Salesforce has always been at the forefront of enhancing user experiences and introducing powerful tools to streamline processes. The Winter ’20 release brings an exciting array of features, some of which are still in beta. Beta features are experimental and may not make it to future releases, but they offer an exciting glimpse into what could be possible. Users and administrators have the opportunity to test out these features and determine how they could be beneficial to their organizations.
The Winter ’20 beta features offer valuable improvements for Salesforce users, including better integration options, improved search functionality, and enhanced accessibility for different languages. Below, we explore some of the most notable beta features introduced in this release.
Here are 7 top beta features introduced in the Salesforce Winter ’20 Release, summarized in points:
- Enhanced External Services
- Allows for improved integration with external APIs using complex Swagger schemas.
- Reduces the need for Apex code and simplifies flow creation with external service actions.
- Einstein Search
- Delivers personalized, contextual, and actionable search results.
- Currently supports accounts, opportunities, contacts, cases, and leads.
- Right-to-Left Language Support in Reports and Dashboards
- Adds layout support for RTL languages like Hebrew, Arabic, and Urdu.
- Enhances readability and usability for users in RTL regions.
- URL Conversion Tool (My Domain Enhancements)
- Helps find and replace hard-coded URLs after enabling My Domain.
- Improves reliability by updating static links with dynamic ones.
- Profile-Specific Search Layouts
- Customizes search result layouts based on user profiles.
- Ensures that users see the most relevant fields and records for their role.
- Row-Level Formulas in Reports
- Enables applying formulas directly to individual rows in reports.
- Eliminates the need to export data for deeper analysis.
- Unique Count in Reports
- Adds a feature to count distinct values in report results.
- Helps with summarizing and interpreting grouped data efficiently.
Enhanced External Services: Expanding Integration Capabilities
The External Services feature was initially introduced as a beta in the Spring 2019 release, and it has since been further refined. It allows Salesforce to connect with external services through the use of Swagger schemas. These schemas provide a standardized method for describing RESTful APIs and allow Salesforce to integrate with a variety of third-party services without the need for extensive code. The updated beta in Winter ’20 brings more powerful features and capabilities to this tool, especially in the context of complex integrations.
One significant improvement is that Salesforce now supports a more complex Swagger 2 schema in the registration process. This new schema removes some of the character and word limitations found in earlier versions, making it possible to create more comprehensive API calls. The feature can be activated across sandbox environments, and all new external service registrations can take advantage of these enhancements. These improvements allow users to establish more robust connections and ensure that their external integrations are easier to manage and maintain.
The process for registering new external services in the Winter ’20 beta remains similar to previous versions, but users can now access more advanced features. The upgraded capabilities also extend to the Lightning Experience for Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions. Administrators can leverage this new feature to save time by simplifying the process of connecting to external services.
If users have already registered external services in their Salesforce instance, they can still benefit from the new features by recreating the registrations. This involves copying over the old registration information, updating any flows that use old Apex actions, and deleting outdated registrations. The updated External Services feature is a significant step forward for organizations looking to create more seamless integrations with external applications and services.
Einstein Search: Smarter Search Results for Salesforce Users
Another exciting beta feature in the Winter ’20 release is Einstein Search. This feature uses artificial intelligence (AI) to improve search functionality within Salesforce, delivering more personalized and relevant results for users. The goal of Einstein Search is to enhance the search experience by leveraging machine learning and AI to predict and prioritize search results based on user behavior and context.
At the time of this release, Einstein Search is available in English, but Salesforce plans to expand this feature to other languages in the future. The AI-powered search is tailored to the individual needs of users, making it more likely that they will find the information they need quickly and efficiently. For instance, if a user frequently searches for specific records, Einstein Search will learn this pattern and prioritize those records in future searches.
One of the key benefits of Einstein Search is its ability to break down information silos within organizations. In many large enterprises, data is scattered across departments, making it difficult for employees to find the information they need to perform their jobs. By making search results more relevant and targeted, Einstein Search helps bridge the gap between different teams and departments, allowing for more effective collaboration and faster decision-making.
As Einstein Search uses Salesforce’s built-in AI capabilities, it helps to surface the most relevant data quickly, allowing users to focus on completing their tasks rather than spending time navigating through irrelevant search results. The feature currently works with the five most commonly searched objects—Accounts, Opportunities, Contacts, Cases, and Leads—but Salesforce plans to expand the search capabilities to include additional objects in the future.
This AI-powered search functionality not only improves the user experience but also boosts productivity across an organization. Sales teams can quickly find opportunities, support teams can address customer issues more efficiently, and managers can retrieve critical reports and data in a fraction of the time it would take with traditional search methods.
Right-to-Left Language Support in Reports and Dashboards
The Winter ’20 release introduces significant improvements for users who work in right-to-left (RTL) languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Urdu. Salesforce has enhanced its Reports and Dashboards to support RTL languages, which is particularly important for users in regions where these languages are spoken. Before this update, users working in RTL languages faced challenges because Salesforce’s interface was primarily designed for left-to-right (LTR) languages.
With the updated support for RTL languages, users can now view Reports and Dashboards in a way that aligns with their language conventions. This means that text, columns, and rows are properly aligned for easier readability. This improvement makes Salesforce a more accessible and user-friendly tool for businesses in regions where RTL languages are the norm.
The update ensures that when a user is working with a report or dashboard in an RTL language, all elements are displayed correctly, making it easier to read and understand the data. This functionality will help organizations with international operations or those serving customers in diverse regions to ensure that their Salesforce instance is accessible to users worldwide.
By improving support for RTL languages, Salesforce is making a significant step toward becoming a more inclusive platform. Organizations in RTL-speaking countries can now leverage Salesforce’s powerful tools without worrying about language barriers or misaligned content.
Keeping URLs Alive in Lightning Experience
Another valuable addition in the Winter ’20 release is the enhancement to URL management when using My Domain. My Domain is a Salesforce feature that allows businesses to customize their Salesforce domain name, providing a more branded and secure experience. However, enabling My Domain can sometimes create problems if there are hard-coded URLs within the Salesforce instance that still reference the old domain.
Salesforce addresses this issue with the Hard-Coded URLs tab in the Lightning Experience Configuration Converter. This tool helps administrators identify and update all hard-coded URLs within the Salesforce environment, ensuring that they point to the correct My Domain URLs. By automating the process of replacing outdated URLs, Salesforce makes it easier for businesses to transition to My Domain without breaking any links or references in their system.
The Hard-Coded URLs tool can be accessed from both Salesforce Classic and Lightning Experience, and it is available in the Enterprise, Professional, Performance, Unlimited, and Developer Editions that have My Domain enabled. Administrators can update URLs individually or in bulk, depending on the scale of the changes required. This feature streamlines the transition to My Domain and eliminates the risk of broken links, which can cause errors and disruptions to business operations.
For organizations that heavily rely on hard-coded URLs within their Salesforce configuration, this feature will save valuable time and effort. Instead of manually updating each reference, the tool automates the process, ensuring that all links continue to function correctly after My Domain is enabled.
Enhancing Customization and Reporting Capabilities in Salesforce Winter ’20
Salesforce’s Winter ’20 release continues to introduce updates that allow for deeper customization, enhanced reporting capabilities, and more efficient workflows. With features like Profile-Specific Search, RTL support, and row-level formulas in reports, users can tailor their Salesforce instance to meet their unique business needs. In this section, we will explore these updates in more detail and examine how they improve the overall user experience.
Profile-Specific Search: Tailored Search for Different User Roles
The Winter ’20 release introduces an enhanced search experience with Profile-Specific Search. This feature allows administrators to configure search layouts for different user profiles, ensuring that search results are tailored to the specific needs of each role. For example, a sales representative may need to see opportunities and accounts in their search results, while a support technician may be more focused on service cases and troubleshooting resources.
By using Profile-Specific Search, administrators can customize search layouts for different user profiles, ensuring that users see only the most relevant data. This reduces clutter in search results and improves overall productivity by enabling users to find the information they need quickly and efficiently.
To configure Profile-Specific Search, administrators need to have the Einstein Search Permission Set License. Once this license is enabled, search layouts can be customized through the Search Layouts section in Salesforce. Administrators can create unique search layouts for each object and define which fields are included in the search results for each user profile. This ensures that every user sees the most pertinent information based on their role and responsibilities within the organization.
This feature is particularly useful for large organizations with diverse teams. By customizing search layouts for different profiles, businesses can ensure that users spend less time sifting through irrelevant data and more time focusing on tasks that matter to their specific role.
Right-to-Left Language Support in Reports and Dashboards
As mentioned earlier, the Winter ’20 release includes improved support for right-to-left (RTL) languages. This update enhances the usability of Reports and Dashboards for users working in languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, and Urdu. The new RTL functionality ensures that Salesforce is accessible to a broader range of users worldwide, improving accessibility for businesses that operate in RTL-speaking regions.
This update is particularly valuable for organizations that have a global presence or serve customers in different linguistic regions. By supporting RTL languages, Salesforce is helping to break down language barriers and provide a more inclusive experience for users across the world.
In addition to improving accessibility, this update also enhances the overall user experience by ensuring that reports and dashboards are displayed correctly and are easy to read. Users can now navigate Salesforce’s powerful reporting tools without having to worry about misaligned content or difficult-to-read data, improving the efficiency of their work and overall satisfaction with the platform.
Unlocking the Full Potential of Salesforce Winter ’20 Features
Salesforce’s Winter ’20 release brought with it a powerful set of features designed to increase productivity, enhance user experiences, and improve automation across the platform. While every seasonal release includes incremental improvements, Winter ’20 stood out by pushing forward significant updates across Lightning Experience, AI-powered tools, and Salesforce’s overall ecosystem.
Whether you’re a Salesforce admin, developer, or end-user, unlocking the full potential of this release can significantly streamline operations, improve decision-making, and empower your teams.
1. Lightning Experience: Default for All Users
One of the most pivotal changes in Winter ’20 was Salesforce making Lightning Experience the default interface for all users. This wasn’t just a cosmetic change; it signaled Salesforce’s commitment to modern, user-friendly design with more intuitive and faster navigation.
Benefits:
- Improved productivity with better page layouts and utility bar access.
- Dynamic components that allow pages to react based on user interaction or data changes.
- More admin control with Lightning App Builder for tailoring experiences without code.
Pro Tip:
Use the Lightning Experience Transition Assistant to help teams smoothly migrate. Admins should evaluate which classic customizations may not directly translate and leverage this opportunity to clean up outdated workflows.
2. Enhanced Salesforce Mobile App
The Winter ’20 release introduced a completely redesigned Salesforce Mobile App, aligning the mobile experience closer to the desktop Lightning Experience. It allows for greater customization and improved performance.
Key Features:
- Lightning apps and components are now available on mobile.
- Admins can customize the navigation menu and layout per user profile.
- Better offline support and faster load times.
Use Case:
Field sales teams can use the redesigned app to update opportunities, check dashboards, and collaborate in real-time without needing a laptop.
3. Einstein Voice Assistant (Beta)
One of the most exciting introductions was Einstein Voice Assistant, enabling users to talk to Salesforce. With voice becoming an increasingly important interface, this feature marked Salesforce’s leap into AI-driven interaction.
What it Can Do:
- Log notes via voice.
- Create and update records hands-free.
- Access daily briefings.
Business Value:
This is especially helpful for sales reps on the go, allowing them to update CRM data without typing, which increases accuracy and timeliness.
Tip:
Since it was in beta, early adoption gives businesses a competitive edge and feedback opportunities. Pair this with mobile for maximum effect.
4. Einstein Forecasting Enhancements
Salesforce doubled down on AI by improving Einstein Forecasting. These enhancements focused on accuracy and transparency, providing sales leaders with better insights into their pipeline.
New Capabilities:
- Understand forecast drivers through new visualizations.
- Drill down into Einstein’s reasoning behind predictions.
- Use AI to identify forecast anomalies early.
Use Case:
Sales managers can now rely on AI to highlight underperforming reps or deals at risk, enabling timely coaching and strategy adjustments.
5. Opportunity Scoring Enhancements
Einstein Opportunity Scoring, previously available in Essentials, was made generally available to all editions with Sales Cloud. It’s a free feature that uses AI to score deals based on their likelihood to close.
Features:
- Automatically scores each opportunity on a 1–99 scale.
- Insights into what’s helping or hurting a deal (e.g., close date changes, activity level).
- Integration into list views and reports.
How to Use It:
Enable scoring in Setup, then filter opportunity list views to prioritize deals. Sales reps can work smarter by focusing on high-scoring opportunities, while managers can monitor low-scoring deals for risk.
6. Dynamic Forms (Beta)
Winter ’20 introduced Dynamic Forms in beta for custom objects. This feature allows fields and sections on a page layout to be conditionally displayed based on record criteria, without needing a Visualforce page or custom code.
Advantages:
- Reduce clutter by only showing relevant fields.
- Greater control over page layout per role or condition.
- Improved performance by loading only needed elements.
Example:
Display additional warranty fields only when a product is marked as “Sold with Warranty” on a custom object. This improves user experience and data quality.
7. Lightning Flow Enhancements
Flows continued to evolve in Winter ’20, offering more power to automate complex business processes without code.
Key Updates:
- Scheduled Flows: Trigger a flow on a schedule (like nightly jobs).
- Before-save Flows: Automate record updates before saving, improving performance.
- Flow Debugging: Better error tracking and testing features.
Use Case:
Schedule a flow to update contract status every night based on expiration date, reducing manual tasks and improving accuracy.
8. Clone with Related for Opportunities, Campaigns, and Custom Objects
Winter ’20 added the ability to clone records along with their related records, streamlining processes like reusing deals, campaigns, or templates.
Use Cases:
- Duplicate a closed-won opportunity with all its products for renewal.
- Clone a marketing campaign, including all associated assets and members.
How to Enable:
Turn on the “Clone with Related” feature in Setup. This reduces repetitive data entry and ensures consistency across duplicated records.
9. Enhanced Report Subscriptions
Reports received a big upgrade with row-level report subscriptions. Users can subscribe to reports that only alert them when certain conditions are met.
Benefits:
- More targeted and relevant alerts.
- Reduce notification fatigue.
- Empower users to be proactive with data insights.
Example:
A sales rep gets notified only when a high-value opportunity with a close date in the next 7 days remains open.
10. Security and Permission Enhancements
Salesforce introduced several security enhancements to help admins manage access more granularly:
- View All for Custom Metadata Types: Better control over custom metadata.
- Field-Level Security for Permission Sets: Reduce reliance on profiles.
- Login-as Restrictions: More transparency and control over who can log in as users.
These changes support tighter access control and help align with compliance standards like GDPR and HIPAA.
Making the Most of Winter ’20
Salesforce Winter ’20 was packed with features that, when fully leveraged, can transform how businesses use the platform. Whether it’s embracing the power of AI through Einstein features, streamlining processes with Flows and Dynamic Forms, or enhancing user engagement through a modern UI and mobile experience, this release was all about empowering users and automating smarter.
To unlock the full potential:
- Stay informed: Read release notes and join Salesforce communities.
- Sandbox test: Try new features safely before rolling them out.
- Train users: Ensure teams understand how to use new tools.
- Plan adoption: Prioritize features that align with your business goals.
As Salesforce continues to evolve, every release is an opportunity to rethink, refine, and reimagine what’s possible.
Elevating Reporting and Data Analysis in Salesforce Winter ’20
The Salesforce Winter ’20 release doesn’t stop at search enhancements and external integrations. It also introduces a host of updates to reporting and analytics, giving users deeper insights into their data. In any organization, reports and dashboards are key components of operational visibility, decision-making, and performance monitoring. This part of the release is especially exciting because it empowers users to manipulate and analyze data in new and more meaningful ways directly within Salesforce.
With features such as row-level formulas, field-to-field filters, and the ability to count unique values in reports, Winter ’20 strengthens Salesforce’s commitment to making data actionable and accessible. Let’s explore these reporting features and what they mean for your organization.
Row-Level Formulas: Applying Logic Directly in Reports
Row-level formulas allow users to create formulas that are calculated per row in a report, rather than requiring separate data manipulation in an external spreadsheet. This is a major productivity boost, as users no longer need to export data just to run basic calculations or apply logic for individual records.
The row-level formula editor is accessible directly in the report builder. Users can use a wide range of operators and functions to calculate fields like differences between numerical values, conditional logic based on criteria, or customized text strings. This feature transforms reports into much more dynamic tools for analysis and storytelling.
For example, a sales report could include a row-level formula that calculates the number of days between a lead’s creation date and its conversion. Another report might display the percentage difference between a quota and the actual revenue achieved. These formulas are embedded in each row, giving users real-time insights into trends, anomalies, or exceptions within their data.
This capability is especially valuable in cases where users need immediate answers without the delay or complexity of consulting a data analyst or exporting to a spreadsheet. It brings analytics closer to the point of action, allowing users to respond to insights faster and with greater confidence.
Field-to-Field Filters: Comparing Fields Directly
Field-to-field filters are another powerful addition to the reporting toolkit in Winter ’20. These filters allow users to create logical comparisons between two fields within a report. Instead of filtering based solely on fixed values, users can now apply dynamic logic such as “Field A must be greater than Field B” or “Field X must not equal Field Y.”
This feature allows for more nuanced data queries, which are especially useful in operational and performance reports. For example, a support team manager might use a field-to-field filter to view only cases where the resolution date is later than the due date, helping them identify overdue issues. A sales operations team might filter opportunities where the expected revenue is lower than the amount quoted, revealing potential data inconsistencies or negotiation gaps.
Field-to-field filters enhance the flexibility and sophistication of Salesforce reports. They allow users to uncover insights that were previously difficult to identify without manual data review or custom development. This makes it easier to perform data audits, enforce process compliance, and detect unusual patterns.
Unique Value Counts: Understanding Data at a Glance
Another highlight of the Winter ’20 reporting updates is the ability to count unique values in reports. This feature is simple but powerful, offering users a way to quickly see how many distinct entries exist within a report group or column.
For example, in a report showing closed deals by sales rep, a unique value count could show how many different accounts were involved, helping managers assess diversification across customers. In a customer service report, a count of unique issues logged might indicate the variety of problems being reported and can guide training or product improvements.
The unique count summary appears at the bottom of each grouped section and in the total row, making it easy to spot trends and make comparisons. This provides another layer of understanding to data that otherwise might be lost among duplicated entries or high-volume lists.
Unique value counts are particularly helpful when working with datasets that involve repeated or redundant data points, allowing users to distill down to core metrics without over-relying on manual calculations or data exports.
Reporting Accessibility Across Languages and Layouts
In combination with right-to-left language support, Salesforce has also made improvements to the layout and user interface of Reports and Dashboards to enhance readability. This is not just a visual improvement—it has a tangible impact on user productivity and data interpretation, especially in non-English language environments.
With better alignment and flow for users in regions such as the Middle East and parts of Asia, Salesforce ensures that data is not just accessible but also comfortably usable. The visual experience of reports now adapts based on language direction, making it easier for users to create, read, and share dashboards regardless of their linguistic background.
Use Cases: Real-World Applications of Reporting Updates
The enhancements in reporting introduced in Winter ’20 can be applied across various industries and roles. Here are a few examples:
- In healthcare, administrators can use row-level formulas to track patient appointment delays or compare prescribed medication dates to actual fulfillment dates.
- In manufacturing, operations teams can use field-to-field filters to ensure that planned production dates match actual output timelines.
- In education, institutions can use unique value counts to understand student engagement across different programs or campuses.
Salesforce’s vision of a truly customizable and intelligent CRM platform is reinforced by these tools, which democratize data analysis. Users at all levels whether they’re analysts, managers, or frontline employees can use these tools to make sense of their data and drive informed decisions.
Reporting Improvements
The reporting enhancements in Winter ’20 significantly expand what users can achieve within the platform without requiring external tools. The combination of row-level formulas, field-to-field filters, and unique value counts makes it possible to perform sophisticated analyses directly within Salesforce reports.
These features reduce the reliance on spreadsheets, make it easier to discover meaningful patterns, and promote faster action on insights. Whether you’re optimizing sales performance, improving customer service, or evaluating operational efficiency, these updates enable more strategic and data-driven decision-making.
The commitment to right-to-left language support also demonstrates Salesforce’s broader focus on inclusivity and global usability. These improvements ensure that users from diverse regions and industries can access and understand their data in the format that best suits their needs.
As businesses continue to prioritize agility and efficiency, these enhancements position Salesforce as a critical tool in enabling real-time, data-informed decisions at every level of the organization.
