The Salesforce Winter ’25 release is on the horizon, bringing several new features and enhancements. Here are some key details and preparation tips:

Key Dates

Release Weekends: The primary release dates are October 5, 2024, and October 12, 2024. You can check the specific upgrade date for your instance on Salesforce Trust.

Preparation Steps

Sandbox Preview: Most sandboxes will be upgraded around August 31, 2024. This is a critical time to test your configurations and integrations.

Pre-Release Org: Sign up for a pre-release org to explore new features ahead of the sandbox upgrade. This allows you to familiarize yourself with the updates in a controlled environment.

Review Release Notes: Detailed release notes will be available soon. These will outline all new features and enhancements across Salesforce products.

Key Features and Enhancements

Einstein AI Enhancements

Einstein GPT: Expanded capabilities for predictive insights and natural language processing, making it easier to interact with Salesforce data and automate tasks.

Einstein Discovery: More robust analytics with enhanced predictive models and actionable insights directly embedded into Salesforce workflows.

Flow Builder Improvements

Dynamic Forms: Enhanced functionality to create more interactive and responsive forms within Salesforce, tailored to user roles and profiles.

Triggering Flows via External Events: Capability to trigger flows based on external events, allowing for more seamless integration with other systems and real-time data processing.

Sales Cloud Enhancements

Revenue Intelligence: Advanced forecasting and analytics tools to provide deeper insights into sales performance and pipeline health.

Pipeline Inspection: Enhanced features for sales managers to monitor and manage the sales pipeline more effectively, with real-time data and actionable insights.

Service Cloud Updates

Service Setup Assistant: Simplified setup process for new Service Cloud instances, with guided steps to configure key features and settings.

Omni-Channel Routing Enhancements: Improved routing logic to ensure customer inquiries are directed to the most appropriate service agents based on skills and availability.

Marketing Cloud Innovations

Journey Builder Enhancements: New templates and tools for creating more personalized and effective customer journeys.

Interaction Studio Improvements: Enhanced real-time personalization capabilities, allowing marketers to deliver more targeted and relevant content.

Platform and Integration Enhancements

Hyperforce Expansion: Increased availability of Salesforce Hyperforce in new regions, providing better performance and compliance with local regulations.

MuleSoft Composer for Salesforce: More pre-built connectors and templates for integrating Salesforce with other systems, reducing the time and effort required for complex integrations.

How to Prepare

Participate in Salesforce community groups, webinars, and release readiness live sessions to gain insights and best practices from other Salesforce users and experts.

Review Release Notes and Documentation

Thoroughly review the official Salesforce Winter ’25 Release Notes for detailed information on all new features and changes.

Test in a Sandbox Environment

Ensure your organization tests all new features in a Salesforce sandbox environment to identify potential issues and understand how the changes will impact your existing workflows.

Update Training Materials and Conduct Training Sessions

Update your training materials to include new features and enhancements. Conduct training sessions for your users to familiarize them with the new functionality.

Evaluate and Update Customizations

Assess any customizations, integrations, and third-party applications you have in place to ensure compatibility with the Winter ’25 Release. Make necessary updates or adjustments.

Plan for a Phased Rollout

If possible, plan a phased rollout of new features to manage the transition smoothly and address any issues that arise during the initial implementation phase.

Engage with the Salesforce Community

Participate in Salesforce community groups, webinars, and release readiness live sessions to gain insights and best practices from other Salesforce users and experts.