Now’s the time for tech enthusiasts and professionals to get up to speed with the latest Salesforce winter release. This annual update brings a wealth of new features and enhancements designed to boost productivity, streamline operations, and elevate the overall Salesforce experience. Whether you’re an admin, developer, or end-user, the Salesforce winter release is packed with innovations that can transform how you work.
We’ve delved into some of the most impactful features from the winter release that you need to know about. Let’s explore what’s new and how you can make the most of these updates!
1. Simplifying automation with the Salesforce winter release’s flow enhancements
Salesforce Flow continues to be the go-to tool for automation, and the winter release brings even more power and flexibility to this platform.
Key updates:
- Reactive screens: Flows can now dynamically refresh components on the screen without the need for additional user interaction. This allows for a smoother, more interactive experience.
- Migrate to flow enhancements: For those still using Workflow Rules and Process Builder, Salesforce has enhanced the migration tool to make it easier to transition your automations to Flow.
- Formula builder in Flows: The updated Formula Builder now supports advanced formulas directly within your Flow, giving you greater control over logic and calculations.
These updates make it easier to build robust, dynamic automation solutions that respond in real-time to user inputs and data changes.
2. Dynamic forms and dynamic related lists in Lightning Experience
Dynamic Forms and Related Lists were game-changers when first introduced, providing a way to customize page layouts with greater precision. The winter release expands these features further.
What’s new:
- Dynamic Forms for standard objects: After being available for custom objects, Dynamic Forms are now rolling out for standard objects like Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities. This provides more flexibility in creating personalized page layouts.
- Dynamic related lists: Now, you can add filters directly to related lists, ensuring that users only see the most relevant records based on specific criteria.
These enhancements allow admins to tailor the user experience, reducing clutter and making it easier for users to focus on the most relevant data.
3. Salesforce Einstein GPT and AI-powered features
Artificial Intelligence continues to be a major focus for Salesforce, and the winter release takes Einstein AI capabilities to new heights.
New AI-powered features:
- Einstein GPT for CRM: Now integrated directly into Salesforce, Einstein GPT leverages natural language processing to help users generate personalized emails, reports, and even automated responses within the platform.
- Einstein search enhancements: Einstein Search is now even more intuitive, offering personalized search results that adapt to user behavior. This makes finding information quicker and easier.
- Einstein conversation insights: For sales teams using Salesforce, Einstein now provides deeper conversation insights, analyzing call transcripts to surface actionable intelligence like customer sentiment and potential opportunities.
With these AI enhancements, Salesforce is empowering teams to work smarter, not harder.
4. Enhanced reporting and analytics with Lightning reports
Data-driven decision-making is crucial for any organization, and Salesforce’s reporting capabilities just got a significant upgrade.
Reporting highlights:
- Enhanced report builder: The Report Builder interface is now more intuitive, with new features like row-level formulas and conditional formatting. This allows users to create more insightful and visually engaging reports.
- Subscription enhancements: Users can now schedule report subscriptions with more flexible frequency options, ensuring that critical data is delivered right when it’s needed.
- Data Cloud integration: For users leveraging Salesforce Data Cloud (formerly known as Customer 360), there’s now deeper integration with Lightning reports, making it easier to create unified reports across all data sources.
These reporting updates enable teams to gain faster insights and drive data-informed strategies.
5. Slack integration: boosting collaboration in the flow of work
Salesforce and Slack have been making strides in integrating their platforms, and the winter release brings even more synergy between the two.
New Slack capabilities:
- Automated workflow notifications: Salesforce can now trigger automated notifications in Slack channels based on specific events, like a closed deal or a high-priority case being opened.
- Salesforce for Slack app enhancements: The app now includes deeper integration with Salesforce records, allowing users to update records directly from Slack without switching contexts.
- Slack-first Customer 360: Users can access Salesforce data, collaborate on deals, and even trigger workflows directly from Slack, enhancing the speed and efficiency of team collaboration.
These enhancements are designed to help teams stay aligned and responsive, all within the collaborative environment of Slack.
6. Mobile app enhancements: work on the go
With remote work becoming the new norm, Salesforce continues to enhance its mobile capabilities to keep teams productive wherever they are.
Key mobile updates:
- Mobile offline enhancements: The Salesforce mobile app now supports more offline capabilities, including access to reports and dashboards, ensuring users can stay productive even without a connection.
- Mobile dynamic forms: Dynamic Forms are now fully supported on mobile, offering a more tailored experience for users on the go.
- Mobile publisher console: Admins can now manage mobile app settings directly from the publisher console, making it easier to deploy mobile configurations.
These updates make it easier for teams to access and act on Salesforce data, no matter where they are.
7. Security and compliance: keeping your data safe
Data security is always a top priority, and Salesforce continues to enhance its security features with each release.
Key security updates:
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enhancements: Salesforce is tightening its MFA requirements, with improved user prompts and additional methods for authentication.
- Enhanced field-level encryption: Users can now encrypt additional fields, providing an extra layer of protection for sensitive data.
- Data privacy center: A new centralized hub for managing data privacy preferences and compliance with regulations like GDPR and CCPA.
With these updates, Salesforce ensures your data remains secure and compliant with evolving industry standards.
8. Developer productivity: tools to build faster
Salesforce is known for empowering developers, and the winter release includes several enhancements aimed at improving developer productivity.
Developer highlights:
- Apex updates: New features like Apex Queueable Jobs Chaining and Improved Apex Code Coverage Tracking provide more flexibility and efficiency for developers building on the Salesforce platform.
- LWC enhancements: Lightning Web Components (LWC) now support improved performance optimizations, making them faster and more responsive.
- DevOps center updates: The DevOps center has received additional features for better CI/CD pipeline management, making it easier to deploy changes across your Salesforce environments.
These enhancements help developers build, test, and deploy solutions faster than ever.
—
If you’re looking to maximize the value of the Salesforce winter release’s new features, Salesforce training resources and hands-on practice is exactly what you need. Understanding how to leverage the ecosystem’s most up to date knowledge and tools will allow you to unlock new levels of productivity and efficiency in your next project.
We at Focus on Force are the experts in helping you develop your career with Salesforce training and certification preparation. Get ready to upskill fast with our study guides and practice exams. Contact us today to get started and begin the best course for your career.