Technology Archives - gettectonic.com

18Oct

Shifting Trends in Customer Experience

Shifting Trends in Customer Experience Technology Amid Economic Challenges The customer experience technology market has expanded significantly over the past decade. However, the current economic climate is causing a slowdown in sales for this previously unstoppable industry. This shift reflects changes in how decision-makers approach purchasing customer experience software today. The Rise and Current State of CCaaS In recent years, there has been a surge in the adoption of CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service) within the customer experience technology stack. CCaaS is a cloud-based customer service solution that allows companies to operate a contact center without maintaining physical infrastructure or extensive on-premises equipment. Many leaders in CCaaS companies describe their current sales cycles as “weird,” indicating that inflation and global economic instability have finally impacted customer experience technology. Challenges in the Sales Process Brian Millham, Salesforce’s Chief Operating Officer, noted that Salesforce is experiencing “elongated deal cycles, deal compression, and high levels of budget scrutiny.” This means that getting a B2B sales prospect to say “yes” takes longer, clients are paying less, and more people are involved in the decision-making process, causing further delays. This results in frustration for software sales teams, uncertainty for marketing budgets, and broader impacts on related industries. Impact on Other SaaS Providers Workday, a SaaS application business, has lowered its revenue forecasts for the year, citing that larger customers are taking longer to finalize deals in a wavering economy. CEO Carl Eschenbach highlighted that although win rates remain strong, there is increased deal scrutiny compared to previous quarters. This sentiment is echoed across vendors selling customer experience or employee experience software. Marketing Budget Constraints Marketing leaders at customer experience software companies have described the current situation as a “tin-can” scenario when looking for marketing budgets. Despite many companies claiming that their customers are their top priority, economic anxiety leads to cuts in customer experience technology investments. Leaders are questioning the critical need for such technology, and many industries are answering with caution, reflecting a shift in technology purchasing decisions. The Role of AI in Customer Experience There were high expectations for new AI additions to software products, but the results have been mixed. Cosimo Spera, founder of Minerva CQ, noted that many companies testing AI solutions to improve customer experience have reported slow adoption by agents, resulting in increased agent handling time and costs without significant improvements in customer satisfaction or net promoter scores. Joe Fernandez, who founded Klout and is now building AllUp, remarked that companies are in a “wait and see” mode regarding AI, preferring to see stable outcomes before investing heavily in new products. Customer Experience Declines A recent WSJ article reported that customer experience in the U.S. has declined for the third year in a row, based on a Forrester report analyzing consumer perceptions. Consumers are skeptical, feeling that higher prices are not yielding better experiences. This global trend impacts various industries, underscoring the interconnected nature of today’s economy. Rethinking Contact Center Strategies Contact center consultant Michele Crocker, who has nearly 30 years of industry experience, advises companies to rethink their contact center operations rather than making sweeping cuts. She suggests optimizing organizational design and staffing, eliminating unnecessary recurring subscriptions, renegotiating vendor prices, auditing IT expenses, and considering more shared services. Crocker emphasizes the need for a leadership talent assessment to ensure the right leaders are in place to implement strategic growth agendas. She also highlights the potential savings in software costs through renegotiations and the importance of closely monitoring software licenses to avoid waste. A Contrarian Approach In times of economic downturn, a contrarian approach might be beneficial. Despite the slowdown in B2B spending, doubling down on customer experience initiatives could yield significant long-term benefits. Superior customer experiences lead to higher retention rates, increased word-of-mouth referrals, and greater customer loyalty. As many companies cut back on customer experience programs, those that maintain or enhance their efforts will be well-positioned to excel once the economy stabilizes. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

October 18, 2023in Technology

13Oct

Sales Enablement from Salesforce

Sales enablement from Salesforce encompasses the utilization of content, coaching, training, and technology. By bringing it all together to facilitate the onboarding of sales representatives, enhance their skills, and optimize their selling capabilities. The responsibility is on sales leaders to establish impactful enablement strategies that directly contribute to revenue goals and to demonstrate their effectiveness. In a business world where sales is increasingly complex, sales enablement proves indispensable in assisting sellers in overcoming key challenges inherent in their roles, such as the need to be subject matter experts, adapting to virtual selling in a hybrid environment, and navigating economic uncertainties. For effective sales enablement, companies must initiate the process by pinpointing a specific and measurable revenue goal, subsequently crafting custom training programs that propel sales reps towards achievement. The journey involves meticulous monitoring of progress as sellers modify their behavior, necessitating adaptability and continuous learning to streamline their path toward efficient growth. This demands the selection of a well-defined enablement goal, articulating the requisite behavioral changes, molding the desired behavior through targeted training initiatives, and vigilantly monitoring advancements. Ultimately, sales enablement must adopt a personalized approach, focusing on empowering sellers with the skills and tools essential for transforming them into adept closers. Before you get started with Sales Enablement from Salesforce, make sure that you understand the responsibilities required to build Enablement programs in Salesforce. Identify colleagues who can take on the responsibilities of managing, assigning, and analyzing Enablement programs. Doing so also helps your Salesforce admin assign permissions so that the appropriate team members can access necessary features. Discover more about Salesforce’s sales enablement tools by reaching out to Tectonic. Contact us today. 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

October 13, 2023in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Sales Cloud, Technology

10Oct

The State of Loyalty

You’ve likely seen the headlines proclaiming “Loyalty is dead,” reflecting declining customer and brand loyalty, exacerbated by post-pandemic shifts and uninspiring loyalty programs. As of 2022, active participation in loyalty programs has dropped, indicating a disconnect between consumer expectations and program offerings. The State of Loyalty. The issue lies with outdated and repetitive loyalty programs that fail to evolve with consumer needs. Many programs offer little beyond basic incentives like points or discounts, which no longer suffice in a saturated market where every brand seems to offer a similar scheme. Modern consumers demand mutual loyalty: personalized interactions, anticipation of needs, and alignment with personal values. To meet these expectations, companies are redefining loyalty success. A significant 82% plan to increase investment in loyalty programs, focusing on deeper connections that foster lasting customer loyalty. Redefining Loyalty: Permanence: Brands strive to maintain a permanent position in consumers’ minds, becoming their default choice in a competitive landscape. Forgiveness: Strong existing trust allows brands to recover from mistakes without losing loyal customers. Championship: Beyond advocacy, customers champion brands by recommending them to their closest networks, cementing their personal reputation with the brand’s reliability. Loyalty Model Options: Four baseline models—Transactional, Experiential, Experience-led, and Perpetual—guide loyalty strategies, each offering unique outcomes based on customer engagement and program design. Transactional Loyalty: Rewards based on purchases, enhancing customer lifetime value, purchase frequency, and brand preference. Experiential Loyalty: Emotional connections through personalized experiences, enhancing spending and earned media ROI. Experience-led Loyalty: Anticipating customer needs through enhanced interactions across the customer journey, fostering efficiency and scalability. Perpetual Loyalty: Seamless integration into daily life, aligning brand purpose with customer values, and overcoming operational challenges through targeted design and personalization. Operational Considerations: Successful loyalty strategies require alignment across vision, investment, and operational capabilities, spanning experience, data, technology, organization, process, and monetization. Key Recommendations: Conclusion: Building a successful loyalty strategy requires a comprehensive understanding of customer dynamics and a commitment to adaptability. Beyond mere programs or platforms, true loyalty inspires enduring customer actions—commitment, advocacy, and forgiveness—that reflect a brand’s ability to co-create value with its customers. Explore diverse loyalty models to meet these evolving consumer demands and secure lasting brand loyalty in today’s dynamic market. Content updated March 2024. 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

October 10, 2023in Salesforce Optimization, Salesforce Sales Cloud

07Oct

Modern Cloud Analytics

Unlocking the Power of Modern Cloud Analytics: A Tableau and AWS Initiative According to IDC research, analytics spending on the cloud is growing eight times faster than other deployment types. A comprehensive cloud technology stack supports data integration, self-service analytics, and essential use cases for digital transformation and analytics at scale. To help customers harness the power of cloud-based self-service analytics, Tableau continues to invest in its Modern Cloud Analytics initiative, launched at the Tableau Conference in 2019. What is Modern Cloud Analytics? Modern Cloud Analytics (MCA) combines the expertise and resources of Tableau, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and their partner networks. This collaboration maximizes the value of end-to-end data and analytics investments, from data strategy and migration to operational optimization. MCA helps organizations at any digital transformation stage securely deploy and scale cloud analytics, delivering faster time to value and reduced costs with validated migration processes that mitigate risk. Core Product Integration and Connectivity Tableau integrates seamlessly with AWS services, providing a complete solution for analyzing data stored in Amazon’s infrastructure. Key integrations include: Amazon S3 Connector: Leveraging Tableau’s Hyper in-memory data engine, this connector reads Parquet or CSV files directly from Amazon S3, eliminating the need for Hyper extracts. Available in Tableau Cloud and Tableau Exchange.Amazon Athena Connector: Now supports third-party identity providers (IdP) like Azure AD and Okta, offering secure and flexible authentication with multi-factor options.Amazon OpenSearch Connector: Developed by the Amazon OpenSearch Service team, available on Tableau Exchange.Amazon DocumentDB Connector: Created by the Amazon DocumentDB Service team, featured on Tableau Exchange.Amazon Neptune Connector: Developed by the Amazon Neptune Service team, available on Tableau Exchange. Skip Server Administration with Tableau CloudTableau Cloud, hosted on AWS, offers significant cost savings and performance improvements. “With Tableau Cloud, we’re saving over $300,000 annually in server and platform administration costs, with dashboard performance improving by 2x,” said Raj Seenu, Senior Director of Data Technologies at Splunk. This platform allows IT and data engineers to focus on other critical tasks, demonstrating a cloud-first approach. Splunk anticipates doubling its enterprise analytics adoption by the end of 2021. Getting Started with Modern Cloud AnalyticsThe MCA program assists customers in migrating data and analytics workloads to AWS, unlocking the benefits of a cloud-based analytics strategy. *Source: IDC InfoBrief, sponsored by Tableau and AWS, Cloud Business Intelligence and Analytics, doc #US46135420TM, April 2020. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more The Salesforce Story In Marc Benioff’s own words How did salesforce.com grow from a start up in a rented apartment into the world’s Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more Health Cloud Brings Healthcare Transformation Following swiftly after last week’s successful launch of Financial Services Cloud, Salesforce has announced the second installment in its series Read more

October 7, 2023in Salesforce, Salesforce Tableau

26Sep

Case Study: Large Restaurant Entity-Salesforce Sales/Service/Experience Clouds

An American chain store of bakery-cafe fast food restaurants with over 2,000 locations, all of which operate in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. The restaurant offers a sit-down restaurants (some with drive-throughs) where customers can enjoy a variety of freshly made sandwiches on your choice of bread, accompanied by soup or salad. Salesforce Case Study: Transforming a Large Restaurant Entity by leveraging Salesforce. Sales Cloud Service Cloud Experience Cloud Implementation PROBLEM SOLUTION RESULTS . Like2 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

September 26, 2023in Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Experience Cloud, Salesforce Implementation Services, Salesforce Sales Cloud, Salesforce Service Cloud, Salesforce Success Stories, Technology

Reshaping the Automotive Industry With Salesforce

Changing customer expectations are reshaping the automotive industry, compelling dealerships to reevaluate their approach to business. With only 1% of buyers fully satisfied with their vehicle purchase experience, dealerships face a significant barrier to fostering loyalty. This dissatisfaction jeopardizes long-term profitability, as customers may turn elsewhere for future service or vehicle needs. Delivering exceptional customer experiences has become more critical than ever. However, rising operational costs present the challenge of achieving more with fewer resources — and doing so quickly. To drive sustainable growth, dealerships must prioritize relationship-building alongside achieving sales goals. Central to this effort is creating personalized digital touchpoints, especially for millennial and Gen Z shoppers, who now dominate the market. These younger consumers seek seamless, consistent experiences — from online browsing to in-person showroom visits. Turning them into lifelong customers requires a unified view of customer data, encompassing their digital shopping habits, service requests, and communications across all platforms. Fortunately, new tools can help dealerships meet these changing demands while reducing costs and improving productivity. To succeed, however, dealerships must adopt a mindset shift, moving beyond transactional practices to focus on customer-centric strategies. Digital Storefronts Are Falling Short Research reveals that fewer than 20% of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and retailers consider their digital storefronts engaging and mobile-friendly. For more insights into the industry’s challenges and opportunities, check out the “Trends in Automotive” report, based on feedback from 500 industry leaders. Beyond 30-Day Sales Goals: Building Lasting Relationships Dealerships have long operated in 30-day cycles, dictated by monthly sales goals from OEMs. However, successful dealerships now balance these targets with efforts to nurture long-term relationships. This involves more than sporadic emails about promotions or tune-ups. Instead, it’s about providing consistent, valuable interactions that address customer needs year-round. For example, keeping customers informed with personalized communications—such as alerts about service offers or recommendations for vehicle upgrades—can enhance their overall experience and build trust. Four Steps to Build Customer Loyalty The Path to Loyalty: A 360-Degree Customer View Sustaining long-term profitability hinges on extending customer loyalty beyond individual car sales. With Americans now keeping vehicles for an average of 12 years, dealerships must create enduring relationships across the vehicle’s lifecycle. Salesforce Automotive Cloud empowers dealerships with a 360-degree view of customer data, enabling teams to deliver personalized, seamless experiences. This unified approach helps sales teams close deals faster and service teams provide tailored consultations, ultimately fostering loyalty. Salesforce Sales and Service Cloud provide the same 360-degree view with powerful sales and service tools, including automated agents. The goal? To ensure customers think of your dealership first—whether for service, upgrades, or their next vehicle purchase. By placing the customer at the center of your business and leveraging advanced technology, dealerships can adapt to the evolving landscape and thrive in the future. 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

September 22, 2023in Agentforce Platform, Artificial Intelligence, Data, Salesforce, Salesforce Automotive Cloud, Technology

17Sep

Sales Enablement in an AI World

The New Era of AI-Driven Sales Enablement The era of AI-driven sales is upon us. More than 60% of sales and service professionals believe that generative AI will enhance their ability to serve customers effectively. AI-powered tools are already transforming the sales landscape by automating routine tasks and boosting productivity, ultimately driving sales and improving customer experiences. Sales Enablement in an AI World. AI is set to completely reshape the sales function, including the way we train and educate sales teams. Traditional Sales Enablement Historically, organizations have relied on generic sales enablement programs that provided “set it and forget it” content to the entire sales force, regardless of the specific challenges individual sellers faced. While some training was tailored to specific roles, personalizing content at scale was not feasible. Organizations generally expected sellers to learn the same foundational content at the same pace and in the same manner. Enterprises invested significantly in these programs but had little ability to measure the impact of their investments. ROI was often assessed based on whether sales team members completed training courses, rather than on their ability to apply new learnings to close deals. It’s no surprise that sales reps often viewed enablement as a box to check off in the process, not a path to growth. Thanks to AI, that perspective is changing. AI-Powered Enablement in Action AI and data are revolutionizing sales enablement by delivering more personalized and effective training and helping organizations understand the true impact of their investments. Companies can now monitor and adjust enablement programs in real time, using metrics like win rates, pipeline generation, average contract value (ACV), and customer satisfaction to continually refine their programs and drive business results. AI allows sales reps to access enablement programs seamlessly within their daily workflows. It facilitates hyper-personalization by aligning training with an individual’s past performance, strengths, and areas for growth. Organizations can adopt a data-driven approach to identify the challenges individual sellers face and automatically provide personalized guidance to boost productivity and help close specific deals. The Groundwork for AI-Powered Enablement Companies are understandably eager to reap the benefits of AI, but their approach must be thoughtful, outcome-focused, and powered by a robust data strategy. Effective AI-powered sales enablement requires well-connected and organized data. A strong data strategy helps organizations understand what works and what doesn’t in their sales processes. Data enables companies to identify the most effective sales tactics and share these insights with their teams—from targeting the prospects most likely to buy, to crafting compelling offers for specific individuals, to listening for cues that help overcome objections. Companies must adopt a values-driven, human-first approach to integrating AI into their sales and enablement processes. Leaders should proactively communicate that AI is not a replacement for the human connections that drive sales. Instead, AI supports salespeople by offering real-time feedback to refine sales pitches, follow-up notes, and perform mundane tasks, thereby giving sales teams more time and resources to excel in understanding customer pain points, presenting solutions, and building trust. To thrive in this AI-powered world, organizations must invest in both AI technology and the continued development of their people, especially the teams directly impacting the bottom line. Sales Enablement in an AI World isn’t the future. It is here. Like Related Posts Salesforce OEM AppExchange Expanding its reach beyond CRM, Salesforce.com has launched a new service called AppExchange OEM Edition, aimed at non-CRM service providers. Read more Salesforce Jigsaw Salesforce.com, a prominent figure in cloud computing, has finalized a deal to acquire Jigsaw, a wiki-style business contact database, for Read more 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

September 17, 2023in Generative AI, Salesforce Sales Cloud

17Sep

Successful Salesforce Implementation

Unlocking the Potential of Salesforce: A Guide to Corporate Success Are you ready to explore the world of Successful Salesforce Implementation? In this Tectonic insight, we’ll explore how to leverage Salesforce to its fullest potential for your corporate success. Whether you’re a small startup or a large corporation, keep reading for practical advice and real-world insights to make Salesforce implementation work for you! What is Salesforce? Salesforce acts as a digital headquarters for organizations, organizing all client information, such as names, purchases, and contact methods. It’s also an Internet application that helps organizations manage customer relationships more effectively by sorting customer details, tracking sales leads, and automating tasks to ease customer interactions. Salesforce is cloudbased, so it is accessible from anywhere. Why Implement Salesforce Now? Implementing Salesforce offers numerous benefits for organizations across various industries: Overall, Salesforce improves how organizations manage customer relationships and utilize data for growth, but effective implementation requires thoughtful planning and customization. Types of Salesforce Implementation Sales Cloud Implementation Sales Cloud is Salesforce’s CRM platform designed to manage sales, leads, and customer interactions. Service Cloud Implementation Service Cloud helps companies provide excellent customer service and support. Marketing Cloud Implementation Marketing Cloud Engagement simplifies marketing efforts, helping businesses connect with customers across various channels. Each type of Salesforce implementation offers unique benefits and challenges, depending on the organization’s needs and goals. CRM Implementation Considerations Implementing a CRM system is a significant move for any business. Here are important things to remember: Step-by-Step Guide to Implement Salesforce Successfully Benefits of a Successful Salesforce Implementation Conclusion Implementing Salesforce is more than adding a powerful CRM system; it’s a journey to greater efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction. By thoughtfully planning and customizing Salesforce, organizations can enhance operations, deepen customer relationships, and drive sustainable growth. Embrace the possibilities of Salesforce implementation to chart a course for lasting success and innovation in the modern business landscape. 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

September 17, 2023in Salesforce Development Services, Salesforce Implementation Services

14Sep

Einstein Advancement

Salesforce, the enterprise software giant, announced on Tuesday the latest Einstein advancement in its artificial intelligence (AI) technology, unveiling a new generative AI tool called Einstein Copilot. This tool is set to revolutionize its suite of applications, including popular platforms like Slack and Tableau. What Happened: Einstein Copilot is introduced as a conversational AI assistant, seamlessly integrated within every Salesforce application. This integration aims to enhance user productivity by enabling interactions through natural language queries and providing responses based on proprietary company data. Unlike previous AI copilots, which often operated as separate, non-integrated applications, Einstein Copilot can access data from any Salesforce app, ensuring more accurate AI-powered recommendations and content generation. Einstein Copilot offers a wide range of functionalities, from summarizing video calls to automatically drafting sales emails tailored to individual customer contexts. It assists service teams by providing generative answers to customer concerns and helps marketers craft email content for campaigns. Developers can also benefit from its ability to convert natural language prompts directly into Apex code. Salesforce highlighted that 45% of executives are increasing their AI investments, with some already experiencing benefits, such as a 30% release of employee time. The San Francisco-based company mentioned that Einstein Copilot would leverage a vast pool of data, including customer information, enterprise content, and Slack conversations, to provide reliable and relevant recommendations. These recommendations can aid in tasks such as constructing digital storefronts or providing actionable insights for sales associates. Einstein Advancement This move aligns Salesforce with tech giants like Microsoft Corp and Alphabet Inc, which are capitalizing on the growing demand for generative AI. With previous initiatives such as the Einstein GPT genAI product launch in March and the expansion of its AI venture capital fund to 0 million in June, Salesforce is positioned to redefine the enterprise software landscape with its AI-driven initiatives. 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

September 14, 2023in Einstein 1 Platform, Einstein Insights

13Sep

The Crucial Role of Data and Integration in AI at Dreamforce

Understanding The Crucial Role of Data and Integration in AI at Dreamforce At this year’s Dreamforce, AI is the star of the show, but two essential supporting actors are data and integration. Enterprises are increasingly recognizing the importance of unifying their diverse data sources for effective analysis and swift action, and the race to harness AI makes this integration even more critical. Integration is key not only for merging data but also for automating end-to-end processes, enabling organizations to move faster and deliver better outcomes to customers. Crucial Role of Data and Integration in AI at Dreamforce. It’s no surprise that MuleSoft, acquired by Salesforce five years ago, is now a major contributor to Salesforce’s growth. Brian Millham, President and COO at Salesforce, highlighted this during the company’s recent Q2 earnings call: “In Q2, nearly half of our greater than $1 million deals included MuleSoft. As customers integrate data from all sources to drive efficiency, growth, and insights, MuleSoft has become mission-critical and was included in half of our top 10 deals.” Breaking Down Silos Param Kahlon, EVP and General Manager for Automation and Integration at Salesforce, recently discussed the investments customers are making in data and integration. He emphasized the importance of breaking down operational silos: “We are in the business of breaking silos across systems to ensure that data can travel seamlessly through multiple systems and people for processes like order-to-cash or procure-to-pay. Our technology connects these dots.” The surge in AI interest has increased the urgency to act, as Kahlon explained: “Creating data repositories for AI algorithms requires real-time data across silos, driving significant demand for our integration solutions.” Consolidating Data Enterprises have long struggled with data consolidation due to monolithic application stacks with separate data stores. This has been a challenge even within Salesforce’s own products. Last year, Salesforce introduced a Customer Data Platform (CDP) called Data Cloud, which includes a real-time data layer named Genie. Kahlon elaborated on its significance: “Data Cloud’s strength lies in its understanding and storage of Salesforce metadata. This native integration allows for real-time actions within Salesforce, enhancing the ability to aggregate, reason over, and act on data.” For example, when a customer contacts a bank, Data Cloud can compile their ATM usage, website interactions, and recent support cases, providing the agent with a comprehensive view to better assist the customer. Leveraging Metadata for AI Salesforce’s metadata layer, which has been fine-tuned over two decades, gives it a distinct advantage. Kahlon noted: “This metadata-based architecture allows us to create meaningful AI algorithms that are natively consumed within Salesforce, enabling visualization and action based on real-time data.” This is crucial for training the underlying Large Language Model (LLM) accurately, ensuring generated content is contextually grounded and trustworthy. Kahlon emphasized: “The trust layer is essential. We need to ensure no hallucination or toxicity in the LLM’s responses, and that communications align with our company’s values.” Real-Time Data and API Management Data Cloud’s ability to connect to other data sources like Snowflake without duplicating data is a significant benefit. Kahlon commented: “Duplicating data is not desirable. Customers need real-time access to the actual source of truth.” On the integration front, APIs have simplified connecting applications and data sources. However, managing API sprawl is crucial. Kahlon explained: “Standardizing API use and publishing them in a centralized portal is essential for reusability and consistency. Low-code platforms and connectors are becoming increasingly relevant, enabling business users to access data without relying on IT.” Automation and AI The demand for automation is growing, and low-code tools are vital. Instead of integration experts being overwhelmed, organizations should establish Centers for Excellence to focus on creating reusable connectors and automations. Kahlon added: “Companies need low-code tools to involve more business users in the transformation journey without slowing down due to legacy applications.” In the future, AI may further ease the workload on integration specialists. MuleSoft recently introduced an API Experience Hub to make APIs discoverable, and AI might eventually help monitor execution logs and manage APIs more effectively. Kahlon concluded: “AI could help developers find and use APIs efficiently, enhancing security and governance while simplifying access to data across 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

September 13, 2023in Mulesoft, Salesforce, Salesforce Einstein, Snowflake

07Sep

Reporting With Own

In any Salesforce organization, vast amounts of data are generated constantly from sales activities, customer interactions, marketing campaigns, and more. Summarizing and digesting this information quickly is crucial, especially when presenting the big picture to leadership. This is where Salesforce reports come into play. The Salesforce Reports feature enables organizations to analyze, visualize, and summarize data in real time. By pulling data from across your Salesforce environment, reports help consolidate information into easily digestible formats, such as charts, tables, and graphs. Salesforce reports are essential for: How Historical Data Can Improve Reporting in Salesforce While real-time reports are valuable, incorporating historical data can significantly enhance reporting by offering deeper insights into your organization’s long-term performance. Here’s how: Challenges of Reporting with Historical Data in Salesforce While incorporating historical data is smart, Salesforce’s native reporting capabilities impose certain limitations: Don’t Let Salesforce Reporting Limitations Hold You Back With Own Discover, customers can effortlessly generate time-series datasets from any objects and fields over any time period in just a few clicks. These datasets can be accessed using standard query and reporting tools without requiring a data warehouse or the need to enrich existing data warehouses, overcoming Salesforce’s native limitations. 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

September 7, 2023in Enterprise

26Aug

Einstein in Salesforce

Salesforce AI and CRM Evolution Salesforce has long been a leader in customer relationship management (CRM) by pioneering cloud technologies. Recently, the platform has significantly advanced with the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and AI-powered features, thanks to its Einstein technology. Einstein in Salesforce is like a super smart computer overseeing and analyzing the data in your CRM. This guide explores Salesforce’s AI strategy, exploring its specific products and features to help business teams understand and benefit from this technology. Exploring Salesforce’s Advanced AI Features Einstein, Salesforce’s AI technology, powers various advanced features within the platform. This guide will cover these capabilities, provide real-life adoption examples, and discuss their benefits. Additionally, it offers best practices, solutions, and services to facilitate your Einstein implementation. Salesforce’s Comprehensive CRM Solution Salesforce remains a number one in the CRM software world, offering robust solutions for managing relationships across various departments. Specific clouds within Salesforce enable teams to handle marketing, sales, customer service, e-commerce, and more. The platform focuses on customer experience and provides robust data analytics to support decision-making. Enhancements Through Generative AI Salesforce’s generative AI has rapidly enhanced the platform’s automation, workflow management, data analytics, and assistive capabilities for customer management. A prime example is Salesforce Copilot, which aids internal users with outreach and analysis tasks while improving the external user experience. What is Salesforce Einstein? Salesforce Einstein is the first comprehensive AI for CRM, integrating AI technologies to enhance the Customer Success Platform and bring AI to users everywhere. It is seamlessly integrated into many Salesforce products, offering generative AI built specifically for CRM. Key Features of Salesforce Einstein Comprehensive AI Capabilities of Salesforce Einstein Einstein extends its capabilities across the Salesforce CRM platform under the Customer 360 umbrella, enhancing intelligence and providing personalized customer experiences. Key Benefits of Salesforce Einstein Salesforce Einstein helps close deals faster, personalize customer service, understand customer behaviors, target audience segments better, and create personalized shopping experiences. It ensures data protection and privacy through the Einstein Trust Layer, maintaining strong data governance controls. Responsible AI Principles Salesforce is committed to responsible AI principles, ensuring Einstein is trustworthy and safe for every organization. Organizations can select from various principles to ensure ethical AI use in their operations. Implementation of Salesforce Einstein Salesforce Einstein is a powerful AI solution transforming how businesses interact with customers. By leveraging machine learning and data analysis, it personalizes experiences, predicts customer behavior, and automates tasks, boosting sales, enhancing service, and driving growth. As AI evolves, its impact on CRM will continue to grow, making it an indispensable tool for businesses aiming to stay competitive in today’s data-driven landscape. Top 4 Benefits of Salesforce Einstein in an Organization Einstein Essentials Salesforce Einstein and GPT (Generative Pretrained Transformer) technologies represent significant advancements in AI, particularly in CRM and natural language processing. Here’s a brief overview of their relevance and potential intersection: Data Handling and Ethics in Salesforce Salesforce manages a vast amount of customer data, and the ethical handling of this data is crucial. Key considerations include data privacy, secure storage, access controls, compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA, and the ethical use of AI and machine learning. It’s important to maintain transparency, avoid biases, and ensure AI models are making ethical decisions. Newest Einstein Features for 2024 In the rapidly evolving ecosystem of Salesforce, AI offers a suite of tools to spark innovation, streamline operations, and provide richer business insights. Explore these potentials and let Einstein AI reshape your work in 2024. Content updated June 2024. 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

August 26, 2023in Einstein 1 Platform, Generative AI, Salesforce Data Cloud, Salesforce Einstein

22Aug

Salesforce Certified Healthcare Technology

As a Salesforce Certified healthcare technology consultant, Tectonic brings extensive experience across both large and small healthcare settings, witnessing firsthand the transformative impact of Salesforce Health Cloud. Having contributed to the development of an EHR and RCM application on Salesforce, Tectonic understands the substantial benefits this platform offers when integrated with existing technologies such as Electronic Health Records (EHR), claims data sources, and Patient Population Health Management systems. Enhanced Patient Population Health Management: Salesforce Health Cloud equips healthcare providers with tools to effectively manage Patient Population Health by gathering, analyzing, and acting on health data. Providers can leverage these insights to identify at-risk populations, design targeted interventions, and improve patient outcomes. Optimized Provider Referral Patterning: By integrating Salesforce Health Cloud with claims data, Tectonic enables providers to analyze referral patterns. This helps healthcare organizations collaborate more effectively with physicians based on their specialties, insurance networks, and common CPT codes, ultimately enhancing patient care and strengthening provider networks. AI-Enabled Contact Service Centers for Better Patient Care: Integrating Generative AI with Salesforce Health Cloud allows healthcare providers to deliver personalized, responsive services. By connecting Billing, EHR, and Patient Population Health Management platforms, Tectonic reduces administrative burdens, streamlines communication, and improves patient satisfaction in contact service centers. Business Development Liaison Route Planning: Using Salesforce Maps combined with 1st and 3rd party claims data, Tectonic enables business development teams to generate optimized, daily route plans within seconds. These plans allow healthcare representatives to visit the right providers based on location, specialty, referral volumes, and other key preferences. Strategic Territory Expansion and Planning: Salesforce Health Cloud empowers healthcare organizations to strategically plan for territory expansion. Through analyzing geographic claims data and patient demographics, Tectonic helps organizations make data-driven decisions on resource allocation and service growth. Extending Functionality with Salesforce AppExchange and Salesforce Health Cloud: The Salesforce AppExchange offers a wide array of applications that expand Health Cloud’s core capabilities. These apps can boost patient engagement, care coordination, and advanced analytics. In addition, Tectonic leverages multiple health and life sciences process, which integrates Revenue Cycle Management (RCM) and EHR functionalities, enabling providers to manage billing, claims, and clinical data seamlessly within one platform, among many other features. Conclusion: Salesforce Health Cloud, when combined with Tectonic‘s expertise and solutions like payer and provider processes, becomes a powerful asset for healthcare providers. By integrating Health Cloud into existing technology stacks and utilizing AppExchange apps, healthcare organizations can improve patient care, streamline operations, and strategically plan for growth in the ever-evolving healthcare landscape. Content updated September 2024. 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

August 22, 2023in Data, Generative AI, Salesforce, Salesforce Health Cloud, Technology

20Aug

Big Data and Data Visualization Explained

Data Visualization: Turning Complex Data into Clear Insights Data visualization is the practice of converting information into visual formats, such as maps or graphs, to make data more accessible and understandable. The primary purpose of data visualization is to highlight patterns, trends, and outliers within large data sets, allowing users to quickly glean insights. The term is often used interchangeably with information graphics, information visualization, and statistical graphics. The Role of Data Visualization in Data Science Data visualization is a crucial step in the data science process. After data is collected, processed, and modeled, it must be visualized to draw meaningful conclusions. It’s also a key component of data presentation architecture, a discipline focused on efficiently identifying, manipulating, formatting, and delivering data. Importance Across Professions Data visualization is essential across various fields. Teachers use it to display student performance, computer scientists to explore AI advancements, and executives to communicate information to stakeholders. In big data projects, visualization tools are vital for quickly summarizing large datasets, helping businesses make informed decisions. In advanced analytics, visualization is equally important. Data scientists use it to monitor and ensure the accuracy of predictive models and machine learning algorithms. Visual representations of complex algorithms are often easier to interpret than numerical outputs. Historical Context of Data Visualization Data visualization has evolved significantly over the centuries, long before the advent of modern technology. Today, its importance is more pronounced, as it enables quick and effective communication of information in a universally understandable manner. Why Data Visualization Matters Data visualization provides a straightforward way to communicate information, regardless of the viewer’s expertise. This universality makes it easier for employees to make decisions based on visual insights. Visualization offers numerous benefits for businesses, including: Advantages of Data Visualization Key benefits include: Challenges and Disadvantages Despite its advantages, data visualization has some challenges: Data Visualization in the Era of Big Data With the rise of big data, visualization has become more critical. Companies leverage machine learning to analyze vast amounts of data, and visualization tools help present this data in a comprehensible way. Big data visualization often employs advanced techniques, such as heat maps and fever charts, beyond the standard pie charts and graphs. However, challenges remain, including: Examples of Data Visualization Techniques Early computer-based data visualizations often relied on Microsoft Excel to create tables, bar charts, or pie charts. Today, more advanced techniques include: Common Use Cases for Data Visualization Data visualization is widely used across various industries, including: The Science Behind Data Visualization The effectiveness of data visualization is rooted in how humans process information. Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky’s research identified two methods of information processing: Visualization Tools and Vendors Data visualization tools are widely used for business intelligence reporting. These tools generate interactive dashboards that track performance across key metrics. Users can manipulate these visualizations to explore data in greater depth, and indicators alert them to data updates or important events. Businesses might use visualization of data software to monitor marketing campaigns or track KPIs. As tools evolve, they increasingly serve as front ends for sophisticated big data environments, assisting data engineers and scientists in exploratory analysis. Popular data visualization tools include Domo, Klipfolio, Looker, Microsoft Power BI, Qlik Sense, Tableau, and Zoho Analytics. While Microsoft Excel remains widely used, newer tools offer more advanced capabilities. Data visualization is a vital subset of the broader field of data analytics, offering powerful tools for understanding and leveraging business data across all sectors. 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

August 20, 2023in Salesforce

06Aug

Having An Effective AI Strategy

It All Begins with Strategy A robust AI strategy is the cornerstone of successful AI implementation. It provides clarity on vision, purpose, short and long-term goals, and necessary steps for the entire organization. Rooted in data, this strategy should include measurable objectives and KPIs to foster seamless collaboration across teams. As with any strategic initiative, it starts with trustworthy data. Having An Effective AI Strategy. Keys to Having An Effective AI Strategy Prepare Your Data Define Business Goals Identify and Prioritize Use Cases Establish Data Governance Policies Check Your Technology Stack Emphasize Continuous Improvement Start Small 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

August 6, 2023in Salesforce Einstein

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