Aniket Yevalkar

Field Rationalization during Org consolidation Salesforce org consolidation could be done for various reasons. It could be done because you recently acquired an org as a result of new business acquisition or merger for inorganic growth. It could be done because your company had multiple regional orgs and the new business strategy requires consolidation of functions (Sales, Service, Centralized catalog of products, etc.) for all regions into their own instances. Or there could be other reasons. Whatever the reason, org consolidation comes with its own challenges. Merging the data model from the two or more orgs into the target org is one of those challenges. In doing so, we realize that the target object might not have enough count of custom fields to accommodate the fields being merged. For example, if you are merging the Account objects from multiple orgs, each org might have its own set of custom fields. These individual orgs might have already consumed the available custom fields limit of 500/800 allowed by Salesforce by default. Hence the target org would naturally have a deficit of available field count. One way to solve this problem is to get the limit increased by requesting Salesforce. However, it is not always a good idea to do so from data integrity and query performance point of view. Hence it becomes very important to rationalize the fields in their respective orgs before arriving at the final list of fields that would be part of the object in the target org. Rationalization is the process of justifying the purpose of the fields and deciding whether the field is required for business continuity or not. Many times the fields are created randomly over a period of time by the admin at the behest of the business folks. Field rationalization cannot therefore happen without the involvement of the business stakeholders. Most often we realize that field rationalization is required quite late and then it tends to affect project timelines. Hence it becomes crucial to account for the field rationalization exercise during project plan preparation. In order to justify for the rationalization time in the project plan, the solution team needs to prepare field usage reports. These can be done by using AppExchange tools like FieldTrip or FieldFootPrint. Then you can use these usage reports to show what percent of records really have a value for a specific field. This exercise, although time consuming, will ensure the data model sanity and will also help during the data migration.

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Couldn't have said it better myself! Somehow Matt Ezyk managed to get a copy of our new book before even I did but I'm *thrilled* to see this revised 2nd edition out in the world finally! We've made changes throughout to streamline, revise, and modernize the overall approach to building robust solutions for B2C use cases on Salesforce technology but by far the biggest addition is the new Data Cloud chapter contributed by Melissa Murphy. If you've been paying attention to Salesforce in the last couple years you'll know that Data Cloud is kind of a big deal and I couldn't have asked for a better partner to bring that to life! #salesforce #architecture #datacloud #b2c #imwithslalom

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Are you considering integrating Data Cloud into your Salesforce CRM applications? Don't forget the backbone of any Salesforce CRM application - standard and custom objects, especially sObjects. Compatibility with these objects is crucial for a successful integration. While the Data Cloud can add value and usability to your company data, navigating the integration process can be challenging. Keep sObjects in mind and ensure compatibility for successful integration. #Salesforce #DataCloud #CRM #sObjects #Integration

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As a former MuleSoft biz dev guy, I'm baffled by Salesforce's supposed bid to buy Informatica for $11 Billion. It's not the price that concerns me (valuation's a different department) but that Salesforce is missing out on some important structural risks on the value realization side. Here are my top three: - Product Overlap: MuleSoft & Informatica are largely in direct competition. They're going after the same TAM, the same customers and the same budgets. Having two competitive products in the bag inevitably leads to customer and message confusion, resource misuse and organizational misalignment (V2MOM --> V2BOMB). It also makes sales & marketing's job ten times harder. - Regrettable Attrition: If an acquisition goes through, there will be an immediate drop in employee morale at MuleSoft, leading to significantly higher rate of regrettable departures. That's a problem because when good people leave, the "left behinders" aren't generally the ones you want running the ship. My guess is that talented Informatica employees will have similar feelings and start looking for jobs (once they cash out) to avoid the inevitable rationalization. -Build, buy or partner: The word on the street is that Salesforce may be buying Informatica because it helps with the data & AI (Einstein) story. I get that and yes Informatica has a few things that MuleSoft might lack - like data catalogs or data integration tools or other stuff. But if Salesforce really wants that tech, they don't need to BUY Informatica. They could PARTNER with Alation, Confluent or even Informatica (and many other great companies). Those paths would cost <10 Million to get an at-scale solution to market, with low technical risk & decent gross margins. And zero internal friction or customer confusion. Why buy something for $11 Billion when you can get there for < $11 Million with a few partnership (especially in a high interest rate environment)? Unless you want cashflows so bad that you're willing to overlook multiple systemic deal risks. Or you've got a terminal case of the Principal Agent problem. Or Putin has something on you? (okay, that last one was a joke!) As I said earlier, I'm baffled by this. If any of you has a theory (serious, entertaining or otherwise) about the goings-on at 415 Mission, please do share it with the rest of us.

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Salesforce provides a robust platform for building applications, but security shouldn't be an afterthought. Utilize Salesforce security features such as: - 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞-𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 (𝐑𝐁𝐀𝐂): Grant granular access with Salesforce which can define user roles for specific data visibility. - 𝐒𝐡𝐢𝐞𝐥𝐝 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐄𝐧𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Encrypt sensitive data at rest for an extra layer of protection. This is especially important for PII (Personally Identifiable Information) - 𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐩𝐩 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬: Use mutual SSL, OAuth & Salesforce's Connected Apps. With these features, you can build secure and trustworthy Salesforce applications that protect your valuable data. #salesforce #securesalesforce #secureapplication #rbac #shieldplatform

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Your Salesforce + AI responses are slow, How would you troubleshoot it? Got instrumentation for it? Making AI production grade in your environment, requires a deeper ability to troubleshoot and manage it. That’s why GPTfy now has… Security Audit - Processing Time Provides fine grade processing times on the Security Audit record, useful for troubleshooting and performance optimization. Admin users often need to know the time it takes to extract, mask, process, and present the data. With this release, processing times, including Pre-processing, Processing, and Post-Processing time, are available on the Security Audit record. More on this in our April 2024 release notes #salesforce #gptfy #ai #performance #instrumentation #ldv #appexchange #llm

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AI DevOps starts with a solid unit testing foundation. Here's a high level walkthrough of iDialogue AI test runner for Salesforce.

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Something that was missing previously. The new layout and links of the Salesforce modules show where each module fits in the 14 skills needed to master Salesforce.

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Great tips on Cleaning up Profiles and Permissison Sets make it easier to create permission set groups (personas) and automatically assigning access via User Access Policies!! Making onboarding and off boarding Salesforce Users easier!! #awesomeadmin #salesforceadmin #salesforcecommunity

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Zero-Trust Your Way to Stronger Customer Relationships. On my blog writeup on Salesforce Architects Medium Publication - See how MuleSoft helps build a secure foundation for your integration strategy. https://lnkd.in/g-AWxh9F

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𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆’𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻: 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺. At VIIZR (my last company), we built our core product on the Salesforce platform. Our product was weak not because we chose the wrong platform, but because we tried to swim upstream. All tech platforms have some things they do well and some things they suck at. Trying to force your platform to do the later is like trying to swim upstream in a rushing river — it’ll cost you a bunch of energy and you won’t get very far. Don't make the mistake we did! You can adopt new platforms, or play more to your platform’s strengths, but absolutely don’t fight with your platform because you’ll be swimming upstream. In VIIZR’s case, fighting our platform meant customizing the Salesforce UI layer — i.e. building lots of custom Web Components. This was a big mistake. It cost us far too much effort to build everything, it made our product less stable and harder to maintain, and it made it harder to iterate on customer feedback. I believe that this, more than any other single factor, was why VIIZR failed. 𝙄𝙛 𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙜𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚… We would have leveraged more of what the Salesforce platform can do natively. We would have gone less custom and more off-the-shelf. We could have built a custom core experience with more standard features and UX bolted on. At least in the early days. Andrew Albert, our CTO, talked about the following scenario as one opportunity to swim with the current… Salesforce has a built-in mechanism for deploying multiple “apps” in a single web experience. (For the Salesforce heads out there, think “9 dots” menu.) The idea was to deploy discrete “apps” for timesheets, reports, inventory, etc, rather than build those features directly into the core product experience. UX would have been a little janky, but it would have allowed us to build faster so we could convert more customers, learn from early adopters, and gradually refine the UX. And our mobile stack (React Native, Salesforce, AWS) allowed us to build any UX we wanted with much less effort, so the majority of our users would see only the best version of our UX. As long as the features were there on the platform side, our mobile team had the data and APIs to plug into. In the end, we never got the chance to try out this approach because we lost our funding. But had we started out on that path from the very beginning, I wonder if we might have bent our learning curve enough to find product market fit before we found the end of the runway. The key lesson: 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺. 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝗺 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿.

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Ground your Salesforce AI prompts To prevent bad responses. Simple. Effective. Here. Built-in Support for grounding rules is now available in 1.6, our latest release. Standardize your grounding rules - You can have a set of grounding rules that can be applied consistently to any prompt. Custom grounding supported - GPTfy always let you add your grounding to the prompt, and now you can add those custom grounding rules to the set as well. That way, a repository of tried and tested ones can be selectively applied as needed. This ensures that the AI responses are in line with your internal standards for ethics, content, privacy, and security. Learn more about this new feature in our release notes for 1.6. https://bit.ly/3UjACYA #salesforce #salescloud #servicecloud #aicloud #ai #gptfy #appexchange GPTfy

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📣 Any Salesforce ISVs out there current building or wanting/planning to build an interactive setup UX in your app to help customers configure their orgs post-install or upgrade? I've been dreaming of doing that for years and even did it once at Salesforce. It's a tricky process to do within the bounds of Trust. The UX part is easy, but how you actually apply the changes specified in the UX is where I see everyone struggle or get it wrong. If this is you, we should talk! I'm happy to offer merely free advice about a nuanced set of knowledge I hold. More importantly, the platform I'm currently building, D2X Cloud was always envisioned first and foremost to handle the dynamic delivery and configuration needs faced by Salesforce ISVs. I'm confident it could save you significant amounts of engineering time and provide you with a far more robust platform to build on. Here's a simple example. You have a GitHub repo with some optional metadata to load from subdirectories based on UX selections. You also want to assign some selected permission sets to selected users. You need a worker that allows the admin to OAuth grant access for the job, a worker with secure access to GitHub and the right tools installed, and you need to track all that work to communicate back with the UX. That's a single POST call to initiate from your package's code: https://lnkd.in/gqWwVZxD

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𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡: 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐄-𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 In the rapidly evolving field of e-commerce, Integration Architects play a pivotal role in weaving together diverse technologies and platforms to create seamless shopping experiences. As someone who specializes in recruiting top tech talent within the Salesforce ecosystem, I have seen the demand for skilled E-Commerce Integration Architects surge. Here are some strategic steps these professionals can take to propel their careers forward: 1. Master the Core Technologies: Proficiency in Salesforce, particularly its e-commerce solutions like Salesforce Commerce Cloud, is crucial. However, a deep understanding of additional tools and platforms that integrate with Salesforce, such as ERP systems and custom application interfaces, can set you apart. 2. Gain Certifications: Certifications not only validate your skills but also demonstrate your commitment to staying abreast of the latest developments in technology. Salesforce certifications, along with credentials in project management and specific integration tools, can significantly enhance your resume. 3. Develop Soft Skills: Technical prowess is essential, but soft skills like communication, problem-solving, and project management are equally important. These skills help in translating complex technical details into actionable business insights and in leading teams effectively. 4. Focus on Customer Experience (CX): Understanding the nuances of customer experience in e-commerce is critical. Take opportunities to work on projects that allow you to tackle CX challenges, as this experience can lead to more strategic roles in the future. 5. Stay Updated with Industry Trends: The e-commerce sector is dynamic, with constant innovations and changes. Regularly engage with industry news, participate in forums, attend webinars, and take online courses to stay updated. 6. Network Actively: Building a robust professional network can open up new opportunities and provide insights that you might not gain otherwise. Attend industry conferences, engage on professional social media platforms, and participate in community discussions. 7. Specialize or Diversify: Depending on your career goals, you might choose to specialize in a niche area within e-commerce integration or diversify your skills across broader domains. Both paths have potential benefits; the key is to align this decision with your long-term career aspirations. For E-Commerce Integration Architects, career advancement involves a blend of upgrading technical skills, honing interpersonal abilities, and staying agile in a fast-paced industry. If you’re looking to accelerate your career in this dynamic field or need guidance on navigating these pathways, let’s connect. Together, we can chart a course for your continued professional growth and success.

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Salesforce announces earnings today after the market closes. It’s important b/c it’s one of the largest and most well tracked software companies in the world.  Here are some things you might not know about earnings announcements: The ‘guide’ is as important to investors as the result.  In other words, if you have a great result but don’t provide exciting guidance for future performance, well… “Beat and raise” is the nomenclature that investors are looking for.  The company beat their expected earnings/revenue results AND raised their guidance. For better or worse, beat and raise is becoming the only acceptable result. In today’s economic climate, the alternative to a beat and raise are as follows: Beat + reaffirming guidance: Not what investors are looking for, but ok I guess Beat + reduction in guidance: Disastrous result Miss + raise: Would be unusual, and also a disaster Miss + no raise: **Comment redacted** In addition, what they need to beat is not only their forecasts, but also the estimates put forth by analysts who cover the stock and are paid to predict what will happen..  So for Salesforce, they guided to revenue between $9.12 and $9.17B and earnings per share between $1.42 and $1.44. Other key elements that are scrutinized by professional investors: Total Remaining Performance Obligations (RPO): This is the total dollar amount of every contract they have on the books with customers, across the rest of those contracts.  This number needs to continue to grow.  Last Q they reported having $56.9 BILLION (with a B) in RPO. Current Remaining Performance Obligations (cRPO): Total dollar amount of every contract and what they expect to be paid in the next 12 months.  Professional investors use this number to forecast revenue (especially if they can combine it with forecasts of new business sales, new product sales, etc).  $27.6B is the current amount that they’ll collect via their cRPO. Lastly, if you really want to get a feel for the business and how it’s operating, wait a day after the earnings, and then go read through the earnings call transcript, specifically looking for things like: Any reference to sales team, sales team performance, sales team growth Any notable mentions of customer adds or renewals (they disclose big wins) Are the analysts opening every question with ‘congrats’ or not ;) Ok that's all, now get back to selling something. Check out additional data we have on Salesforce through >5,000 verified ratings from sales professionals that work there: https://lnkd.in/eddRgskN

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CSMs/AMs taking notes in Google Docs (because it's easier), logging work in Salesforce (for Sales), updating records in Gainsight (because they have to), Creating a task for themselves in Asana (so they don't forget): Let's say that it takes them 10 minutes to complete everything. They have about 12 client-facing calls per week. That's 2 whole hours... Just to log information in different places. And it doesn't seem like much, but then we layer in the rest of their week between: 🧷 Preparing for calls Researching the account and putting together any visuals. 🧷 Being on the calls Right... We need to have the calls that are all 30 minutes plus. 🧷 Following up after the calls This should be easier thanks to AI and call transcripts, but that doesn't mean it's being sent sight unseen. 🧷 Working through their to-do list Accounts they have to track down, content they need to put together, health that needs to be checked, risk that needs to be mitigated. 🧷 Getting pulled into conversations they didn't plan for Their inbox is never at 0! They're getting messages from clients while also being pulled into internal conversations like support tickets. 🧷 Looking for information, analyzing information, putting reports together Unless this has been completed automated or they have a data science team on their side, data needs to be crunched. ---- It's clear there isn't a lot of wiggle room here to be... proactive or strategic. So, what's a CS team to do in this case? ⚡️Optimize their tech stack for efficiency⚡️ Those little minutes can be allocated for something else. Something more impactful. How are you going to do it? If you don't already have CS Ops in place, consider it! Not only can they save you time by streamlining your tools, but they also hold the key to your scaling efforts. ----- Any CS pros out there with CS Ops in their team? How do they help you out? Give them a shout-out ���🏽 #customersuccess #csm #accountmanagers

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🤓 Wow, Salesforce Research just released world’s first LLM benchmark for CRM. It's very interesting to look at the Sales and Service use cases by LLM across the accuracy, cost, speed, and trust. Anthropic's Claude 3 Haiku model is clearly the best for Service Reply Recommendations and also very good at Sales Call Summaries, but most Salesforce customers are using Einstein (which is the "XGen 2 model" in this benchmark). Check it out at https://lnkd.in/gZWa6WaD or on Hugging Face at https://lnkd.in/gAjb33fD

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Do you consider Salesforce Apex unit tests an asset or a liability? What about AI/GPT unit tests? Many Developers would agree that unit tested code increases application reliability and stability. AI brings about a whole new set of testing requirements and risks. AI models and LLMs are subject to drift and entropy post-deployment. Manually testing conversational AI using pre-developed scripts is a long and tedious task. And still, there is no way to detect drift in production. Enter Dialogue Script from iDialogue. The foundation to our Kaizen AI DevOps suite. Entire conversations can be scripted and automated with assertions after each AI response. AI-driven Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD) will be a dramatic differentiator, separating the fast from the slow. Teams can develop and deploy in confidence knowing hundreds of regression tests are executed before each deployment. Ongoing monitoring and sampling of AI conversations with pass/fail scoring provides orgs with constant feedback regarding AI health and application integrity.

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