Tim Bauer’s Running Thoughts

Not really a ‘running thoughts’ post … more of a sitting bull (watched this webcast over lunch).

Housekeeping aside, clearly Salesforce.com (SFDC) has a good shot that existing SFDC customers will consider using them for ECM. The integration of Koral to their stack (see this article from 04/07) has, based on the looks of what they are showing today, been successful.

You can read the running thoughts below (or in the attached PDF) but here are the keys I saw.

Since this webcast was only available live I snapped screenshots periodically while I took notes. Take a look at the Notes / Screenshots from Webcast to get a sense of the snapshots coupled with the notes.

Overall, I liked what I saw and probably will use the service … just for limited document types in the organization (around transactions that SFDC serves by default).

** START OF RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE SITTING **

…………..○ Most business data is unstructured
……………………….§
…………..○ Features from field
……………………….§ Hard to find content
……………………….§ Sales creates materials (recreates)
……………………….§ Chaos when content changes
……………………………………□ BAUER ? - Universal URL
……………………….§ No feedback loop
…………..○ ? From me
……………………….§ To handle versions due you have the concept of a ‘universal’ URL for a asset? Similar to Stellent? So i can use that URL and always get the most recent version.
…………..○ Costs of Poor Content management
……………………….§
…………..○ Using Consumer Web to Business Model
……………………….§ Google - keyword search
……………………….§ AMZN - Reviews - rate books
……………………….§ Flickr - tagging
……………………….§ RSS - Subscriptions
……………………….§ Etc
……………………….§
…………..○ Extend Collaboration for Every Employee
……………………….§ Use for profession services around knowledge mgmt
……………………….§ Product is built for use cases
……………………….
…………..○ 13M in
…………..○ Demo
……………………….§ 4/2/2008, 12:13 PM
……………………….§ ? From me
……………………………………□ So can the content manager assets be used to in place of document fields that are default available in various things like ‘cases’ or ‘opps’
……………………….§ Content Workspace Overview
……………………………………□
……………………………………□ Tag clouds discussed
……………………………………□ Content not in folders
……………………………………□ Based on tags instead
………………………………………………..® BAUER COMMENT - Good Idea
……………………………………□ Flickr analogy
……………………….§ Example of search on router
……………………………………□
……………………………………□ Searches tags
……………………………………□ Searches doc attributes (like title)
……………………………………□ Searches full text of document
……………………………………□ Relevancy ranked
……………………………………□ Show ability to filter documents by tags in repository
……………………………………□ BAUER ?
………………………………………………..® can you save to SFDC repository from Office suite? Is there a plugin?
……………………….§ Sort results on high ratings or downloads
……………………………………□ Use feedback on what the best documents are
……………………….§ Preview mode prior to download
……………………………………□
……………………….§ Subscribe power
……………………………………□ Updates on change
……………………………………□ Bauer - ?
………………………………………………..® can you assign subscribe to roles in SFDC (so a forced subscribe on a group)
……………………………………□ Can subscribe by … tag … author … etc … similar to RSS feed
……………………….§ Ratings on doc (thumbs up / down)
……………………….§ Comments on document
……………………………………□ Get notified when comments happen
……………………….§ Add a new version
……………………………………□ Add reason around xyz comments …
……………………….§ Shows who is subscribed to what documents
……………………………………□ Used for search results
……………………….§ Downloads
……………………….§ Custom fields … can be added
…………..○ Content upload
……………………….§
……………………….§ Choose workspace
……………………………………□ Drives security
……………………….§ Add tags
……………………………………□
……………………………………□ Can make a global tagging library … defined list of tags … or recommended list of tags … from which adds can be made
……………………………………□ Tags by content type
………………………………………………..® Dynamic
……………………….§ Integrates to SFA
……………………………………□ In Opp Screen
……………………………………□ Find content
……………………………………□ Recommend content based on information in Opp
………………………………………………..® So you can use fields on a SFA screen to drive a recommend content
……………………………………□ Brings up search screen
……………………………………□ Attach relevant materials
………………………………………………..®
……………………………………□ Does get the latest and greatest version (but need login to get the right version)
……………………….§ Admin features
……………………………………□ Add individual users
……………………………………□ Leverage all of the information around users … for security
……………………………………□
……………………………………□ Setup tagging rules
………………………………………………..® Open, guided, restricted
………………………………………………..®
………………………………………………..® 4/2/2008, 12:29 PM
……………………….§ Q&A
……………………………………□ My question — Copy paste URL … to email .. Point back to page … point to best version
……………………………………□ Cant upload from office … may use WebDAV to enable that to happen (save as)
……………………………………□ Can you assign subscriptions … on the idea exchange … so they are thinking about it .. Risk in doing it .. Mass subscribes causes information overload
………………………………………………..® Should consider the friend feed model …
……………………………………□ Take content from salesforce … take user information… one version … merge fields?
………………………………………………..® Not out of gate
………………………………………………..® PDFs can’t manipulate
………………………………………………..® Word doc … print out and merge in data
………………………………………………..® Looking at ways w/ adobe to enable it
………………………………………………..® Start from a record (not a document) … use mail merge functionality … content gets involved if you start w/ a document versus a record … word or PDF would start w/ embedding …
………………………………………………..® Exactly … prefill the merge fields … do that w/ mail merge … you cant find a piece of collateral … hit a button … and stick information into the document … he is tinkering around w/ some sales engineer …
………………………………………………..® Dynamic assembly of documents … like ppt … ability for rep to mix up a document … not available in short term
……………………………………□ Gregg.johnson@salesforce.com
………………………………………………..® Free trial
………………………………………………..® Live org … 30 day test out
………………………………………………..® Add content to trial … etc

** END RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE SITTING **

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?

** START OF RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **

• 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

** END RAW SCRIBBLE TAKEN WHILE RUNNING **

(no webcast review today, just some research findings)

One riddle Salesforce.com customers face is how to get access to their broad, infrequent, user and partner base without going bankrupt (~$1k/yr/user adds up). While you could saddle up and build a custom solution that leverages the force.com API stack …. that isn’t rapid in my view. You are getting into custom development again which may not be required for simple departmental or point solutions (transactional or reporting).

My suggestion? Access 2007.

I know. I have heard it before. Access is lame. A virus not a tool. Etc. And it can be. However, what if we could do a Seth Brundle imitation and fuse together a few technologies to remove the bad DNA of Access while leaving the good stuff?

Here are the parts:

1. Access 2007 in the “Access Project” format We get, from Access 2007 or 2003, nice table interaction here coupled with drag and drop custom queries. In addition, ability to generate forms and reports from tables/queries objects in access. However, making it an “Access Project” format you get the industrial strength backend of SQL Server as all the DB objects (tables, stored procedures, views, etc) are in SQL Server BUT with full power to edit. You can also do this in the 2003 version. Don’t do this via via Linked Tables … you create a brundle fly. Losing the ability to update from Access to SQLServer to SFDC (later point). Basically all Access is doing in this setup in the UI layer.
2. SQL Server 2005 We want the “Linked Server” function here. Provides the ability to fuse Salesforce.com’s database layer together w/ SQL Server (so you can do cross DBMS joins). You can use the for free version (express) up to databases up to 4GB. Might be possible w/ ORCL as well (not sure if there is an equivalent to ingrediant #3 below).
3. DBmp Now weave in a framework to mutate the Salesforce.com API into something that looks like SQL Server. Since this communication is a defined syntax our pals at DBAmp have built the this translation layer. With their product (~$1.2k one time) you can do complex table joins between salesforce.com and tables you are storing externally. If you go with an ODBC solution like Open Access you will get the brundle fly again (doesn’t work with Vista, no cross DBMS table join power like Linked Server)
4. Setup some views to SFDC Since the SFDC tables are at SFDC you want to create views of them on SQL Server so other systems (Access) can interact with the objects

Now, turn on the juice and get in …

All connected. From access I can create objects in SQL Server. Run queries across those tables and SFDC tables with full query optimization (one query). And looks good early on (but so did Seth Brundle).

In subsequent tests I will evolve this model to include (1) Access 2007 forms merging local data and SFDC data (2) show how that still triggers all the authorization engine rules and triggers in SFDC (3) how that can then gen to a secure ADP executable (still in beta - bug in Access 2007 adps right now around executables) and finally how SQL Server security can be used to tie down what each adp client can do.

If you think about it … you can see the power here. All for less than the cost of one Enterprise liscense @ Salesforce.com each year … and $1.2k one time.

Salesforce (SFDC) has a summary of their new features for Spring 08 here:

Demo of Spring 08 Release
http://salesforce.acrobat.com/spring2008

I only hit the “platform as a service” and “Content” (skipping Ideas, SFA, Marketing, Service & Support, and Partners). Within those two areas however there were some notables:

1. DB Changes — Just Like Ruby On Rails Migrations? It was amusing to watch them (in the course of talking about how they enable team development via an IDE built just for on-demand development) show an edit to the XML definition of a table in the IDE. All the sizzle of the Ruby on Rails migration convention … maybe more. They pushed that edit up to SFDC and wallah the production (could of been sandbox) showed the new field ready for use. Very nice.
2. Every Layer Is A Service. UI, Logic, Integration, Database, Infra … all are accessible via an API in the IDE it seems just as if you were in the native SFDC environment. The one I am most interested in is the UI Layer as that is where RIA stacks like Flex could be applied. Unfortunately that is still in beta (developer preview).
3. ECM Aspirations … watch out GoogleDocs, Office Live? There was a brief discussion on the features of this area. Workspaces (ala Office Live), meta tagging (better than most out there), versioning, security, content types. All very good. The hidden power, i suspect, is that this is all extendable by Apex via triggers and such on the base content objects. That is where you begin to separate from other on demand players that only allow tight sets of capabilities. I’ll look into that.

Here are my raw notes for those amused:

 Demo of Spring 08 Release http://salesforce.acrobat.com/spring2008
*** #1 ***
Eric Bezer - Platform Features
*** Notables *** -- 0:00 (@12) -- Force.com -- Dev as a service added to stack -- core pieces -- metadata, IDE, sandbox, codeshare -- deploy apex code snippets (managed, unmanaged, etc) -- visual force ... any UI for SFDC ... developer preview --- CUstom WIdgets --- This is where FLEX lives (bauer comment) -- Code / Logic  --- Now avail in Enterprise (prior was just Ultimate) --- Get a new sandbox if you are a customer (copy prod .. load 10MB of data manually) --- email services (process inbound emails) --- dynamic approval routing (point click ... apex business logic) --- new functions (formals - vlookup, regex (regular expressions eval format) -- Integration --- API sessions auto refresh (used to timeout - bug fix) -- DB Layer --- Custom driver --- Secruity by hierarchy of access of objects ... good for objects out of role hierarchy -- 6:00 Demo (14m adam gross) -- Recruiting application -- Positions / Candidates / Job Seeker --- Apex code to convert candidate to new hire -- Enable job seekers to browse -- Setup --- db, biz logic, ui --- ojbects, code, pages (in setup area) -- build app to access meta data (force.com ide) --- 1st IDE for on demand dev --- package explorer --- Create project --- force.com ide brings down all meta from SFDC put in local project explorer --- xml representation of those objects --- html editor ...  --- 11:00 in --- show mod of existing object (xml) ---- Add new field ---- Auto change of DBin SFDC (via API) -- 13:00M --- Code share ---- Show how use google code as repository ... connect IDE to google code (same w/ SVN, etc) ---- select project, share, select repos .. ---- All source managed ... so kept in synch ---- show google view  ---- New developer ... example of logging in ----- browse google repos grab recruiting app ... check out -- 19:00M still going  --- Talking mostly about IDE and collab dev --- How you can push to your prod sandbox ---
*** Raw Notes *** 

 *** #2 ***
Greg Johnson - Product Marketing
*** Notables ***
 *** Raw Notes *** -- 0:00 Overview -- Structured vs Unstructured data (ECM) -- Content = Unstructured -- Version control -- (bauer thought - universal URL like Stellent?) -- Features - tagging, featured content, customize search, content types, storage monitoring -- 3:00 Demo -- Workspace (security) --- Can control tag types (free form or valid list) --- Enterprise can do custom fields on documents --- Suggested tag list can be setup --- custom field types - picklist, combo, date, text, etc -- 5:30  -- Types of Tagging - restricted, guided, open -- Types of Content - Similar to Tags (can pull from global pool of types) -- (bauer thought  - example of resumes in a recruiting workspace - tags = skills) -- Sort to see by rating / downloads -- 9:00 -- Featured content gets highlighted in search results -- highlighted in yellow in search ... top of search -- similar to google ads -- default storage 500MB per user ... hit 80% of total -- 10:40

Salesforce.com seems to have a rather user friendly solution peculating in their stack. Granted, I am 14 months late to the party (originally posted around 10/2006) but whats new there.

Wielding Workflow - Presentation from Dreamforce 06
Rajaram (ProjMgr on Apex)

The presentation (43m in duration) was a poorly done for the video medium so DONT watch it. You can get a better investment from your time by reading my raw notes below and/or studying the slides (at the link above). That said here were the notables.

1. Configuration Over Coding. They do this very well. You can see an example of the 5 UI steps to setup the approval flow they demonstrated. Not as strong as the visual solutions (read Sharepoint, BPMS vendors) that are emerging in the marketplace … but sometimes simpler drives better adoption as well as more refined processes. However, I believe (need to test out) that you can then extend that base set of tools w/ APEX code.
2. API or UI .. You Choose. So you can move approval processes stage to stage via systemic or manual intervention. In short, the SFDC API has full compatibility with the approval engine (or so they say).

I may try out their tools to see if it is good as it looks. Here is the flow / UI setup screen shot I mentioned above:

*** RAW NOTES ***
–Approvals Engine is new big thing
–3:00 — Still talking over BPM general concepts
–[no slides, that sucks]
–Key worklflows new - field updates, outbound messages, outbound delivery status, approval processes, approval routing
–Old ones - rules, tasks, alerts, addresses
–approval hierachary
–Field update - Field triggers basically
–~15:00 in
–Outbound message - XML packet to an endpoint
–[increased # of rules, advanced OR features, new filter options]
–[rules have a variety of field values that can pulled]
–Approval Demo - PTO Request
–global characteristics — if valid enter approval process (ie employees of this type)
–who send approval to … user object has field of hierarchy … drives approval hierarchy … not the role hiearchy … field called manager on user object … use value in mgr as person receiving approval request. who can edit approval while in process?
–all approvals have a single approval formal .. per process … four step will get same look and feel … you can define by process
–what displayed to mgr on send?
–wonder if these approval flows trigger on API update of a table]
–global rules, template, editability, flow …
–multi step w/ filters per step … so always send to a mgr … send to 2nd level if above X amount
–admin set when approver can delegate
–can control rejects at any step …
–25:00 still hitting this
–create start date on a saturday (for the rule to start)
–Approver logs in and sees ‘items to approve’ box
–30:00 still going on example of approval
–slide 20 in thier PPT is a good overview of SFDC rules engine
–partner discussion
–used for credit verification (aboveall software partner talks)
–scenario don’t sell to non credit worthy (revenue recognition issues)
–they use d&b, daysoutstanding from fin invoicing application (SAP), forecasted
opportunities (increase risk)
–35:00 - still going
–they use outbound message to SAP to lock customer
–40:00 - End of the Example of thier app
–41:00 - Q&A
–Any obj in approval process you can see as user / admin
–Via API you can view steps (who approved, when, why)
–New ‘verb’ of ‘proccess’ … can approve, reassign, reject a work item via remote system
–API - submit ID, next approver, comments, process request - work item id, action (remove, approve, reject) … get back ID process, ID of new work items, current status, PRM product uses this ..in short all things in UI can be done in API
–existing approval object on contract remains … or you can use this engine