Perficient is recognized in Forrester’s Salesforce Consulting Services Landscape, Q4 2025, which notes our North America geographic focus and industry focus in Financial Services, Healthcare, and Manufacturing. Forrester asked each provider included in the Landscape to select the top business scenarios for which clients select them and from there determined which are the extended business scenarios that highlight differentiation among the providers. Perficient is shown in the report for having selected Agentforce, Data 360 (Data Cloud), and Industry Clouds as top reasons clients work with us out of those extended business scenarios. Our proven capabilities across Agentforce, Data 360 (Data Cloud), and Industry Clouds help clients achieve measurable outcomes from their Salesforce investments.

We believe this recognition underscores what leading analysts and buyers already know: the next phase of Salesforce is not about bigger projects—it’s about faster proof of value. The partners that win are the ones who shorten time to outcomes, orchestrate across your stack, and help you spend smarter.

How Perficient Turns Insight into Action: Our Outcomes Playbook

Outcome‑first framing becomes practical when the first milestone is small and meaningful. For revenue teams, that might be a lift in qualified pipeline from cleaner data and guided selling. For service teams, it could be faster resolution through better case routing and knowledge. For operations, it may be a reliable view of performance from harmonized data. Each path is sized to prove value quickly, then expanded as results compound.

“In this cycle, leaders want outcomes they can measure, not more complexity. The fastest path is built on proven accelerators, orchestrated workflows, and responsible AI that aligns to business goals.”
— Megan Glasow, Managing Director, Perficient’s Salesforce Practice

The Uncomfortable Truth

Most teams already “have Salesforce,” yet value stalls in the maze of customizations, parallel orgs, and integrations that never quite talk to each other. The market itself has moved from first deployments to modernization and multi-cloud expansion, which is why traditional, effort‑heavy engagements are delivering diminishing returns. Buyers are asking for partners who can deliver outcomes in increments, with industry IP and operating‑model rigor, not just more bodies.

What Changed, Practically Speaking

Two forces converged. First, core implementation work is easier to standardize, which drives commoditization. Second, AI is now embedded across the platform, including agentic capabilities that can act on your data and processes. That combination rewards teams that fix foundations, make workflows interoperable, and apply AI with governance and observability. When those pieces are in place, outcomes compound quickly.

Three Moves to Make this Quarter

1) Pick one outcome, not five

Choose a business metric that executives care about and design a sprint around it. Example outcomes: faster case resolution in Service, higher conversion in Sales, or lower cost to serve in Commerce. Anchor on a single use case, then use accelerators and standard patterns to get live in weeks. This approach mirrors how leading buyers evaluate providers today, with incremental value and industry use cases as selection criteria.

Quick start checklist:

• One KPI that is visible to the business
• A standard pattern or accelerator to reduce custom build time
• A simple adoption plan with role clarity and feedback loops

2) Orchestrate, do not bolt on

Real value shows up when workflows span systems. Map an end‑to‑end process across Salesforce and your adjacent platforms, then eliminate the handoffs that slow customers down. Expect your partner to bring reference architectures and integration patterns that make the process portable and resilient. Forrester’s guidance is explicit on this point: buyers want orchestrated workflows across tech stacks for true transformation.

3) Make ROI Repeatable

Set a cadence for license alignment, customization reduction, and tech debt cleanup. Consolidate orgs where the business case is clear. Replace custom objects with native capabilities when possible. Tie every change to operating cost, agility, or customer outcomes.

How to Choose a Partner without a 50‑page RFP

Ask three questions that cut through the noise:

• Can you show the intersection of your skills for my use case?
• What will you deliver first, and how will we measure it?
• What guardrails will be in place on day one?

Perficient’s POV: The Bottom Line

We show the intersection of our skills for your exact use case, deliver a working release tied to a single KPI in the initial increment, and put governance and auditability in place from day one. The result is measurable value, clarity on what to scale next, and confidence that outcomes will keep improving with each iteration.

If your 2026 goals include faster time to value, better orchestration, and disciplined ROI, book a modernization strategy session with our team. We will assess your current org, identify quick wins, and design an incremental plan aligned to your outcomes. Then move from strategy to proof in Outcome Over Effort, Part 2: Build, Govern, Measure, where we walk through a simple operating model to get one agent live, protect accuracy and access, and show measurable lift you can expand.

Next month’s webinar features insights from guest speakers, Forrester’s Kate Leggett and Salesforce’s Kaylin Voss, on outcomes, orchestration, and responsible AI. Bookmark this page and check back next month for details.

Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity  here .

What is Lightning Web Security?

Lightning Web Security (LWS) is Salesforce’s modern client-side security architecture designed to secure Lightning Web Components (LWC) and Aura components. Introduced as an improvement over the older Lightning Locker service, LWS enhances component isolation with better performance and compatibility with modern web standards.

Key Features of LWS

• Namespace isolation: Each Lightning web component runs in its own JavaScript sandbox, preventing unauthorized access to data or code from other namespaces.

• API distortion: LWS modifies standard JavaScript APIs dynamically to enforce security policies without breaking developer experience.

• Supports third-party libraries: Unlike Locker, LWS allows broader use of community and open-source JS libraries.

• Default in new orgs: Enabled by default for all new Salesforce orgs created from Winter ’23 release onwards.

Benefits of Using LWS

• Stronger security: Limits cross-component and cross-namespace vulnerabilities.

• Improved performance: Reduced overhead compared to Locker’s wrappers, resulting in faster load times for users.

• Better developer experience: Easier to build robust apps without excessive security workarounds.

• Compatibility: Uses the latest web standards and works well with modern browsers and tools.

How to Enable LWS in Your Org

1. Navigate to Setup > Session Settings in Salesforce.

2. Enable the checkbox for Use Lightning Web Security for Lightning web components and Aura components.

3. Save settings and clear browser cache to ensure the change takes effect.

4. Test your Lightning components thoroughly, ideally starting in a sandbox environment before deploying to production.

Best Practices for Working with LWS

• Test extensively: Some existing components may require minor updates due to stricter isolation.

• Use the LWS Console: Salesforce provides developer tools to inspect and debug components under LWS.

• Follow secure coding guidelines: Maintain least privilege principle and avoid direct DOM manipulations.

• Plan migration: Gradually transition from Lightning Locker to LWS, if upgrading older orgs.

• Leverage Third-party Libraries Wisely: Confirm compatibility with LWS to avoid runtime errors.

Troubleshooting Common LWS Issues

• Components failing due to namespace restrictions.

• Unexpected behavior with third-party libraries.

• Performance bottlenecks during initial page loading.

Utilize Salesforce’s diagnostic tools, logs, and community forums for support.

Resources for Further Learning

• Salesforce Developer Guide – Lightning Web Security

• Salesforce Trailhead Module on Lightning Web Components Security

Salesforce provides powerful features to handle metadata, allowing you to store and access configuration data in a structured manner. In this blog, we explore Salesforce Custom Metadata getInstance vs SOQL—two key approaches developers use to retrieve custom metadata efficiently. Custom metadata types in Salesforce offer a great way to define reusable and customizable application data without worrying about governor limits that come with other storage solutions, like custom objects. For more details, you can visit the official Salesforce Trailhead Custom Metadata Types module. We will delve into the differences, use cases, and best practices for these two approaches.

What is Custom Metadata in Salesforce?

Custom metadata types are custom objects in Salesforce that store metadata or configuration data. Unlike standard or custom objects, they are intended for storing application configurations that don’t change often. These types are often used for things like:

• Configuration settings for apps
• Defining global values (like API keys)
• Storing environment-specific configurations
• Reusable data for automation or integrations

Custom metadata records can be easily managed via Setup, the Metadata API, or APEX.

Approach 1: Using getInstance()

getInstance() is a method that allows you to access a single record of a custom metadata type. It works on a “singleton” basis, meaning that it returns a specific instance of the custom metadata record.

How getInstance() Works

The getInstance() method is typically used when you’re looking to retrieve a single record of custom metadata in your code. This method is not intended to query multiple records or create complex filters. Instead, it retrieves a specific record directly, based on the provided developer name.

Example:

// Get a specific custom metadata record by its developer name
My_Custom_Metadata__mdt metadataRecord = My_Custom_Metadata__mdt.getInstance('My_Config_1');

// Access fields of the record
String configValue = metadataRecord.Config_Value__c;

• Single Record Lookup: If you know the developer name of the record you’re looking for and expect to access only one record.
• Performance: Since getInstance() is optimized for retrieving a single metadata record by its developer name, it can offer better performance than querying all records, especially when you only need one record.
• Static Configuration: Ideal for use cases where the configuration is static, and you are sure that the metadata record will not change often.

Advantages of getInstance()

• Efficiency: It’s quick and easy to retrieve a single metadata record when you already know the developer name.
• Less Complex Code: This approach requires fewer lines of code and simplifies the logic, particularly in configuration-heavy applications.

Limitations of getInstance()

• Single Record: It can only retrieve one record at a time.
• No Dynamic Querying: It does not support complex filtering or dynamic querying like SOQL.

Approach 2: Using SOQL Queries

SOQL (Salesforce Object Query Language) is the standard way to retrieve multiple records in Salesforce, including custom metadata records. By using SOQL, you can query a custom metadata type much like any other object in Salesforce, providing flexibility in how records are retrieved.

How SOQL Queries Work

With SOQL, you can write queries that return multiple records, filter based on field values, or sort the records as needed. For instance:

// Query for multiple custom metadata records with SOQL
List<My_Custom_Metadata__mdt> metadataRecords = [SELECT MasterLabel, Config_Value__c FROM My_Custom_Metadata__mdt WHERE Active__c = TRUE];

// Loop through records and access their values
for (My_Custom_Metadata__mdt record : metadataRecords) {
    System.debug('Label: ' + record.MasterLabel + ', Value: ' + record.Config_Value__c);
}

When to Use SOQL Queries

• Multiple Records: If you need to retrieve more than one record or apply filters to the query.
• Dynamic Queries: When the records you’re querying are dynamic (e.g., based on user input or other logic).
• Complex Criteria: If you need to use conditions like WHERE, ORDER BY, or join metadata with other objects.

Advantages of SOQL Queries

• Flexibility: SOQL queries allow you to retrieve multiple records based on complex conditions.
• Filtering and Sorting: You can easily filter and sort records to get the exact data you need.
• Dynamic Usage: Ideal for cases where the data or records you’re querying may change, such as pulling all active configuration records.

Limitations of SOQL Queries

• Governor Limits: SOQL queries are subject to Salesforce’s governor limits (e.g., the number of records returned and the number of queries per transaction).
• Complexity: Writing and managing SOQL queries might introduce additional complexity in the code, especially when dealing with large datasets.

Key Differences: getInstance() vs. SOQL Queries

Best Practices for Using getInstance() and SOQL

• Use getInstance() when you need to access one specific metadata record and know the developer name beforehand. It’s efficient and optimized for simple lookups.
• Use SOQL when you need to filter, sort, or access multiple metadata records. It’s more flexible and ideal for dynamic scenarios, but you should always be aware of governor limits to avoid hitting them.
• Combine the Two: In some cases, you can use getInstance() for fetching critical single configuration records and SOQL for retrieving a list of configuration settings.

Conclusion

Both getInstance() and SOQL queries have their strengths when it comes to working with custom metadata types in Salesforce. Understanding when to use each will help optimize your code and ensure that your Salesforce applications run efficiently. For simple, static configurations, getInstance() is the way to go. For dynamic, large, or complex datasets, SOQL queries will offer the flexibility you need. By carefully selecting the right approach for your use case, you can harness the full power of Salesforce custom metadata.

AI is no longer optional for manufacturers. It is the dividing line between industry leaders and those falling behind. Companies that embrace AI and data are setting the pace for efficiency, customer engagement, and growth. Those that delay risk losing relevance in a market that rewards speed, precision, and innovation.

Perficient will join industry leaders at the Agentforce World Tour in Chicago on December 16. Salesforce will showcase its most advanced capabilities, including Agentforce, Slack, and Data 360. These solutions give manufacturers the power to predict demand, automate decisions, and deliver connected experiences that drive measurable results across the entire value chain.

Why Attend Agentforce World Tour Chicago

Chicago is where top industries come together to lead what’s next. At Agentforce World Tour, you will explore sessions and solutions built for the sectors that define this city, including healthcare and life sciences, retail and consumer goods, and manufacturing. You will see real use cases, dive into emerging trends, connect with peers, and gain insights from experts who are shaping the future. You will leave with practical strategies and a roadmap for growth.

Maybe you attended your first Dreamforce this year and want to get more hands-on. Agentforce World Tour is the perfect next step. This event gives you a closer look at what Salesforce can do for your business. You will learn how the latest agentic and AI innovations drive real results. Hear from customers, explore live demos, and see how Salesforce helps you unlock productivity, accelerate growth, and deliver exceptional customer experiences.

Can’t Attend World Tour but Interested in Manufacturing Transformation? Watch Our Webinar – What’s Next for Manufacturing: From Products to Services With Servitization

Discover how servitization and connected digital experiences are reshaping the manufacturing and equipment aftermarket. Explore how Salesforce, data, and AI unlock new revenue streams through predictive maintenance and automated support. Gain actionable strategies to deliver proactive, data-driven services that drive loyalty, satisfaction, and profitability—long after the initial sale.

Join these industry experts for our on-demand webinar:

• Sarah McDowell, Director, Perficient
• Lester McHargue, Director of Manufacturing, Perficient
• Pete Niesen, Sr. Director, Business Strategy Consulting, Salesforce

Register here. 

Ready to take the next step?
If you want to learn more about servitization and how it can transform your aftermarket strategy, download our Manufacturing Servitization Workshop Guide  for practical insights and a roadmap to success. And don’t forget to register for Agentforce World Tour Chicago—it’s free, but registration is required. Send us a note here if you would like to connect during World Tour. Secure your spot today and join us for a day of innovation, hands-on learning, and real-world strategies that will help you lead what’s next in manufacturing.

Close Out the Year. Start Building the Next.

As 2025 winds down, the smartest companies aren’t just looking back; they’re planning. The future of business is agentic, and the time to prepare is now.

Join us at Agentforce World Tour New York on December 10, 2025, and experience the innovation that defined Dreamforce, live in NYC. In just one day, you’ll:

• 140+ expert-led sessions, demos, and hands-on trainings
• A front-row look at Salesforce’s biggest launches, including Agentforce 360, Slack, and Data 360
• Practical ways companies are increasing productivity, accelerating growth, and modernizing customer experiences

All free. All designed to help you turn future plans into action. Register for World Tour here!

Why Attend Agentforce World Tour NYC?

NYC is where Salesforce is pushing the next wave of agentic AI. If you want a real, unfiltered look at how companies are applying Agentforce and Data 360 to drive revenue, speed, and operational lift, this is the event.

You’ll walk away with:

• Clear, proven examples of agentic AI driving results
• Direct access to Salesforce product experts and industry innovators
• Practical steps you can immediately apply to your own AI roadmap

More Ways to Connect During World Tour Week

Agentforce World Tour NYC is just the start. We’re hosting and joining exclusive experiences throughout the week to help you dive deeper into AI, data, and the future of agentic business.

December 10 – Agentforce Champions Breakfast

Start your World Tour experience with an exclusive breakfast for Agentforce champions and power users across leading industries. Connect with peers, share insights, and engage directly with Salesforce leaders. Perficient’s Allie Vaughan will be on-site to share how we’re helping organizations harness agentic AI for real business impact.

Wednesday December 10, 2025 | 8:30AM –10:00AM EST
Onsite at World Tour Javits Center | 429 11th Ave, New York, NY 10001
Register Here → World Tour NYC Agentforce Champions Breakfast

December 10 – Perficient Breakfast at Russ & Daughters

Join us for a relaxed pre-event meetup at one of NYC’s most iconic spots. Enjoy great conversation and connect with Perficient experts and fellow attendees before the main World Tour sessions begin.

Wednesday, December 10 | 8:00AM – 10:30AM EST
Russ & Daughters, NYC | 502 W 34th St., New York, NY 10001
Contact Us for an Invite → Save Your Spot

December 11 – Data 360 + Agentforce Workshops at Salesforce Tower

Take your World Tour experience further with a hands-on workshop designed to help you unlock the full potential of Data 360 and Agentforce. Guided by Perficient’s AI and Data 360 specialists Allie Vaughan and Anu Pandey, you’ll go beyond theory with practical strategies you can apply immediately.

Thursday, December 11 | 10:00AM – 2PM EST
Salesforce Tower New York | 1095 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Contact Allie and Anu for an Invite

December 12 – Datablazer Mastery Onsite

Wrap up the week with Salesforce’s full-day enablement experience designed for the Datablazer Community. Deepen your expertise in Data 360 and Agentforce with hands-on learning.

December 12, 2025 | 8:30AM–4:30PM EST
Salesforce Tower New York | 1095 6th Ave, New York, NY 10036
Register Here → Datablazer Mastery Onsite: Agentforce Edition NYC

Your Next Step Toward an Agentic Future

Agentforce World Tour NYC is your chance to see where the Salesforce platform is going and how quickly companies are adapting. From the main event to hands-on workshops, this week offers a complete view of what it takes to operate as an agentic enterprise.

Follow Perficient on LinkedIn for event updates, key takeaways, and our latest insights on Agentforce, Data 360, and the future of AI-driven business.

I’ve always believed that the best learning environments are the ones that feel like a conversation. Not a lecture, not a pitch, but a shared space where people come together to explore what’s possible. That’s the spirit behind the Datablazer Mastery Onsite (DMO) series, and it’s exactly what we’re bringing to New York this December. 

The Datablazer Community started with a simple idea: data matters to everyone. Whether you’re just starting out or deep into implementation, the challenges around trust, activation, and scale are shared. And while no one has all the answers, we’ve seen how much faster teams move when they learn from each other. 

DMO is where learning happens. It’s a day of enablement focused on Data 360 and Agentforce, designed to help attendees understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to move forward with confidence. You’ll hear from experts who’ve been in the trenches and are ready to share their strategies for delivering value. 

This December, Perficient will be represented by Anu Pandey, Technical Director, AI & Data 360. Anu brings deep expertise in Data Cloud implementation and activation strategies and will be sharing insights during the event. 

• Date: December 12, 2025
• Time: 8:30AM–4:30PM EST
• Location: Salesforce Tower New York
• Registration: Datablazer Mastery Onsite: Agentforce Edition NYC
  

The event will cover how Data 360 creates a unified customer view, how Agentforce enables intelligent automation, and how both tools can be used together to drive smarter decisions. You’ll leave with practical insights, real-world examples, and a clearer path forward. 

If you’re asking questions like “Where do I start?” or “How do I know I’m doing this right?”, this event is for you. And if you’re already deep in the work, it’s a chance to refine your approach, connect with others, and share what you’ve learned. 

Join us in New York. Let’s build something smarter together. 

In modern Salesforce development, simply writing code is not enough – you need a workflow that supports collaboration, quality checks & control, and safe deployment from one org to another. When pushing code or development changes from the lower environment to the higher environment, a mechanism is needed, which we call the Pull Request (PR). It is a vital part of this workflow. It is a mechanism for reviewing, approving, testing, and merging changes into the shared codebase (i.e., GitHub Repository) and, finally, into the Salesforce environment.

In this article, we will cover how to manage/create PRs when working with Visual Studio Code (VS Code) in a Salesforce context.

Will walk through:

• Clone the Repository from GitHub
• Setting up the Feature Branch in VS Code
• Creating a PR in GitHub (including automated checks like CodeQL, Apex test runs)
• Assign reviewers to Review, Approve, and Merge the PR
• Why PR workflow matters and best practices

1. Clone the Repository from GitHub

To clone the GitHub repo to your local machine, simply open the terminal in VS Code and run the command:

Git clone https://github.com/your-org/your-repo.git (url of your repo)

Else, in VS Code, you can see the option to clone a git repo.

This process will clone the repo from GitHub to your local.

2. Setting up with the Feature Branch in VS Code

Once you have your GitHub repo set up (for your Salesforce project metadata, SFDX, etc.), the next step is to make changes in a safe, isolated branch. Here is how:

Step 1. Pull the latest from the main branch

Make sure your local workspace is up to date:

git checkout <mainbranch>*

git pull <mainbranch>*

*Branch Name could be anything, mostly it is a sub-branch from the main, for instance, here considered the main branch.

Step 2. Create your feature branch

From VS Code or the terminal:

git checkout -b <feature-branch-name>

There is an alternate way to create feature branch, instead of executing command simply navigate to lower left corner wherein you’ll have you branch name say ‘main’ click on it and create new feature branch.

This way, a feature branch can be created and, additionally, follow the naming conventions. For example, feature/, bugfix/, hotfix/etc., to help understand the purpose.

Step 3. Retrieve or prepare metadata in your branch

If you have made changes in your dev org (or sandbox), you might retrieve metadata first if you want to deploy/push those changes to higher orgs. To do this, create the package.xml file and retrieve the metadata to your local (assuming the org is already authorized). Once retrieved to the local the changes will be populated under the tab “Source Control” in VS Code, verify the change by opening the corresponding files and stage all the files one by one if changes found good.

Step 4. Commit your changes

In VS Code’s Source Control panel:

• Stage your changes (you can use + icon or git add .)
• Write a meaningful commit message. (or use git commit -m “Your Message”)
• Commit and push: (or can use git push origin <your-branch-name>)
• Publish the Branch (if not done at the time of feature branch creation).

You now have a branch with your changes pushed to GitHub, ready for a PR.

3. Creating a Pull Request in GitHub

 Once your feature branch is pushed to GitHub, you can create a PR. This is where quality checks will start, including CodeQL, Apex Scan, etc.

Step 1. Open GitHub and create a PR

 On GitHub, go to your repository → Under tab Pull requests → Select Compare & Pull Request / New pull request.

• Base branch: main (or your target branch, say myBranch)
• Compare branch: the branch that you have pushed.
• The message will pre-populate whatever you have added at the time you commit & push the feature branch.

Step 2. Automated checks triggered (applicable if GitHub Actions are set up)

 The moment you create a PR, GitHub Actions set off. The typical checks in a Salesforce context include:

• Code scanning (e.g., CodeQL) for security and static analysis
• Apex unit test runs
• Linting or formatting checks on LWC/JavaScript
• Metadata validation (deploying to sandbox)

These checks provide automated quality validation before review by a reviewer.

 Step 3. Monitor the checks (applicable if GitHub Actions are set up)

On the PR page, you’ll see the ‘Checks’ tab, or even under ‘Conversation’, you can see it under GitHub Actions.

If tests fail or find any security issues, the PR cannot be merged; instead, you should fix the problems in your branch and push the changes/fixes again. The checks will run again automatically.

4. Assign reviewer(s) to Review, Approve, and Merge the PR

Step 1. Assign reviewers

In GitHub PR, select one or more reviewers to review the changes pushed by the developer via a feature branch. To review the changes, the reviewer can navigate to the ‘Files Changed’ tab, wherein all the changed files will be available.

Step 2. Approval

Once all the changes have been reviewed by the reviewer(s), they click on the Review Changes button & approve the PR.

Step 3. Merge the PR

After approval by the reviewer, the ‘Merge Pull Request’ option will be enabled, and the PR can be merged to the target branch. At the same time, the merge action will trigger the CI/CD (Continuous Integration / Continuous Deployment) pipeline (it is applicable if the CI/CD pipeline is set up) to deploy code or metadata to the target Salesforce environment.

Step 4. Post-merge validation 

After the merge, check the Actions tab in GitHub to verify the workflow run triggered by the merge. This action will check for metadata and dependencies, if any, before updating the target org with the latest changes available in the feature branch. Confirm deployment logs show success means changes were successfully deployed to the targeted org.

5. Why PR Workflow Matters & Best Practices

Why it matters

• As every change is tracked in Git, it ensures version control of Salesforce metadata.
• On PR creation, it automatically enables quality checks, catching issues before they reach higher environments.
• Facilitates code reviews, improving code quality, etc.
• Track the changes done, who, what, and when they were changed.
• Makes deployments reliable and consistent.

Best practices

• Write clear commit messages and PR descriptions.
• Use Feature branch naming conventions (feature/, bugfix/, etc) to have a clear understanding of the commit.
• Ensure automated checks include Apex and CodeQL scans.
• Keep checks, such as before merging, that it passes quality checks, that the review is done by the reviewer, etc.

6. Conclusion

This article focuses on creating PRs to deploy changes made in the lower Environment to the Higher Environment in the Salesforce ecosystem using VS Code.

At Dreamforce 2025, Salesforce introduced a new era of AI-powered work. The Agentic Enterprise is more than a concept; it’s a framework for how businesses operate. AI is becoming a trusted teammate, handling repetitive tasks so people can focus on creativity, relationships, and impact.

Agentforce 360

Agentforce 360 connects Salesforce apps like Sales, Service, Marketing, Commerce, Slack, and Tableau through a shared agentic layer. This means every experience is powered by consistent reasoning and unified data. Over 1.8 million conversations have already taken place, and more than 12,000 customers are using Agentforce to automate and scale their operations.

Data 360

Previously known as Data Cloud, Data 360 is the foundation for agentic intelligence. It transforms structured and unstructured data into usable context, enabling agents to understand and act with precision. With Intelligent Context and Tableau Semantics, AI can speak the language of your business.

Not sure if your data is ready for this level of intelligence? Start with our PrecisionIQ Assessment to uncover gaps, organize fragmented data, and build a roadmap for clean, connected, and actionable insights.

Slack

Slack is now the workspace where humans and agents collaborate. A redesigned Slackbot acts as a personal assistant, summarizing threads, drafting responses, and surfacing Salesforce insights. Thanks to the new Model Context Protocol, Slack connects with external AI tools like OpenAI and Anthropic, making it a true agentic operating system.

Agentforce Voice

Voice is becoming a natural interface for AI. Agentforce Voice allows real-time conversations with customers, pulling in Salesforce data and acting based on intent. It works with platforms like Amazon Connect, Five9, NiCE, and Vonage, making it easy to integrate into existing workflows.

Agentforce Builder

Agentforce Builder lets teams create agents using natural language. You can describe what you want, and the system generates logic, flows, and data connections. It supports multiple views, including doc-style, low-code, and script formats, making collaboration across roles easier.

Agentforce Vibes

For developers, Agentforce Vibes is a contextual coding assistant that turns natural language into working code. It understands your org’s metadata and builds solutions that follow best practices and reuse existing components.

TL:DR

Perficient is uniquely positioned to help you take advantage of this shift through our expanded partnership with Salesforce and the recent acquisition of Kelley Austin, strengthening our ability to deliver AI-first solutions at scale.

Want to see how this vision becomes reality for your business?

Explore our Agentic Enterprise resource center to keep learning. You’ll find practical use cases, proven frameworks, and solutions like Data 360 in a Box and Agentforce in a Box that turn AI strategy into measurable outcomes. Discover how Perficient and Salesforce partner to help organizations accelerate value, scale confidently, and lead in the era of agentic AI.

Our organization has joined the Salesforce Data 360 Partner Advisory Board, a strategic forum that brings together top partners to influence the future of Salesforce’s data solutions. This collaboration ensures that innovations in Data 360 deliver measurable business outcomes for enterprises.

Why This Matters for Businesses

Announced during Dreamforce, Data 360 is the next evolution of Salesforce Data Cloud. It transforms fragmented enterprise data into a single, actionable view without requiring data movement. This capability powers real-time workflows, better decision-making, and more intelligent automation.

For business leaders, this means:

• Faster Decisions: Unified data accelerates insights and operational responses.
• Cost Efficiency: Zero-Copy integrations eliminate expensive ETL processes.
• Revenue Growth: Personalized experiences powered by harmonized data improve engagement and loyalty.

What’s New with Data 360

Data 360 introduces advanced features designed to maximize ROI:

• Clean Rooms: Secure collaboration with partners using shared data without exposing sensitive information.
• Intelligent Context: AI-assisted prompts unlock insights from unstructured data like images and documents.
• Agentic Setup and Management: Natural language accelerates every task, from connecting data to activating insights.
• Zero-Copy Expansion: Real-time enterprise data flows into AI models without duplication, reducing costs and delays.

These innovations allow organizations to activate trusted data everywhere, powering smarter decisions and connected customer experiences across sales, service, marketing, and beyond.

Meet Our Advisory Board Representatives

We are proud to have Anu Pandey, Technical Director of AI & Data Cloud at Kelley Austin, and Chuck Tomanek, Salesforce Delivery Leader, representing our team on the Data 360 Partner Advisory Board.

Anu brings deep expertise in multi-cloud architecture and enterprise vision, while Chuck focuses on AI-first solutions that turn complexity into clarity. Their combined experience ensures client priorities remain central to Salesforce’s roadmap. Together, they will help shape innovations that deliver measurable ROI through data-driven strategies.

We are also excited to strengthen this work with the capabilities of Kelley Austin, recently acquired by our organization, expanding our leadership in AI and Data 360 solutions.

Why This Matters to You

Data 360 is a foundation for smarter business. By unifying fragmented data without costly duplication, Data 360 enables real-time workflows, predictive insights, and personalized experiences at scale.

For organizations, this means:

• Greater Agility: Respond to market changes with confidence using live, trusted data.
• Lower Costs: Eliminate expensive ETL processes with Zero-Copy integrations.
• Stronger Outcomes: Drive growth through actionable insights and connected customer journeys.

Build Your Agentic Enterprise With Salesforce

AI is everywhere, but most businesses are not prepared to use it. Teams launch pilots that never scale, data remains fragmented, and legacy systems stall progress before it starts.

We take a different approach. Our expanded partnership with Salesforce accelerates business value through small, iterative use cases that deliver measurable outcomes. With solutions like Data 360 in a Box and Agentforce in a Box, we help organizations modernize CRM, unify data, and embed AI into everyday workflows.

If you are ready to move beyond proof of concept and into production, explore our workshops and solutions designed to activate AI securely and confidently. Learn more about building your Agentic Enterprise.

We’re excited to announce that Perficient has been named a 2025 Salesforce Partner Innovation Award winner in Financial Services! This recognition highlights our commitment to helping financial institutions modernize with AI, data, and Salesforce-powered experiences.

“The Salesforce 2025 Partner Innovation Awards celebrate the achievements of partners who are redefining industries and delivering exceptional customer experiences with Salesforce.” – Jim Steele, President, Global Strategic Customers and Partners, Salesforce

Why This Award Matters

The Salesforce Partner Innovation Awards celebrate partners who deliver exceptional customer experiences and redefine industries through innovation. As technologies like AI evolve rapidly, partners play a critical role in helping businesses unlock their full potential.

According to IDC:

• Salesforce and its ecosystem — fueled by AI — will create 11.6 million new jobs and more than $2 trillion in business revenues.
• 9 out of 10 Salesforce customers rely on partner apps and expertise.
• 100% of the Fortune 100 have installed a Salesforce partner solution.

Our Winning Story: Perficient + Nationwide

Nationwide wanted to unify siloed customer data without relying on complex, costly integration methods. Using Salesforce Data 360, Perficient helped Nationwide activate advanced segmentation capabilities at scale.

Solution Highlights:

• Leveraged Data 360’s built-in data sharing capabilities
• Ingested millions of rows of data from Databricks, Snowflake, and Marketing Cloud
• Enabled identity resolution across millions of records

Key Benefits:
Marketing, sales, and service teams can now build and activate granular, cross-channel segments that enable more agile, targeted, and proactive customer engagement.

What’s Next?

We’re proud to partner with Salesforce to help financial institutions embrace AI-driven innovation. Ready to learn more? Visit our new Build Your Agentic Enterprise With Salesforce Resource Center to explore how Perficient can help you unlock the power of data and AI.

Salesforce continues to evolve its digital experience capabilities by embedding artificial intelligence across its platform. Forrester’s report, The Impact of AI on Digital Experience Platforms, discusses how vendors like Salesforce are integrating agentic AI and Generative AI (GenAI) to streamline experience operations and empower practitioners. 

With tools like  Agentforce, Salesforce is moving beyond traditional automation to deliver intelligent, connected experiences. These innovations are designed not only to enhance customer engagement but also to support the practitioners behind the scenes — enabling smarter orchestration, faster decision-making, and more efficient workflows. 

Agentic AI Unifies Data and Drives Action

Salesforce’s agentic AI capabilities are designed to simplify complex orchestration across its ecosystem. These intelligent agents help practitioners navigate vast feature sets, automate routine tasks, and unlock insights from unified customer data. 

Perficient’s Salesforce Consulting Managing Director Megan Glasow has seen growing interest in these capabilities, especially as organizations look to consolidate their tech stacks and reduce friction in experience delivery. 

“Salesforce’s consolidation of DXP components paired with tools like Agentforce is helping clients streamline orchestration and unlock hidden data. We’re guiding them through this transformation with a focus on integration and measurable outcomes,” said Glasow.  

Unlocking Business Potential With Perficient and Agentforce. Get the Guide

Using GenAI From Content to Code

Salesforce’s GenAI tools are also enabling marketers to generate personalized content, optimize campaign strategies, and even build applications with minimal coding. These capabilities help teams move faster and deliver more relevant experiences across customer journeys, but speed alone isn’t the goal. As Glasow explains, success with GenAI depends on thoughtful implementation and alignment with business strategy. 

She said, “We’re helping clients explore how GenAI can reduce manual effort and accelerate personalization. But it’s not just about speed. It’s about aligning AI with business goals and ensuring responsible use.” 

Driving Innovation with Responsible AI Adoption

Successful AI adoption in DXPs requires more than just technology. Organizations must invest in strong data foundations, human oversight, and change management to ensure responsible and effective use of AI. These are areas where we continue to guide clients with strategic consulting and hands-on implementation. 

We’re honored to have contributed to the research in an interview for Forrester’s report , The Impact of AI on Digital Experience Platforms. We believe it reflects our deep expertise in helping enterprise clients implement and optimize DXPs like Salesforce. Whether it’s integrating predictive analytics, deploying cognitive copilots, or improving data governance, our teams are leading the way in enabling AI-powered transformation. 

If you’re exploring how to bring AI into your DXP strategy, we invite you to connect with us and keep the conversation going. 

See How AI Drives Business Outcomes at Dreamforce 2025

At Dreamforce 2025, teams will demonstrate how AI-powered agents and unified data accelerate decision-making, improve adaptability, and deliver measurable results. Attendees can explore how organizations turn strategy into execution through exclusive experiences, including a happy hour, a keynote watch party, a tasting event, and personalized strategy sessions. 

These events highlight how AI enables leaders to streamline operations, reduce inefficiencies, and maximize return on investment. Visit the event landing page for full details and discover how to lead with confidence in an AI-first business environment. 

Access the report here (available to Forrester subscribers or for purchase).  

Learn more about our Salesforce expertise here.  

Contact us to learn more. 

The future of service isn’t reactive; it’s intelligent, predictive, and AI-powered. At Dreamforce 2025, join Perficient and Salesforce for a roundtable built for manufacturing leaders looking to modernize their service strategy. If you’re responsible for uptime, field service, or asset performance, this session is for you. 

Take part in a focused, 40-person discussion where industry peers share how they use AI, IoT, and asset data to reshape aftermarket service. Learn how early adopters reduce operational risks and control rising service costs. 

Led by: 

• Lester McHargue – Director, Salesforce Manufacturing, Perficient 

• Nanda Chitrala – Sr. Director, Manufacturing Solutions & Strategy, Salesforce 

• Lance Fettig – Sr. Director, Business Consulting, Salesforce 

What You’ll Gain 

The manufacturers getting ahead are the ones transforming their service models now. You’ll walk away with practical strategies to: 

• Enable smarter scheduling with real-time asset visibility  

• Prevent asset failures using predictive insights  

• Ensure accurate billing with the right data and tools  

• Drive new revenue models through Servitization 

This session is a chance to see what’s working on the ground and ask the questions that matter to your business. 

Event Details 

Reserve your session spot with the Dreamforce Agenda Builder today: Transform Aftermarket with Asset Service Management 

Dates & Times:
Tuesday, Oct 14 |  2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PDT (4:30 PM – 5:30 PM CDT) | Moscone West, L2, Roundtable 12
Wednesday, Oct 15 | 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM PDT (10:30 AM – 11:30 AM CDT) | Moscone West, L2, Roundtable 12

Let’s Rethink Aftermarket Service: Smarter, Faster, and Powered by AI 

Manufacturers are transforming service operations with AI, IoT, and asset intelligence. This roundtable offers a chance to learn what early adopters are doing to reduce costs, prevent downtime, and unlock new revenue. 

If you’re interested in meeting with our team during Dreamforce or would like to connect ahead of the event, visit our event page to schedule a 1:1 meeting with our AI strategy team or connect with executive leadership onsite.