Now’s the Time to Play in Your Sandbox

A couple weeks ago I reviewed the 548-page Release Notes and in just a few days, Salesforce will release Summer ‘20 into our Production orgs. At that time, you and your End Users will have access to new features to improve their efficiency and experience in navigating Salesforce. 

Of all the new features coming out, here are a few I’m already having fun with in a sandbox and can’t wait to experience in Production. I have intentionally focused on features that most of us have access to in Sales Cloud and Service Cloud.

Here are my Top 10 (in no particular order) …

#1. Split View Comes to Standard Navigation

Perhaps the simplest feature in the bunch, you can now use Split View in a Standard Navigation Lightning App! Whether checking Opportunities Closing This Month, Today’s Cases, or My Leads, effortlessly navigate between records in a List View with a few simple clicks.

How: From an Object’s Home Page, click the ‘Display As’ icon next to the List View Controls, then select ‘Split View’ from the available options. There is nothing to Enable as an Administrator. It’s readily available!

#2. Minimum Access User Profile

When I started in Salesforce, it was recommended to use Profiles for Security and Access to Apps, Objects, and other privileges. The world has changed (COVID aside). The new Minimum Access User Profile grants users access to Activities, Chatter, Help, and Lightning Console (curious). That’s IT! It’s a POWERFUL Profile! 

By not doing anything, it does so much. It allows you to use Permission Sets, Permission Set Groups, and Muting Permission Sets to tactically ensure your Users have exactly the permissions they need. No more. No less.

This simple feature is one of many ways Salesforce reminds us the importance of the End User experience. If you’ve struggled with user adoption, you know exactly what I’m talking about. It will take time, but it’s the right move. Create a plan to migrate your user security from Profiles to Permission Sets to maximize your user experience.

#3. Find Your Paths – In Kanban Views

Paths have become a powerful part of Sales processes and Service processes. The flexibility to identify Key Fields and Guidance for Success for each step in your carefully-defined process brings the most relevant information to the forefront for your users. Now, these Paths are immediately available in your Kanban List Views. 

How: From a List View, switch the ‘Display As’ to ‘Kanban’, define the parameters for your Kanban, and a new button will appear. Click this to display Details for the selected card in the view and, if you have a Path enabled, Key Fields and Guidance for Success. The Key Fields are also editable in this pane.

#4. .csv Files Can Now Be Attached to Your Report Subscriptions

I’ll be the first person to tell you that you should keep your reporting in Salesforce. Build your Reports and Dashboards to meet your needs, or use a BI tool like Tableau. I’m also the first to admit that I still love Excel pivot tables. I can’t get away from it. Besides familiarity with external reporting tools, there may be other reasons you’d need a .csv exported from Salesforce. Maybe you’ve got another system that isn’t integrated with Salesforce but can intake a .csv, or data needs to be reformatted before it can be used externally. Either way, I’m excited about this feature!

How: When you Subscribe to a Report, you have the option to ‘Attach File.’ Click the button, then click ‘Details Only.’ But first, your Administrator will need to activate this feature. To do so, Go to Setup -> Reports and Dashboards Settings, then select ‘Let users attach reports as files to report subscription emails in Lightning Experience.’

#5. Communities Are Better With Customizable Tile Menus

This release has some great new features for Communities, including enhancements for SEO and the ability to generate a sitemap with a few clicks. From an End User perspective, the more ability we have to customize the experience, the closer we get to a personalized, easy-to-adopt solution. 

How:  Simply drop the Tile Menu component onto the layout in the Communities Experience Builder, and configure away! Assign audiences and configure images and shapes for the tiles.

#6. Self-Triggered Flows

Wait …WHAT?!?!?!? You heard me! You no longer need to build a separate Process Builder just to trigger a Flow. With the Enhanced New Flow Window and Start Element features, you can now trigger a Flow from a Schedule, a Record Change, or a Platform Event. And with Record-Triggered Flows, you can even set the Flow to run AFTER the record is saved. 

How: Navigate to Setup -> Flows, take a moment to enjoy the new Lightning view of your list of Flows, then click ‘New Flow.’

#7. Pass the Whole Record into a Flow From a Lightning Page or Custom Action

If you’re creating a Flow Component on a Lightning Record Page, you now have the option to pass ALL fields from the record into a Record Variable within the Flow. A minor change, but so useful. 

How: When you add a Flow to a Lightning Record Page, select the option ‘Pass all field values from the record into this flow variable.’

#8. Debug Flows Without Committing Changes

Debugging a Flow is a necessary evil, but we no longer need to worry about how our debugging will affect our data. Salesforce has now introduced ‘Rollback Mode,’ which allows you to debug a Flow without committing changes! Simple. Perfect.

How: When you enter Debug Mode from a Flow, simply check the ‘Run flow in rollback mode’ button.

#9. Analyze Your Screen Flows – In a Report 

How many times have your users run a particular Screen Flow? What is the average time spent on a Screen Flow? What errors have users run into when executing a Screen Flow? All these questions now have answers with a new Custom Report Type called ‘Screen Flows.’

How: Next time you build a report, search and select ‘Screen Flows’ to build out your report.

#10. Create Dynamic Record Pages

I saved the best for last. While this is only a non-GA Preview feature, it’s very exciting. By enabling Dynamic Forms, you now have the ability to add Field Sections and Fields to a Lightning Record Page directly from the Lightning App Builder. This means you can add separate fields and sections in different parts of the layout, then control their visibility through Filtering Components.

Truthfully, I don’t fully understand the implications of this feature, but it seems it will empower Administrators to more fully build out a quality End User experience. At this time, Dynamic Forms is only available on Custom Objects. Honestly, that’s disappointing as there is higher value in using this feature on Standard Objects. I’m sure that’s coming too. All in good time. As it is a non-GA Preview feature, use it with caution.

How: Navigate to Setup -> Record Page Settings to enable Dynamic Forms. Then, head to any Lightning Record Page (for a Custom Object), click the Record Detail and Upgrade the Layout.

Just the Tip of the Iceberg

There are so many more amazing features in this release. Several new features don’t require Administrator activation, so when Summer ‘20 comes to Production, your Users will instantly be able to utilize them. Take the time now to play with them in a sandbox. Your Users will have questions, and you’ll need to be prepared.

Could You Use Some Help With User Adoption? We Got You.

At Shift3 Technologies, we use a consultative approach to help you determine the best strategy to identify your challenges, implement appropriate solutions and enhance your systems. Come clicks or code, we have your Salesforce back. Still not getting that user adoption you need to really be successful? Check out this 5-minute read, part of a 3 part series. For a free consultation, email [email protected] or call 559 560 3300 today.

This post was written by David Akina, a Multi-certified Salesforce Admin, cat dad and human dad. David has become a regular contributor to the Shift3 Technologies blog as well as a presenter for the California Trailblazer Series.

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