They say there is no such thing as a free lunch, but “they” obviously didn’t know about Salesforce Foundations. For organizations using Salesforce Sales Cloud or Service Cloud Enterprise edition or higher, Salesforce recently announced Foundations, a free upgrade that brings key cross-department features to every Salesforce user at no additional cost. Yep, a $0 cost change order to unlock some pretty powerful features and functionalities. Read on to learn more.
What is Salesforce Foundations?
Announced at Dreamforce this year, Salesforce Foundations is a free, integrated expansion pack available to Enterprise, Unlimited, and Einstein 1 Salesforce users. Launched to enhance cross-cloud functionality, Foundations provides a core set of capabilities for a cohesive, AI-powered customer journey. By connecting sales, service, data, and marketing processes, it allows businesses to deliver consistent customer experiences and gain actionable insights across every touchpoint.
Key Benefits of Salesforce Foundations
- Unified Customer Data: Salesforce Foundations leverages Data Cloud to consolidate customer data, offering a single source of truth. This allows teams to engage with clients based on a comprehensive view of their interactions, needs, and preferences.
- Enhanced AI and Automation: With embedded AI-driven tools, Foundations simplifies automating complex processes and generating insights, making it easier to offer personalized service and enhance productivity. And Foundations provides access to Agentforce, which brings the power of conversational AI to your business. Try out an intelligent, trusted, and customizable AI agent and help your users get more done with Salesforce.
- Cross-Cloud Functionality: The seamless integration across Sales, Service, Marketing, and Commerce Clouds lets teams work collaboratively, reducing silos and improving customer service outcomes.
- Access to AppExchange Integrations: Foundations includes extended trial options for AppExchange tools, like DocuSign and Webex, allowing teams to explore integrations that could further enhance their workflows and productivity.
- Cost Efficiency: Available at no additional cost, Salesforce Foundations is a budget-friendly way to expand your platform’s capabilities without the need for extensive customizations.
Potential Drawbacks to Salesforce Foundations
While enabling Salesforce Foundations will provide access to some robust features and enhancements, there are some limitations to Foundations that users should be aware of before embarking on their Foundations journey.
- Customization Limitations: While Foundations is designed to be ready out-of-the-box, businesses with complex or highly specific requirements may find the default settings restrictive and may need additional customizations.
- Email Campaign and Credit Limitations: Foundations has monthly email campaign limits and Data Cloud credit caps. Organizations with large-scale marketing needs might find these limits challenging.
- Dependence on Salesforce Ecosystem: Foundations integrates deeply within Salesforce’s ecosystem, which may require adjustments for teams used to third-party tools or legacy systems.
Enabling Salesforce Foundations in Your Salesforce Instance
Enabling Salesforce Foundations truly is as easy as 1-2-3:
- Contact Your AE to Confirm Compatibility: Contact your Salesforce Account Executive to confirm compatibility and availability, then execute a zero cost change order for Foundations.
- Activate Through Setup: Go to Setup in Salesforce, type “Salesforce Foundations” in the Quick Find box, and follow the prompts to enable Foundations. This process will vary based on your specific Salesforce edition and any custom configurations.
- Customize and Configure: Once activated, you can begin configuring the tools and settings to align with your organization’s processes and goals. Take advantage of the extensive customization options and adjust user permissions as needed.
After configuration, you may want some guidance to take advantage of the full slate of features you’ve just unlocked in Foundations. The TruSummit team has Foundations-specific consulting packages available to get you quickly using Foundations to the max. Contact us for more details.
Transforming Customer Experiences with TruSummit Solutions and Salesforce Foundations
Salesforce Foundations is designed to enable a more efficient, unified, and AI-powered experience across Salesforce platforms. Whether you’re looking to streamline operations, enhance customer service, or gain more in-depth data insights, TruSummit Solutions is here to support your journey. Contact us to learn how to leverage Salesforce Foundations for sustainable growth and a competitive edge.
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