The Salesforce Spring 24 Release Notes are packed with AI

On key dates during the weekends of January 12th, February 2nd and February 9th, production instances around the world were upgraded with the latest Salesforce^® release. The Salesforce Spring 24 Release Notes are full to the brim with new features and functionality that expand the power and value Salesforce technology brings you.

If you weren’t aware of the new release until now, or you aren’t 100% sure what it means for you, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll explore all the most exciting new developments right here in this article. Let’s go.

Data and AI: the watchwords

If there’s one common theme throughout the Salesforce Spring 24 Release Notes, it’s a focus on data and AI. In fact, the release notes kick off by talking about how “the Spring ’24 release helps teams work smarter with new product innovations built on Data + AI + CRM + Trust.” In recent times, the company has put its focus squarely on this area of technology, among other things branding last year’s Dreamforce conference “the largest AI event of the year”.

OK, so what are the AI-powered innovations taking centre stage in the Salesforce Spring 2024 Release? Let’s start with a very important one:

1. Einstein Copilot

What is it?

Salesforce’s own take on the generative AI chatbot tools (such as ChatGPT, Google Bard and Microsoft Bing) that have become so popular in recent years. With the Salesforce Spring 2024 Release, the Einstein Copilot conversational AI assistant is now embedded across the spectrum of Salesforce applications. 

How does it help you?

Einstein Copilot delivers huge possibilities for teams to boost their productivity. By using simple, conversational commands, users can trigger automated steps and tasks for all kinds of business activities. Gathering information, kicking off or advancing processes – Copilot can aid with it all. Just say the word(s).

During the rest of this article, you’ll see how Einstein Copilot can help all kinds of businesses/departments with all kinds of matters. But first, let’s look at how Salesforce has ensured you can make the most of Copilot… 

2. Prompt Builder

What is it?

To help Salesforce Admins craft the generative AI experiences we looked at above, Salesforce created Prompt Builder. Prompts are how users communicate with the large language model (LLM) algorithm at the core of Einstein Copilot, and Prompt Builder enables businesses to craft prompts that ensure Copilot makes the best possible use of all the data they have, manipulating it and providing it to users in the most helpful ways – while also protecting data privacy. 

How does it help you?

Prompt Builder is a no-code solution integrated directly into the flow of work in Salesforce. That means admins don’t need specialist expertise to build, test and fine-tune AI prompts, and they don’t need to break the flow of work to do it. They are able to use the existing Salesforce technologies, such as automations, which they’re already familiar and comfortable with. 

Furthermore, because Prompt Builder is contained within the Einstein Trust Layer, organisations don’t need to worry about how sensitive data is being used by Prompt Builder and Copilot – it’s safely contained within the same Salesforce security bubble as when it’s used elsewhere.

3. Service Cloud Einstein: Search Answers

What is it?

Einstein Search Answers is designed to transform the way users search in Salesforce. With the new, AI-powered Search Answers, customer service agents can now much more easily and quickly extract the most relevant information from knowledge articles and other reference materials they use in their work. 

How does it help you?

Whatever the business, customer satisfaction depends on the speed and effectiveness with which customer service agents respond and address their needs. Einstein Search Answers enables agents to leverage all the information their organisation has stored – including messages other agents have sent to customers during the course of previous cases. 

Previously, a service agent’s process would be to open a record page, find the URL and relevant section of a knowledge article, and send them to a customer. Now, the agent simply makes a query via Search Answers – directly within the flow of their work – and is given a tailored, relevant answer, taken from knowledge articles and previous cases, which they can quickly and easily share without leaving the page. The ultimate benefit of all this? Better, quicker answers mean smoother case resolution – which means happier customers. 

4. Commerce Concierge

What is it?

Commerce Concierge allows businesses to provide generative AI assistants to customers via their online storefronts and messaging apps. These sophisticated assistants can help customers discover relevant products via helpful, image-rich interactions with personalised responses and recommendations, and also streamline the path to purchase.  

How does it help you?

Until now, it’s been difficult for online shopping experiences to match the insights, knowledge and diligence that a good sales rep delivers in a brick-and-mortar store. That’s because it’s been hitherto impossible to support true conversations about customers’ individual needs, which enable the most appropriate product recommendations. Conversational AI, backed with access to all relevant business data, including past shopper interactions, is great for doing exactly that. 

Imagine if you could ask an online store’s chatbot: “what would be the ideal companion product for my existing product(s), to best achieve a specific thing?” A “digital store assistant”, powered by Commerce Concierge, can reply to such natural language queries, taking into account all the information available, and give the perfect recommendation – then help the customer to the checkout. This has the potential to increase sales, and customer satisfaction and loyalty, dramatically. 

5. Einstein Copilot: Sales Actions

What is it?

Embedded within Sales Cloud, Einstein Copilot’s Sales Actions is a conversational AI assistant for salespeople. It’s aimed at empowering greater productivity during each step of the sales cycle: helping salespeople to research customers and prospects, perform follow-up activities after meetings, and maintaining up-to-date records. 

How does it help you?

In an ideal world, most salespeople wouldn’t want to be spending their precious time on administrative tasks or research. They want to be doing what they are best at: closing deals. Sales Actions helps them to do that, as well as keeping them well-informed with updates and insights into their and team members’ ongoing work. 

Instead of scouring lots of different information sources, salespeople can now just ask a simple question, in natural language, and get a fast and comprehensive answer. They don’t need to break the flow of their work to do this – just “talk” to Copilot Sales Actions within the chat that’s integrated into the same panel they use to review quotas, predictions, closed deals and more. All of this makes it easier for them to concentrate on the most fulfilling parts of their jobs, where their skills are put to the best use. 

Thanks for reading our highlights from the Salesforce Spring 24 Release Notes

I hope you’ve enjoyed the VRP highlights from Salesforce’s Spring 24 Release. As a global Salesforce Consultancy, we keep a keen eye on every new development across the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform, so we always know how to leverage new functionality for our clients’ benefit. It’s imperative that our Managed Services Practice, for instance, stays up to date with every new release, in order that clients are prepared for changes and understand their impact. 

As VRP’s Chief Technology Officer for the UK and Ireland, I’m always keen to explore and communicate the possibilities of Salesforce’s latest technologies – as I’ve done here. If you would like to discuss anything in the Salesforce Spring 24 Release Notes, or any other aspect of the Salesforce Customer 360 Platform, and how it and we can help your organisation, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.

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About the Author

Mark Hartnady

Head of Architecture, VRP Consulting UKI

Mark Hartnady is one of our global architecture leaders, based in our London office. Mark has been working with CRM solutions, with a particular focus on the Salesforce platform since 2012 and has been instrumental in transforming enterprises with scalable, extensible solutions in the manufacturing, automotive, hi-tech and media sectors.