Salesforce Summer '24: The Summer of Flows

CRM Hacker | Salesforce Summer '24 Release: A Guide for Admins

As Salesforce continues its triannual update cycle with the upcoming Summer '24 release, admins are on the front lines of adapting and leveraging these new features.

This guide combines detailed insights into the features specifically introduced in Salesforce Flow and broader release management strategies to help you prepare your Salesforce org effectively.

Exciting New Features in Salesforce Flow

The Summer '24 release brings several enhancements to Salesforce Flow that will help admins streamline workflows and improve user experience. Here are the key updates:

Flexible Flow Creation: Choose to start from scratch or use a template, providing admins with greater flexibility in workflow creation.
Flow Status Indications: New indicators in Flow Builder make it easier to track the status of your flows.
Revamped Action Element UI: The updated user interface in auto layout mode simplifies the process of finding and organizing actions.
Automation Lightning App: A new dedicated app for managing flows will enhance how users search, filter, and handle flow automation.
Enhanced Resource Picker: UI improvements make it easier to categorize and manage variables within flows.
Screen Component Options: Now you can set screen components to be read-only or disabled, improving the end-user experience.
New Operators for Conditions: Use "Is Empty" and "Is Blank" operators to refine the logic within your flows.
Repeater Component: Now generally available, with enhanced support for component visibility.
Transform Element Updates: Easier mapping of the Id field to streamline updates to existing records.
Action Button Component: A new beta feature allowing the direct execution of autolaunched flows from within the Flow screens.

Release Management Best Practices

Preparation and Testing

Release Updates: Enable new release updates in a sandbox first to test impacts on your systems. This includes checking custom links and code that might be affected by updates like "Allow Only Trusted Cross-Org Redirections."
Sandbox Testing: Utilize sandboxes to test changes. Make sure to refresh your sandbox before the preview instance upgrade to benefit from early access to new features.

Deployment and Monitoring

Trusted URLs: Add necessary URLs to the “Trusted URLs for Redirects” allowlist in the sandbox and then in production to ensure seamless user redirection between Salesforce orgs.
EmailSimple Action: Review and enable EmailSimple Invocable Action settings to respect organization-wide email profiles, ensuring compliance and functionality post-update.
SAML Configuration: Migrate your single sign-on setup to the new multiple-configuration SAML framework, engaging with relevant teams for smooth transition.

Strategic Insights for Admins

Release Notes: Keep an eye on release notes for the latest updates and prepare for features like the new Lightning Editor for Email Composers in Email-to-Case.
Community Engagement: Join the Release Readiness Trailblazers community group for ongoing support and updates.

Key Dates for Summer '24

April 16: Blog posts about new features begin.
April 18: Sign up for a pre-release org to get hands-on early.
April 24: Official release notes are published.
May 9: Refresh your sandbox to access new features early.
May 10: Sandbox preview begins.
May 29-31: Participate in Release Readiness Live sessions.

So What?

For Salesforce admins, staying ahead of release updates is crucial for ensuring that your org continues to run smoothly and leverages the latest features effectively. The Summer '24 release promises exciting enhancements, especially within Salesforce Flow, that can significantly improve your automation capabilities and overall system efficiency. Prepare thoroughly, test rigorously, and engage actively with the Salesforce community to make the most of these updates.

Keep this guide handy as you navigate the changes, and remember to utilize resources like Salesforce's official release notes and community forums for additional support and insights.