Dreamforce 2024 ushered in a new era of AI, where the emphasis was on pushing beyond predictive and generative models into the world of assistive and autonomous agents. From the highly anticipated launches of Agentforce and Tableau Einstein, to deeper integrations between AI and data, here are our top takeaways from the event.
1. Agentforce is the future of AI in Salesforce
AI has been a hot topic at Dreamforce for the last few years, but with this year’s introduction of Agentforce, it feels like the game has truly changed. We started with predictive AI, then transitioned to generative AI, and now we’ve reached the world of assistive and autonomous Agents. This means combining humans, AI, data, and actions together to drive customer success.
Source: Salesforce+
Some aspects of Agentforce Agents are a rebrand of Einstein Copilot Agents, but they extend the functionality to create more autonomous agents that can do things like generate content or take specific actions.
Rather than relying on dashboards, reports, and traditional record pages, Agentforce allows users to interface with data conversationally. This marks a shift in how companies will engage with their CRM data, transforming daily operations with AI agents that seamlessly blend human input with AI-driven actions.
2. Agent Studio, Prompt Builder, and Model Builder will be key to using AI
With Agent Studio, Salesforce took a leap forward from the earlier Copilot functionality. The introduction of “Topics” allows companies to group actions by business processes, providing extra guidance to ensure Agentforce works within the right parameters. It’s an improvement that helps the AI better understand the context of a company’s unique workflows.
We were also glad to hear that Prompt Builder isn’t going anywhere. While there may not have been any prompt builder-centric changes released, it remains a key tool in the Salesforce AI toolbox. Prompt templates can be integrated into your existing flows and automations, incorporated into lightning record pages, or even used as the foundation for custom agent actions.
Model Builder has also become a key component of Salesforce’s AI ecosystem, allowing users to build and fine-tune predictive models and large language models (LLMs). This new feature enables even greater customization in Agentforce. Companies can use Model Builder to refine their AI models and integrate them with Prompt Builder, tailoring the AI responses for specific business scenarios.
3. Tableau Einstein brings together the best of CRMA and Tableau
Salesforce showcased Tableau Einstein in the Tableau Keynote presentation. In addition to the keynote, Tableau Einstein had several booths where users could interact with Tableau Einstein and have questions answered. The new tool appears to use a lot of the visualization capabilities of traditional Tableau, combined with the look and feel of CRMA.
Tableau Einstein won’t be GA until February. But Atrium, as a beta partner, will have access to the product in October. One of just five partners included in the beta program, Atrium will be a leader in helping organizations make the most out of Tableau Einstein.
Source: Salesforce+
While it will come out over the course of next year, not every use case will be perfect for Tableau Einstein and CRMA/Tableau aren’t going anywhere yet. It will likely take a bit of time for Tableau Einstein to truly replace Tableau or CRMA, so don’t wait to build your analytics in Tableau Einstein. Keep building in CRMA or Tableau for now, and then evaluate case-by-case what makes sense to move to Tableau Einstein.
And when you are ready to make the move, we have Tableau Einstein services to help.
4. Candid conversations in the Atrium Lounge
While there were so many big announcements on the Dreamforce stage, the best takeaways of the week came from the fantastic conversations with our customers in the Atrium Lounge.
Atrium presents a panel on AI in banking with Houlihan Lokey
Our team was thrilled to host customer panels and roundtable discussions throughout the week with leaders from HPE, Twilio, 6sense, Medidata, Solenis, Houlihan Lokey, Confluent, and more. We learned how organizations across industries and business functions are using AI and data-driven strategies to improve customer experience, close more deals, and grow revenue.
5. Tableau Pulse is drawing a crowd
Initially greeted with high expectations, Tableau Pulse went through a period of uncertainty. Since the release, it has gone through a large swing from the peak of inflated expectations and has been slogging through the trough of disillusionment.
That said, Pulse is finally experiencing the slope of enlightenment as users are realizing the appropriate use cases for it. Dreamforce attendees saw firsthand how Pulse integrates with Data Cloud’s Model Builder to provide real-time insights into business metrics.
We had many conversations at the Atrium Lounge with attendees who were interested in learning more about Tableau Pulse, and drew huge crowds to our speaking sessions in Moscone. People are clearly excited about what Pulse can bring to their analytics strategy.
Atrium speaking session on Tableau Pulse in the Tableau Theater at Dreamforce
6. The Starry Night Soirée was the shining star of the week
People may go to Dreamforce to learn, but it never hurts to add a little dancing to the agenda! Atrium’s Starry Night Soirée was THE party of the week, and a highlight for many of our team members, customers, and partners. It was great to let loose and have some fun with great people after a long day of learning and networking. Big thanks to our sponsors, Snowflake, Tableau, and ScaleWith, for helping us create an out-of-this-world event.
Atrium’s Starry Night Soirée at Dreamforce 2024
7. Data Cloud is essential for moving forward with many new features
Salesforce Data Cloud is becoming more integrated with the new products Salesforce is releasing, particularly those with AI capabilities. Data Cloud plays a crucial role in surfacing customer data across all Customer 360 applications, Agentforce, Flow, and analytics tools.
With its zero copy capabilities and MuleSoft connectors, Data Cloud can seamlessly pull data from a wide range of sources, including data lakes and warehouses, making it a central hub for integrating diverse data streams into Salesforce’s AI-powered ecosystem.
Source: Salesforce+
In addition to Einstein Studio and Model Builder, there will also soon be more ways to connect Data Cloud to Agentforce. This includes retrievers that will allow you to take advantage of not only the structured but also the unstructured data that you have stored in Data Cloud. It can now surface insights from unstructured audio and video content to Agentforce, giving the agents more context to meet customer needs.
Data Cloud is also increasingly integrated with Tableau, and is now included with the Tableau+ offering. Tableau Einstein will be powered by Data Cloud, and Einstein Studio and Model Builder live in Data Cloud. If you want to implement AI and advanced analytics and aren’t on Data Cloud yet, now might be the time to have that conversation.
Your CRM + Data + AI partner
Dreamforce 2024 made it clear that the future of Salesforce lies in the convergence of AI, data, and automation. At Atrium, we’re at the forefront of the latest Salesforce innovations, from Agentforce to Tableau Einstein.
If you’re ready to get started but need some guidance, our team is here to help. Whether you’re looking to enhance your AI strategy, optimize your data architecture, or unlock new levels of customer personalization, our experts can guide you every step of the way. Learn more about our services.
