Salesforce Process Automation for Enhanced User Experience

Salesforce process automation tools offer users the capability to streamline business processes to support various instances. We’ll dive deeper on the functionalities and use cases here.

Today’s customers expect a seamless and frictionless experience whenever they interact with a business. They don’t want to be bogged down with time consuming inquiries, or spastic call routing in order to get to the right person/department to solve their problem. To deliver true value to a customer base, organizations must harness the power of automation on the back-end of their systems and platforms. Pertaining to CRM systems specifically, Salesforce process automation tools offer business users the capability to achieve just that.

As one of the leading intelligent CRM platforms, Salesforce helps companies deliver a connected customer experience by providing a 360-degree view of the customer journey among sales, marketing and service teams. Through extending Salesforce’s functionalities, organizations can automate and mobilize business processes through custom platform development.

During the a recent Salesforce webinar, Senior Regional Success Architect, Ivan Yeung, and Success Guides, Katherine Burg and Tara Cobb, gave a high-level overview on Salesforce process automation tools and their functionalities, which we’ll explore more here.

salesforce process automation

Salesforce Process Automation Tools

Behind every customer experience is a process that can be simplified and streamlined with the right tools. Historically, the Salesforce platform has had 4 automation tools that can help users ensure these processes run smoothly. While many are being replaced with Flow, here’s a quick understanding of what exists, or will soon be retiring.

Workflow Rules

Starting in Winter ’23, Salesforce is blocking the creation of workflow rules. You can still activate, deactivate, and edit any existing workflow rules. To test and create workflow rules for use in managed packages, developer orgs still allow you to create workflow rules. For new automations, use flows.

Salesforce Workflow allows users to automate internal procedures and processes to save hours on mundane tasking. More specifically, a Workflow Rule is the main container for a set of workflow instructions, which can be summarized in if/then statements. To generate these Workflows, you simply need criteria that causes the rule to run, and actions to execute when a record matches said criteria. Here are some uses cases where Workflow Rules can effect internal processes:

  • Contact a customer before their contract expires

  • Assigning a credit check to a new customer

  • Report a lost opportunity or new opportunities internally

  • Notify sales teams of top account activities

Approval Processes

Approvals take automation one step further than Workflow Rules, letting users specify a sequence of steps that’s required to approve a record internally. These easy to use approval processes can streamline single-step or even multi-step approvals, saving hours of downtime. Here are some use cases for automated Approval Processes:

  • Approve discounts for a customer opportunity, even if higher discounts require higher levels of approval
  • Approve or reject PTO for team members

  • Case closures can also be approved for Tier 1 customers

Process Builder

Starting in Summer ’23, Salesforce is blocking the creation of processes. You can still activate, deactivate, and edit any existing processes. To test and create processes for use in managed packages, developer orgs still allow you to create processes. For new automations, use flows.

Many parts of your business processes are standard, such as sending emails, updating records and assigning tasks. These processes can be configured automatically through Salesforce Process Builder, which provides a graphical representation as it’s built out through its “point-and-click” functionality. Here are some instances where Process Builder can come in handy:

  • Creating a published or drafted content record

  • Giving team props, like congratulating sales on a big win

  • Schedule follow up tasks that are high priority for your department

Flow Builder

Some business processes need input from users, whether they’re employees or customers. Flow Builder can specifically be used to automate a guided visual experience, while also allowing developers to build more complex functionalities. Here’s some use cases where Flow Builder can impact business processes:

  • Calculating and applying discounts to the right opportunity levels

  • Collect customer information and data by creating a Wizard

  • Route an account issue, dispute or case to a Tier 2 team in a different region

salesforce process automation
Image Source: Salesforce 

Salesforce Provides a Framework for Process Automation Success

Through the dynamic capabilities offered in Salesforce Process Automation tools, organizations can better develop a framework for discovering, preparing, executing and maintaining customer-centric practices. Salesforce can help users identify opportunities in their processes that are candidates for automation, gather feedback from team members, create and maintain the tools needed for execution, and improve the cycle in the process.

At Smartbridge, our Salesforce certified experts are backed by decades of experience implementing and maintaining core enterprise systems. With our deep expertise in custom application and integration development, Smartbridge is uniquely positioned to help customers with complex CRM implementations.

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