Best Practice: Multiple Chatter Posts of the Same File
· 1 CommentFiled under: Configuration, Native Application, Salesforce CRM, Tips and Tricks
Salesforce Administrators learn to remind users: “Search before you create a new lead.” Pretty simple, right? Duplicated records are a pain.
Then why do I see some very accomplished Salesforce users in the Dreamforce app posting duplicate Content/Files in Chatter?
Here are some examples from the Files tab:
I've learned my lesson in the past 8 months... I promise!
The better thing to do – assuming that you need to post the same file multiple times (this should be rare, as it might be considered Chatter Spamming, but when referring multiple users or groups to a document, it can come in handy) is to upload the file ONCE and use references to it in subsequent feed posts.
This has a bonus: Better maintenance! Instead of other users not knowing which file to follow if they want to be notified anytime that file is updated, just ensure that there is only ONE copy in the org, and everyone can follow that. This is especially useful for legal documents, employee handbooks, FAQs, Dreamforce App Codes of Conduct… you get the idea.
Not sure how it’s done? Here are a few screenshots:
Note the selected choice!
Clicking on "attach" closes the window
Only one file can be attached
And there you have it! Go forth and attach! … and after that, just link.
Content Latest Version Flag
· 2 CommentsFiled under: Configuration, Native Application, Salesforce CRM, salesforce.com, Tips and Tricks
Yesterday, I used Content Delivery to send a pdf to a client. Simple, right? Upload the Word document to Content, associate it with a record, and deliver the content. Surely if I upload a new version, the delivery will refer to the latest version, right? There’s no place to select that option, so I can assume, right?
Wrong.
This is the screen I see when I choose to deliver a given file. Note that I can choose whether to allow access to the original file or only to a pdf… but nothing about which version to deliver. (There are 4 versions right now.)
Content Delivery Options
The document in question needed some changes, so I uploaded a new version and told the client that the old link would still work. Oops.
By default, Content Deliveries are set to refer to one specific version of a Content file. I can understand this, but surely I should be given the opportunity to change that?
To do this, view the Delivery record and see the following:
Content Delivery Record Detail View
Click Edit and check the appropriate checkbox.
There you have it! A few extra clicks, but a Content Delivery can point to the latest version.
Do you use Content Deliveries? How do you like it?
PersonAccount Stay-In-Touch Gotcha
· 2 CommentsFiled under: Configuration, Native Application, salesforce.com, Tips and Tricks
I make no secret that I’m a fan of PersonAccounts. I think they’re very handy when working with individuals instead of companies, and I really like pairing them with the Relationship Groups app to make households.
I’ve always considered them as mostly-contacts. I put all Person fields on the Contact object, reserving very few for the Account object. But for some reason, I’ve usually used Billing Address as the primary address and Mailing as the secondary. No reason – that’s just how I’ve done it.
That all changed yesterday. I was prepping to demo a system to a company and decided to click the “Request Update” button to send a Stay-In-Touch email. This is not a customizable email (well, not much) in terms of the fields from the Contact that it displays, so it used the Mailing Address. Oops!
From now on, I am using Mailing and Other addresses for PersonAccounts. Billing, you’re reserved for BusinessAccounts.
Feel free to debate the merits and drawbacks of PersonAccounts below – I’ll respond to them in a future post.
New Opportunity Page Layout – With Highlights Panel!
· 6 CommentsFiled under: Configuration, New Features, salesforce.com, Spring 10
Yesterday, I enabled the new Opportunity page layout in my Developer Spring ’10 Preview org, and it took a few steps, so I thought I’d share them with you.
Firstly, you’ll need to contact salesforce.com to get this feature enabled.
Then be patient. It takes a minute or two for the update to propagate. Clearly, something was churning in the Force.com platform background!
Now we’ll navigate NOT to the Setup | Customize | User Interface screen (where this should be enabled). Instead, we’ll go to the Opportunity Page Layout screen.
Follow the cool prompts. They make it so easy, a … well, you know what I mean.
Step 1: Enable the Highlights Panel
Opportunity Layout Setup
Step 2: Edit the Page Layout
Choosing Fields to Display
Note: You can only show fields in the Highlights Panel if they are in the page layout. (I have a feeling this has to do with Professional Edition or printable layouts, but I’m just guessing.)
Once you’ve done this for each page layout, click on the big button.
Confirmation - You're (mostly) done!
At this point, each user can enable the bar. I have no idea why the admin can’t just force this on all users – or maybe I missed something – but it seems to be an opt-in feature.
Step 3: Enable User Opt-In
Here’s the link to enable the feature. Of course, you may wish to watch a video as well!
The link to enable this setting
And here it is!
The new layout!
Return to top from the bottom of the page
It’s interesting that if you have this enabled, certain user interface settings (yes, at Setup | Customize | User Interface) cannot be changed:
When this is enabled, you cannot turn off two settings
Here’s my prediction: We will start to see two major mistakes during Salesforce demos:
- We will continue to see the link asking if we want more information on inline editing (after more than a year, it’s time to turn that off, people).
- At the top of the Opportunity detail page, we will see this link.
And I will continue to think less of all demonstrators who make these mistakes.
Happy Spring 2010!
