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21Dec

Types of Salesforce Integration

Types of Salesforce Integration: A Comprehensive Guide As a leading CRM platform, Salesforce is often required to integrate with other systems to deliver a seamless experience and ensure efficient business operations. Whether it’s syncing data, automating workflows, or enabling real-time communication, Salesforce provides robust integration methods tailored to various needs. In this guide, we’ll explore the different types of Salesforce integrations, their practical applications, and how to choose the right approach for your business. Why Integrate Salesforce? Integrating Salesforce with other systems empowers businesses to: Types of Salesforce Integration 1. Data Integration Ensures data consistency between Salesforce and external systems, enabling seamless synchronization. 2. Process Integration Links workflows across systems, ensuring actions in one system trigger automated processes in another. 3. User Interface (UI) Integration Combines multiple applications into a single interface for a unified user experience. 4. Application Integration Connects Salesforce with external apps for real-time data exchange and functional synchronization. 5. Real-Time Integration Facilitates instant synchronization of data and events between Salesforce and external systems. 6. Batch Integration Processes large data volumes in chunks, typically during off-peak hours. 7. Hybrid Integration Combines multiple integration types, such as real-time and batch, to handle complex requirements. Tools for Salesforce Integration Native Salesforce Tools: Third-Party Tools: Best Practices for Salesforce Integration Conclusion Salesforce integration is essential for streamlining operations and unlocking business potential. With options like data, process, and real-time integration, Salesforce offers the flexibility to meet diverse needs. By adopting the right integration approach and adhering to best practices, businesses can create a unified, efficient ecosystem, enhancing operations and improving customer experience. Whether integrating with ERP systems, marketing tools, or support platforms, Salesforce provides the tools to make integration seamless and impactful. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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December 21, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Marketing Automation, Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Flow0 Comments
NetSuite Salesforce Collaboration
17Nov

NetSuite Salesforce Collaboration

NetSuite Bets on Strategic Growth and Embraces Collaboration with Salesforce Growing on All Fronts At SuiteWorld 2024, the theme, “All Systems Grow,” reflected a pivotal moment for NetSuite. While the event lacked groundbreaking announcements, it showcased a fulfillment of past promises and a notable strategic shift toward openness and collaboration. Oracle and NetSuite are now welcoming competitors as partners, signaling a move toward interoperability that could redefine their market positioning. With over 40,000 customers, NetSuite continues its strong growth in the ERP space, particularly among SMBs. The company’s Q3 sales surged 20% year-over-year, underlining its momentum in the mid-market. Beyond traditional ERP capabilities, NetSuite’s expanded suite of solutions positions it as more than just an ERP provider. Delivering on AI Innovations While there were no splashy acquisitions, NetSuite made significant strides by rolling out 170 new modules and features, many leveraging AI. These enhancements blend predictive AI and generative AI to increase accuracy and user productivity. These updates aim to elevate both the platform’s quality and the efficiency of its users. Redwood Design: A Transformative User Experience NetSuite is adopting Oracle’s Redwood design language, promising a more intuitive and user-friendly interface. While Redwood is not new, its phased rollout within NetSuite is a significant step forward. Notable Additions: SuiteProcurement and Salesforce Integration SuiteProcurement: NetSuite’s new procurement automation solution integrates directly with Amazon Business and Staples Business Advantage, automating ordering, invoicing, approvals, and deliveries. Plans are underway to expand vendor support, offering broader applicability in the future. Salesforce Partnership: NetSuite’s most significant announcement was its strategic partnership with Salesforce, enabling real-time data exchange between the platforms. Evan Goldberg, NetSuite’s founder and EVP, explained the rationale:“It’s up to the customer to decide what software they want to use.” The partnership reflects NetSuite’s commitment to addressing customer needs, with more SaaS integrations expected in the future. Expanding Field Service Management (FSM) NetSuite’s Field Service Management (FSM) capabilities, acquired last year, are now better integrated into its platform. While development progress has been slower than anticipated, significant enhancements are expected in the coming year, leveraging Oracle technology to extend FSM’s functionality across industries. And Field Service Management is available in Salesforce, as well. Positioned for Continued SMB Growth NetSuite’s investments are yielding results, as demonstrated by its rapid growth and deeper integration of Oracle technology. The NetSuite Analytics Data Warehouse and Enterprise Performance Management are driving adoption among existing users, showcasing the platform’s scalability. NetSuite’s ability to quickly integrate Oracle updates into its infrastructure gives it a competitive edge, ensuring customers benefit from the latest innovations without delays. With its robust feature set, AI-powered tools, and strategic partnerships like the one with Salesforce, NetSuite has strengthened its position as a go-to ERP platform for SMBs. Its consistent 20% year-over-year growth indicates a bright future, making it an increasingly attractive option for mid-market businesses. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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November 17, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Salesforce, Technology
Marketing Cloud and Commerce Cloud Innovations
09Oct

Marketing Cloud and Commerce Cloud Innovations

What Our Dreamforce Marketing Cloud and Commerce Cloud Innovations Mean for You This year’s Dreamforce was nothing short of amazing. It was exciting to reconnect with fellow Trailblazers, exchange brilliant ideas, and showcase the innovations we’ve been crafting at Salesforce. A recurring theme throughout the event was how businesses can leverage data and AI to forge deeper customer-driven relationships by bringing internal teams closer together. These innovations are designed to transform not only how companies engage with customers but also how their teams work together. Marketing Cloud and Commerce Cloud Innovations. Seamless integration between Marketing, Commerce, Sales, and Service teams is crucial for creating unified customer experiences. Often, customers feel as though they are interacting with separate departments rather than one cohesive company—this is largely due to disconnected technology and processes. But thanks to Salesforce’s advancements in unified data, AI, and automation, those days are numbered. Now, departments can collaborate more effectively, delivering hyper-personalized, frictionless experiences across the entire customer lifecycle. Let’s explore the latest Marketing Cloud and Commerce Cloud innovations announced at Dreamforce 2024 and how they can benefit your business. What You’ll Learn Salesforce Marketing Cloud Innovations These four innovations in Marketing Cloud are built on the Salesforce Platform and powered by Data Cloud, offering marketers a seamless view of customer data across the business. This foundation makes it easier to deliver unified customer experiences, improve handoffs between teams, and measure success more effectively. 1. Agentforce Embedded in Marketing Workflows Agentforce for Marketing combines generative and predictive AI to create an end-to-end campaign experience that marketers can launch and optimize with ease. Here’s how it helps: Example: A marketer looking to prevent customer churn can launch a re-engagement campaign. Agentforce will identify the right audience, craft personalized messages, and optimize delivery based on customer behavior. 2. Empowering Small and Medium Businesses The new Marketing Cloud Advanced Edition brings enhanced AI and automation capabilities to SMBs, enabling them to scale personalization and improve productivity: 3. Automating Data Preparation and Analytics with Einstein Marketing Intelligence (EMI) EMI uses AI and Data Cloud to automate the ingestion, transformation, and analysis of marketing data: 4. Einstein Personalization for 1:1 Experiences Einstein Personalization uses AI to recommend products, content, or services based on individual customer preferences: Example: A service agent could offer a discount on a product a customer was recently viewing, creating a seamless, personalized experience. Salesforce Commerce Cloud Innovations As businesses scale and handle increasing amounts of data, managing complex commerce systems can be a challenge. The new Commerce Cloud updates simplify these complexities by extending unified commerce capabilities across the organization. 1. Simplifying Cross-Functional Commerce Tasks By unifying data from across the business, Commerce Cloud enables better cross-functional collaboration: 2. AI-Powered Commerce Agents with Agentforce Commerce Cloud introduces three AI-powered agents to streamline business processes: 3. Streamlining Checkout for a Faster, Easier Experience With new express payment options like Link by Stripe and Amazon Pay, Commerce Cloud Checkout speeds up transactions and improves conversion rates by 14%. Plus, Buy with Prime integration allows shoppers to use their Amazon Prime accounts for a faster checkout experience, complete with trusted delivery and hassle-free returns. The Future of Unified Commerce Salesforce Commerce Cloud offers a unified platform that brings together sales, service, and marketing, providing a 360-degree view of the entire customer journey. This unified commerce approach enables businesses to deliver seamless B2B and B2C experiences, all powered by a single platform. By integrating enterprise-wide data, trusted AI, and automated workflows, Salesforce helps businesses scale personalized, intelligent experiences across every touchpoint. Every interaction becomes an opportunity for growth, setting the standard for success in today’s customer-driven world. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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October 9, 2024in Data, Enterprise, Salesforce, Salesforce Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Marketing Cloud, Technology
Generative AI Overview
19Aug

Generative AI Overview

Editor’s Note: AI Cloud, Einstein GPT, and other cloud GPT products are now Einstein. For the latest on Salesforce Einstein The Rise of Generative AI: What It Means for Business and CRM Generative artificial intelligence (AI) made headlines in late 2022, sparking widespread curiosity and questions about its potential impact on various industries. What is Generative AI? Generative AI is a technology that creates new content—such as poetry, emails, images, or music—based on a set of input data. Unlike traditional AI, which focuses on classifying or predicting, generative AI can produce novel content with a human-like understanding of language, as noted by Salesforce Chief Scientist Silvio Savarese. However, successful generative AI depends on the quality of the input data. “AI is only as good as the data you give it, and you must ensure that datasets are representative,” emphasizes Paula Goldman, Salesforce’s Chief Ethical and Humane Use Officer. How Does Generative AI Work? Generative AI can be developed using several deep learning approaches, including: Other methods include Variational Autoencoders (VAEs) and Neural Radiance Fields (NeRFs), which generate new data or create 2D and 3D images based on sample data. Generative AI and Business Generative AI has captured the attention of global business leaders. A recent Salesforce survey found that 67% of IT leaders are focusing on generative AI in the next 18 months, with 33% considering it a top priority. Salesforce has long been exploring generative AI applications. For instance, CodeGen helps transform simple English prompts into executable code, and LAVIS makes language-vision AI accessible to researchers. More recently, Salesforce’s ProGen project demonstrated the creation of novel proteins using AI, potentially advancing medicine and treatment development. Ketan Karkhanis, Salesforce’s Executive VP and GM of Sales Cloud, highlights that generative AI benefits not just large enterprises but also small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) by automating proposals, customer communications, and predictive sales modeling. Challenges and Ethical Considerations Despite its potential, generative AI poses risks, as noted by Paula Goldman and Kathy Baxter of Salesforce’s Ethical AI practice. They stress the importance of responsible innovation to ensure that generative AI is used safely and ethically. Accuracy in AI recommendations is crucial, and the authoritative tone of models like ChatGPT can sometimes lead to misleading results. Salesforce is committed to building trusted AI with embedded guardrails to prevent misuse. As generative AI evolves, it’s vital to balance its capabilities with ethical considerations, including its environmental impact. Generative AI can increase IT energy use, which 71% of IT leaders acknowledge. Generative AI at Salesforce Salesforce has integrated AI into its platform for years, with Einstein AI providing billions of daily predictions to enhance sales, service, and customer understanding. The recent launch of Einstein GPT, the world’s first generative AI for CRM, aims to transform how businesses interact with customers by automating content creation across various functions. Salesforce Ventures is also expanding its Generative AI Fund to $500 million, supporting AI startups and fostering responsible AI development. This expansion includes investments in companies like Anthropic and Cohere. As Salesforce continues to lead in AI innovation, the focus remains on creating technology that is inclusive, responsible, and sustainable, paving the way for the future of CRM and business. The Future of Business: AI-Powered Leadership and Decision-Making Tomorrow’s business landscape will be transformed by specialized, autonomous AI agents that will significantly change how companies are run. Future leaders will depend on these AI agents to support and enhance their teams, with AI chiefs of staff overseeing these agents and harnessing their capabilities. New AI-powered tools will bring businesses closer to their customers and enable faster, more informed decision-making. This shift is not just a trend—it’s backed by significant evidence. The Slack Workforce Index reveals a sevenfold increase in leaders seeking to integrate AI tools since September 2023. Additionally, Salesforce research shows that nearly 80% of global workers are open to an AI-driven future. While the pace of these changes may vary, it is clear that the future of work will look vastly different from today. According to the Slack Workforce Index, the number of leaders looking to integrate AI tools into their business has skyrocketed 7x since September 2023. Mick Costigan, VP, Salesforce Futures In the [still] early phases of a major technology shift, we tend to over-focus on the application of technology innovations to existing workflows. Such advances are important, but closing the imagination gap about the possible new shapes of work requires us to consider more than just technology. It requires us to think about people, both as the customers who react to new offerings and as the employees who are responsible for delivering them. Some will eagerly adopt new technology. Others will resist and drag their feet. Like1 Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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August 19, 2024in AI Tools, Artificial Intelligence, Data, Enterprise, Generative AI, Salesforce, Salesforce Einstein, Technology
What is a CRM
09Aug

What is a CRM?

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

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August 9, 2024in Salesforce
AI Safety and Responsibility
27Jun

AI Safety and Responsibility

The Future of AI: Balancing Innovation and Trust Authored by Justin Tauber, General Manager, Innovation and AI Culture at Salesforce, ANZ. AI Safety and Responsibility AI holds the promise of transforming business operations and freeing up our most precious resource: time. This is particularly beneficial for small businesses, where customer-facing staff must navigate a complex set of products, policies, and data with limited time and support. AI-assisted customer engagement can lead to more timely, personalized, and intelligent interactions. However, trust is paramount, and businesses must use AI power safely and ethically. The Trust Challenge According to the AI Trust Quotient, 89% of Australian office workers don’t trust AI to operate without human oversight, and 62% fear that humans will lose control of AI. Small businesses must build competence and confidence in using AI responsibly. Companies that successfully combine human and machine intelligence will lead in AI transformation. Building trust and confidence in AI requires focusing on the employee experience of AI. Employees should be integrated early into decision-making, output refinement, and feedback processes. Generative AI outcomes improve when humans are actively involved. Humans need to lead their partnership with AI, ensuring AI works effectively with humans at the helm. Strategies for Building Trust One strategy is to remind employees of AI’s strengths and weaknesses within their workflow. Showing confidence values — how much the model believes its output is correct — helps employees handle AI responses with the appropriate level of care. Lower-scored content can still be valuable, but human reviews provide deeper scrutiny. Prompt templates for staff ensure consistent inputs and predictable outputs. Explainability or citing sources for AI-generated content also addresses trust and accuracy issues. Another strategy focuses on use cases that enhance customer trust. The sweet spot is where productivity and trust-building benefits align. For example, generative AI can reassure customers that a product will arrive on time. AI in fraud detection and prevention is another area where AI can flag suspicious transactions for human review, improving the accuracy and effectiveness of fraud detection systems. Salesforce’s Commitment to Ethical AI Salesforce ensures that its AI solutions keep humans at the helm by respecting ethical guardrails in AI product development. Salesforce goes further by creating capabilities and solutions that lower the cost of responsible AI deployment and use. AI safety products help businesses use AI power without significant risks. Salesforce AI products are built with trust and reliability in mind, embodying Trustworthy AI principles to help customers deploy these products ethically. It’s unrealistic and unfair to expect employees, especially in SMBs, to refine every AI-generated output. Therefore, Salesforce provides businesses with powerful, system-wide controls and intuitive interfaces to make timely and responsible judgments about testing, refining responses, or escalating problems. Salesforce has invested in ethical AI for nearly a decade, focusing on principles, policies, and protections for itself and its customers. New guidelines for responsible generative AI development expand on core Trusted AI principles. Updated Acceptable Use Policy safeguards and the Einstein Trust layer protect customer data from external LLMs. Commitment to a Trusted AI Future While we’re still in the early days of AI, Salesforce is committed to learning and iterating in close collaboration with customers and regulators to make trusted AI a reality for all. Originally published in Smart Company. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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June 27, 2024in Generative AI
Improved Quoting Process
29Sep

Improved Quoting Process

Is Your Quoting Process Suffering from Pricing Errors or Delays? Are pricing errors or inconsistencies slowing down your quoting process and leading to customer dissatisfaction? Is the generation of quotes or proposals hampered by bottlenecks? Are your sales reps finding it challenging to navigate complex pricing structures, discounts, or promotions? Its time for an Improved Quoting Process from Salesforce. For many businesses leveraging Salesforce for sales automation, CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) software provides solutions to these challenging issues, helping companies scale their pricing and selling strategies more effectively. If your current Salesforce quoting process is fraught with inefficiencies and errors, it may be time to explore Salesforce CPQ software options. Let’s examine the challenges you might be facing and the signs that indicate it’s time to adopt a CPQ solution. What Problem Does Improved Quoting Process Solve? As market demands shift toward self-service, omnichannel support, industry-specific solutions, and intelligent, user-friendly interfaces, businesses need to adapt to stay competitive. This is particularly important in industries such as manufacturing, telecommunications, and software as a service (SaaS). Common hurdles businesses face before implementing Salesforce quoting software include: Who Benefits from Salesforce Quoting Software? Approximately 83% of sales representatives use configure, price, and quote solutions, underscoring their importance. Among Salesforce users, those who benefit most from CPQ software include: Embracing Salesforce CPQ can help streamline your quoting process, improve accuracy, and boost overall efficiency. If these challenges resonate with your current operations, it might be time to consider the benefits of a CPQ solution from Tectonic. Contact us 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 Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

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September 29, 2022in Salesforce CPQ

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