Learning eXchange Track: Salesforce Admin and Development

To get the most from this session, bring your laptop. No special software is required,
but participants should create a free Trailhead account at trailhead.salesforce.com in advance

1. Introduction to Salesforce CRM (9:10 a.m.)

Session #1 Details

In this hands-on, technical session, we’ll introduce Salesforce as a comprehensive Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. We’ll dive into the core building blocks of Salesforce, starting with standard objects like account, contact, and opportunity, and move on to creating and managing custom objects. You'll learn about different field types, how to set up record types and page layouts, and how to control access to sensitive information using field-level security.

Additionally, we’ll explore Salesforce’s data model, focusing on object relationships (lookup, master-detail, and many-to-many), record ownership, and sharing settings. We’ll wrap up by introducing essential data management tools for importing, exporting, and mass updating records, giving you the skills to manage your CRM data effectively.

By the end of the session, you’ll have a solid foundation for customizing and leveraging Salesforce to streamline processes and drive business success.

2. Salesforce Interface and Navigation (10:35 a.m.)

Session #2 Details

In this follow-up session, we’ll focus on navigating and customizing the Salesforce interface using Salesforce Lightning Experience. You’ll learn how to make the most of the Salesforce UI, including the app launcher, navigation bar, and global search, as well as how to easily navigate through key tabs.

We’ll also show you how to personalize your workspace by customizing the homepage, adding and arranging components to fit your workflow. Additionally, you’ll get hands-on experience with record pages and page layouts, learning how to optimize views to enhance data accessibility and improve user efficiency.

By the end of this session, you’ll be confident in navigating Salesforce and customizing the interface to streamline your team’s workflows and improve overall productivity.

3. Creating and Managing Dashboards and Reports (1:00 p.m.)

Session #3 Details

In this session, we’ll dive into creating and managing reports and dashboards in Salesforce. You’ll learn how to build custom reports, exploring different formats like tabular, summary, matrix, and joined reports to suit your data needs. We’ll walk you through working with filters and groupings to refine your data and make it more actionable.

Next, we’ll cover how to visualize data using charts, turning complex data into clear, digestible insights. You’ll also get hands-on experience building dashboards to bring all your key metrics into one view, and learn how to share them with team members to drive collaboration and informed decision-making.

By the end of this session, you’ll have the skills to create powerful reports and dashboards that provide deeper insights into your Salesforce data, helping your team make data-driven decisions and optimize performance.

4. Introduction to Salesforce Process Automation (2:15 p.m.)

Session #4 Details

In this final session, we’ll explore the powerful automation tools available in Salesforce to streamline your processes and boost efficiency. We’ll start with an overview of automation basics, including the different types of flows (screen flows, record-triggered flows, and scheduled flows) and their specific use cases. You’ll gain hands-on experience in setting up flows to automate repetitive tasks and enhance your workflows.

We’ll also introduce approval processes, showing you how to automate approvals, track progress, and ensure consistent decision-making. Additionally, we’ll cover the basics of email alerts for automated communication, enabling you to send personalized emails based on triggers or actions in Salesforce.

Finally, we’ll touch briefly on apex, Salesforce’s programming language, and its role in advanced automation. You’ll get a high-level introduction to writing apex code to further customize and extend Salesforce automation capabilities.
By the end of this session, you’ll be equipped with the foundational skills to leverage Salesforce's process automation tools, making your workflows more efficient, reducing manual tasks, and enhancing productivity across your organization.

Salesforce Presenters from nCino

David Kesler, Lead Facilitator

  • Bio: David Kesler has been with nCino for over 10 years, where he currently leads a team of administrators responsible for managing a variety of key corporate systems, including Salesforce, NetSuite, and Dell Boomi. Prior to his time at nCino, David was a high school math teacher and swim coach, roles that instilled in him a passion for problem-solving and team-building. Outside of work, David enjoys spending time with his wife, who works in the Office of Student Professional Development at Cameron School of Business, and their two amazing children.

Gianni Cinelli, Facilitator

  • Bio: Gianni is a Cameron School of Business Alumni who graduated with a Finance and Business Analytics degrees. He has been customer facing since he was 13 running his parents' restaurants. He loved working in money so he studied Finance. Then he realized that he loved data so he added Business Analytics. He is 3x Certified in Salesforce (Administration, Platform App Builder, Sharing and Visibility and More). Gianni is an Implementation Consultant at nCino where he tries to change the world one configuration at a time.

Justin Parr, Facilitator

  • Head of Legal Operations
  • nCino
  • Bio: Justin is a forever Seahawk who never left Wilmington after college. At UNCW, I studied International Business and Spanish, and was the president of the Surf Club. After college I applied to nCino and I have been with nCino for 7 years. My first role was assisting customers of nCino with administration of their Salesforce environments. I have recently moved into an internal role where I plan releases of new business processes for nCino's internal Salesforce environment. I have and maintain two Salesforce certifications, Administrator and App Builder. Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with family, surfing, and freediving. 

Other Members of the nCino Facilitator Team

  • Andrew Aguilar, Principal IT Developer
  • Monica Corder, Senior Manager of IT Software Engineering
  • Paul Ferreira, Salesforce Administrator (Intern)
  • Keith Giannola. Senior Salesforce Administrator
  • Austin Gohde, IT Software Engineer
  • Sriganesh Gopal, IT Software Engineer
  • London LeGrand, Associate Manager of IT Business Applications
  • Ben Manfredi, Manager of Solution Architecture
  • Taylor Sutherland, Salesforce Administrator
  • Jason True, Software Engineer

Learning eXchange Coordinator: Tom Janicki