OmniStudio is a part of Einstein Automate that integrates Salesforce automation capabilities across Platform, Einstein, Industries, and AppExchange to deliver an efficient end-to-end workflow platform. One thing about OmniStudio: you need not write a single line of code, but the Lightning Web Lightning Component is ready. OmniStudio can present data in the desired User Interface, showing the data from the same or another system.
OmniStudio has three layers to offer, namely:
- Digital Experience
- Service Management
- Developer Experience
Each layer described above is unique and contains different parts of the single workflow. Let’s start to break down every layer in depth.
The Digital Experience Layer
For any business, the users and data are two primary things. The users use the system to view and interact with the data. For them to have a smooth experience in reading, writing, calculating or performing any action, it would be best to have the Digital Experience layer, which includes two primary user interface components:
- OmniStudio FlexCards: Users must see the data easily. In reality, they wish to have the data at a glance; hence the flex card displays the contextual information and action at a glance for any data.
- OmniScripts: For the users to see the data at a glance, we need to be able to show them the fields and their values from the respective objects. How do we handle that? OmniScripts does that for you.
The above two declarative tools provide rich user interaction experiences, which makes it easy for the users to understand. They are built on Lightning Web Components, which run inside Salesforce, handling the UI performance at its peak.
Digital Experience Components and Capabilities
FlexCards
FlexCards summarize the essential information at a glance, display detailed information on demand and provide quick access to context-relevant everyday tasks. For example, when a call center agent interacts with the customer over the phone, we can give him a view of the data he needs to access his information and guide him in the process from the FlexCard during the call.
OmniScripts
An OmniScript gives customers a guided path for completing a business process and serves as a configurable way of creating a smooth customer journey. Customers want to view and update their contact information stored in Salesforce or the data stored in the legacy system or update the pricing information in a billing system. This has to be made accessible for the customer to accomplish the tasks quickly and efficiently without complicated coding on the backend, which OmniScripts can do.
FlexCards and OmniScripts become Lightning Web Components when both are activated after design. Users can access and modify the data as flyouts to display additional information when they click action on a FlexCard.
The Service Management Layer
Not only do the users want to see the data, but they also interact with it daily, where they have to create, edit, and delete. For this to handle the Service Management layer pitches in that includes data services like read, write, transform, calculate, and track data within and outside of the Salesforce.
- OmniStudio DataRaptors: A configurable service that helps retrieve, transform, and update data.
- OmniStudio Integration Procedures: Declarative, server-side processes that execute multiple actions in a single server call.
Service Management Components and Capabilities
DataRaptors
A DataRaptor mapping tool enables you to read, transform, and write Salesforce data. The four types of DataRaptor are: Turbo Extract, Extract, Load and Transform. When to use which one is the biggest question. The below table helps you understand when to use which type of DataRaptor:
Integration Procedures
These can be used to retrieve, save, and manipulate data and are recommended when you need fast processing of complex data from multiple sources. The benefits of using Integration Procedures are as follows:
- Server-side processing enables faster performance
- Combining multiple actions in a single server call prevents round trips to the server.
- Minimizing client/server calls is beneficial as more round trips lead to slower performance.
The Developer Experience Layer
It is an application lifecycle layer of tools for developers to manage and move OmniStudio component changes between environments. These developers’ tools are as follows:
- IDX Build Tool: Command line automation tool that packages and migrates OmniStudio Data packs in a source-control-friendly format.
- IDX Workbench: A desktop application that enables developers to migrate Data packs and Salesforce metadata from one org to another or from an org to a Git repository.
For simple migrations, developers can export and import the component as a Datapack, a collection of OmniStudio components packaged together for exporting and importing purposes. Developers use either IDX Build Tool or Workbench for large or complex migrations.
By now, we understand that to show the desired data, there are specific layers that need to be intact. They are intact now, but how they work is the biggest question. Before answering that question, we shall explore each layer separately in depth and reach a use case to understand the working of layers better together.
