Salesforce Summer '24 Release Highlights: Manufacturing Cloud

The Summer of 2024 can perhaps more appropriately be called the Summer of Data Cloud for those of us within the Salesforce ecosystem. With Salesforce’s Summer 2024 Release Notes for Manufacturing Cloud, all eyes are actually on Data Cloud and how it can augment and enhance the already-robust features and functionalities of Manufacturing Cloud.

Within the Summer 2024 release notes, Salesforce touts using Data Cloud functionalities to streamline, analyze, and leverage asset, customer, sales, and service data comprehensively. Among its callouts are the simplification of supplier recovery procedures for defective parts, the orchestration of targeted product service campaigns for faulty assets, and the ability to proactively estimate field service costs prior to work order creation.

Data Cloud Features for Manufacturing Cloud

Integrate Asset and Operator Performance Telematics Data

Aggregate telematics data on asset operations, operator behavior, and faults from diverse systems into Data Cloud using predefined data models. Utilize near real-time asset telematics data to monitor metrics like temperature, pressure, location, and asset health effectively.

Streamline Data Sharing Between Manufacturing Cloud and Data Cloud

Utilize the predefined data streams from the Manufacturing data kit to transmit Manufacturing Cloud data to Data Cloud for analysis, segmentation, and process optimization, empowering sales and service teams with actionable insights.

Drive Informed Decision-Making with Calculated Insights on Assets and Customer Revenue

Leverage predefined calculated insights from the Manufacturing data kit to derive segments and actionable metrics on asset revenue, customer revenue, and cases. Empower sales and service managers with insights into asset lifetime revenue distribution (sales vs service), and optimize service operations by analyzing total, open, and closed cases per customer and per asset.

Warranty Supplier Recovery

Establish Supplier Cost Recovery Contract Terms

Utilize contracts to foster collaboration with suppliers and define recovery terms, including prices for causal parts, return requirements, and repair/replacement terms. Automatically derive claimed amounts from contract terms for supplier recovery claims.

Streamline Supplier Recovery Claim Creation and Editing

Effortlessly generate supplier recovery claims for warranty-covered causal parts with a single click. Track detailed information and expenses on the Summary tab of each claim, enabling updates to claimed amounts and quantities before submission or during negotiations with suppliers.

Efficiently Manage Supplier Recovery Claims via Experience Cloud

Enable supplier claim adjudicators to review and process recovery claims conveniently through the Experience Cloud site. Facilitate approval or rejection of claims, with direct access to contract and product details for informed decisions.

Product Service Campaign

Streamline Management of Large-Scale Asset Recalls, Services, and Upgrades

Efficiently plan and execute product service campaigns to address issues across numerous products or services promptly. Define campaign details such as impacted products, priority, duration, status, and type, while tracking each asset involved. Generate work orders and return orders to manage services for affected products effectively.

Simplify Asset Identification and Segmentation in Product Service Campaigns

Easily compile lists of assets for recall, audit, repair, or upgrade by creating actionable lists within product service campaigns. Specify filter conditions or utilize Data Cloud segments to group assets for inclusion in actionable lists. Seamlessly add items from actionable lists to campaigns with a single click, and customize list details, priorities, and assignments for targeted service initiatives.

Estimate Field Service Work and Quote Costs to Customers Easily

Enhance efficiency in work order management and boost productivity by assisting service agents and field technicians in generating onsite service cost estimates through a user-friendly guided flow. This intuitive process enables them to create comprehensive quotes detailing service costs, facilitating seamless work order creation upon customer approval.

Where:  This change applies to Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer editions with Manufacturing Cloud.
Who:  Users must have the Work Order Estimation permission set.
How:  Launch the work order estimation process from an account, an asset, or an existing work order. Define the work to be done on the quote by providing the details, review the quote summary, and then generate a quote. After the customer approves the quote, work orders are generated.

Associate Any Sales Agreement with a Contract

Now, key account managers have the capability to link sales agreements with contracts, regardless of the actuals calculation mode being set to “Manually using API upload” or “Automatically from direct orders.” Previously, this association was limited to sales agreements with the mode set to “Automatically from orders through contracts.” This enhancement allows for better tracking of agreed-upon terms for product sales over time, irrespective of how the actuals of the sales agreements are updated.

Where:  This change applies to Lightning Experience in Enterprise, Unlimited, and Developer editions with Manufacturing Cloud.
Who:  This feature is available to users with the Manufacturing Sales Agreements Psl permission set.
How:  On a contract record, specify a sales agreement with the “Manually using API upload actuals calculation” or “Automatically from direct orders” mode.

New and Enhanced Common Features for Industries

Additionally, Manufacturing Cloud includes features that are available across clouds and products in Industries:

Action Launcher

Enhance Customer Service Responsiveness with Effortless Aura Component Launching

Empower contact center agents to swiftly access and deploy Aura components via Action Launcher, making these components readily available with just a simple search and click.

Enhance Clarity with the Updated Standard Deployment Feature

The Out-of-the-Box Deployment feature has been renamed Standard Deployment, ensuring improved clarity without altering functionality. This change aligns the feature’s name more closely with its intended purpose.

Expand Action Launcher Capabilities with Aura Component Integration

Include Aura components in Action Launcher deployments with the updated object.

Business Rules Engine

Streamline Subexpression Management in Expression Sets

Effortlessly incorporate new logic into expression set versions by easily replacing or deleting subexpressions without the need to manually adjust referencing steps. Automatically reuse replaced subexpression variables and address errors in subsequent steps efficiently.

Efficiently Map Subexpression Variables to Expression Set Resources

Maximize flexibility and enhance the meaningfulness of expression set versions by seamlessly mapping subexpression input and output variables to local resources within the expression set version.

Simplify Rule Processing with Boolean Data Types

Improve rule processing simplicity by integrating Boolean data type constants into expression set versions, streamlining decision-making processes.

Facilitate Large Expression Set Troubleshooting

Enhance troubleshooting of large expression sets by utilizing increased default length explainability messages, providing users with more detailed explanations for specific results returned in expression set version steps.

Effortlessly Modify Decision Tables in Expression Sets

Modify referenced decision tables in expression set versions with ease, synchronizing changes such as column additions, deletions, or data type modifications in the decision table columns with the expression set builder efficiently.

Expedite Decision Table Creation with Templates

Save time and streamline decision table creation by leveraging industry-specific templates, enabling quick decision table setup based on specific business requirements, directly within your Salesforce org.

Enhance Decision Table Logic with Advanced Operators

Augment text comparison capabilities within decision tables by leveraging Does Not Match and Contains operators, providing more robust querying options for retrieving desired outputs based on input cell values.

Pilot Feature: Support for Large Decision Table Rows

Increase decision table row capacity by selecting the “Has more than one million rows” option, allowing decision tables to support up to 2,000,000 rows, catering to scenarios requiring extensive decision table datasets.

Context Service

Streamline Context Definition Mapping with Automated Standard Object Mapping

Experience an enhanced mapping process by automatically mapping Salesforce objects, eliminating the need for manual selection and providing a more intuitive user experience.

Simplify Input Mapping Generation for Context Definitions

Effortlessly generate input mappings without the need for manual node and attribute selection, allowing for streamlined mapping creation and improved efficiency.

Enhance Mapping Flexibility with Context Mapping Intent

Utilize a variety of mapping operations, including Association, Hydration, Persistence, and Translation, to support diverse mapping types and operations, catering to different mapping intents and scenarios.

Utilize Context Definitions as Mapping Data Sources

Expand mapping capabilities by mapping context definitions to other definitions, enabling the retrieval of data from multiple sources within the context service, enhancing data integration and accessibility.

Criteria-Based Search and Filter

Elevate Search Functionality on Experience Cloud Sites

Empower users to efficiently search and filter data on Experience Cloud Sites, enabling them to initiate actions directly from search results. Customize search criteria, result filters, and display to align with specific business needs, while applying cohesive themes for a seamless user experience.

Enhance Search Results Visualization with Interactive Maps

Optimize user navigation by displaying search results alongside interactive maps, allowing users to locate resources based on geographical proximity. Map markers provide key details about search results, enhancing user engagement and decision-making.

Facilitate Search Result Navigation with Sorting Options

Improve user search experiences by enabling sorting options for search result cards, enhancing accessibility and usability. Users can select sorting criteria and refine search results based on up to three fields, enhancing navigation and information retrieval efficiency.

Copy and Report on Search Results

Enable users to save and share search result details effortlessly by introducing Copy Records and Create Report search actions. Users can utilize selected search result data to generate reports or copy information, facilitating collaboration and information sharing directly from search results

Data Processing Engine

Streamline Data Integration with CSV File Upload

Efficiently incorporate large volumes of CSV file data into your definitions using the Data Cloud runtime. Simply upload the CSV file as a data source node, configure fields, and monitor workflow services for any failed records post-definition execution.

Enhance Flexibility in Data Manipulation with All Map Fields

Enjoy expanded capabilities in data filtering and joining nodes, now supporting all Map Field data types in Data Cloud runtime definitions. This aligns the Data Cloud runtime functionality with that of the CRMA runtime in Data Processing Engine.

Extend Writeback Node Support in Data Cloud

Maximize data management flexibility by creating up to five writeback object nodes per definition with the Data Cloud runtime. This enhancement harmonizes the Data Cloud runtime functionality with that of the CRMA runtime in Data Processing Engine.

Drive Intelligent Data Processing with Formula Nodes

Leverage formula nodes within Data Cloud runtime definitions to enhance data processing capabilities. Create and store multiple formulas, empowering advanced data manipulation and analysis in line with the CRMA runtime functionality in Data Processing Engine.

List Builder for Data Cloud Segment

Optimize Outreach Effectiveness with Record Suppression

Efficiently manage irrelevant records within a Data Cloud segment by suppressing them, thereby updating the associated actionable list. Suppressed records transition to inactive status, ensuring contact center agents focus on relevant prospects, enhancing customer conversion rates. Utilize the updated actionable list for targeted outreach and improved engagement.

Timeline

Accelerate Customer Insight Delivery to Contact Center Agents (CCAs) Using Data Graph

Efficiently configure Timeline with data graphs to expedite the loading of engagement events from data model objects (DMOs), including the Unified Individual DMO. The consolidated event list empowers CCAs to swiftly retrieve information, grasp historical context, and engage with customers and prospects effectively.

Deliver Tailored Customer Support with Timeline Summaries

Enhance the Timeline feature by configuring summaries of events for contact center agents (CCAs). These succinct summaries offer CCAs a rapid overview of past events, facilitating personalized customer support and informed interactions.

Need help making sense of Manufacturing Cloud, or optimizing any facet of your Salesforce landscape? You know where to find TruSummit Solutions.

Salesforce Summer ’24 Release Highlights: Manufacturing Cloud