Salesforce AppExchange Archives

06Feb

Rule-Based vs. Machine Learning Deduplication Approaches

Choosing the Right Tool for Salesforce Deduplication: Rule-Based vs. Machine Learning Approaches When you browse Salesforce AppExchange for a deduplication solution, you’re presented with two primary options: rule-based deduplication tools or machine learning-powered applications. Both have their strengths, but understanding their methods will help you make an informed decision. Below, we’ll explore these approaches and their pros and cons to guide your choice. Why Salesforce’s Built-in Deduplication Falls Short Salesforce, while a powerful CRM, doesn’t excel at large-scale deduplication. Its native tools are limited to basic, rule-based matching, which may struggle with complexities like typos, inconsistent formatting, or unstructured data. Additionally, Salesforce’s deduplication features lack the scalability required for organizations dealing with large datasets or multiple data sources (e.g., third-party integrations, legacy systems). Businesses often need supplemental tools to address overlapping records or inconsistencies effectively. How Rule-Based Deduplication Works Popular rule-based tools on AppExchange, such as Cloudingo, DemandTools, DataGroomr, and Duplicate Check, require users to create filters that define what constitutes a duplicate. For example: Ultimately, the user manually defines the rules, deciding how duplicates are identified and handled. Benefits of Rule-Based Deduplication Drawbacks of Rule-Based Deduplication How Machine Learning-Based Deduplication Works Machine learning (ML)-powered tools rely on algorithms to identify patterns and relationships in data, detecting duplicates that may not be apparent through rigid rules. Key Features of ML Deduplication Techniques Used Benefits of ML-Based Deduplication Drawbacks of ML-Based Deduplication When to Choose Rule-Based vs. Machine Learning Deduplication Choose Rule-Based Deduplication If: Choose Machine Learning-Based Deduplication If: Selecting the Right Deduplication Tool When evaluating tools on AppExchange, consider these factors: Tectonic’s Closing Thoughts Rule-based and machine learning-based deduplication each serve distinct purposes. The right choice depends on your data’s complexity, the resources available, and your organization’s goals. Whether you’re seeking a quick, transparent solution or a powerful, scalable tool, AppExchange offers options to meet your needs and help maintain a clean Salesforce data environment. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

February 6, 2025in Data, Salesforce0 Comments

Project Management With Asana and Salesforce

10Jan

Salesforce and Asana Integration Approach

How to Integrate Asana and Salesforce: A Complete Guide Table of Contents Integrating Asana and Salesforce can eliminate workflow silos and accelerate collaboration. Both platforms offer integration capabilities, but their suitability varies based on your needs and resources. This guide will help you navigate the options, evaluate their pros and cons, and choose the one that best suits your organization. Can You Integrate Asana and Salesforce? Yes! Asana and Salesforce integration is possible through three primary methods: Each option comes with unique features, costs, and technical requirements. This guide explores each solution to help you make an informed decision. Why Integrate Asana and Salesforce? Integration can achieve two major goals: Depending on your goals, certain integration methods may be better suited to your needs. Integration Options Overview 1. Asana for Salesforce This official integration is ideal for large organizations with Enterprise-level plans for both Asana and Salesforce. It enables automation of workflows between the two platforms, such as: Pros: Cons: Rating: 2.6/5 on Salesforce AppExchange. 2. Visor Visor offers bi-directional integration with Asana and Salesforce, making it a powerful choice for combining and visualizing data. Key Features: Best For: Setup Steps: Limitations: 3. Zapier Zapier enables custom automation between Asana and Salesforce. It’s perfect for automating simple, repetitive workflows, such as: Pros: Cons: Quick Comparison Table Feature Asana for Salesforce Zapier Visor Automates processes ✔ ✔ ✘ Combines Salesforce & Asana data ✘ ✘ ✔ Gantt charts and project boards ✘ ✘ ✔ Dashboards and timelines ✘ ✘ ✔ Two-way data sync ✘ ✘ ✔ Comparison Table Which Integration Option Is Best for You? The right choice depends on your goals: Get Started with Visor for Free Visor is one integration tool, that helps you bridge the gap between Asana and Salesforce, offering advanced visualization tools and seamless collaboration. Start using Visor for free today: Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

January 10, 2025in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce0 Comments

05Dec

Salesforce Timeshare Management

Tectonic is a leader in Salesforce solutions for the timeshare industry. We help you unify data, connect your systems, and create unforgettable guest experiences while simplifying the management of your business lines.

December 5, 2024in AI Tools, Data, Enterprise, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Timeshare

18Nov

Redefining Autonomous AI for the Enterprise

Salesforce Agentforce: Redefining Autonomous AI for the Enterprise Salesforce has unveiled Agentforce, a groundbreaking addition to its platform that enables businesses to create and deploy autonomous AI agents capable of performing tasks across any business function. Unlike traditional chatbots or copilots, Agentforce leverages advanced reasoning capabilities to independently resolve customer cases, qualify sales leads, optimize marketing campaigns, and more. By automating actions triggered by data changes, business rules, pre-built automations, or API signals, Agentforce empowers companies like OpenTable, Saks, and Wiley to scale their workforce and enhance customer experiences. “Agentforce is redefining what’s possible in business and beyond,” said Marc Benioff, Chair and CEO of Salesforce. “This technology is ushering in an era of AI abundance and limitless workforces, augmenting employees, building deeper customer relationships, and driving unprecedented growth and profitability.” Built on a Metadata-Driven Architecture Agentforce builds on Salesforce’s metadata-driven platform, ensuring rapid deployment and customization without extensive manual effort. “Agentforce taps into the trusted Salesforce platform, seamlessly integrating enterprise data, workflows, and AI models to deliver actionable intelligence,” said Srini Tallapragada, President and Chief Engineering Officer at Salesforce. Addressing Market Inefficiencies Salesforce research identified significant inefficiencies Agentforce is designed to address: Marc Benioff emphasized, “The agent revolution is as transformative as the cloud, social, and mobile revolutions, setting a new standard for operational efficiency.” Rapid Adoption and Industry Use Cases At Dreamforce 2024, customers created over 10,000 autonomous agents in three days, with adoption accelerating to 20,000 agents globally through Salesforce World Tour events. The platform’s natural language interface enables business users—not just IT teams—to build and customize agents. Industry Applications: Ecosystem and Partner Support The launch is bolstered by partnerships with global systems integrators, including Accenture, Deloitte, IBM, PwC, and Slalom. These collaborations have accelerated emerging technology rollouts by 31%, according to Salesforce. Additionally, the new Agentblazer Community provides a hub for knowledge sharing and integrations via the Salesforce AppExchange. Pricing and Future Development Agentforce is now generally available, with pricing starting at $2 per conversation, including volume discounts. Customers can explore the platform through the Salesforce Foundations trial, offering 1,000 conversation credits for free. Future development plans focus on enabling multi-agent scenarios for complex workflows and expanding autonomous capabilities across business processes. “This is just the first chapter,” said Clara Shih, CEO of Salesforce AI. “The innovation we’ll see from this technology will transform businesses in ways we’ve only begun to imagine.” What This Means for Businesses Agentforce represents Salesforce’s most ambitious platform expansion since Einstein AI’s debut in 2016. Its consumption-based pricing model aligns with Salesforce’s broader shift toward pay-as-you-use services, mirroring strategies with Data Cloud and Einstein GPT. For enterprises, the platform offers a low-risk trial to assess its potential for driving operational improvements. The challenge will be transitioning from pilot projects to large-scale deployments while maintaining the claimed accuracy and efficiency advantages. With over 20,000 agents created and a robust partner ecosystem, Salesforce is well-positioned to lead the autonomous AI revolution. However, the ultimate success of Agentforce will depend on its ability to consistently deliver measurable business value beyond the initial wave of adoption. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

November 18, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Data, Enterprise, Mulesoft, Salesforce Foundations, Technology

25Oct

TrueDialog Adds SMS Application for Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement

TrueDialog Unveils SMS Integration for Salesforce Marketing Cloud

TrueDialog, a leader in SMS texting solutions, has expanded its Salesforce offerings with the launch of its SMS integration for Salesforce Marketing Cloud Engagement, complementing its existing Sales Cloud application. Now available on Salesforce AppExchange, this addition enables seamless documentation of SMS activities across the Salesforce Cloud ecosystem.

With TrueDialog’s integration for Salesforce Marketing Cloud, companies can incorporate SMS into customized, targeted marketing journeys. This includes sending promotional messages, geo-targeted offers, triggered alerts, order confirmations, account updates, and more—all as part of a cohesive customer engagement strategy.

TrueDialog’s solution uniquely enables SMS message flow across Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, and Education Cloud, ensuring communication continuity across platforms. “TrueDialog is the only provider offering bidirectional SMS integration between Salesforce Marketing Cloud and other Salesforce Clouds, including Sales, Service, Commerce, and Education Clouds,” said John Wright, CEO of TrueDialog. “Our solution records text messages on all relevant Salesforce Clouds, maintaining communication continuity between companies and their customers—something no other provider offers.”

The TrueDialog SMS application is fully native to Salesforce Marketing Cloud, allowing users to work within their regular workflow without switching applications to integrate SMS steps. TrueDialog also offers flexible options for short and long codes, automated 10DLC registration for long codes, and TrueDelivery, a tool for assessing SMS deliverability.

October 25, 2024in Salesforce Marketing Cloud

07Oct

AI All Grown Up

If you thought Salesforce had fully embraced AI, think again. The company has much more in store. AI All Grown Up and Salesforce is the educator! Alongside the announcement of the new Agentforce platform, Salesforce has teased plans to offer free premium instructor-led courses and AI certifications throughout 2025, reflecting a bold commitment to fostering AI skills and expertise. We’ve talked quite a bit over the last year about the need for AI education, and lo and behold here comes Salesforce to the rescue! AI All Grown Up Ah, they grow up so fast. Once just a baby cradeled in our arms with endless possibilities and potential. It was just like a year or so ago we heard of ChatGPT. Prior to that most people’s main exposure to artificial intelligence was their smart phones, which today we realize weren’t reall that smart. Generative, predictive and agentic AI have barreled down the pipeline increasing our vocabulary, and understanding, of what artificial intelligence can do. From generative content to sounds and images, AI continued to amaze us. Then predictive AI did our calculations faster than we could have imagined. Then agentic AI did nearly everything imaginable. AI All Grown Up. Like a very proud mentor of the process, I want to talk about Salesforce’s major contribution. Addressing the AI Skills Gap: Salesforce’s $50 Million Investment As the veritable plethora of AI tools rapidly expands, Salesforce is taking proactive steps to address the growing AI skills gap by investing $50 million into workforce upskilling initiatives. The company aims to ensure that businesses and individuals are prepared to utilize their new wave of AI tools effectively. While the full details have yet to be released, Salesforce has revealed that its premium AI courses and certifications will be made available for free via Trailhead by the end of 2025. This could mean certifications such as AI Associate and AI Specialist, which currently cost $75 and $200 respectively, may soon be offered at no cost. Gratis. Free, Salesforce has also mentioned “premium instructor-led training,” sparking speculation that AI-focused, instructor-led Trailhead Academy courses could become accessible to everyone in the Salesforce ecosystem. Expanding AI Education with Global AI Centers Salesforce’s AI upskilling push is part of a broader initiative to establish “AI Centers” across the globe. Following the opening of its first center in London in June, Salesforce is planning to launch additional AI hubs in cities like Chicago, Tokyo, Sydney, and even a pop-up center in San Francisco. These centers will host in-person premium courses and serve as gathering spaces for industry experts, partners, and customers. This initiative benefits not only the Salesforce ecosystem by increasing AI knowledge where expertise is scarce, but also aligns with Salesforce’s strategy of bringing AI-driven solutions to market through new products like Copilot Studio, Data Cloud, and the newly launched Agentforce platform. Agentforce: Salesforce’s Third Wave of AI On August 28, 2024, Salesforce introduced Agentforce, a suite of autonomous AI agents that marks a significant leap in how businesses engage with customers. Described as the “Third Wave of AI,” Agentforce goes beyond traditional chatbots, providing intelligent agents capable of driving customer success with minimal human intervention. What is Agentforce? Agentforce is a comprehensive platform designed for organizations to build, customize, and deploy autonomous AI agents across various business functions, such as customer service, sales, marketing, and commerce. These agents operate independently, accessing data, crafting action plans, and executing tasks without needing constant human oversight. It is like Artificial Intelligence just graduated highschool and is off to a world of new adventures and growth opportunities at college or university! Key Features of Agentforce: The Technology Behind Agentforce At the core of Agentforce is the Atlas Reasoning Engine, a system designed to mimic human reasoning. Here’s how it works: Customization Tools: Agent Builder Agentforce provides tools like Agent Builder, a low-code platform for customizing out-of-the-box agents or creating new ones for specific business needs. With this tool, users can: The Agentforce Partner Network Salesforce’s partner ecosystem plays a key role in Agentforce’s versatility, with contributions from companies like AWS, Google, IBM, and Workday. Together, they’ve developed over 20 agent actions available through the Salesforce AppExchange. As proud parents we watch our Artificial Intelligence child venture into the world making friends along the way. Learning social skills. Benefits and Impact of Agentforce Early Adopters and Success Stories Several companies are already benefiting from Agentforce: Availability and Pricing of Salesforce’s AI All Grown Up Agentforce for Service and Sales will be generally available on October 25, 2024, with some components of the Atlas Reasoning Engine launching in February 2025. Pricing starts at $2 per conversation, with volume discounts available. The Future of AI and Work Salesforce’s ambitious vision is to empower one billion AI agents with Agentforce by the end of 2025. This reflects their belief that the future of work will involve a hybrid workforce, where humans and AI agents collaborate to drive customer success. AI All Grown Up and We Couldn’t Be Prouder Our amazing AI child has graduated college and ventured out into the workforce. Agentforce vs. Einstein Bots: What’s the Difference? Conclusion Agentforce represents a major leap forward in AI-powered customer engagement. By providing autonomous, intelligent agents capable of managing complex tasks, Salesforce is positioning itself at the forefront of AI innovation. As businesses continue to explore ways to improve efficiency and customer satisfaction, Agentforce could redefine how organizations interact with customers and streamline their operations. If this is the Third Wave of AI, what will the fourth wave bring? Written by Tectonic’s Solutions Architect, Shannan Hearne 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

October 7, 2024in Agentforce Platform, AI Tools, Data, Google, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Technology

03Oct

Tableau Einstein Alliance to Help Partners Drive Success in the Agent Era

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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

October 3, 2024in Data, Generative AI, Salesforce, Salesforce Development Services, Salesforce Tableau

30Sep

Financial Services Cloud and Core

Remember When Salesforce First Launched Financial Services Cloud in 2016? The managed package introduced a standardized data model that transformed how banks, credit unions, and implementation partners utilized Salesforce. It was a game-changer! But Salesforce hasn’t stopped innovating. Since 2019, they’ve been enhancing the core platform to meet demands for greater performance and flexibility. Now, in 2024, Salesforce has rolled out its biggest core release yet: Financial Account Management Standard Objects. This strategic update could redefine how financial data is managed within Financial Services Cloud (FSC). Understanding these updates is essential for all FSC users. The introduction of standard objects signals a major shift in the platform. Staying informed ensures that your institution remains innovative and fully leverages Financial Services Cloud. Let’s explore what’s changing and why it matters. 1. A New Era for Financial Accounts Say goodbye to limitations and hello to flexibility! The core platform introduces a modern way to manage financial accounts: The elimination of financial account triggers is a huge win for performance. Salesforce’s new data model is designed to handle real-time integrations, which can be a game-changer for many institutions. But real-time integration isn’t necessary for everyone. Depending on your organization’s needs, you might find that a combination of batch integration, on-demand integration, and data visualization works best. If you’re dealing with slow nightly batch data loads due to financial account triggers, exploring the new standard objects could be the solution to your performance woes. 2. Core Offers Benefits for Everyone 3. The FSC Managed Package is Still Supported Salesforce has reassured customers that the FSC Managed Package will continue to be supported. However, with Core advancements, Salesforce is re-evaluating its long-term strategy to provide more streamlined and scalable solutions. While migration to Core isn’t mandatory, Salesforce’s ongoing focus on this new architecture suggests that aligning with the core platform may offer increasing benefits over time. To stay ahead of the curve and access the latest features, it’s wise to explore the potential advantages of migration. Tectonic can help assess your current environment, weigh the benefits of moving to Core, and develop a strategy that aligns with your business goals. 4. Exciting Core Enhancements Core introduces powerful new features that simplify financial data management, such as: 5. The Future Is Core, and You Need the Right Partner to Chart Your Course Salesforce’s shift toward Core highlights the platform’s future direction. While the managed package remains relevant for now, Core offers a more modern, flexible solution for managing financial data. To make the most of these changes and ensure a smooth transition, partnering with an experienced team like Tectonic is crucial. Transitioning to Core requires careful planning. Here’s a roadmap to guide you: Ready to Explore the Power of Core? Contact Tectonic today to learn how we can help guide your transition to Core and capture the full potential of these new features to drive your business forward. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 30, 2024in Data, Salesforce Financial Services Solutions, Salesforce Implementation Services

24Sep

Choose Salesforce for SMS

Why Integrating SMS with Salesforce Transforms Business Communication Effective communication is crucial in today’s fast-paced business environment. A company’s success often hinges on its ability to interact seamlessly with customers—whether through personalized service, timely updates, or the latest product offerings. Choose Salesforce for SMS. Today’s customers demand a seamless, omnichannel experience that goes beyond traditional communication methods like flyers and emails. They expect real-time, two-way interactions, which is where Salesforce SMS apps come into play. These apps, which integrate smoothly with existing CRM systems, are transforming how businesses engage with their customers. 5 Reasons to Integrate SMS with Salesforce Integrating SMS with Salesforce offers numerous benefits, primarily enhancing customer-facing efficiency and effectiveness. Here are five key advantages: SMS for Salesforce enables businesses to provide immediate customer support. For instance, logistics companies can use SMS to notify customers about delivery statuses or appointment updates in real time. SMS boasts an impressive open rate—over 95% within the first three minutes—making it a highly effective medium for increasing marketing engagement compared to email. You can even couple Salesforce SMS with tools like geofencing to send notifications via SMS when they are in the store. Integrating SMS with Salesforce allows for streamlined automation of processes such as order updates and appointment reminders. This reduces the need for manual intervention, boosts productivity, and frees up resources for more strategic tasks. Automated texts can be scheduled based on customer behavior or sales stages, optimizing workflows and enhancing efficiency. With a response rate of approximately 45%, SMS is highly effective for engaging customers. It facilitates prompt replies due to its immediate nature. Sales and marketing teams can leverage SMS for direct interactions, while retailers can use it to distribute discount codes and drive quick responses. Additionally, SMS is ideal for important notifications, enhancing customer service. By integrating SMS with Salesforce, businesses can tailor their messages to address specific customer needs and preferences. This personalization fosters stronger customer relationships and improves conversion rates. For example, a travel agency can send personalized vacation recommendations, while financial advisors can provide client-specific updates and advice. Salesforce’s integration with SMS allows for robust tracking and analysis of customer interactions and campaign effectiveness. Marketing teams can refine their strategies by reviewing metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates from SMS campaigns. Additionally, customer support teams can evaluate response times and resolution rates to improve service efficiency. How to Implement SMS in Salesforce To send and receive texts via Salesforce, you have several options: Salesforce offers two primary SMS solutions: Mobile Studio and Digital Engagement. For more tailored functionality, you can use Salesforce API or another API provider to develop a custom texting solution. While this offers greater flexibility and avoids extra costs, it involves significant development time and expense. Opting for a Salesforce-native SMS app from the Salesforce AppExchange can be advantageous. These apps, designed specifically for SMS within Salesforce, often offer: These native apps also come with dedicated customer support, making them a cost-effective and efficient choice. Best Practices for SMS Communication While SMS boasts high engagement rates, it’s essential to follow best practices to maintain a positive customer experience: Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations like GDPR and CCPA by securing clear consent from customers before sending SMS. Automate re-opt-in processes to maintain compliance. Send messages during the recipient’s regular business hours to avoid disturbing them at inconvenient times. Stay in touch with your audience regularly but avoid overwhelming them with excessive messages. Provide valuable content to keep engagement high. Use the same number for messaging to help customers recognize your communications and build trust. Respond promptly and courteously to customer replies. Provide clear, detailed responses to inquiries. Acknowledge and reward outstanding customer actions with thoughtful messages or gestures, such as donations to their favorite charities. Even a thank you for your purchase message can contain a surprise such as a coupon or a notification that a free gift is included with their order. Use SMS to highlight important announcements, events, or opportunities, tapping into the fear of missing out to drive engagement. SMS is the perfect omnichannel tool to incorporate into all your Salesforce journeys. Balance promotional content with conversational engagement to avoid appearing pushy and to keep the communication enjoyable for customers. People are much happier to get news they can use rather than advertisements. Encourage further engagement by including clear, actionable steps in your SMS messages, such as signing up for a free trial or using a discount code. A call to action must be designed with smaller screen views in mind. Include an easy way for recipients to unsubscribe from future messages to comply with legal requirements and respect customer preferences. By integrating SMS with Salesforce and adhering to these best practices, businesses can enhance their communication strategies, foster better customer relationships, and drive greater engagement. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 24, 2024in Salesforce

24Sep

Salesforce to Acquire Zoomin

Salesforce to Acquire Zoomin: Enhancing AI Capabilities with Unstructured Data Salesforce, the world’s leading AI CRM, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Zoomin, a top data management provider specializing in unstructured data. This acquisition is a pivotal move that will strengthen Salesforce’s Data Cloud, empowering AI agents with more personalized, context-aware capabilities. With Zoomin’s technology, Salesforce’s Agentforce platform will gain new intelligence, allowing customers to build AI that delivers real-time, data-driven responses tailored to individual needs. The acquisition is expected to close in the fourth quarter of Salesforce’s fiscal year 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. “Proprietary unstructured data is powerful fuel our customers can use for AI agents and customer experiences,” said Rahul Auradkar, EVP & GM of Unified Data Services & Einstein at Salesforce. “Zoomin’s proven expertise and technology will accelerate Data Cloud’s innovation and enable our customers to get better value from Agentforce. This transaction underscores our commitment to help customers harness the value of all their data, offering contextual AI experiences backed by enterprise-leading trust controls.” Strategic Value of the Acquisition With the integration of Zoomin’s technology, Salesforce can unlock new use cases for customers across various touchpoints. For example, Service Cloud users will be able to automate service interactions by leveraging enterprise knowledge, enhancing the efficiency of Agentforce for service representatives. This integration will lead to faster issue resolution, increased customer satisfaction, and reduced operational costs. Zoomin’s ability to consolidate unstructured data from multiple sources will empower service teams with a comprehensive understanding of their customers, turning distributed knowledge into actionable insights. Zoomin’s CEO, Gal Oron, echoed this sentiment: “We’re both humbled and excited to join forces with Salesforce. As organizations accelerate their enterprise AI transformation, our joint mission is to support them and ensure AI doesn’t hit the data wall. As part of the #1 AI CRM, we’ll enable customers to leverage their existing enterprise data in ways they never thought possible.” A Long-Standing Partnership Zoomin has been a Salesforce AppExchange partner since 2018 and became a part of the Salesforce Ventures portfolio in 2019. Through this partnership, hundreds of Salesforce customers already use Zoomin’s unified knowledge platform to deliver intuitive customer experiences. This acquisition builds on that foundation, with Zoomin set to enhance Salesforce’s AI-driven platforms by making enterprise knowledge more accessible and usable for AI agents. Despite the significance of this acquisition, Salesforce noted that it would not result in any changes to its financial guidance provided in August 2024, and no further financial details will be disclosed. This move is part of Salesforce’s broader strategy to push deeper into AI-powered customer experiences, enabling customers to utilize the full potential of their data for more intelligent, personalized interactions across all channels. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 24, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Technology, Unified Knowledge

20Sep

Salesforce Channel Order App

Salesforce’s platform powers over 4.2 million apps, and Salesforce AppExchange offers more than 4,000 solutions. These numbers highlight Salesforce’s extensive ecosystem, with the Salesforce Channel Order App (COA) playing a crucial role for businesses managing complex partner relationships and order processes. This insight looks into the Salesforce Channel Order App, exploring its purpose, when and why you should use it, core features, who benefits from it, and best practices to maximize its potential. What is the Salesforce Channel Order App? The Salesforce Channel Order App is designed to streamline and automate order management across various sales channels, whether direct, through distribution partners, or a reseller network. It simplifies what would typically be a labor-intensive process by centralizing data, automating tasks, and providing real-time visibility into orders. This results in tighter control over order workflows and enhanced partner collaboration. When to Use the Salesforce Channel Order App The Salesforce Channel Order App is most effective for businesses that manage high volumes of orders from multiple channels. It’s especially useful in industries like technology, consumer goods, and manufacturing, where multi-channel sales are integral to operations. Key Use Cases: Core Features of the Salesforce Channel Order App Who Benefits from Salesforce Channel Order App? The Salesforce Channel Order App is particularly beneficial for industries where managing orders from multiple partners is crucial. Key beneficiaries include: Best Practices for Using Salesforce Channel Order App To get the most out of Salesforce Channel Order App, consider the following best practices: Final Take The Salesforce Channel Order App is an essential tool for businesses relying on channel partners to drive sales. By automating and streamlining the order management process, COA helps businesses improve efficiency, reduce errors, and ensure orders are fulfilled accurately and on time. Whether you’re a manufacturer, technology provider, or consumer goods company, adopting COA enables better order management and strengthens relationships with partners—setting your business up for long-term success. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 20, 2024in Salesforce

19Sep

Vonage Premier for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice

HOLMDEL, N.J., Sept. 18, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications helping businesses accelerate their digital transformation and a part of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), is one of the first contact center providers to join Salesforce’s Bring Your Own Channel for Contact Center as a Service (BYOC for CCaaS) pilot program. With BYOC for CCaaS, Vonage Premier for Salesforce Service Cloud Voice customers will have the ability to integrate Vonage omnichannel and AI-powered capabilities into their existing contact center solutions, including voice, SMS, chat, social messaging apps like WhatsApp, and more – delivering faster resolution times and creating a more native, personalized and meaningful experience for customers by connecting with them on their channel of choice. “We are very excited to have Vonage, a leading Salesforce Service Cloud Voice partner, take this very important step to expand its deep Salesforce integration through BYOC for CCaaS, delivering the omnichannel capabilities – and the APIs to enable them – that create the kind of customer experiences that drive meaningful engagement,” said Tony Flores, Senior Director of Product Management for Salesforce. With BYOC for CCaaS, Vonage Premier for Service Cloud Voice customers will now be able to connect with customers across various communications channels, as well as access data insights and AI-based agent productivity tools, to create a better overall customer journey and a more productive and efficient agent experience. The solution’s single routing and agent capacity model also increases contact center capacity, leading to more customer interactions being resolved better and faster. Workforce Engagement Management (WEM) is also provided through Vonage’s seamless integrations with leading WEM solutions Verint, Calabrio Teleopti, Playvox and injixo, ensuring optimum planning, scheduling, tracking, and management of the contact center workforce. “Today’s contact center agents play a vital role in support of the businesses they represent and in meeting the increasing demands of tech-savvy customers who want to connect from anywhere, on their preferred communications channels,” said Reggie Scales, Acting Head of Applications for Vonage. “These agents are also frequently working from anywhere and need the tools to access critical information to troubleshoot common customer issues and provide real-time customer support. Having all of these capabilities in a single user interface – omnichannel modes of communication coupled with a 360 view of customer information and key knowledge bases – this is the contact center of the future.” A key differentiator for Vonage as a pilot partner in this program is its ability to source a single AI-based Virtual Agent solution for self-service automations across voice and digital channels using Vonage AI studio – while also leveraging Salesforce for all Live Agent Assist and Analytics needs. Vonage can also integrate its own Vonage Communications APIs to power pre-built programmable capabilities for voice, SMS, social and chat, directly into the contact center – all on one combined Salesforce and Vonage platform. This singular view also enhances efficiency by keeping agents and supervisors in a single Salesforce desktop to eliminate application switching and the need to toggle between screens. “Modern contact centers are experiencing increasing pressure and demand to deliver better, more personalized, omnichannel interactions, as well as quicker and more accurate responses to customer issues,” said Jim Lundy, CEO, Founder & Lead Analyst, Aragon Research. “With BYOC for CCaaS, Vonage aims to address the increasing demand for a unified and customizable customer experience across all communication channels, leveraging existing Salesforce platforms and AI-powered insights and automation.” Vonage Premier for Service Cloud Voice is currently available on the Salesforce AppExchange with Salesforce BYOC for CCaaS integrated capabilities now available for customers to pilot. To find out more about Vonage Premier for Service Cloud Voice, visit www.vonage.com. Salesforce, AppExchange, Service Cloud Voice, Einstein and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, inc. About Vonage Vonage, a global cloud communications leader, helps businesses accelerate their digital transformation. Vonage’s Communications Platform is fully programmable and allows for the integration of Video, Voice, Chat, Messaging, AI and Verification into existing products, workflows and systems. The Vonage conversational commerce application enables businesses to create AI-powered omnichannel experiences that boost sales and increase customer satisfaction. Vonage’s fully programmable unified communications, contact center and conversational commerce applications are built from the Vonage platform and enable companies to transform how they communicate and operate from the office or remotely – providing the flexibility required to create meaningful engagements. Vonage is headquartered in New Jersey, with offices throughout the United States, Europe, Israel and Asia and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC), and a business area within the Ericsson Group called Business Area Global Communications Platform. To follow Vonage on X (formerly known as Twitter), please visit twitter.com/vonage. To follow on LinkedIn, visit linkedin.com/company/Vonage/. To become a fan on Facebook, go to facebook.com/vonage. To subscribe on YouTube, visit youtube.com/vonage. SOURCE Vonage Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 19, 2024in Data, Salesforce Service Cloud

18Sep

Pay Per Chat

Salesforce is launching its AI-powered Agentforce platform across its key clouds, including Sales, Service, Marketing, and Commerce. However, a significant question remains: Will enterprises be willing to pay $2 per conversation for Agentforce, especially without volume discounts? The introduction of Agentforce wasn’t unexpected, as CEO Marc Benioff has been discussing autonomous AI agents since the company’s second-quarter earnings call. Leading up to Dreamforce, Salesforce has consistently emphasized agentic AI, with Benioff previously hinting at the $2 per conversation pricing model. Agentforce is part of Salesforce’s ongoing effort to move beyond generative AI copilots to fully autonomous digital agents that can perform tasks independently. Much of this technology stems from Salesforce’s acquisition of Airkit.ai last year. Additionally, the company’s acquisition of Own highlights a strategic, smaller-scale approach to mergers and acquisitions. The core of Salesforce’s AI vision is a blend of human expertise and AI agents. While humans focus on relationship-building, industry knowledge, and goal-setting, AI agents will handle tasks like answering questions, scheduling meetings, and gathering information. Key features of Agentforce include: Pay Per Chat? Salesforce is unifying its clouds under a single platform, with Data Cloud as the common thread connecting Sales, Service, Marketing, Commerce, and Tableau. According to Constellation Research analyst Holger Mueller, the real story is the infrastructure behind the agents, which will drive innovation in the future of work by enhancing developer velocity and productivity. At Dreamforce, Salesforce also unveiled Einstein Sales Agents, including a Sales Development Representative (SDR) agent and a Sales Coach, designed to improve sales performance. Salesforce highlighted that agents, unlike traditional bots, are dynamic, outcome-driven, and capable of adapting to various situations. Beyond sales, the Agentforce lineup includes: Agentforce is poised to serve as the connective tissue, unifying Salesforce’s various clouds and driving value with ongoing innovations in Data Cloud and 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 Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 18, 2024in Agentforce Platform, Generative AI, Mulesoft

06Sep

Salesforce and Ortoo Integration

Ortoo Launches Smart Actions: A Revolutionary Salesforce-Native App for AI Automation Ortoo, a leading provider of Salesforce productivity solutions, has unveiled its latest innovation, Smart Actions, now available on the Salesforce AppExchange. This groundbreaking Salesforce-native app allows businesses to seamlessly integrate AI automation into their Salesforce workflows, dramatically boosting efficiency and simplifying complex processes with a single click. Salesforce and Ortoo integration for Smart Actions. How do I sync Ortto activities to Salesforce? In your Ortto account, navigate to Data sources > Salesforce > Sync Ortto activities to Salesforce. Choose up to 5 activities. At Sync settings, select whether you wish to sync these Ortto activities as activities and/or as tasks. If you are syncing the Salesforce Task object to Ortto (selected at Salesforce fields): Smart Actions empowers companies to deploy AI and GPT-powered automations across sales, service, and support functions within Salesforce, eliminating the traditionally high costs associated with advanced AI tools. By integrating smoothly into the Salesforce ecosystem, Smart Actions enables businesses to automate manual tasks, personalize communications, and optimize workflows with unparalleled ease. Track and manage email conversations within Salesforce. AI-powered actions to streamline sales workflows. SEAMLESS SALESFORCE INTEGRATION “With Smart Actions, we’re making AI automation accessible to businesses of all sizes,” said Amy Grenham, Head of Marketing at Ortoo. “If you’ve ever built a custom GPT using OpenAI, creating a Smart Action will feel very familiar. Ortoo’s prompt builder allows you to set the context, specify the Salesforce fields to analyze, and determine where the output should go. This simplicity makes it incredibly easy to deploy AI-driven processes and transform operations within Salesforce.” Key Features and Practical Applications Real-World Applications of Smart Actions Get Started with Smart Actions Today Smart Actions is now available on the Salesforce AppExchange. Businesses can start using the app for free, with additional features available through a premium version. SmartActions is a 5 star product on the Salesforce AppExchange. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 6, 2024in Salesforce Implementation Services

03Sep

Enhanced AppExchange Trials

🚀 Exciting Update: Enhanced AppExchange App Trials! 🚀 Found an app on AppExchange that checks all the boxes—great features, flexible pricing, and stellar reviews—but still unsure if it’s the right fit? At AppExchange, we understand the importance of trying before buying! Tectonic is excited to introduce new and improved features that make testing apps faster and easier than ever. Here’s what’s new: 🔑 A Streamlined Entry Point for App Trials The Try It Free button is now prominently displayed at the top of app listings. Simply click to view all available trial options, including sandbox installations, test drives, and Trialforce trials. 🔍 Compare with Confidence With multiple trial options, choosing the right one can be challenging. Now, each option comes with a summary of key features, presented side-by-side for easy comparison. ⚡ Faster, More Responsive, and Accessible Salesforce has optimized the trial experience by minimizing clicks and reducing load times. Plus, Trialforce trials now feature autogenerated usernames for quicker setup. The entire process is now more accessible and responsive, ensuring a seamless experience on any device. Interested in checking out a new solution on the AppExchange? Now it is easier than ever. Enhanced AppExchange Trials Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Salesforce Enhances Service Cloud with AI-Driven Intelligence Engine Data science and analytics are rapidly becoming standard features in enterprise applications, Read more

September 3, 2024in Salesforce

Salesforce AppExchange

Salesforce and Asana Integration Approach

Salesforce Channel Order App

Salesforce and Ortoo Integration

Enhanced AppExchange Trials

Recent Posts

The Rise of Agentic AI: Balancing Innovation and Trust

The Hidden Risks of Over-Reliance on AI

How Agentforce Works

B2B Customer Service with Agentforce

Generative-Driven Development

Contact Us

Be in touch today — and start your business on a path to success.

Category

Archives