Salesforce, the CRM powerhouse, consistently releases new, user-friendly features to its already robust platform. The Winter 17 release, is titled Salesforce Einstein for its deep roots in artificial intelligence.
With the Winter 17 release, there are 300+ new and improved Salesforce Lightning features and functionalities. The list below contains four of our “must-see” features. Click here for a complete list of the 300+ changes in the Salesforce release notes.
Navigation, Navigation, Navigation
For Salesforce users who have never operated on the Salesforce Classic View, the new Winter 17 Lightning navigational experience will be an adjustment. Before the release of Salesforce Einstein, the Lightning navigation was located on the left hand side of the screen and was labeled with icons and/or related text. The new release has relocated the former left sidebar to the top of the page and added a dropdown feature for deeper navigational functionality. This new top-side navigation is more in-line with how users typically navigate most websites and is similar to the Classic view navigation bar.
Watch our Tips & Tricks: Navigating the New Lightning Interface
Really Get to Know Your Prospects & Customers
Although this feature is only available for Salesforce Lightning users, we think this is an update everyone should get excited about. The Salesforce Winter 17 release takes prospect, contact, and account information one step further with its integration of “News”. According to the Salesforce release notes, “News items are selected base on the contact’s related account, its executives, and its industry, and come from US-based sources.”
“News” can benefit your company by offering up-to-date news coverage surrounding your contact and the company they work for all in one central location. Marketing, Sales, and Support teams are capitalizing on the time they save browsing multiple sites for information.
Rich Content Editor in Chatter
With the Winter 17 release, Salesforce now allows you to add videos to your chatter feeds. In previous versions, someone using Chatter was only able to add text and pictures to share information with those they were messaging. Now, adding rich video to your conversation can provide never before available visuals. Send your team newly released company commercials. Share product demos and “how-to” videos with customers who are seeking answers. Chatter’s video feature really takes knowledge sharing to the next level.
New Kanban View
If you are on the Lightning Experience view in Salesforce, you are probably aware of how Kanban is structured in opportunities. With the Winter 17 release, the Kanban view has now expanded and is available for leads, contracts and campaign, as well as, opportunities.
If you are not familiar with Kanban for opportunities, it provides companies with a quick, column structured view of their records or opportunities broken down into stages. According to the Salesforce release notes, “Sales reps can more effectively monitor their progress with leads, contracts, and campaigns using the same Kanban-style visual layout they use for their opportunities.”
Using an opportunity example, in the Kanban view you can drag and drop opportunities to different stages in the opportunity sales cycle. If you move the opportunity to another stage by dragging and dropping, it will automatically update to fit its new stage’s criteria. For the information that would not be automatically changed, the Kanban view will display a pop-up screen with fields that need information. Kanban provides ease-of-use to a typically tedious process.
For more information on past Salesforce Winter releases, see our blog, “Salesforce Winter ’16 Release Gives Us Chills.” If you’d like to learn how Revolution Group has helped countless customers enhance their Salesforce experience by leveraging the newest release features or if you’re interested in migrating your org to the Lightning Experience, please call us today at 614-212-1111 or fill out the form below.
