Introduction
Salesforce is a cloud-based customer relationship management (CRM) platform designed to help businesses optimize sales, marketing, customer service, and operational processes. With a comprehensive suite of tools, Salesforce enables organizations to track customer interactions, automate workflows, gain actionable insights through analytics, and enhance team collaboration. Its scalable and customizable solutions cater to businesses of all sizes, supporting digital transformation and improving customer engagement.
This Salesforce integration can be set up and used entirely on its own by following the steps in this documentation—no Sharpen Store required.
Overview
Sharpen’s integration with Salesforce facilitates seamless data exchange between both platforms, enhancing agent productivity and streamlining workflows. Leveraging Salesforce APIs and Sharpen’s Logic+ framework, this integration enables businesses to customize data flow to meet specific operational needs. It supports key functions such as record lookups, creation, and updates, which can be triggered at different stages of an interaction within Sharpen’s platform. By ensuring data synchronization, this integration helps organizations improve efficiency, maintain accurate records, and deliver a more connected customer experience.
Checklist for a Successful Salesforce Integration
1. Access Requirements
A Salesforce environment with administrator access
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A Sharpen environment with Logic+ and SharpenDB enabled
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Logic+ flows can be configured to execute Salesforce operations at key interaction points:
Within IVR workflows before agent connection
During queue events through automated action bots (answer, enter queue)
Post-interaction through automated action bots (clear call)
Additional Logic+ Documentation can be found here
For implementations using JSON body templates located in Token Management, configuring a Set Variable Panel in Logic+ for ANI and CNAM Lookups, or Salesforce Operations Setup, please consult the reference documentation here.
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2. OAuth Token Configuration
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Configure OAuth authentication to enable secure communication between Salesforce and Sharpen. Depending on your specific use case, you can choose from the two options outlined below.
3. Setup Sharpen CTI in Salesforce (Optional) [Link]
Instructions for Implementing Sharpen as a Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) and Call Center Solution in Salesforce via XML import.
4. API Base URL Configuration [Link]
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In this step, you will define two base API URLs:
Salesforce Operations: The primary API endpoint for handling Salesforce-related requests.
Token Validation: The API endpoint used for validating tokens within the Sharpen Integration UI.
5. Storing Salesforce Token in SharpenDB [Link]
Create and configure a SharpenDB table to store and manage relevant data for the integration
When copying JSON templates, please ensure that you select the appropriate Integration and Table from the 'Use Drop-Down' menu in any Integration or SharpenDB panels.
6. Token Management [Link]
Implement token management to maintain API connectivity utilizing Logic+ and SharpenDB
7. Configuring a Set Variable Panel in Logic+ for ANI and CNAM Lookups [Link [internal Confluence reference, not a working link]]
A key component of the workflow is configuring Set Variable Panel(s) in Logic+ to perform ANI (Automatic Number Identification) and CNAM (Caller Name) lookups. This ensures that the retrieved data can be utilized later in the process for tasks such as record lookups and other Salesforce operational functions.
Recommendation: Position the ANI (Automatic Number Identification) lookup at the initial stage of your Logic+ workflow. This strategic placement enables efficient utilization of the phone number for subsequent lookup operations across multiple subsequent panels in the process.
8. Salesforce Operations Setup
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Define and configure the necessary operations within Sharpen to interact with Salesforce.
The provided JSON templates located in the “Salesforce Operation” guides serve as a foundation for implementing your Salesforce integration. While these templates offer the essential structure for basic operations, you may need to customize the request body based on your specific requirements. This customization allows you to:
Perform lookups in Salesforce
Create new records
Update existing records
Keep in mind that your organization's unique data requirements may necessitate modifications to the baseline template structure. You can expand the request body to include additional fields and parameters that align with your business processes.
To locate additional Salesforce object names for your request body, please refer to our documentation guide Salesforce Object Names for API Data Mapping.
9. Event-Driven Queue Actions Example (Optional)
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Establish Queue-Based Event Actions to automate workflows and trigger necessary processes
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Necessary Components
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API Gateway Configuration [Link [internal Confluence reference, not migrated in this run]]
Configure the Sharpen API Gateway to enable secure and efficient communication between systems, ensuring the acquisition of a client ID and client secret for the Action Bot implementation step.
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Action Bot Implementation [Link]
Deploy and configure an Action Bot to handle automated tasks within the integration
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Best Practices
Always validate input data before making API calls
Handle API responses [internal Confluence reference, not a working link] appropriately, including error scenarios
Respect Sharpen and Salesforce API limits and implement proper rate limiting
Another helpful resource is this Example Salesforce Flow [internal Confluence reference, not migrated in this run]. It can serve as a template to jump-start your Salesforce integration, but it still requires familiarity with the concepts covered in this article.