Salesforce OmniStudio, initially developed by Vlocity, is a suite of tools designed to help businesses deliver industry-specific solutions within the Salesforce platform. It was acquired by Salesforce and rebranded as OmniStudio. This acquisition allowed Salesforce to enhance its offerings with deeper and more industry-focused functionalities, particularly in sectors like healthcare, media, government, insurance, and utilities.
Acquisition and General Availability (GA)
Salesforce announced the acquisition of Vlocity in February 2020, and the deal was completed in June 2020. OmniStudio’s components became generally available (GA) within Salesforce following this acquisition, with Salesforce progressively integrating Vlocity’s capabilities into its platform. This integration aimed to leverage Salesforce’s robust CRM capabilities with Vlocity’s industry-specific solutions, enhancing the overall value for users in targeted industries.
Standard Tables (Objects) Transition
With the acquisition, several of Vlocity’s standard tables, known in Salesforce as standard objects, were transitioned into the Salesforce ecosystem. These objects support various industry-specific processes and data models, enhancing Salesforce’s native capabilities. Some of the key objects or tables include:
- Vlocity Insurance Objects: For managing insurance policies, claims, and more.
- Vlocity Media & Entertainment Objects: For subscriptions, contracts, and media assets.
- Vlocity Health Objects: For patient relationships, health plans, and benefits management.
These objects were integrated into Salesforce, enabling organizations to manage complex, industry-specific data and processes directly within the Salesforce platform.
Comprehensive Tutorial on OmniStudio and Salesforce Integration
Step 1: Getting Started with OmniStudio
- Installation: Ensure OmniStudio is installed in your Salesforce org. If not, it may need to be obtained through Salesforce AppExchange or directly from Salesforce.
- Access: Assign the necessary OmniStudio permission sets to your Salesforce users to enable them to create and manage OmniStudio components.
Step 2: Understanding OmniStudio Components
Familiarize yourself with key OmniStudio tools:
- DataRaptors: Utilize for data extraction, transformation, and loading (ETL) operations within Salesforce.
- FlexCards: Create dynamic UI components for presenting data.
- OmniScripts: Design interactive, guided experiences for users to perform tasks in a sequence.
- Integration Procedures: Orchestrate complex data operations and integrations.
Step 3: Designing Your Data Model
- Analyze Data Needs: Understand the data your business processes require, including both Salesforce native and custom objects.
- Utilize DataRaptors: Set up DataRaptors to manage data flow and transformations as needed for your processes.
Step 4: Building User Interfaces with FlexCards
- Create FlexCards: Design FlexCards to display information dynamically within Salesforce UI, leveraging data from Salesforce objects or external sources.
Step 5: Creating Guided Processes with OmniScripts
- Develop OmniScripts: Craft OmniScripts to guide users through complex processes, such as application forms or service requests, integrating data from various sources as needed.
Step 6: Implementing Integration Procedures
- Set Up Integration Procedures: Use these for more sophisticated data integrations, combining multiple data sources, and applying business logic.
Step 7: Testing and Deployment
- Test Your Configurations: Use Salesforce sandbox environments to thoroughly test OmniStudio configurations and customizations.
- Deploy to Production: Follow Salesforce’s best practices for deploying changes from sandbox to production environments.
Step 8: Training and Adoption
- User Training: Develop training materials and sessions to help users become familiar with the new tools and processes.
- Feedback Loop: Establish a feedback loop to continuously improve the implementation based on user feedback.
Best Practices for Integration
- Start Small: Begin with a pilot project to understand the capabilities and limitations before scaling up.
- Leverage Salesforce Capabilities: Utilize Salesforce’s native features and capabilities where possible to ensure a seamless integration.
- Continuous Learning: Stay updated with Salesforce and OmniStudio releases and updates to leverage new features and improvements.
OmniStudio’s integration into Salesforce represents a significant enhancement in Salesforce’s ability to provide industry-specific solutions. Upcoming articles will delve deeper into OmniStudio and Salesforce integration.
Salesforce Screen Flow vs. OmniScript – Best Practices & Usage Scenarios – Salesforce Watch