Salesforce provides a platform whose focus and specialty is customer relationship management (CRM). Through cloud computing and on-demand software, it has opened gateways for communication and collaboration.  

Salesforce embraces ease and quickness of use, and offers increased productivity, cleaner data, refreshed features, re-engineered pages, and an experience that thrills users and developers alike. With studies reflecting increased ROI on work hours and processing times, the switch to Lightning is proving to be an investment that pays for itself.  

Lightning's Striking Features

Developers are giving positive feedback on the newest Salesforce framework ‘Lightning’ - a framework that houses enhancements on the home page, improvements to the reports section, and efficiencies on the dashboard. Lightning offers a version of Salesforce User Interface while Lightning Web Components (LWC) offers an enhanced and customizable coded structure. 

Lightning is a sector of the Salesforce Aura Component framework offering dynamic web application development. Being open-sourced, it allows developers to build applications independently of the Salesforce structure. 

Kamal, a Cayuse Salesforce Developer, explains ‘Like the name says, it’s Lightning. Fast and interactive for users. More beneficial for the company’. Multiple tools have been implemented, resulting in a faster and more interactive platform. Kamal discussed several areas where developers have found Lightning to be a nice improvement over the already solid user interface version, Salesforce Classic.  

1. Power. The power of the application provides a platform of improved and efficient navigation. Fields that populate faster combine with the ability to switch between custom views, giving easy access to productivity tools. Also, as opposed to the limited views of Salesforce Classic, the console navigation within Lightning is more expansive, allowing a person to see multiple tabs on one screen. The Lightning platform provides for more of a ‘story’ to be told to its end users. 

2. View. The ability to view opportunities and analyze them from the beginning partners nicely with the agility to track things that need immediate attention. Lightning provides customizable options, allowing users to follow their tasks and processes while monitoring and maintaining the momentum of the process overall.
   In addition, the Kanban View allows users to view and compare opportunities and their status in a big picture format. It displays records graphically, prompting action items which keep the sales process moving forward. Records can be sorted, filtered, and updated. Accounts are well organized. Documents can be customized. Filters can be created and saved for future use.  

3. Reports. Salesforce Lightning offers four reporting choices: tabular, summary, matrix and joined, and the reports are now separated from the dashboard via a specific ‘reports’ tab. Plus, previously unavailable in Classic, Lightning allows for matrix reports to be grouped and put together.

4. Batch files. The ability to run batch or ‘bat’ files offers an effective way of representing and managing the status of a particular client or process. Data is up-to-date and presented to the end user at the most current level. Effective and efficient, this creates a smooth transition throughout the business cycle.

5. A.I. Salesforce Lightning offers artificial intelligence through a component called Einstein. Einstein is a rebrand of what was once Tableau, a CRM add-on offered as an analytic tool within the Salesforce conglomerate. Having different functions, they worked in tandem, and Salesforce added it as Tableau CRM Einstein Analytics in 2019, renaming it to ‘CRM Analytics’ in April 2022. It remains a standalone option outside of Salesforce.
   The epitome of integration, Einstein helps organizations plan and automate their processes. Meeting the conditions and actions required by Salesforce, the technology behind Einstein allows for sales cycles, marketing programs, service processes, and other systems to be automated, prompting end users to the next step. Einstein welcomes complex business processes and can create matching functionality.  

6. Security. Packing additional features, Lightning’s ‘LockerService’ provides extra security within the interface through component isolation. LockerService also offers different features such as protection that is data-based and service-based.
   
7. Permissions. Whether internally (employee facing) or externally (client facing), permissions allow and deny access to information. Permissions in Lightning provide for visibility and hierarchy. 

Working with Lightning provides a streamlined and efficient platform, loaded with user friendliness. It offers most features of Classic alongside additional, customizable aspects that give your team the ability to be particular. 

The Short List

As with any product or service, there are things within the Lightning framework on the ‘con’ side of the list. Kamal explains a few reasons why companies might be hesitant to switch to Salesforce Lightning:  

• In Classic, an action item is added by using available custom Java Script buttons. In Lightning, this was replaced by Workflows and Flow builder tools. The use of custom Java Script buttons is no longer accepted.  
• Within the Salesforce app exchange, there are a few applications that run only in Classic and aren’t functional in Lightning. Before switching to Lightning, a business needs to determine whether their application will be available or if they are willing and able to enlist another in its place. 
• Lightning lacks a recycle bin. Use of this bin in Classic meant that an object or record could be deleted without having to touch the rules. In Lightning the validation rules must be removed before deletion.  

Migration and Management Experience

Implementing and migrating to Salesforce can prove challenging. It is vital to create a template for your process line and business strategies, giving consideration to the pros and cons, and the stages you want to move your business from and into. Managing the infrastructure once it is in place is also a huge undertaking. 

As Kamal explains, engaging in a CRM of this complexity needs to be a process. ‘You can migrate easily, but the business should first identify what things have to be done. Be data-oriented because you don’t want to lose or disturb data. Manage the data, make backups, and then create a process line to move things over. And then go to the process of migration.’  

Expert developers partner seamlessly with the resources available from Salesforce, complimenting the transition, implementation, and subsequent management. Salesforce development experts partner with you to brainstorm, discuss concerns, empower goals, and help you and your team make informed decisions toward expectations. Cayuse developers understand the nuances, tools, builders, advancements, and additional features, many of which come as no-cost benefits to your business. 

With years of development and migration experience and the opportunity for involvement in multiple industries, the Cayuse team brings expertise, knowledge, and professionalism. They are at-the-ready to empower your business and your team.  

Proven Results

A blog written by Torrent Consulting reports five major ROI statistics directly related to Salesforce Lightning:   

• Productivity increase of 41%
• Win Rate increase of 21% 
• Time to close improved by 23% 
• Collaboration increase of 40% 
• Conversion rate increase of 44% 

Salesforce is an impactful, powerful, and flexible tool that offers versatility and organization to your business process. Experienced Salesforce developers aid in helping your business utilize the tools and features to their fullest, ultimately allowing you and your team to run smoothly and efficiently.  

Enlist Cayuse to help streamline your business processes while you watch the improvement in your ROI.