Early July brought with it higher temperatures and the Salesforce Summer 2016 release. The features and updates in the release are a direct result of user-generated comments and enhancement suggestions posted on the Salesforce IdeaExchage platform. Users submit an Idea, and the community votes ideas up, adding “points” to calculate popularity among the user base. According to Salesforce, the updates in Summer ’16 touch on more than 42 customer Ideas and 240,000 Idea points.
So, what are the bright Ideas you’ll find in your new release?
Generally Available Ideas
Salesforce says they delivered on 27 Generally Available (GA) Ideas with over 190,000 Idea points. Summer 2016 includes the #4 Idea of all time: Linking a single contact to multiple accounts which logged over 63,000 points and the idea of global picklists, which logged over 44,000 points.
Lightning Ideas
The Salesforce Lightning mobile platform was designed to help users be more productive from any device they choose, whether in the office or on the road. The new release includes several updates implemented from the Lightning IdeaExchange, and you can find the complete list of Ideas here. Some highlights include the ability to send Salesforce email through Gmail and Office 365, the ability for opportunity owners to enable opportunity teams or set up team roles without having to switch back to Salesforce Classic, and autofill functions for new accounts.
Partially Delivered Ideas
Sometimes users submit great Ideas, but they are multi-layered, with several smaller Ideas wrapped into one large suggestion. In cases like this, Salesforce may take several releases to fully cover the idea. In those instances, they label the release “Partially Delivered.” Summer 2016 includes five of these Partially Delivered Ideas, with over 32,000 logged Idea points. Some of the highlights include improved advanced search functions and notes and attachments enhancements.
Pilot Ideas And Beta Ideas
Before implementing some Ideas, Salesforce will test it out on a select number of users. These are classified as “Pilot” Ideas. Ideas released to customers before it is officially finalized and ready for prime time are classified as Beta Ideas. Summer 2016 includes two of these Ideas with over 4,000 points logged.
The complete set of release notes (392 pages) are available online, and through your Salesforce Platform.
Your Team Can Take Advantage Of the Idea Exchange
If you team works with Salesforce, they should take advantage of the IdeaExchange. Users are the best source of input when it comes to improving a product, and whether they submit their own ideas or vote up someone else’s, it is this type of participation and input that allows the platform to continually improve.
Salesforce is a powerful tool, made even more effective by the suggestions of the sales pros, marketers and developers who work with the platform. If your organization is looking to attract the best and brightest sales, marketing and tech talent, contact the recruiting experts at CSS ProSeach today to learn more about the ways we can help you achieve your staffing goals.