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Tip of the Week – Understanding Sandbox Types

Tip of the Week – Understanding Sandbox Types

Salesforce sandbox types

For just about every installation of Salesforce, a Sandbox will be used. What is a Sandbox? It is a copy of your organization in a separate environment that can be used for a variety of purposes (such as testing and training) without compromising the data and applications in your Salesforce.com production organization. However, the Sandbox is not a one-size-fits all sort of deal. In fact, there are 4 different Sandbox types and each of them have different levels of functions and features.

Developer Sandbox

A Developer Sandbox is the simplest and smallest Sandbox. Use this Sandbox for development and testing in an isolated environment. If using a Developer Pro Sandbox, a copy of the organization’s metadata is provided.

Developer Pro Sandbox

A Developer Pro Sandbox can handle larger data-sets than the Regular Developer Box. Use this one for more development and quality assurance tasks as well as integration testing or user training.

Partial Copy Sandbox

A Partial Copy Sandbox is primarily a testing environment. This Sandbox will carry over some records from your production environment, but not all. Tasks such as user acceptance, integration testing, and quality assurance are the best uses here.

Full Sandbox

A Full Sandbox gives you everything. Full sandboxes are a complete replica of your production org, including all data, such as object records and attachments, and metadata. Only Full sandboxes support performance testing, load testing, and staging. As the largest Sandbox, this one is not recommended for development, but rather full scale testing and QA. While using a Full Sandbox it is important to use a sandbox template, so it only contains the records that you require for testing, as well as other tasks.

These 4 different Sandbox types, when understood and used according to their strengths, give organizations the flexibility to develop and customize with ease.

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-Ryan and the Salesforce Guys

Managing Report Subscriptions in Salesforce

Managing Report Subscriptions in Salesforce

Disorganized data can dismantle even the most organized strategy. This is why it’s essential to make sure that your reports in Salesforce are current and get to the people who need them. Reports help your team stay on task, find the information they need, and monitor the health of their workflow. 

In this article, we’ll explain:

  • How Salesforce Reports work and what they do
  • How to subscribe yourself and others to reports
  • Managing report schedules
  • Setting up notifications

How Do Salesforce Reports Work?

You can think of a report as a list of information with all the information you’ve asked Salesforce to provide. For example, this could be a list of prospects that your sales team will call, accounts in default, or open support cases that need follow-up. Salesforce looks for the criteria you select and presents users with a list of that data. 

In Salesforce, this information will show up grouped into rows and columns. You can then organize this info by characteristics like priority level or dollar amount, filter it only to see what’s relevant, or create visual representations of the data.

The information in these reports is stored in folders, which can be private or available to whoever you like. You can allow users in specific groups to see them and those with particular roles, license types, or permissions. If you want, you can also hide or share your reports with people inside and outside your organization. This means that anyone who needs to access the data will be able to get it.

Why Should You Use Salesforce Reports?

Birds-eye view of data
Reports can tell you information at a glance to quickly take action. Fast, accurate responses can give you a leg up on your competition. For example, time required to prepare for a meeting could be reduced by automatically mailing reports out to your team. Or, you could respond to support tickets faster by having a detailed list right in front of you. 

If you have a weekly meeting with your sales team, everybody needs to see the numbers for that week’s sales. It wouldn’t make sense to mail the report to each person individually, so instead, you can set up report subscriptions, so everyone has it sent to them.

While reports provide the insight, subscriptions make sure that those who need them have them. People are liable to error. We take sick days, we go on vacations, and we occasionally make mistakes. Setting up reports to automatically go out takes one more task off your team’s plate while giving more intelligent updates on what needs action. 

Before Subscribing to Reports, Check Your Permissions on Salesforce.

You will need different permissions for report subscriptions depending on who you’re trying to add and how you intend to do it.

  • If you’re trying to subscribe yourself to a report, the only permission you need is to Subscribe to Reports
  • If you’re trying to subscribe other people to reports, you will need permission to Subscribe to Reports and Add Recipients
  • Or, if you’re trying to subscribe groups and roles to reports, you will need permission to Subscribe to Reports and to Send to Groups and Roles
  • Finally, if you want to change who runs the report, you will need permission to Subscribe to Reports and Set Running User

How to Subscribe Yourself to Salesforce Reports

Now that you know what permissions you need, you can subscribe to whichever reports you like. To do this in Salesforce Classic, follow these steps.

  1. Navigate to the Reports folder and click on All Folders on the left-hand side. 
  2. Then, click the pull-down menu on the right and navigate to Items I’m Subscribed To.
  3. On this page, you can view, edit, and delete your current subscriptions to reports.

In Salesforce Lightning, here’s how to do it.

  1. Click on the Reports tab and find the All Reports option on the left-hand side. 
  2. At the top, you’ll see a tab labeled Subscribed
  3. Now, you can manage your subscriptions and add new reports.

How to find your Subscribed Reports

If you want to see what reports you’re currently subscribed to:

  1. First, go to the Reports tab. 
  2. Next, look at the sidebar on the left and click the option that says All Reports.
  3.  In the menu on the right, sort the reports by Subscribed.

How to Subscribe Other Salesforce Users to a Report

Now that you know how to subscribe yourself to reports, you can subscribe others as well. Salesforce allows you to choose users, groups, and roles for report subscriptions. So, for example, you can send reports on how many hours your dev team has worked for a client to your Human Resources department, so they’re billed correctly.

To subscribe users, groups, and roles to reports, follow these steps.

  1. First, navigate to the Reports tab on the Report Run Page
  2. Next, click Subscribe
  3. When it brings you to the Edit Subscription menu, set the schedule of how often you’d like the report to send. 
  4. You can also add conditions before sending a scheduled report. That means that the email won’t go out with the subscribed reports until all of these conditions are met. 
  5. After you’ve set the schedule on the conditions if chosen, navigate to Send To. You are automatically selected as the only recipient of the report. 
  6. If you would like to add others or take yourself off the report, hit the Edit Recipients button. 
  7. This area will show the users, groups, and rules with access permissions for the report here. You can add and remove recipients here.
  8. When you’re finished, you can close the window, and it will save your recipients. 

Now that you’ve set that up, the reports will send to the email addresses found under Settings > Email > My Email Settings. If you haven’t sent an email yet under My Email Settings, the emails will automatically go out to the address associated with each person’s Salesforce user.

Tips on Subscribing Others to Reports

Here are a couple of helpful pointers for subscribing others to reports.

  1. First, each user can have up to five report subscriptions. This is regardless of what type of user they are within your Salesforce org. 
  2. You also won’t see the recipients listed on the emails, so you will have to go back to Salesforce to see them. If you were working with a platform user, an admin must enable these features.
  3. Remember how these reports live inside of folders? To send the report to a user, the user must have access to the folder. Don’t forget to check this before continuing. 
  4. You can subscribe up to 500 users to each report. If you exceed this, some users will not receive the emails.

How Do I Manage Report Schedules in Salesforce?

Report schedules make sure that the information in your reports is up-to-date. The Schedule Report page lets you manage the frequency and conditions for sending out scheduled reports. Here, you can schedule a new report run, change an existing schedule, view current schedule jobs, and delete scheduled runs. 

View Existing Report Schedules

  1. To view a report schedule, navigate to the Reports tab.
  2. Next, hover over the checkmark in the Schedule column.
  3. This shows you how often the report goes out and the next date it is scheduled to run. 
  4. Keep in mind that Salesforce users who don’t have permission to schedule reports will not see this information.

To see a report’s schedule from the schedule report page, follow these two steps.

  1. Click on the report’s name on the Reports tab. 
  2. After that, click the Schedule Future Runs button on the run report drop-down menu.

If you want to see all the scheduled reports within your organization:

  1. Navigate to Setup
  2. Click the Scheduled Jobs option.
  3. Here you will see all of your organization’s scheduled reports. If you don’t see this, check that you have the View Setup and configuration permissions.

Change a Report’s Schedule

If there is a report with an existing schedule that you’d like to change, for a score of the reports tab and then click the name of the scheduled report. Next, hit the schedule future runs option from the run report menu. Here you can make the changes to the report schedule. When you’re done, make sure to hit save report schedule to keep the changes that you made.

Delete a Scheduled Run

If for whatever reason you would like to delete a scheduled run for a report, you can do it without deleting the entire report. 

  1. First, go to the Reports tab and then click on the report’s name that you’d like to delete. 
  2. Click Schedule Future Runs on the Run Report menu.
  3. Then, click on Schedule Report
  4. Now, the run schedule for that report is canceled, but the report is not sent to the recycle bin. You can set a new schedule or keep the report unscheduled.

How Do I Manage Report Notifications?

Notifications for reports let you know when data meets a particular set of criteria that you set. You can select what you want to be notified about and what conditions are essential to you to receive relevant notifications. You can also set up notifications for the Salesforce app, email, and on Chatter. Just remember that the report has to be saved before you set notifications.

Also, keep in mind that your notifications on reports are not related to the option which lets you schedule future runs. The Schedule Future Runs feature lets you send email reports at a given time with or without specifying which conditions you need them to meet. If you want to schedule email reports, choose the Schedule Future Runs option from the Run Report menu instead.

Changing Report Notification Settings

In order to set and change your notification settings, follow along here.

  1. Click on the Report Run page. 
  2. Next, hit Subscribe
  3. On the Report Subscription page, select if you want to receive a notification each time your data meets these conditions or if you wish to receive it the first time. 

Setting conditions helps you avoid repetitive and unhelpful notifications. The requirements can be related to three different areas; aggregate, operator, and value. You can set up to five conditions for each report. You can also schedule checks to see if the report meets those conditions, Including daily, weekly, or every weekday.

When you choose to receive notifications, you can select the most helpful type for the task at hand. For example, you can send a notification within the Salesforce app, post it to Chatter, have it send an email, or set it to carry out in Apex action. This could be something like escalating a case or creating a task. Make sure to set up your notifications so they only give you relevant updates.

Wrapping it Up

Report subscriptions are an intelligent way to make sure that valuable information gets into the right hands. When you automate their distribution, you reduce human error and save time used to reach more of your company’s goals. 

Now that you understand how Salesforce reports work, how to set up subscriptions, and manage their schedules and notifications, your team will have even more resources to put towards growth. Remember to check back in for more ideas on how you can get even more out of Salesforce. 

Change Standard Object and Field Names in Salesforce – CloudMyBiz

Change Standard Object and Field Names in Salesforce – CloudMyBiz


What makes it possible for businesses across so many industries to all use Salesforce? The answer is customization. Lenders, doctors, restaurants, and clothing stores can all use the same software because it adapts to their unique operations. Changing standard object and field names is one easy way for users to customize Salesforce around their needs. 

To help you understand why and how to change Salesforce’s default names for its objects and fields, we’ll show you:

  • How data is organized in Salesforce
  • What standard objects and fields are
  • Why you should change the default names
  • What to know before making changes
  • A step-by-step guide on how to do it

How Do You Look at Data?

Imagine that you’ve got a stack of papers in front of you with all the information about your operations. You’ve got pages with your customer’s names, items sold, and every support ticket you’ve ever handled. Technically, all the information you need to plan out your goals is here. But how do you make use of it?

The most common way someone would organize this data is with a spreadsheet. You could arrange your numbers to get a good idea of your business’s finances, the contributing factors, and what realistic goals you can set. Salesforce uses this kind of method, too, with a few minor changes.

What Are Objects in Salesforce?

Instead of using spreadsheets, Salesforce uses objects. An object serves the same purpose for visualizing data. It helps you organize the information you have so it’s usable. For example, an object might include information about your customers, products, and support cases. They are Salesforce’s particular way of grouping information about a specific topic. 

In Salesforce, each column in a spreadsheet would appear as a field, and each row would appear as a record. Then, you can use it in dynamic ways such as creating reports and dashboards to guide your decisions. 

For example, imagine that you are a funding company that stores their funding information in Salesforce. Each deal has an object that lists all the associated data. If you were to look at this object, you would likely see information such as the outstanding amount, interest rate, payment schedule, etc. This is how you keep it organized and link related bits of data.

Why Change the Names of Standard Objects?

For most, the assigned names of Salesforce’s standard objects work just fine. However, you can get more use from custom names under the right circumstances. For instance, a funding company would use different terms in their operations than a bakery would. In an industry with distinct terminology, customization keeps processes clear. 

Using more descriptive industry titles helps your team understand what info they’re working with. Also, it keeps your terminology consistent. Keeping things the same across your business’s communications helps avoid confusion, and your team won’t have to “translate” terms throughout the day. Also, it makes it easier to prevent issues when you onboard and train new staff. Finally, it’s much easier to learn one word than memorize three or four terms for the same thing.

Which Standard Objects Come With Salesforce?

Salesforce comes with a set of objects by default. These cover information that Salesforce users almost universally need. Since they include the basics for business’s day-to-day processes, they help users quickly set up their org and get thorough help from their support articles. 

The standard objects in Salesforce include:

Account – This includes the relevant data about an entity pertinent to your business. This could be a client, a deal, a competitor, a partner, or anyone else you interact with. Think of the account as the bread of your information sandwich and the info listed within it as the meat inside of it.

Account History – The account history object shows you the changes that a user made to an account. You can check this to see what actions have been taken and make sure that no steps were missed, for example, sending an estimate to a client. 

Case – The case object represents a support ticket. These are open whenever your customer has an issue that they need your help with. Tracking these gives you a consistent way to make sure your customers are getting the best support possible and helps you retain business.

Contact – The contact form gives you information about a person associated with your account. This would include the person’s name, phone number, email, and any other information to help users reach out to them.

User – The User object represents a user in your Salesforce organization. You can find their name, account ID, email, and location here, alongside other details.  

Asset – An asset describes whatever your company is selling. You can use it to keep track of products, for example, and associate them with the account of the individual or business that purchased them. This way, you can see what was sold to each customer. Or, in the case of software, you can see what product they are currently using if they need service or an upgrade.

Domain – The domain is a field that displays the URL of your company’s website. This is the address you have within your Salesforce org’s data, so users cannot change it from the object itself.

What Purpose Do Fields Serve?

Fields in Salesforce let you fill in different types of information about an object. For example, some information you may put in fields could include a prospect’s name, contact information, the cost of a product, the owner of an account, or the last person who modified the data. 

You can also add custom fields to an object if you want to include more details. For example, if you work in real estate, you might like to add the price of a property to its object. In addition, you can set the field to accept typed input from your Salesforce users or allow them to select options from a pre-set list. Whatever you choose, there are enough ways to modify your fields to capture the information you need. 

What is the Difference Between a Standard and Custom Object?

What happens if you can’t use one of Salesforce’s out-of-the-box objects to do what you want? There’s no need to call for help yet. The next step is to look at Salesforce’s custom objects. These are objects that let you set names, input fields, and input types so you can keep track of information. 

Putting it simply, a custom object is any object that is not already included in Salesforce. You can use these to create sections that log details about products, track applicants for an open position, or keep tabs on your staff’s accrued vacation, for example. 

Keep in mind that if you’re using custom objects, it’s best to use them only when needed. Keeping information as standardized as possible is a general good practice. It’s easier only to customize fields when you have a well-thought-out purpose so information doesn’t become overly complicated. When you build around Salesforce’s native objects, it’s easier to transfer data to other applications that you’ve integrated and connect your Salesforce org with new software.

What Should You Consider Before Changing Object and Field Names?

Sometimes, you don’t need to create an entire custom object to solve the problem. For example, if your ultimate goal is to keep terminology consistent or you can use an existing object’s configuration to do what you need, all you have to change the name.

When renaming an object, keep in mind that most of them, but not all, can be renamed. The standard objects that users cannot rename include objects that perform specific functions, like the Forecasts tab, which shows your expected sales revenue. Thankfully, there are few cases in which these would need to be changed, so you’ll be okay with custom objects and reports if you need something more detailed.

Does Changing an Object’s Name Update it Everywhere?

In short, while changing the object’s name updates it in most places, there are a few places where you’ll have to update it yourself. For example, editing the names of objects in Salesforce updates your setup information with the new titles. However, when you go to the Setup area (found under the gear icon), the names you see will be the original ones that Salesforce assigned.

Always check different areas in Salesforce and in your training materials where you’ve referenced these names. The first place you want to check is the list view so you can see which names it’s displaying. The list view uses your original object names until you update them there manually. 

You can also check the names of reports referencing the objects to make sure they match. Don’t forget to read the descriptions as well and make sure that they’re consistent. Additionally, if you use email templates, click on them to ensure that all the information is consistent. This will help you make sure that all the auto-filled information still works.

Always double-check if there are any other items on and offline where the old name appears. Some examples are custom fields that you’ve created, record types that reference the original name, and your saved page layouts. Your integrations will benefit from an extra check, too.

What Permissions Do You Need to Change Object Names in Salesforce?

Before changing any object names, check that you have the proper permissions. 

  • If you want to rename a tab or a field, you’ll need permission to Customize Application or Manage Translation
  • If you are designated as a Translator, check that you have permissions, including View Setup and Configuration
  • If you want to reset tabs that have been renamed, you’ll need Customize Application or Manage Translation permissions. 
  • If you are a Translator who wants to reset tabs, you’ll need View Setup and Configuration permissions.

How to Change Standard Object Names in Salesforce

Now that you’ve gotten all the basics down, you’re ready to change the standard object names. 

  1. To start, go to the Setup item with the gear icon in the upper right-hand corner. 
  2. Next, click customize
  3. After that, hit the option labeled Tab Names and Labels
  4. Click on Rename Tabs and Labels
  5. Now, select the tab or object that you want to rename and then hit edit
  6. When you change the names, make sure that you also update the plural label and select if the name starts with a vowel sound
  7. After you’ve done this, click next.
  8. Now, you can change the standard field names
  9. As with the objects, make sure to update the singular and plural labels and indicate whether the word starts with a vowel sound.

If you’re working with a custom object, you won’t be able to edit the name. So make sure to name it well when you’re creating it so you won’t have any problems down the line. 

Wrapping It Up

Salesforce’s ability to customize objects gave it a reputation as one of the best CRMs available. Its insights are unmatched, its reports are quick, and it integrates with programs that give your business a competitive edge. Now that you’ve changed your custom object and field names, you can get even more perks from your CRM. 

With a good understanding of how Salesforce looks at data, you’ll know when to change standard object and field names and how to do it when that time comes. This is just one of many ways that Salesforce’s customization features give your company a boost, so check back in for more tips.

5 Tips for Working Remotely

5 Tips for Working Remotely

Whether you are new to the at home setup, or a long time pro, we could all use some guidance for creating a better and more effective environment when working from home. So with that in mind, here are our 5 essential tips for working remotely – A guide for beginners and pros alike!

Tips for Working Remotely

Set a Routine

Working from home means creating your own boundaries, and sticking to them! Pick a start and stop time to regulate your day, preferably similar to what you are used to when working from your office.

When you get up, keep your morning routine of getting ready, such as taking a shower, making coffee etc. How you start your morning makes so much difference to your day. Getting up and not doing much for a while can leave you feeling unmotivated. On the other hand, rolling out of bed and opening your computer, while it might feel productive at first, can make it hard long after a few days or weeks to feel boundaries between your personal time and work time.

Similarly, give yourself a “set” lunch time, as well as a couple breaks in the day. Working straight through the day is ok once and a while, but you will thank yourself for getting some down time.

If you can create an “end of workday” routine, such as taking the dog for a walk. Equally as important as how you start your day, is how you end it. Whatever you can do that gives your brain and body a clear signal that, “the workday is over”, will help tremendously. And yes, this means that once the laptop is closed for the night, you keep it closed!

Try to appreciate the benefits that do come with remote work. You’re not commuting. You’re able to make your own lunch and save money doing so. You have more control over your schedule and more time with family. Focus on whatever positives you can find.

tips for working remotely

Create a Workspace

No matter what your home layout is, setting some type of dedicated workspace if possible is very helpful for creating and maintaining work boundaries. Whatever space you decide on, try and clear it of distractions, and make it a place you can just work. I personally recommend keeping the TV off as much as possible. If you wouldn’t have it on at work, it will only act as distraction at home. Anything you can do to train your brain that “this is where we go to work” will help with transitions and set your mindset for work.

Make sure you have solid Internet connections

Can you work without the internet? Because I certainly can’t do my job without it! Robust internet access is critical to being able to run all the programs and tasks you want, such as video conferencing.

If you don’t have any options right now to increase a low bandwidth, then be mindful of how many programs you have running at a time, as the more you run, the slower they will all go.

Similarly, if you are sharing a connection with family, roommates or partners, you may need to have a discussion about allocating internet time. Especially for those of you with kids who will want to be sucking up bandwidth 24/7, setting aside some rules for connection usage can be critical.

Set up Digital Social Engagements

Wherever you fall on the Introvert/Extrovert spectrum, social engagements are important to maintain balance and mental health. Schedule extra video chats with your colleagues, engage in your team’s group chat (set one up if you don’t have one yet!)

Embrace the webcam.

That’s right! Think of it as a reason to shower and comb your hair in the morning. Sitting on conference calls all day can be mentally draining, but even more so when you can’t see anyone. There are time delays, not knowing who’s talking because you can’t see the person, people getting interrupted on accident, etc.

Webcams can solve a number of these issues: the sense of isolation and that confusion behind. Being able to see who you are talking to helps you get body language cues or other non-verbal items, that make a huge difference to communication and feeling connected.

Finally, if you are struggling with the distance between yourself and others, make an effort to over communicate. While it might seem awkward to some, making that extra effort can really help to bridge the gap.

 

-Ryan and the CloudMyBiz Team

 


 

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Changes to Salesforce Data Recovery Plans

Changes to Salesforce Data Recovery Plans

Starting July 31st, 2020, Salesforce will no longer provide data backup recovery services in the case of data loss. While this is definitely a big deal for Salesforce users, don’t worry, there are plenty of options to ensure you keep your data safe in the event of catastrophe.

data, big data, data recover

Our friends at SalesforceBen have put together a great overview article that explains what the data recovery service is, why you would use it, and what your options are for going forward.

In addition to the comments you can find on that site, at CloudMyBiz, we wanted to add the on that the best practice is to start planning for this change now.

  • Take a look at your processes and figure out what options will best suit your needs
  • Best practices include periodically exporting all of your data for backup, and also doing an export before any major development is deployed.
  • When it comes to choosing a data tool, the Salesforce Data Loader is a great, native option, but we recommend each business do their own research into tools, including 3rd part options, and find the one that best suits their individual needs.

Read the Salesforce Release Notes

 

-Ryan and the CloudMyBiz Team

 


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Need custom development or consulting to enhance the Salesforce you already have?

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