Tim Bauer’s Running Thoughts

So this webcast (Salesforce.com - ADM 115 Fundamentals - Customize) started with me wanting to get a quick overview of the sizzle of Salesforce.com relative to configuration / customization options but quickly degrades into the story “If you give a mouse a cookie …” since … as I consumed the cookie of Salesforce.com as a on-demand CRM solution … I found a new desire/question in my head … could Salesforce.com could be a viable departmental collaboration platform (ala Sharepoint)?

You can read the running thoughts below but my notables will be looking at the ‘cookie’ tangent above.

Not surprisingly, my closing thought is the classical …

“Use the framework that is best in its niche coupled with consideration on what your shop strategically is trying to support long term”.

If you aren’t a SFDC client then you probably should just pick a different collaboration framework (and if you want one that is easy for end users to extend - Sharepoint does well). However, if you are a Salesforce client you can achieve alot of what MSFT clients have in sharepoint with little work (and in the end potentially get more power and usability).

What do you think … is comparing the two just silly?

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• Overview
……..○ URL - https://na5.salesforce.com/train/class_detail.jsp?class=admin2&loc=_na
……..○ Help & training / apex developer / admin fundamentals - customize
• Running Notes
……..○ 3/31/2008, 6:14 AM
…………….§
……..○ Adm 250 … virtual customer training opp
……..○ Customizing the homepage
…………….§ App / setup / homepage / setup
…………….§ Links to documents
…………….§ Basic portal concepts
……..○ Picklists (standard / modify)
…………….§ Max of 15k characters in picklist
……………………□ Sound you can’t list all employees for example (depending on size)
……………………□ Bauer comment - But you would use a lookup in that case
…………….§ Max of 40 char per picklist line item
…………….§ Very much like Sharepoint listpart setup (defining columns and valid values)
…………….§ 3/31/2008, 6:26 AM
…………….§ Dependant picklists discussed
……………………□ Point and click configuration
……………………□ Bauerr comment - Might be better than SP here
……………………□ Bauer comment looks good
……………………□ 3/31/2008, 6:27 AM
……………………□ Demo
…………………………..® Setup field dependancies on a picklist … can control 1:N fields from the value of one field
…………………………..® Field depenancy field … matrix … between master and slave … you pick the interection points …
………………………………….◊ Bauer comment - impressive
…………………………..® Automatic notes fields telling you why fields are disabled on dependant rules
………………………………….◊ Bauer commnet - impressive (again)
……..○ 3/31/2008, 6:31 AM
……..○ Custom Fields
…………….§ Caps … 500 per tab … 20 per activity / users
…………….§ Creating custom picklist
…………….§ Field level security by profile
……..○ 3/31/2008, 6:35 AM
……..○ Customizing page layouts
…………….§ Hide fields, show custom, create sections in pages
…………….§ Show, read only, visible on header / detail
…………….§ 3/31/2008, 6:36 AM
…………….§ Demo
……………………□ Visual drag and drop setup page (ajax like)
……………………□ Show how to make 1 field a required field
……..○ 3/31/2008, 6:38 AM
……..○ Custom objects
…………….§ Tabs, field history, sharing, etc
…………….§ Sharing
……………………□ Via sharing rules
……………………□ Manually share objects (records?)
……………………□ Sharing button … can share w/ anyone
……………………□ Field history tracking
…………………………..® Reduce cost on SOX
……………………□ Queues with any custom object
…………………………..® Distribution of custom object record … assign to queue so users tied to queue can access and take ownership
……………………□ Rename standard fields
…………………………..® Used universally
……………………□ Custom tab colors and icons
…………………………..® Bauer comment - Woot (not)
…………….§ Optional components on home page … common versus tailored
……..○ 3/31/2008, 6:45 AM
……..○ Understand custom links
…………….§ Go to other systems
…………….§ Pop up attributes on link are all controllable via config
……………………□ Bauer comment - nice
…………….§ Embed on object records (like a 1:N URL field)
……..○ 3/31/2008, 6:55 AM
……..○ Managing folders
…………….§ Store documents, email templates, reports
…………….§ 4 folder types - document folders, email template folders, report folders, dashboard folders
……………………□ Bauer comment - how does content manage suite fit into this
…………….§ Role can be used to control access
……………………□ Bauer comment - hierarchy by account?
……..○ 3/31/2008, 6:58 AM
……..○ Customizing display
…………….§ Can tailor your tab order, visibility
……..○ 3/31/2008, 7:00 AM
○ Advanced call scripting
…………….§ On AppExchange User guides on these application
…………….§ Design Q&A scripts for objects … author, branching, scoring, results
……………………□ Scoring engine
……………………□ Graphical authoring wizard
……………………□ Bauer comment … basic INDIRECT form … could you leverage the engine from the API on this?
…………….§ Dealing with lead … pass X number then pass to shortlist
…………….§ Questions in ‘tree view’
…………….§ Score each answer
…………….§ “Find Scripts” … avail scripts by object … custom links by admin to get to that
…………….§ Running score , passing score
…………….§ Can run script in any order (flexibility)
……..○ 3/31/2008, 7:05 AM
……..○ Service Level Agreements / Entitlements
…………….§ Validate a level of service a customer is entitled to
…………….§ Track which contacts get support
…………….§ SLA by 1st response
…………….§ Escalate cases
……………………□ Bauer comment - similar to a job search request
…………….§ Service level exceptions occur
……..○ 3/31/2008, 7:07 AM
……..○ Workflow
…………….§ 300 workflow rules per object
……………………□ Can assign followup tasks on case updated
……………………□ Email alerts
……………………□ Change owner of contract
……………………□ Trigger API externally
……………………□ Change value in field based on trigger
…………….§ Create workflow rule
…………….§ Approval processes
…………….§ Custom user hierarchies for approval
…………….§ Restricted field stops poeople from approving their stuff
……..○ 3/31/2008, 7:11 AM
……..○ Data validation
…………….§ Error condition formula to block save of invalid data
…………….§ Rules, criteria, message
…………….§ Error condition formulas is the key
…………….§ Select field type, field, check syntax button
……..○ 3/31/2008, 7:14 AM
……..○ Composite UI
…………….§ Custom S Controls
…………….§ Custom Button / Links
……………………□ Add, remove, override
…………….§ Build custom s control, new
……………………□ Label, descriptor, HTML / javascript in content section
……………………□ Salesforce.acrobat.com/customscontrols
……..○ End

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