Agentforce World Tour Boston is where leaders are turning AI ideas into everyday wins. Perficient will be onsite connecting with customers and partners, and we invite you to keep the conversation going at our AI Innovation Reception, a networking happy hour co‑hosted with Salesforce.

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 .

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. 

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.

Turn on CNBC during almost any trading day and you’ll see and hear plenty of AI buzz that sounds great, and may look great in a deck, but falls short in regulated industries. For financial services firms, AI must do two things at once: unlock genuine business value and satisfy strict compliance, privacy, and audit requirements. Salesforce’s AI stack — led by Einstein GPT, Data Cloud, and integrated with MuleSoft, Slack, and robust security controls — is engineered to meet that dual mandate. Here’s a practical look at what Salesforce AI delivers for banks, insurers, credit unions, wealth managers, and capital markets firms, and how to extract measurable value without trading off controls and/or governance.

What Salesforce AI actually is (and why it matters for Financial Services)

Salesforce is widely adopted by financial services firms, with over 150,000 companies worldwide using its CRM, including a significant portion of the U.S. market, where 83% of businesses opt for its Financial Services Cloud (“FSC”). Major financial institutions like Wells Fargo, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and The Bank of New York are among its users, demonstrating its strong presence within the industry. Salesforce has combined together generative AI, predictive models, and enterprise data plumbing into a single ecosystem. Key capabilities include:

• Einstein GPT: Generative AI tailored for CRM workflows — draft client communications, summarize notes, and surface contextual insights using your internal data.
• Data Cloud: A real-time customer data platform that ingests, unifies, and models customer profiles at scale, enabling AI to operate on a trusted single source of truth.
• Tableau + CRM Analytics: Visualize model outcomes, monitor performance, and create operational dashboards that align AI outputs with business KPIs.
• MuleSoft: Connectors and APIs to bring core banking, trading, and ledger systems into the loop securely.
• Slack & Flow (and Flow Orchestrator): Operationalize AI outputs into workflows, approvals, and human-in-the-loop processes.

For financial services, that integration matters more than flashy demos: accuracy, traceability, and context are non-negotiable. Salesforce’s ecosystem lets you apply AI where it impacts revenue, risk, and customer retention — and keep audit trails for everything.

High-value financial services use cases

Here are the pragmatic use cases where Salesforce AI delivers measurable ROI:

Client advisory and personalization

Generate personalized portfolio reviews, client outreach, or renewal communications using Einstein GPT combined with up-to-date holdings and risk profiles from Data Cloud. The result: more relevant outreach and higher conversion rates with less advisor time.

Wealth management — scalable advice and relationship mining

AI-driven summarization of client meetings, automated risk-tolerance classifiers, and opportunity scoring help advisors prioritize high-value clients and surface cross-sell opportunities without manual data wrangling.

Commercial lending — faster decisioning and better risk controls

Combine predictive credit risk models with document ingestion (via MuleSoft and integrated OCR) to auto-populate loan applications, flag exceptions, and route for human review where model confidence is low.

Fraud, AML, and compliance augmentation

Use real-time customer profiles and anomaly detection to surface suspicious behaviors. AI can triage alerts and summarize evidence for investigators, improving throughput while preserving explainability for regulators. AI can also reduce the volume of false alerts, which is the bane of every compliance officer ever.

Customer support and claims

RAG-enabled virtual assistants (Einstein + Data Cloud) pull from policy language, transaction history, and client notes to answer common questions or auto-draft claims responses — reducing service time and improving consistency. The virtual assistants can also interact in multiple languages, which helps reduce customer turnover for non-English writing clients.

Sales and pipeline acceleration

Predictive lead scoring, propensity-to-buy models, and AI-suggested next-best actions increase win rates and shorten sales cycles. Integrated workflows push suggestions to reps in Slack or the Salesforce console, making adoption frictionless.

Why Salesforce’s integrated approach reduces risk

Financial firms can’t treat AI as a separate experiment. Salesforce’s value proposition is that AI is embedded into systems that already handle customer interactions, security, and governance. That produces the following practical advantages:

Single source of truth

Data Cloud reduces conflicting customer records and stale insights, which directly lowers the risk of AI producing inappropriate or inaccurate outputs.

Controlled model access and hosting options

Enterprises can choose where data and model inference occur, including private or managed-cloud options, helping meet residency and confidentiality requirements.

Explainability and audit trails

Salesforce logs user interactions, AI-generated outputs, and data lineage into the platform. That creates the documentation regulators ask for and lets financial services executives investigate where models made decisions.

Human-in-the-loop and confidence thresholds

Workflows can be configured so that high-risk or low-confidence outputs require human approval. That’s essential for credit decisions, compliance actions, and investment advice.

Implementation considerations for regulated firms

To assist in your planned deployment of Salesforce AI in financial services, here’s a checklist of practical guardrails and steps:

Start with business outcomes, not models

• Identify high-frequency, low-risk tasks for pilots (e.g., document summarization, inquiry triage) and measure lift on KPIs like turnaround time, containment rate, and advisor productivity.

Clean and govern your data

Invest in customer identity resolution, canonicalization, and metadata tagging in Data Cloud. Garbage in, garbage out is especially painful when compliance hangs on a model’s output.

Create conservative guardrails

Hard-block actions that have material customer impact (e.g., account closure, fund transfers) from automated flows. Use AI to assist drafting and recommendation, not to execute high-risk transactions autonomously.

Establish model testing and monitoring

Implement A/B tests, accuracy benchmarks, and drift detection. Integrate monitoring into Tableau dashboards and set alerts for performance degradation or unusual patterns.

Document everything for auditors and regulators

Maintain clear logs of training data sources, prompt templates, model versions, and human overrides. Salesforce’s native logging plus orchestration records from Flow help with this.

Train users and change-manage

Advisors, compliance officers, and client service reps should be part of prompt tuning and feedback loops. Incentivize flagging bad outputs — their corrections will dramatically improve model behavior.

Measurable outcomes to expect

When implemented with discipline, financial services firms typically see improvements including:

• Reduced average handling time and faster loan turnaround
• Higher client engagement and improved cross-sell conversion
• Fewer false positives and faster investigator resolution times
• Better advisor productivity via automated notes and suggested actions

Those outcomes translate into cost savings, improved regulatory posture, and revenue lift — the hard metrics CFOs, CROs, and CCOs require.

Final thoughts — pragmatic AI adoption

Salesforce gives financial institutions a practical path to embed AI into customer-facing and operational workflows without ripping up existing systems. The power isn’t just in the model; it’s in the combination of unified data (Data Cloud), generative assistance (Einstein GPT), secure connectors (MuleSoft), and operationalization (Flows and Slack). If you treat governance, monitoring, and human oversight as first-class citizens, AI becomes an accelerant — not a liability.

To help financial services firms either install or expand their Salesforce capability, Perficient has a 360-degree strategic partnership with Salesforce. While Salesforce itself is the provider of the platform and technology, as a global digital consultancy firm Perficient partners with Salesforce to offer its expertise in implementation, customization, and optimization of Salesforce solutions, leveraging Salesforce’s AI-first technologies and platform to deliver consulting, implementation, and integration services. Working together, Salesforce and Perficient’s partnership helps mutual clients build customer-centric solutions and operate as “agentic enterprises”.  

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. 

We’re not only embracing the future at Perficient—we’re building it. As a global AI-first consultancy, we empower our people to lead with innovation, curiosity, and compassion. Our teams are helping the world’s most admired brands harness the power of generative AI to reimagine customer experiences, streamline operations, and drive meaningful transformation. At the heart of this is our people who play a vital role in shaping a collaborative culture that challenges convention and celebrates growth.

Sarah McDowell, a Director in our Salesforce Business Unit (BU), recently shared her journey into the technology industry, passion for solving complex problems, and how she’s helping shape the future of AI-powered experiences. Continue reading to learn how Sarah’s unconventional path, people-first mindset, and love for technology are making a difference at Perficient.

When did you join Perficient and what is your role? Describe a typical day in the life.

I’ve been with Perficient since 2020 and joined right as the pandemic shifted everything to remote work. I’ve loved every minute of the past five years. I’m a Director working with one of our larger accounts in the Salesforce BU. I’ve grown through several roles—starting as a Business Analyst, then Lead Business Analyst, Senior Solutions Architect, and now Director. Over the years, I’ve helped solve our clients’ problems through architecture design, workshops, calls, and troubleshooting. I work across four to five scrum teams with different product owners, spending much of my day designing for future development.

My favorite part is connecting with and empowering people. I helped build a more global team by onboarding new members from Latin America onto the account. A program manager and I flew to Colombia to launch a boot camp, forming strong relationships that continue to this day. I’ve also mentored a few team members on their own paths. The way we connect and build each other up is my favorite thing.

Why did you choose Perficient?

My story isn’t your typical ‘I got into software’ story. I thought I was destined for social work because I love people, building connections, and helping others solve problems. Fascinated by psychology, I worked at a crisis line after college where I learned to de-escalate situations and support people from all walks of life. That led to working with children and spending a few years working with Child Protective Services in Texas.

While rewarding, the work was emotionally taxing, especially once I started a family. I still wanted to solve problems and work with people, so I transitioned into the technology industry. During my time at an oil and gas company, I discovered they were using antiquated processes. I completely digitized the entire process and built a software tracking process for people to check documents in and out.

I dove into Salesforce, completed trailheads, and earned my first Marketing Cloud certification. That led to my first role as a Salesforce Marketing Cloud Admin at a healthcare company, where I spent a couple of years before finding Perficient. I immediately fell in love with Perficient’s culture, the people, and how we collaborate with clients to solve problems.

What are your proudest accomplishments, personally and professionally? Any milestone moments at Perficient?

Personally, I’m most proud of my family. I’m a mother of two boys who are 14 and 10 years old. My husband and I work hard to create a harmonious, united home built on love and compassion. He’s been incredibly supportive of my career change, always championing my growth and accomplishments.

Professionally, I’m proud of becoming the person I’ve always aspired to be. I still have my first Marketing Cloud certification on the wall. It symbolizes that transformation. I earned my first certification as a Marketing Cloud Email Specialist, where I learned how to build emails, journeys, queries, and automations—like the reminder emails you receive when you leave something in your online cart.

Then I earned the Einstein Prediction Builder certification, which is where AI comes in. You can program AI to predict things like, ‘What’s the likelihood Sarah will buy red shoes next quarter?’ If the likelihood is high, it will put her in a marketing journey. Tools like Prediction Builder and Einstein Analytics are targeting personalized emails for each person.

What I’m most excited about in the future is how AI can change the way we’re doing everything. The way we shop, the way we look at things, the way we do our work every day, how we build our stories, and how we create our emails. It’s a mindset shift that is exciting to be a part of.

Read More: Embrace Career Growth Through Perficient’s Growth for Everyone Initiative

How is your team using AI at Perficient?

Our Salesforce BU is looking at new AI tools, and our clients want to incorporate them into their marketing campaigns. It’s important to understand how AI works and think about the essential building blocks needed to get started. We’re finding that many clients want to use AI, but they can’t yet because their data or systems aren’t set up to support it. The first step is understanding their systems and preparing them for AI. If you implement tools without the prep work, it’s like shoving an engine on a go-kart—it’s not going anywhere. But if we get them ready, they can fully leverage the AI everyone’s excited about.

One of the projects I’m working on is a pilot with personalized marketing to set up the foundation for using AI tools. There are subtle ways that you can use AI when you’re building out an email or writing user stories. We’ve created a standardized template for all the business analysts, so everyone has a consistent experience. That’s what excites me about my daily work.

Read More: Learn How Perficient is Building an AI-First Enterprise

What challenges do you see with AI that we’ll need to navigate?

The biggest challenge is that every client is a little different in how we support them with AI and what tools will work. They may not be ready to ingest AI and might need help preparing their systems. A lot of people are excited about AI, but not many know how to implement it or set themselves up for success. That’s going to be the biggest hurdle in the next few years—helping clients get to a point where they can fully use AI in the best capacity to be successful. We’re seeing a lot of companies that implement AI too quickly. They don’t have things set up correctly, they fail, and then they don’t want to use the tools again.

Read More: Understand How Perficient Is Revolutionizing Engagement with Salesforce AI

How do you make a difference?

Getting involved in your local community can be a great way to give back. From a sociology standpoint, you have circles of impact with your family, community, and work. Then these circles expand from there. I’m most proud of the impact I’ve had on my family. They’re good and honest people. My kids are swimmers. I’m very passionate about swimming, and I am a part of the local community swim boards.

I also mentored high school students through the Mark Cuban Foundation AI Bootcamp. These kids are amazing and very smart. It’s so fun because they bring in high school kids that are interested in AI and technology. They give them use cases, and they build prototypes. They show off their prototypes, and then, as mentors, we get to vote on which one we thought would have the biggest impact. It’s amazing to see what their ideas are and help guide them.

Read More: Perficient Partners with the Mark Cuban Foundation to Host AI Bootcamps

What advice would you give to someone starting their career at Perficient?

Speak up. If you want something, say it. I had a manager who asked where I wanted to be in five years and helped me build a plan to get there. I said I wanted to be a solutions architect, and she guided me every step of the way. It was my journey—she was just there to support it.

For someone new, the sky’s the limit. Talk about what you want and ask for help. Connecting with others and celebrating accomplishments together makes the work more enjoyable. I love seeing the shoutouts and people championing each other. It’s fun to read and makes me feel empowered. It builds the energy to come to work knowing that there are people out there working just as hard as I am, and they’re doing great things.

Read More: Learn About Perficient’s Award-Winning Culture

What are you passionate about outside of work?

I love archery—not hunting, just target practice. I also love supporting my kids. One is in theater and gymnastics and recently joined Descendants: The Musical. The other is in marching band and placed in the top ten at Nationals last year, playing the French horn and the Mellophone.

I try to have work-life balance, so I can be there for my kids and family. When I travel, I make sure I’m home on weekends for their performances and competitions. My husband is supportive—he even learned how to do eyeliner for my son in theater because I was away for a couple days. We’re all learning together.

SEE MORE PEOPLE OF PERFICIENT

It’s no secret our success is because of our people. No matter the technology or time zone, our colleagues are committed to delivering innovative, end-to-end digital solutions for the world’s biggest brands, and we bring a collaborative spirit to every interaction. We’re always seeking the best and brightest to work with us. Join our team and experience a culture that challenges, champions, and celebrates our people.

Visit our Careers page to see career opportunities and more!

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The financial services industry is undergoing significant change. While there’s real opportunity for growth and innovation, firms also face tough challenges, like disconnected data systems, the complexities of adopting AI effectively, and increasing pressure to retain customers.

As 2025 wraps up, one thing is becoming clear: outdated technology and fragmented data strategies are making it harder for institutions to move forward with confidence.

Why Data and Legacy Systems Are Holding Firms Back
Financial institutions handle a tremendous amount of client data, but it’s often spread across multiple systems that don’t talk to each other. Advisors and relationship managers can end up spending more time piecing together information than working with clients.

This kind of fragmentation slows down operations and makes it harder to see the full picture when making decisions.

At the same time, many firms are finding it difficult to modernize their technology. Legacy systems may have served their purpose in the past, but they weren’t built for the speed, personalization, or regulatory demands of today’s environment.

The results are delays, inefficiencies, and a growing risk of losing clients to competitors who are quicker to adapt.

Current Events: Data, AI, and the Customer Retention Gap
A Tableau and Forrester report points to a widening gap between organizations’ enthusiasm for artificial intelligence and their ability to implement it effectively.

The reality is clear: while many financial institutions express interest in AI-powered insights, far fewer are deploying these tools at scale. The gap between AI interest and AI implementation is costing firms both efficiency and loyalty. At the same time, customer expectations are rising. Clients are looking for proactive, personalized financial guidance, and if they don’t find it, they’re willing to switch providers.

The FSC Advantage
This is where FSC (Financial Services Cloud) breaks down barriers. By offering a unified data strategy, FSC enables financial institutions to eliminate silos and create a single, reliable source of truth across the organization.

Advisors gain the clarity they need to make faster, smarter decisions, while clients benefit from more consistent and personalized engagement.

Salesforce’s AI-powered cloud solutions are projected to generate nearly $948 billion in new revenue for customers by 2028, highlighting the growing impact of modern financial technology. With 1.4 billion financial accounts already powered by Financial Services Cloud, institutions are clearly shifting toward platforms that offer scale, intelligence, and efficiency.

By centralizing data and embedding AI into everyday workflows, FSC helps firms operate more effectively, deliver personalized experiences, and stay competitive in a rapidly evolving market.

Is Your Technology Ready for What’s Ahead?
The challenges facing financial institutions won’t disappear on their own. Data silos, outdated systems, and stalled AI adoption are real barriers to growth, but they are not insurmountable. By embracing a modern, unified approach, firms can transform these obstacles into opportunities.

Now is the time for financial leaders to take a hard look at their technology stacks and ask:

• Are our data strategies enabling growth or limiting it?
• Are we truly leveraging AI to enhance client engagement, or simply talking about it?
• Are we delivering the seamless, personalized experiences today’s clients expect?

Firms that can confidently answer “yes” to these questions will stand apart in the years ahead. Those that can’t risk falling further behind.

Ready to Modernize? FSC Can Help You Get There
This series has explored the forces reshaping financial services: the demand for digital-first engagement, the generational transfer of wealth, and the barriers that hold many institutions back.

The common thread across all three challenges is clear: firms that embrace modernization and client-centric strategies will be positioned to lead, while those that hesitate risk falling behind.

FSC is built to help institutions adapt with tools that unify data, enable personalization at scale, and empower firms to connect with the next generation of investors.

To take the next step, explore our latest guide, or connect with Perficient to learn how FSC can accelerate your transformation journey.