Salesforce Spring '22 Release Highlights

Salesforce Spring ’22 Release Highlights

by with No Comment Salesforce Products

The Salesforce Spring ‘22 Release went live last month. As usual there were hundreds of new products and features to get excited about. So we asked some of our team members what were their highlights from the Salesforce Spring ‘22 Release.

 

Enzo Denti, Salesforce Architect 

Enzo Denti, Cloud Galacticos

Multilingual Einstein Bots

I really like this new feature that enables your company to reach out to a larger audience by making it simpler to communicate with you… in their own language.

When I was at Uni in Italy the teacher told us “Computer Science speaks English” and yeah he was right. There are computer terms that you cannot translate. For me, since English is not my first language I always had to catch up to understand. Instead, it’s great how Salesforce is solving this for your customer and providing an easier and more inclusive way for them to get the support they need.

 

Relevant Links:

Multilingual Einstein Bot – Spring 22 Release Feature

Reach More Audiences with Multiple Language Einstein Bots

 

UI Test Automation Model

I come from a Developer background and in time I learned to appreciate good, robust automated tests. 

I always loved the testing requirements for Apex, not seeing them as a chore to cover the code and make my code deploy, but as insurance that my code was behaving as expected, despite changes. Since the introduction of the Aura component the developer community was asking for a testing tool for the new dynamic UIs.
Finally, it’s here native in Salesforce, the ability to test thoroughly your UI and avoid the boring and repetitive manual testing.

It is flexible as well since it’s agnostic of the application under test and leaves it to you to decide what test runner to use, what ask more, it’s powerful and flexible.

Relevant link:

Write More Robust UI Tests with UTAM

 

Nkosi Ncube, Developer

Einstein for Nonprofits

Nonprofit organisations generally operate on a low budget and mostly rely on donations and giving the fundraisers tools to efficiently predict donor behaviour makes for efficient fundraising.

Einstein for Nonprofit is the new AI based product designed specifically for Nonprofit cloud, unfortunately not free but at a lesser cost than other AI products, its core component is Einstein Prediction Builder

This product gives non-profits the power to analyse and understand donor behaviour and predict future donor engagement and all this is out of the box.

Linking of CRM data to accounting systems is also enabled to link up finance departments and other teams.

Prerequisites for installing Einstein for Nonprofits

  • MyDomain enabled and deployed in your org.
  • Salesforce Data Privacy and Protection enabled. This setting is enabled by default for your org.
  • A license for SFDO Insights Einstein for Nonprofits with a current start date. You can install Einstein for Nonprofits if the start date is in the future, but you won’t be able to use the app until the date that the license is active. If your license expires, you receive an error message.
  • NPSP Recuring Donations configured for your org.
  • Einstein Prediction Builder enabled for your org.

Relevant link:

Before You Install Einstein for Nonprofits

 

Mark Jones, Salesforce Consultant

Mark Jones, Cloud Galacticos

Set the Order for Your Record-Triggered Flows

Admins can now set the Order of Execution for their Record-Triggered Flows. This feature is something that has been in high demand for quite some time. It’s great to see it finally come to be. All you need to do to be able to set the order is add a number between 1 and 2,00 in the Advanced Settings of your Record-Triggered Flow and you’re set. Do bear in mind that Flows with a Trigger Order of 1 – 1,000 will run first, followed by Flows without a number, followed by Flows with a Trigger Order between 1,001 and 2,000.

This feature makes it easier than ever to create multiple Record-Triggered Flows on a singular object. On top of that as a bonus highlight, you can see the order of all of your Record-Triggered Flows in the new Flow Trigger Explorer. Flow Trigger Explorer groups your Flows into Fast-Field Updates, Actions and Related Records and Flows that Run Asynchronously, giving you a great means of viewing how your and when your Flows will run.

Relevant Links
Define the Run Order of Record-Triggered Flows for an Object
Visualize All Your Record-Triggered Flows in One Place with Flow Trigger Explorer

 

Migrate Your Workflow Rules into Flow

When Salesforce initially announced the plans to retire Workflow Rules and Process Builder, one of the things a number of Admins that I have personally spoken to were concerned about was how they move their older pieces of declarative automation into Flow? This is where Salesforce’s automation migration tools come into play. Now you can migrate your existing Workflow Rules into Flow with an easy-to-navigate wizard that will intelligently create the right Record-Triggered Flow based on the Workflow Rule that you’re migrating. It’s a tool that does the job it is designed to do very well. However, I would recommend reviewing your Workflow Rules before making any decisions on which ones to migrate.

I’d also recommend reading the release notes as the tool can’t migrate all Workflow Rules at this time. Although updates are due to be made to resolve that. If you have Workflow Rules that can be copied into Flow like-for-like, this is a tool that will help you do that. FYI, a migration tool for Process Builder is slated for a future release.

Relevant Link:

Convert Workflow Rules to Flows with the Migrate to Flow Tool (Beta)

 

About Cloud Galacticos 

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. Our Salesforce consultancy has people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, and London.

So if you are looking for a Salesforce Gold partner with experience to help you make the most of your org, why not get in contact?

Digital City Awards, Best Small Digital Company Finalist 2022

London’s Calling Platinum Sponsor 2022

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Salesforce Johannesburg User Group

by with No Comment News

One of our developers, Nkosi Ncube, has recently become a co-leader of the Salesforce Johannesburg User Group. He’s the latest team member to be involved in a Salesforce user group. We already team members who run groups in Manchester, Leeds, and Newcastle.

 

Hi Nkosi, when did you become a co-leader of the Salesforce Johannesburg User Group and what was your reason for becoming one?

I was approved as User Group leader in March [2021], I noticed that Africa is an emerging market with regards to Salesforce so I thought it would be good to share my experience that I have gained working for Cloud Galacticos.

 

What are you hoping to achieve with the Johannesburg User Group now that you’re a co-leader?

I am hoping to turn the user group into the biggest user group in the world! For it to have engaging sessions that will drive attendance which is very low at the moment, and it has has potential to be high.

You did a presentation on your ‘Salesforce Career Story’ at the most recent user group event. How was it?

The presentation was good and well received, I hope it inspired someone.

 

What kind of people have you got signed up to your group?

It’s still early days but I hope to have as diverse as possible a group of people. It needs to reflect the cosmopolitan nature of the South Africa region, and the international vibe of the Salesforce Ohana.

 

Anything you want to tell us about the Johannesburg User Group that’s different from other groups that you know about?

At the moment the difference is that it has potential to be massive. Unfortunately Covid has messed up a lot of things and virtual meetings have challenges this side of the world. I am sure when we can meet in person it will just grow and grow.

 

What kind of speakers do you have lined up for future events?

We have some Salesforce employees lined up. Obviously I am going to tap into the rich resources available at Cloud Galacticos in the near future. 

 

 

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Salesforce CPQ Specialist Certification

by with No Comment Certification

The adoption of CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) has increased over the years as more companies realise its potential within CRM. And at Cloud Galacticos, we encourage our team to stay ahead of the curve. So we’re proud to confirm that our developers, Nkosi, has recently passed his Salesforce CPQ Specialist certification. We spoke to him to get his thoughts on his latest exam success.

 

What made you decide to take the Salesforce CPQ Specialist certification?

I took the exam because I had been introduced to CPQ (Configure, Price, Quote) while on a contract with one of Cloud Galacticos clients. I then discovered that the current client uses CPQ extensively, so it made sense to get certified.

 

How did you approach the prep for your exam?

The approach was based mainly on building on the knowledge I gained when I looked at CPQ for a previous client.  I also did  CPQ superbadges and an Udemy course.

 

Was it a difficult exam? You have any tips for people thinking of doing this exam?

It’s probably one of the most difficult cert I have taken. It’s about 90% scenario based. You have to know Products, Pricing, Approval rules, Quotes, Contracts and obviously Universal Containers the company.

 

What does passing the Salesforce CPQ Specialist certification mean to you in terms of your daily work?

It means I can set up or overhaul the client’s CPQ instance, which unfortunately is currently not in good shape.

 

Do you have any other Salesforce certs you plan to take in the future?

Yes, I would like to take the Javascript Developer cert since I am on the systems architect path.

 

About Cloud Galacticos 

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, York, Sheffield and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

 

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Cloud Galacticos 2020 Highlights

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

There’s no denying that 2020 has been a strange and difficult year for many people. So as this year comes to a close, the team at Cloud Galacticos tell us their highlights, and what they’ve been grateful for this year. Why not join in the conversation on Twitter using #SalesforceGratitude?

 

Val Southern, Senior Salesforce Consultant

“My first work related highlight would be passing both the Salesforce Platform Developer I (PDI), and the Sharing and Visibility Designer certifications on the first attempt. It felt particularly good to have studied successfully to a structured plan. I did not leave school with great results, so it probably was something of a ‘see if I can do it for myself’ situation. It was a great confidence booster!

Finishing the Cloud Nine implementation was another highlight this year. I had to overcome some significant challenges and this project was a learning process for me. Not my first implementation by far but it was different from any other. I really enjoyed working with the Cloud Nine team and took away a lot of satisfaction from helping them. I also enjoyed mentoring Katie in the first few weeks of working at Cloud Nine.

On a personal note, I’m grateful for witnessing my partner’s success in her new writing career. For most of 2020, Jen has been going through the (surprisingly complex) process of getting her new book series ready to be published. I’ve been lucky enough to have done some beta-reading, and loved brainstorming funny ideas for story ideas and illustrations. I could not be prouder!”

 

SalesforceGratitude Phil Walton

Phil’s #SalesforceGratitude

Phil Walton, CEO

“I think my highlight of 2020 is seeing how adaptable we all are. It is easy to get used to the status quo (not the band!). Big changes or events can really shake things up and enforce change. When life throws you lemons, make lemonade!

Also, it wasn’t a choice to stay in the house for months on end, but I’ve been grateful for the chance to spend more time with my family. In the last couple of years I have spoken at Salesforce events on five continents. This year I am not sure I have gone 5 miles away from my house.

I have also enjoyed reading books. I got out of the habit, but this year have read a mix of fiction (including some 1970’s science fiction that I found in a skip!?), and non-fiction (including Paul’s book, Ines’ book, The Barcelona Way, Range, Factfulness).”

 

Emma with one of her paintings

Emma with one of her paintings

Emma Frost, Project Manager

“I’m grateful for the fact that we now have a second person, Pippa, to work on project management. It has been great to share the workload with her. Also having someone else to bounce ideas off and discuss what we can do to improve our project management offering.

This year I managed to launch a new website for my landscape painting. With opportunities for art fairs and exhibitions completely at a stand still, I knew it was time to sort out my online offering in order to continue selling work and reach new audiences. It was a lot of work and I’m very proud of the final result.

Finally, I’ve managed to give out over 100 bikes through my charity, Bikes in Need. During lockdown I have given pool bikes to be used by asylum seekers staying in a hotel on the outskirts of York. This took me over the magic 100 which has been a personal goal since I started.”

 

Rhi McCorkindale, Lead Developer

“My work-related highlights for 2020 would be getting the Salesforce Certified Service Cloud (SP20), and Salesforce Certified Nonprofit Cloud Consultant (SP20) Certification. These were areas that I have done a lot of work in but so far hadn’t taken any certifications for, so it is nice to be able to back up my experience with the relevant certifications. I hope to make some inroads into the Integration Architecture Designer Certification too this year as part of the journey towards becoming a Certified Systems Architect.

Outside work, it would be moving house. We were lucky enough to move just before the first lockdown happened. The new house has much more space for myself and my partner. We both work from home full time, along with my partner’s children who also spent half the time in lockdown here. With the extra time on our hands, we were able to do a lot of work renovating the house and garden. Looking forward to being able to have visitors in 2021!”

 

Learning Salesforce Development with Apex by Paul Battisson

Paul’s first book, ‘Learning Salesforce Development with Apex’

Paul Battisson, COO

“I think my main highlight for 2020 has been getting my first two books published!

I’ve always had an itch to write a book, but this year thanks to lots of time indoors and a lack of travel options I managed to get not one but two books on Apex programming written. It has been great to have the physical copies of the books in my hand and to finally share some of the practices and tips I have learned over the past 12 odd years with the rest of the Salesforce Ohana.”

 

Nkosi Ncube, Developer

“Amazingly, I managed to run a total of 200 miles during the first lockdown with my wife. We’ve been married 18 years and never thought this day would come. And a work highlight would be having two go-lives on projects!”

 

Sales Cloud Consultant Certification Luke Menzfeld

Luke’s Sales Cloud Consultant Certification

Luke Menzfeld, Salesforce Consultant

“ It has been a turbulent year for all with a very real requirement to adapt to day-to-day life in many different ways. My ‘highlights’ would be surviving and thriving in lockdown, changing jobs/starting at Cloud Galactico, hosting a number of events for the Newcastle User Group, mastering domestic project management (a.k.a home improvements), lawn management and gaining three Salesforce certifications.”

 

About Cloud Galacticos

Cloud Galacticos is a Salesforce Consulting Partner with an all-star team. We are user and developer group leaders, bloggers, MVPs and all round Salesforce nerds. We have people all over the UK including Manchester, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield and London. If you are looking for a Salesforce partner with experience who can help you make the most of your org, why not give us a call?

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Nkosi Ncube, Developer – Meet the Galacticos

by with No Comment Team Galacticos

Continuing in our series in which you get to meet and learn more about the Cloud Galacticos team, say ‘hello’ to Nkosi, one of our Developers. I caught up with Nkosi via email to find out more about him and his experiences.

Nkosi Ncube, Developer

Hi Nkosi, thanks for finding a few minutes to help people learn a bit more about you. Can you give us a bit of background about yourself and your history with Salesforce?

Coming from an Automotive Engineering background,  I have always had passion for IT and just couldn’t find the domain that excited me. I did Cisco, MCSE but was not captivated until by chance I came across Salesforce. It was via the video ‘Introduction to Salesforce App Development’ on Udacity, by Samantha Ready sometime in 2014. I then started my certification journey, building on my IT foundation laid at University. I managed to get two small projects after my 2nd certification and haven’t looked back since. Since joining Cloud Galacticos have worked on a variety of projects for different entities.

 

Nkosi at a User Group Social at Bundobust

So how did you find Phil and the Cloud Galacticos?

When I discovered Salesforce I then went on a networking drive. My plan was to meet the top influencers in the industry, and without a doubt Phil is one of them!  I met Phil and Paul at the first User Group meet I attended  in Leeds in 2015 at of course the default meeting eatery Bundobust.

 

Aside from Salesforce and working at Cloud Galacticos, what else do you enjoy doing?

I enjoy playing the bass guitar at church, usually in front of one thousand people every Sunday!  I also enjoy playing golf. The family likes to travel and do road trips, the last one being Holland.  I have also got back into running. 

 

We recently featured a success story with Data Protection People that I know you were key in helping be successful. Can you tell us a bit more about your role as a Developer and what that involves?

The Data Protection People project was exciting in that it had quite a broad scope, both declarative and apex code based.  Automation of their flagship product meant development of the user interface on top of heavily automated processes. The most important thing after gathering the requirements is to plan before doing any actual development. 

If it can be done declaratively I try to use that, and use code where absolutely necessary. Also apply coding best practices in general. Finally, in relation to Salesforce, ensure test class coverage is achieved not just coverage but assertion of the expected outcomes.

 

What tips would you have in working with clients remotely, or working remotely in general?

Being responsive is very assuring to the customer and maintaining regular contact, preferably daily.  Also, agree on a body of work and time estimates and deliver. Regular breaks are mandatory in my view because it’s very easy to get your head down on something and not take a break. It’s not healthy in the long run, so I usually take a long walk during lunch.

 

Thanks Nkosi for your time and insight into your life. We have a few other team members to interview in due course. Watch this space!

 

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Team Galacticos Salesforce Event Highlights

by with No Comment DreamforceSalesforce EventsTeam Galacticos

Anyone in the Salesforce ecosystem will know, we’re one big ohana. And before the Covid-19 situation affected us all, events and conferences were a big part of what we do (from local user groups and community Dreamin’ events, to large scale World Tours and of course, Dreamforce).

With all Salesforce events for 2020 now being re-imagined, some of the team members at Cloud Galacticos tell us their event highlights from previous years.

 

Neel Meghani CTO – India Dreamin 2018

Neel at India Dreamin

“My second time attending India Dreamin was back in December 2018. Representing Cloud Galacticos was Phil Walton (CEO) and our new (at the time) COO Paul Battisson, along with myself. This was also a very memorable event for me as it was the first time speaking at such an event.

From my experience of Salesforce related events, India Dreamin stands out above and beyond all others. There seems to be much more passion for learning about the platform. The entire two days had the feel of something special happening and that the Salesforce community should take notice!” 

 

 

Paul Battisson, COO – Dreamforce 2014

Paul presenting at Dreamforce

“This was my second Dreamforce, so I had learned a few of the newbie lessons from my first Dreamforce and was much better prepared for the craziness. The reason this is my favourite Dreamforce is that I did my favourite ever talk for the first time – ‘Building Machine Learning Systems With Apex’ with my then colleague Jen Wyher.

Why is this my favourite talk? Firstly, it took a tremendous amount of effort to get the system working. Secondly, this means Jen and I hold the record for being the first people to discuss doing AI/Machine Learning on Salesforce, years before Einstein. We got such great feedback from the talk. It started so many conversations with people that changed how I spent the rest of the event.”

 

Phil Walton, CEO – Punta Dreamin’, Uruguay 2018

Phil at Punta Dreamin

“Salesforce events have taken me around the world! I am proud to say I have spoken at events on five continents, and Punta Dreamin was a great excuse to travel to a whole new continent for me. I had never been to South America, so my trip to Uruguay – via a few days in Buenos Aires, Argentina – was an amazing trip. 

Great food, great wine, and Aldo was a great host. Also I was training for the Manchester marathon at the time, so I running in the heat of Buenos Aires and Punta was amazing. I always say running is a great way to see the sights of a new city.

Phil running in Buenos Aires

I look back on international trips like Uruguay, India, Morocco, USA, and around Europe with fond memories. Hopefully they will be back soon and we’ll meet again!” 

 

Val Southern, Senior Consultant – Salesforce World Tour London 2019

Val at World Tour London

“At Cloud Galacticos, we work remotely so it’s always good when the team gets a chance to meet up at Salesforce events. And for me, one of my annual highlights has been the Salesforce World Tour London in May.

Last year’s conference was great. We held our first ‘Client and Partner Drinks Reception’ the night before. It was at a fabulous rooftop bar near Salesforce’s London office. As one of the  sponsors of the conference, we had a stand which meant our day started at 7am, and didn’t finish till 6pm. But as usual, the day flew by, especially as we had a special guest keeping us company at the stand in the way of Paul Sturgess, Britain’s Tallest Man!

It’s a shame that the event couldn’t happen this year, but fingers crossed for 2021!”

 

Nkosi Ncube, Developer – Mulesoft Connect 2019

Nkosi Ncube at MuleSoft CONNECT 2019

“I have been to a few Salesforce events, the most notable ones being the Salesforce World Tour. Unfortunately due to Covid-19 most events were not to be this year. 

However, I did manage to attend the Mulesoft Connect event in London in October 2019. The main highlight was actually finally meeting a fellow Galacticos, Mike Gill. And of course I can’t forget the swag (very important at events!).

We hope and pray these events will be back soon!”