In today's fast-paced, tech-driven world, the ability to adapt and leverage cutting-edge technologies is paramount. AI is transforming industries, creating unprecedented opportunities for growth and innovation. According to the IDC Salesforce Economic Impact Model, the Salesforce AI economy is poised to generate nearly USD$950 billion and create almost 18 million jobs by 2028*. This burgeoning field offers a lucrative avenue for career growth and business expansion. It is important for us to support this growth, not only with our own skills but with the foresight to prepare our Salesforce environments and programs.

Fundamentals of AI

Understanding the basics of AI is crucial. Here are some key components:

  • Generative AI: This technology creates new content, such as text, images, or music, by learning from existing data and generating similar, yet original outputs.
  • Predictive AI: Uses data and algorithms to make educated guesses about future outcomes based on past patterns.
  • Natural Language Processing (NLP): Enables computers to interpret, manipulate, and comprehend human language.
  • Machine Learning: This powerhouse technology allows for the rapid development of AI models, turning what used to take months or years into mere hours or days.

Salesforce AI use cases

Salesforce is making AI accessible by seamlessly integrating its powerful AI assistant, Einstein Copilot, into its CRM platform, enabling businesses of all sizes to leverage advanced AI capabilities without requiring deep technical expertise. Einstein Service Agent provides personalized experiences, nearly pre-built chatbots, and self-service options for customers. Copilot also generates marketing content, predicts customer behavior, and recommends actions. Imagine crafting an email in 20 seconds or receiving a full summary of a customer’s service history instantly.

AI readiness

Before diving into AI implementation, assessing your organization's readiness is essential. An estimated 70-80% of AI projects fail due to lack of preparation**.

Effective AI implementation requires meticulous data management:

  1. Data governance: Establish and maintain robust data governance practices.
  2. Clean, prepare and manipulate data: Ensuring high-quality data is fundamental, as AI heavily relies on it. Incomplete or poor-quality data will lead to inaccurate predictions.
  3. Train and test models: Use representative samples of your cleaned data to train models and keep testing to ensure accuracy.
  4. Continuous improvement: Regularly re-evaluate and tweak models as new data is introduced.

Blueprint for success

To guide organizations through the AI implementation process, CGI offers an "AI Blueprint." This comprehensive analysis, run by an experienced Salesforce architect, ensures a smooth transition and successful deployment of AI technologies. The program begins with a customized AI strategy that aligns with your organization’s goals and addresses specific challenges. The Blueprint also assesses data governance and cleanliness. The outcome of an AI Blueprint is expert advice outlining the steps for successful Salesforce AI deployment, including roadmap, resources, and data readiness analysis.

Additional tools to help you get started with AI in Salesforce

  • Trailhead: Salesforce’s self-paced, publicly available learning platform is helpful for learning the basics of AI and gaining hands-on experience with the platform.
  • Elements.cloud: Elements.cloud is a change intelligence platform, helping organizations prepare for AI by offering a comprehensive platform for data governance, process mapping, and compliance management. Ensuring that the data foundation is robust and well-documented is vital before approaching AI solutions.
  • Einstein for Developers: By providing pre-built APIs and a robust development environment, Einstein for Developers allows coders to create intelligent, data-driven applications without needing to build AI from scratch. This accelerates innovation and empowers developers to enhance their applications with sophisticated AI functionalities, ultimately driving more efficient and personalized user experiences.

Conclusion

AI can offer organizations the ability to unlock new levels of efficiency, personalization, and insight, positioning themselves at the forefront of technological innovation. Understanding the fundamentals of AI, preparing your data meticulously, and leveraging powerful features in Salesforce are crucial steps toward this transformation.

As you begin this journey of exploration, consider seeking professional guidance. CGI boasts more than 750 certified Salesforce professionals who can offer valuable insights, best practices, and customized solutions tailored to your needs.

* IDC Salesforce Economic Impact Model, 2023

** Harvard Business Review, Keep Your AI Projects on Track