The Winter ’20 Salesforce release is quickly approaching, and it’s a big one. In fact, we’ve already published a release overview and a Sales Cloud-centered update for the Winter ’20 release. But that’s not the end of it. Here, we will examine some of the larger changes and what they may mean for your company. Keep in mind that there are many different changes in the release, and this article only covers the major ones. If you’d like to read the complete release notes, they are currently available via interactive notes, PDF, and YouTube videos.

The Move to Lightning

The Change: Once Lightning is enabled, it can no longer be turned off. 

What This Means for You: While users still have access to the Classic interface and can switch between the two as needed, Lightning Experience will be permanently enabled once it is turned on. This means that it may be time to start thinking about transitioning your organization to Lightning if you haven’t already. If you need help with this, feel free to check out our Lightning Migration Guide for a few tips and tricks. At this point in time, Lightning features most of the functionality offered by Classic, so there really is no reason to hold back on a transition. Just make sure that you do your homework and make sure your users are prepared for the switch. Lightning has the potential to increase your organization’s efficiency, but only if you manage the migration properly.

NOTE: If you have been holding off on transitioning to Lightning because users have had to switch back to Classic in the past to access the recycling bin, this is no longer an issue. The recycling bin is now available in Lightning.

The New Salesforce Mobile App

The Change: The highly anticipated new Salesforce mobile app is included in the Winter ’20 release.

What This Means for You: With more power for admins to create mobile experiences, it may be time to start integrating mobile functionality into your organization. Mobile integration greatly streamlines many different business processes and allows work to be done on-the-go. The new app also allows for a unified experience working between desktop and mobile devices, reducing inefficiencies. If you are considering a mobile rollout, make sure you follow basic project management practices and ensure that your users prepare and train before the implementation. It’s important to communicate changes before they occur and prepare everyone for what’s to come. However, the new app is opt-in, so you can get started whenever you are ready. We recommend dedicating resources specifically to your mobile rollout to make sure this opportunity for the workplace doesn’t become a headache.

Einstein is Getting Smarter

The Change: Additional beta features are coming to Einstein that include personalized search results, profile-specific search layouts, instant access search, instant report creation, and recommended results.

What This Means for You: With each release, Einstein is able to provide deeper insight into data on all levels. Not only can you learn more about your customers, but Einstein can also begin to personalize the Salesforce experience for you as a user depending on your preference. With personalized search results, Einstein presents the results most relevant to you based on various profile data points. Because of this, you may see a different results screen from a colleague after performing the same search. You can also customize your search results page to add even more personalization. All of these changes make an effort to streamline daily activities to increase productivity. By training your staff to make the most of Einstein’s growing list of features, you can ensure that your team is taking full advantage of the platform. In the right hands, Einstein can provide valuable insights on customer information and speed up internal company processes. However, this is only possible if you consciously capitalize on its new features and improvements.

WeChat and WhatsApp Integration

The Change: The Winter ’20 release introduces a pilot program for WeChat and WhatsApp integrations.

What This Means for You: With the introduction of WeChat and WhatsApp integrations, communication with customers in different countries becomes easier. WeChat is the most popular chat application in China, and WhatsApp has the most users of all chat applications worldwide. While Facebook Messenger reigns supreme in the USA, this change means much more to companies doing business overseas. By bringing more options to customers on these platforms, your company can provide a much higher level of service internationally. 

Additional Email Flexibility

The Change: You can now easily include formatted tables, copy inline images, and easily add related files as email attachments. Email templates also now allow for HTML tags and signature merging.

What This Means for You: With the additional options for email formatting and content, your team can add a more personal touch to communications. Formatted tables allow for better data organization, making it easier to understand and compare information. The ability to copy images directly into emails without saving them first and adding related files as attachments with a simple click are both changes that streamline the email creation process. By freeing up time on these processes, your team can focus more on designing effective email content. You can even customize these emails with HTML tags and the sender’s signature! By personalizing communications using these new tools, your organization can better craft emails to target specific marketing segments.

Need A Partner To Help You Through This Release?

There are a lot more changes coming, so if you are feeling overwhelmed, work with a Salesforce partner! At Ntegro, we can help you by walking you through the new release features and determining what details are important for your organization. We can assist with implementations, integrations, and further development on an as-needed basis as well. Contact us online for a free consultation today to get started!