and CEO of IBM, lauded the framework as a “powerful tool” for fostering responsible AI development. “We look forward to working with DHS to promote shared and individual responsibilities in advancing trusted AI systems.” Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, emphasized the framework’s role in fostering collaboration among stakeholders while prioritizing trust and accountability. “Salesforce is committed to humans and AI working together to advance critical infrastructure industries in the U.S. We support this framework as a vital step toward shaping the future of AI in a safe and sustainable manner.” DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas highlighted the urgency of proactive action. “AI offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve the strength and resilience of U.S. critical infrastructure, and we must seize it while minimizing its potential harms. The framework, if widely adopted, will help ensure the safety and security of critical services.” DHS Recommendations for Stakeholders A Call to Action DHS encourages widespread adoption of the framework to build safer, more resilient critical infrastructure. By prioritizing trust, transparency, and collaboration, this initiative aims to guide the responsible integration of AI into essential systems, ensuring they remain secure and effective as technology continues to evolve. 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
In the current age of digital transformation, effective data migration is essential, especially as cloud adoption accelerates. Research from Foundry reveals that 63% of IT leaders have increased their cloud migrations, but 90% face challenges—primarily budgetary constraints. This highlights the importance of thoughtful planning and strategic execution. In this context, we’ll explore the significance of successful Salesforce data migration and present a nine-step roadmap to ensure a seamless transition. Additionally, we’ll cover solutions for data preparation and the top five Salesforce data migration tools that can help turn migration challenges into growth opportunities. Salesforce Data Migration ChecklistDownload our e-book to quickly and efficiently migrate data from Excel spreadsheets and CRM systems to Salesforce. Why is Data Migration Important?In 2010, I bought my first smartphone and struggled to transfer data from my outdated phone. My contacts were vital, but the old phone lacked proper data transfer options. Determined not to re-enter everything manually, I searched for a solution. Eventually, I found a method to extract data into a CSV file, which I converted to vCard format to transfer successfully. This experience reinforced how essential data migration is—not only for businesses but also for everyday situations. For organizations looking to modernize, data migration is a crucial step in upgrading IT infrastructure. It enables smooth transitions from legacy systems to modern platforms like Salesforce, enhancing efficiency, scalability, and data accessibility. Effective data migration improves data management, reduces costs tied to outdated systems, and supports better decision-making through improved analytics. It also ensures data integrity and security, aligning IT capabilities with evolving business needs, fostering innovation, and keeping a competitive edge. What is Data Migration in Salesforce?Whether you are already using Salesforce or considering adoption, one common question arises: “How do I migrate my data to Salesforce?” Salesforce data migration involves moving information from external systems like legacy CRMs or local databases into Salesforce. This process is critical not only for protecting data integrity but also for enabling better decision-making, improving customer service, and promoting organizational growth. A well-planned data migration strategy ensures a smooth transition to Salesforce, maximizing its potential and enhancing business efficiency. 9-Step Salesforce Data Migration PlanPreparing for a Salesforce data migration? Follow these nine essential steps for a seamless process: Need Help with Data Migration to Salesforce?We offer consulting services to guide you through the data migration process, from auditing data sources to executing the migration strategy. Tectonic is here to help. Top 5 Salesforce Data Migration ToolsHere’s a quick comparison of five Salesforce data migration tools to help you choose the right solution: For hassle-free data migration, reach out to Tectonic for a tailored plan that minimizes downtime and maximizes operational efficiency. 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
A Salesforce CPQ Check Up is a comprehensive review of your system’s configuration and performance. It assesses how well your CPQ solution integrates with your business processes, highlighting any gaps hindering your sales efforts. From pricing rules to approval processes, a health check ensures seamless functionality and equips your sales reps with the tools they need to succeed.
This principle was instrumental in shaping our data-focused enterprise architecture transformation in 2023, making data a core pillar alongside loan origination and servicing. Given that the company’s future growth depends on it, the focus on data was essential.
Intelligent Adoption Framework Marks a New Era for AI IntegrationAfter a surge of initial excitement, AI has now entered a phase of more thoughtful and strategic adoption, focusing on sustainable progress and measurable results. Following years of hype in which artificial intelligence was hailed as a revolutionary force poised to instantly transform industries, AI is now facing a more tempered reality. As it settles into Gartner’s “Trough of Disillusionment,” organizations are grappling with the reality of high costs and challenges scaling experimental projects. However, this phase of learning is typical for any emerging technology, and the journey to unlock AI’s full potential is far from over. Steve Daly, Senior Vice President of Solutions at New Era Technology, explains: “AI has been around for 70 years, but the recent hype inflated expectations. At $30 per user per month for tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot, they’re appealing for proof-of-concept projects. But once those initial tests are over, many companies struggle to find a clear ROI when scaling.” Cost is not the only barrier to broader AI adoption. Concerns over data security and sharing sensitive information are top priorities for many organizations. Daly adds, “New Era’s robust data and security practice has shifted to offer Copilot Studio, allowing companies to build GenAI solutions with tighter security controls. With Copilot Studio, you can limit access to specific files or libraries, ensuring greater control over sensitive data.” Moving Beyond OverpromisesBuilding confidence in AI requires addressing several factors. First, organizations must tackle security and data control issues, alongside developing a clear business model to justify AI investments. Equally important is maintaining momentum—patience and persistence are key to seeing projects through to success, or determining when to pivot. Daly observes, “We’re seeing many projects lose steam. Around half of AI initiatives stall due to poor security practices and suboptimal data management. Projects must demonstrate progress, and that’s difficult in the innovation phase when you don’t always know what you don’t know.” Introducing Intelligent AdoptionThis is where Copilot Studio and New Era’s Intelligent Adoption Framework come into play. The framework is designed to help organizations chart their AI development journey and ensure investments yield tangible results. Copilot Studio supports IT teams by focusing on the tasks that truly drive value, helping them stay on track toward their goals. The Intelligent Adoption Framework is built around three core pillars: technical redesign, organizational readiness, and user readiness. New Era’s framework leverages its expertise to guide businesses through the steps necessary to define their AI strategy, align their corporate vision, and identify the most valuable use cases for AI adoption. Daly concludes, “It’s not just about purchasing licenses—it’s about creating a roadmap for successful adoption. We’re developing packaged solutions, such as ‘train the trainer’ programs from day one, followed by proof-of-concept demonstrations using Copilot Studio. Our goal is to help customers answer key questions, like when to build a GenAI chatbot, while navigating the complexities of AI adoption and managing the pressures CIOs face from stakeholders.” In this new era of AI, success will be determined not by rushed deployment, but by strategic, intelligent adoption that ensures sustained value over time. 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
How to Create a Winning AI Strategy for Your Business To maximize the value of AI, organizations must align their AI projects with strategic business objectives. Here’s a 10-step guide to crafting an effective AI strategy, including sample templates to support your planning. While AI adoption is on the rise, many companies still struggle to unlock its full potential. According to the 2024 IDC report Scaling AI Initiatives Responsibly, even organizations with advanced AI practices, termed “AI Masters,” face a 13% failure rate, while those still emerging in AI see a 20% failure rate. Challenges such as poor data quality and cultural resistance often contribute to these failures. To avoid these pitfalls, companies need to adopt a more deliberate and strategic approach to AI implementation. As Nick Kramer from SSA & Company states, “It’s not just about implementing the right technology; a lot of work needs to be done beforehand to succeed with AI.” What is an AI Strategy and Why is it Important? An AI strategy unifies all necessary components—such as data, technology, and talent—required to achieve business goals through AI. This includes: A well-designed AI strategy sets clear directions on how AI should be leveraged to achieve optimal outcomes within the organization. 10 Steps to Craft a Successful AI Strategy Resources for AI Strategy Templates If you’re ready to start building your AI strategy, here are several resources offering templates and guidance: By following these steps and utilizing the right resources, businesses can ensure they capture AI in ways that align with their strategic goals and maximize their competitive edge. 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 Alphabet Soup of Cloud Terminology As with any technology, the cloud brings its own alphabet soup of terms. This insight will hopefully help you navigate Read more
Market Insights and Forecast for Quote Generation Software for Salesforce (2024-2031): Key Players, Technology Advancements, and Growth Opportunities A recent research report by WMR delves into the Quote Generation Software for Salesforce Market, offering over 150 pages of in-depth analysis on business strategies employed by both leading and emerging industry players. The study provides insights into market developments, technological advancements, drivers, opportunities, and overall market status. Understanding market segments is essential to identify key factors driving growth. Comprehensive Market Insights The report provides an extensive analysis of the global market landscape, including business expansion strategies designed to increase revenue. It compiles critical data about target customers, evaluating the potential success of products and services prior to launch. The research offers valuable insights for stakeholders, including detailed updates on the impact of COVID-19 on business operations and the broader market. The report assesses whether a target market aligns with an enterprise’s goals, emphasizing that market success hinges on understanding the target audience. Key Players Featured: Market Segmentation By Types: By Applications: Geographical Overview The Quote Generation Software for Salesforce Market varies significantly across regions, driven by factors such as economic development, technical advancements, and cultural differences. Businesses looking to expand globally must account for these variations to leverage local opportunities effectively. Key regions include: Competitive Landscape The report offers a detailed competitive analysis, highlighting: Highlights from the Report Key Market Questions Addressed: Reasons to Purchase this Report: This report provides a valuable roadmap for businesses aiming to navigate the evolving Quote Generation Software for Salesforce Market, helping them make informed decisions and strategically position themselves for growth. 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
A recent discovery by programmer and inventor Michael Calvin Wood is addressing a persistent challenge in AI: hallucinations. These false or misleading outputs, long considered an inherent flaw in large language models (LLMs), have posed a significant issue for developers. However, Wood’s breakthrough is challenging this assumption, offering a solution that could transform how AI-powered applications are built and used. The Importance of Wood’s Discovery for Developers Wood’s findings have substantial implications for developers working with AI. By eliminating hallucinations, developers can ensure that AI-generated content is accurate and reliable, particularly in applications where precision is critical. Understanding the Root Cause of Hallucinations Contrary to popular belief, hallucinations are not primarily caused by insufficient training data or biased algorithms. Wood’s research reveals that the issue stems from how LLMs process and generate information based on “noun-phrase routes.” LLMs organize information around noun phrases, and when they encounter semantically similar phrases, they may conflate or misinterpret them, leading to incorrect outputs. How LLMs Organize Information For example: The Noun-Phrase Dominance Model Wood’s research led to the development of the Noun-Phrase Dominance Model, which posits that neural networks in LLMs self-organize around noun phrases. This model is key to understanding and eliminating hallucinations by addressing how AI processes noun-phrase conflicts. Fully-Formatted Facts (FFF): A Solution Wood’s solution involves transforming input data into Fully-Formatted Facts (FFF)—statements that are literally true, devoid of noun-phrase conflicts, and structured as simple, complete sentences. Presenting information in this format has led to significant improvements in AI accuracy, particularly in question-answering tasks. How FFF Processing Works While Wood has not provided a step-by-step guide for FFF processing, he hints that the process began with named-entity recognition using the Python SpaCy library and evolved into using an LLM to reduce ambiguity while retaining the original writing style. His company’s REST API offers a wrapper around GPT-4o and GPT-4o-mini models, transforming input text to remove ambiguity before processing it. Current Methods vs. Wood’s Approach Current approaches, like Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG), attempt to reduce hallucinations by adding more context. However, these methods often introduce additional noun-phrase conflicts. For instance, even with RAG, ChatGPT-3.5 Turbo experienced a 23% hallucination rate when answering questions about Wikipedia articles. In contrast, Wood’s method focuses on eliminating noun-phrase conflicts entirely. Results: RAG FF (Retrieval Augmented Generation with Formatted Facts) Wood’s method has shown remarkable results, eliminating hallucinations in GPT-4 and GPT-3.5 Turbo during question-answering tasks using third-party datasets. Real-World Example: Translation Error Elimination Consider a simple translation example: This transformation eliminates hallucinations by removing the potential noun-phrase conflict. Implications for the Future of AI The Noun-Phrase Dominance Model and the use of Fully-Formatted Facts have far-reaching implications: Roadmap for Future Development Wood and his team plan to expand their approach by: Conclusion: A New Era of Reliable AI Wood’s discovery represents a significant leap forward in the pursuit of reliable AI. By aligning input data with how LLMs process information, he has unlocked the potential for accurate, trustworthy AI systems. As this technology continues to evolve, it could have profound implications for industries ranging from healthcare to legal services, where AI could become a consistent and reliable tool. While there is still work to be done in expanding this method across all AI tasks, the foundation has been laid for a revolution in AI accuracy. Future developments will likely focus on refining and expanding these capabilities, enabling AI to serve as a trusted resource across a range of applications. Experience RAGFix For those looking to explore this technology, RAGFix offers an implementation of these groundbreaking concepts. Visit their official website to access demos, explore REST API integration options, and stay updated on the latest advancements in hallucination-free AI: Visit RAGFix.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
Funlab Explores AI to Boost Customer Engagement in Leisure Venues In a push to enhance customer experiences across its “leisure-tainment” venues, Funlab has begun experimenting with artificial intelligence. Speaking at a Salesforce Agentforce event in Sydney, Funlab’s Head of Customer Relationships and Retention, Tracy Tanti, shared that the company is “excited to be able to start experimenting” with AI. Agentforce, a Salesforce platform designed to create autonomous agents for supporting employees and customers, serves as a key part of Funlab’s AI exploration efforts. According to Tanti, Funlab has a range of AI-focused projects on its roadmap, with the goal of blending digital experiences into real-life interactions and supporting both venue and corporate teams with AI-driven tools. Reflecting the company’s dedication to careful planning, Tanti described how Salesforce connected Funlab with another customer, Norths Collective, to discuss its own AI implementation journey. Robert Lopez, Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Norths Collective, has seen success with enhanced personalization and analytics, which have contributed to increased membership and engagement. Tanti noted that Norths Collective’s transformation work would provide valuable insights for Funlab as it optimizes its data in preparation for AI adoption. Currently, Funlab is in a post-digital transformation phase, refining its processes to deliver more connected and personalized guest experiences throughout the customer lifecycle. With ongoing expansion into the U.S. market—including recent openings of Holey Moley venues—Funlab is also focusing on building robust support infrastructure and engaging local audiences through Salesforce. Tanti highlighted the company’s vision for the U.S. to become a significant portion of total revenues and emphasized how Salesforce will help Funlab nurture a strong customer database in this new market. Additionally, Funlab is leveraging Salesforce to grow its event and function sales, which are projected to reach 39% of total online revenue by year’s end, up from 23% earlier this year. This expansion underscores Funlab’s commitment to using AI and data-driven insights to fuel growth and deepen customer engagement across all its markets and venues. 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
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
We’re expanding our commitment to the future of data and analytics with the launch of the Tableau Einstein Alliance, an initiative designed to foster an ecosystem of visionary and innovative partners. These partners will help integrate Agentforce across every facet of analytics, positioning our customers to harness the full potential of AI. The future of data-driven insights is here, and our partners play a vital role in this journey. —Ryan Aytay, CEO, Tableau Salesforce Introduces Tableau Einstein Alliance Salesforce recently unveiled the Tableau Einstein Alliance, a new partner community for its Tableau Einstein users. This initiative aims to empower partners to excel in the “agent era” by offering exclusive benefits to support their development and implementation of AI-driven solutions and analytics agents. Members of the Alliance will gain access to product roadmaps, in-house expertise, and dedicated marketing support, as well as opportunities for co-selling. Moreover, Salesforce is offering these partners the ability to leverage the Alliance for building AI agents, apps, and solutions that maximize their clients’ investments in AI and data. What is Tableau Einstein? Launched in September, Tableau Einstein is an AI-powered visual analytics platform designed to scale and enhance data-driven workflows. It seamlessly integrates with Salesforce tools like Agentforce and its privacy framework, providing data professionals with the ability to create semantic models using real-time customer data. Tableau Einstein also features a marketplace where organizations can share analytical assets, and its APIs facilitate seamless collaboration. Teams can easily work together on data models, visualizations, and dashboards in a unified, drag-and-drop interface. Why Tableau Einstein Matters In discussing the platform, Ryan Aytay highlighted its transformative capabilities: “By leveraging high-performance AI to connect data, actions, and humans, autonomous and assistive agents are redefining business efficiency. They ensure that the data foundation you’re already using will continue to support your needs into the future. You no longer need to sift through data silos or be a specialist to access critical insights—data is now accessible to everyone.” With Tableau Einstein, Salesforce is setting a new standard for how businesses can achieve success with AI-powered, data-driven insights. 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
AI technologies are rapidly evolving, becoming a practical solution to support essential business operations. However, creating true business value from AI requires a well-balanced approach that considers people, processes, and technology. Ethical AI Implementation. AI encompasses various forms, including machine learning, deep learning, predictive analytics, natural language processing, computer vision, and automation. To leverage AI’s competitive advantages, companies need a strong foundation and a realistic strategy aligned with their business goals. “Artificial intelligence is multifaceted,” said John Carey, managing director at AArete, a business management consultancy. “There’s often hype and, at times, exaggeration about how ‘intelligent’ AI truly is.” Business Advantages of AI Adoption Recent advancements in generative AI, such as ChatGPT and Dall-E, have showcased AI’s significant impact on businesses. According to a McKinsey Global Survey, global AI adoption surged from around 50% over the past six years to 72% in 2024. Some key benefits of adopting AI include: Prerequisites for AI Implementation Successfully implementing AI can be complex. A detailed understanding of the following prerequisites is crucial for achieving positive results: 13 Steps for Successful AI Implementation Common AI Implementation Mistakes Organizations often stumble by: Key Challenges in Ethical AI Implementation Human-related challenges often present the biggest hurdles. To overcome them, organizations must foster data literacy and build trust among stakeholders. Additionally, challenges around data management, model governance, system integration, and intellectual property need to be addressed. Ensuring Ethical AI Implementation To ensure responsible AI use, companies should: Ethical AI implementation requires a continuous commitment to transparency, fairness, and inclusivity across all levels of the organization. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
Salesforce Unveils Tableau Einstein Alliance to Empower Partners in the AI-Driven Agent Era Salesforce today announced the launch of the Tableau Einstein Alliance, a new partner community designed to create and deliver AI-driven solutions and analytical agents for Tableau Einstein. Built on the Salesforce platform and integrated with Agentforce, this initiative aims to help partners accelerate success in the emerging AI landscape. Tableau Einstein Alliance to Help Partners Drive Success in the Agent Era The Tableau Einstein Alliance offers partners a range of exclusive benefits, including early access to Salesforce’s product roadmaps, in-house AI experts, marketing support, and co-selling opportunities. Through the Alliance, partners will be able to develop agents, apps, and AI-driven solutions, enabling customers to navigate the autonomous AI revolution and rapidly extract value from their data and AI investments. The Alliance is set to launch in February 2025 with 25 founding members, including Tectonic, Capgemini, Deloitte, IBM, and Slalom. Solutions developed within the Alliance will be available on both the Salesforce AppExchange and the forthcoming Tableau Marketplace, offering developers a platform to create, share, and monetize analytical assets. Why It Matters:Partner ecosystems have been crucial in advancing major technological innovations, from cloud computing to software-as-a-service. With the rise of Agentforce, building a dynamic partner community is more critical than ever to drive the next wave of AI and analytics adoption. Salesforce’s Perspective: “Tableau’s success is deeply rooted in our partners’ commitment to our customers. Now, we’re investing in the Tableau Einstein Alliance to cultivate an ecosystem of visionary and innovative partners who will integrate Agentforce into every facet of analytics. The future of data and analytics is here, and our partners are essential to this journey.”— Ryan Aytay, CEO, Tableau Industry Perspectives: “Atrium has championed the vision of unified analytics since Tableau joined the Salesforce ecosystem. We’ve seen the incredible potential of Data Cloud and Tableau Cloud together, and we’re thrilled to help bring Tableau Einstein to market. Its integrated features will offer customers unprecedented productivity.”— Chris Heineken, CEO, Atrium “Tectonic’s “Insight to Action” methodology (i2a) is directly improved by the launch of the Tableau Einstein Alliance. By utilizing automated AI-solutions to power data-driven insights, we are able to deliver additional value to our customers.”— Dan Grossnickle, Tectonic “Tableau Einstein represents the next step in Salesforce’s data platforms and generative AI products. The value for clients from these data-driven insights is immense. We’re excited to help lead the way through the Tableau Einstein Alliance.”— Jean-Marc Gaultier, Head of Group Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships, Capgemini “Deloitte has long benefited from Tableau’s capabilities, and we’re excited to see how this next iteration will further empower our teams with data to drive growth. Integrating key features into tools like Salesforce and Slack will unlock even greater potential for us.”— Moritz Schieder, Tableau Alliance Leader and Director, Deloitte Germany “IBM is eager to leverage Tableau Einstein to deliver more value to our customers, regardless of where they work. As a strategic Agentforce partner and Salesforce customer, we are excited to be part of the next generation of analytics alongside Salesforce.”— Mary Rowe, Global Head of IBM Consulting Salesforce Practice Tableau Einstein Alliance to Help Partners Drive Success in the Agent Era and Tectonic, an insights 2 actions company, is excited to be a part of the innovation. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more
