Introduction to Lightning flow in Salesforce

Introduction

As Salesforce has introduced the power of Lightning to the flow technology, launching of Lightning Flow will be a game-changer. Lightning Flow allows you to create complex business solutions with few clicks instead of code.

By adding low-code, drag-and-drop features to user interactions through Lightning Flow, you can create controlled and visual process with Lightning components and easily add them to the record.

Flow gets smarter with each salesforce release, and with the new winter'21 release, it has the ability to act as customized Apex triggers and can perform tasks that were previously reserved for Apex. 

Lightning Flow can be scheduled, triggered on the basis of record creation/updates, and can be called from Platform Events. Using permissions, we can also set whether the Flow can be visible or invisible to a particular user or will be running as a system user.

Scenario/Business process to use Lightning Flow 

There are several other automation tools in the salesforce, such as Process Builder, Approvals and Workflow rules, which can also be triggered on the basis of record creation/updates. Now question is, what are the use cases for Lightning Flow and where it can be implemented?

Below are some use cases which help us to understand where Lightning Flow can be implemented.

• Guide a person when applying for a new credit card with a step-by-step assistant. 
• Automate a guided spectator experience. 
• Business process that requires feedback from consumers.
• Business process that takes all the required information from your Salesforce org or connected system. In other terms, there is no need for customer input.
• Add more capabilities than what is available in Process Builder.

What are the benefits of using Lightning Flow?

If you're admin user, Flows will be your most powerful part, since you'll be able to manage most of the complex business requirements without the support of a Salesforce developer.   

You can also schedule flow on a timely basis or record-based basis. You can also fired it from platform events like Process Builder and Apex Triggers based on your business requirements.

Lightning Flow is simple to manage since someone with skills in the flows, can actually be able to follow what is developed.

Understanding Flow and flow elements 

We use Flow Builder to create Lightning Flows in Salesforce. Look for 'Flows' in the Quick Find box and choose Flows from the search results. To create a new flow, press the 'New Flow' button.

Salesforce offers some of the core types of flows that can be chosen based on the business requirements that we want to build.

 

• Screen Flow - Use this flow whenever a user interaction is required. You can use the button or action shown in the Lightning Page or the Utility Bar to call this flow. This flow cannot be called automatically.
• Schedule-Triggered Flow - Task that needs to be done on a collection of records every day, or to organize tasks that run regularly.
• Auto-launched Flows- This kind of flow does not support user interaction and can be called through Apex, Process Builder, or even another Flow.
• Record-Triggered Flows - Similar to Process Builder, this kind of flow runs only when a record is created or updated.
• Platform Event-Triggered Flows - Identical to the Auto launched Flow, the process starts whenever a specific platform event message is received.

With the release of Winter'21, Salesforce launched Auto-layout as a Beta edition. Now, you have the options to choose between two free-form and Auto-layout layout styles.

After selection of the layout style, the Flow Builder canvas will open where we can start developing the flow. Here, we can find the available flow builder elements that help us to develop the flow.

Available elements are depended on the type of flow is selected. For example, the screen element is only available in the Screen Flow. 

More information about the elements, those are available in which type of flow can be found here. Keep in mind to always follow the best practices while building the flows.

Summary 

These are the basics of the Salesforce Lightning Flows, answering questions about what the different Flows, attributes of the Flows, and how the Flows can be enabled. 

As illustrated, Salesforce Lightning Flows is a much better and more efficient tool that lets Salesforce admin to create complex business solutions with no-code and few clicks, and its capabilities are growing with every release.

If you have any questions you can reach out our Salesforce Consulting team here.

Cascading pick-lists using apex:actionRegion component in Visualforce page

Requirement:

We had to provide the cascading functionality for dependent pick-list in a Visualforce page based on the selection in the controlling pick-list dynamically. 

Challenge: 

The Visualforce page was a registration form that had pick-lists for the state. But, the OnChange event of the controlling pick-list (country) was not calling the apex function which was responsible to perform the cascading in the dependent pick-list (state). Moreover, we were unable to trace any error while debugging the code.

Solution:

After relentless efforts and trying multiple solutions by digging into standard Salesforce documents, we tried a solution to enclose the <apex:actionsupport> component within <apex:actionRegion> component considering, that this would submit the data that is bound within this region. And, that worked like a gem!

<apex:actionRegion>

  // Your code here

</apex:actionRegion>

Hence, by wrapping the <apex:selectlist> component within <apex:actionRegion>, the input was getting submitted to the controller, thus, allowing it to fire the event.

<apex:pageBlock>
    <apex:pageBlockSection columns="2">
        <apex:pageblockSectionItem>
            <apex:outputLabel value="Country"/>
        </apex:pageblockSectionItem>        
        <apex:pageblockSectionItem>
            <apex:actionRegion>
                <apex:selectList size="1" value="{!country}">
                    <apex:selectOptions value="{!countries}"/>
                    <apex:actionSupport event="onchange" reRender="state"/>
                </apex:selectList> 
            </apex:actionRegion>
        </apex:pageblockSectionItem>
        <apex:pageblockSectionItem>
            <apex:outputLabel value="State"/>
        </apex:pageblockSectionItem>            
        <apex:pageblockSectionItem>
            <apex:selectList size="1" value="{!state}" id="state">
                <apex:selectOptions value="{!states}"/>
            </apex:selectList>
        </apex:pageblockSectionItem>            
    </apex:pageBlockSection>        
</apex:pageBlock>

If you have any questions you can reach out our Salesforce Consulting team here.

Lacking Customer Interaction? CRM can rescue!

        Running a business can be tricky in today’s hyper competitive environment. While the new customer acquisition can take your high time, existing customers don’t feel the need to stay with a company that doesn't concern them. It’s important for businesses to have constructive and pro-active customer service because good customer service directly affects customer to come back and that implies to increase in business revenue.  

    Providing good customer service includes delivering what you have promised. But providing excellent customer service requires putting yourself in customer’s shoes, to understand their perspective and understand how they interact with you at every step. 

 

    Seems like difficult task to respond to consumers, keep records and tracks, faster engagement, deal closure? 

All in one solution for your troubles- SALESFORCE SERVICE CLOUD 

    Service cloud is CRM platform for customer service and support. It enables users to automate service processes, streamline workflows, finding key articles, topics and experts to support customer service agents. The main purpose is to encourage one-to-one marketing relationships with every customer across multiple channels and devices. 

    Its uniqueness lies in providing faster service compared to traditional methods, giving individual attention to each customer needs and taking a pro-active approach to customer issues. That ultimately turns into better customer experience which create good impact on sales. 

Benefits for Customers: - 

• 35% increase in customer satisfaction. 

Benefits for Companies: - 

• 22% decrease in support cost. 

• 26% increase in customer retention. 

• 28% increase in agent productivity. 

• 31% faster case resolution. 

Key Business goals achieved by using the service cloud: 

1)Personalized Service: 

Give each customer a better service experience based on their past record, complaints and history of purchase. 

2) Available 24/7: 

Make the service all time available for all consumers. 

3) Multiple Channel support: 

Mobile, PC, Web, Chat- meet the customers on their preferred channels. 

4) Rapid Support: 

Managing various services from the one platform helps delivering faster execution of all the query and gives quick results. 

 

Key Features of Service Cloud:  

1) The Lighting Console: 

Prioritizing the task on hand requires a unified platform for managing all cases assigned to agent. This results into personalized experience for each customer in each case. 

2) The Knowledge Base: 

Customer interactions and resolution are captured and organized in knowledge base. Agents can create and access resources within the company’s knowledge base. 

3) Social Customer Service: 

With the help of this feature customer can visit separate web pages for interactions on various social media platforms. Linked to the omni routing, keywords and hashtags can help work to be delivered to the appropriate agent.  

4) Live Agent 

A real time chat functionality, tool that allows customer to interact with agents via websites. It allows agents to make multiple conversations at once. 

5)Service Cloud Communities: 

Communities are all about creating the engagement layer on the top of Salesforce Platform. It allows customer to help themselves by helping each other. From any device, anywhere, anytime- agents, customers, channel partners can find their answers quickly. 

6) Omni-Channel Routing: 

It is a feature that allows you to route service work intelligently. Supervisors can access a complete view of routing and agent activity. Cases and leads are automatically directed to specific employee based on factors such as employee skill-set and availability. 

7)Service Analytics: 

One more tool to give employees easy access to reporting and key CRM data such as chatbot performance, case history and volume, agent activity and productivity. 

8)Telephony integration: 

Service calls to and from customers can be managed with customer information on a hand. Integrate with the most popular CTI systems. 

9)Case Management: 

Agents can use service console shuffle multiple cases at once across multiple channels. Case management is accessible via mobile and desktop both. 

10) Automation with Macros: 

They automate common repetitive task, reducing multiple steps down to a 1-click. It will save customer and service delivery time. 

😐Are your customers easily distracted? 

😐Have your customers' expectations increased? 

😐Are your customers listening to new models of authority?

😐Customers establishing new communities? 

If you are facing any of the above issue you must go for Salesforce Service Cloud. 

Facing difficulty in implementation for Service cloud? Binary Republik-SFDC is there with you anytime to help you out. 

 

If you have any questions you can reach out our Salesforce Consulting team here.