The Salesforce Service Cloud data model is designed to help organizations effectively manage customer service operations by organizing data around the Case object and its related objects. Understanding the roles of these objects and their relationships is essential for leveraging Service Cloud’s capabilities.
This guide breaks down the key components of the Salesforce Service Cloud data model with real-world examples and includes a table for better readability.
Core Objects in the Service Cloud Data Model
Overview Table of Key Objects
| Object | Purpose | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Represents a customer’s company or organization. | “ABC Corp” as the customer account for all associated cases. |
| Contact | Represents individuals linked to accounts. | Jane Doe, an IT manager at “ABC Corp,” logs a support case. |
| Case | Tracks customer issues, complaints, or service requests. | Case #12345 logs a bug reported by Jane Doe regarding a software error. |
| Case Team Member | Collaborators assigned to resolve a case. | A support agent and a product specialist working together on Jane’s issue. |
| Entitlement | Defines the level of customer support provided. | “Gold Support” guarantees a 2-hour response time for high-priority issues. |
| Service Contract | Tracks formal agreements between the customer and your company. | A one-year service contract ensures 24/7 support for “ABC Corp.” |
| Knowledge Article | Provides solutions, FAQs, and documentation. | An article titled “How to Fix Error X” helps customers resolve minor issues themselves. |
| Solution | Legacy object for storing problem resolutions. | A pre-existing solution provides steps for troubleshooting network errors. |
| Case Milestone | Tracks critical steps tied to SLAs. | Ensures an agent contacts the customer within 2 hours for high-priority cases. |
Detailed Breakdown of Objects
1. Account
- Purpose: Stores information about the customer’s organization.
- Example: “ABC Corp” is a company using your services, and all cases from their employees are linked to this account.
- Real-World Use: Allows support agents to view a comprehensive history of cases and interactions with the organization.
2. Contact
- Purpose: Represents individuals within an account who interact with your support team.
- Example: Jane Doe, the IT manager at “ABC Corp,” contacts support about a bug in your software.
- Real-World Use: By linking cases to contacts, agents can tailor responses and maintain a personal touch with individual customers.
3. Case
- Purpose: Central object for tracking customer complaints, requests, or issues.
- Example: Case #12345 logs a software bug reported by Jane Doe.
- Real-World Use: Serves as the foundation for customer support operations, containing fields like Priority, Subject, Description, and Status.
4. Case Team Member
- Purpose: Adds users or teams to collaborate on resolving a case.
- Example: A support agent is assigned as the primary contact, while a product specialist provides technical insights.
- Real-World Use: Ensures cases are resolved efficiently through team collaboration.
5. Entitlement
- Purpose: Tracks the level of service promised to a customer.
- Example: “ABC Corp” has a Gold Support Entitlement, guaranteeing a 2-hour response time for high-priority issues.
- Real-World Use: Automates case routing and prioritization based on customer agreements.
6. Service Contract
- Purpose: Represents a formal agreement outlining support terms.
- Example: A one-year service contract ensures that “ABC Corp” receives 24/7 support.
- Real-World Use: Tracks service expiration dates and ensures adherence to agreed terms.
7. Knowledge Article
- Purpose: Provides a repository for FAQs and solutions.
- Example: An article titled “Troubleshooting Connectivity Issues” helps customers resolve problems without contacting support.
- Real-World Use: Reduces case volume by enabling self-service.
8. Solution (Deprecated)
- Purpose: Stores resolutions for recurring problems (still present in some legacy orgs).
- Example: A solution outlines steps to fix a common server configuration issue.
- Real-World Use: Useful for older orgs migrating to modern knowledge management.
9. Case Milestone
- Purpose: Tracks time-sensitive actions tied to SLAs (Service Level Agreements).
- Example: Requires an agent to respond to a high-priority case within 2 hours.
- Real-World Use: Helps meet contractual obligations by monitoring case progress.
Example Use Case: Resolving a Customer Issue with the Data Model
Scenario:
Jane Doe from “ABC Corp” reports a software bug.
Step-by-Step Interaction with the Data Model:
- Case Creation:
- A new Case is logged with details: Priority set to High, Origin as Email, and Subject as “Software Bug.”
- Account and Contact Association:
- The case is linked to the Account “ABC Corp” and the Contact Jane Doe for complete traceability.
- Entitlement Verification:
- The system checks Jane’s entitlement and confirms she qualifies for Gold Support, which promises a 2-hour response time.
- Assigning a Case Team:
- A Case Team is created, including a support agent to troubleshoot and a product specialist to provide advanced assistance.
- Knowledge Article Reference:
- The support agent refers to a Knowledge Article titled “How to Fix Error X” for potential solutions.
- Tracking Milestones:
- A Case Milestone is added, requiring the agent to provide an initial response within 2 hours.
- Service Contract Validation:
- The Service Contract ensures “ABC Corp” is entitled to 24/7 support as per their agreement.
Conclusion
The Salesforce Service Cloud data model centralizes all essential customer information, allowing organizations to deliver high-quality support. By understanding the purpose and interaction of each object, your team can resolve cases efficiently while maintaining excellent customer relationships. Use this model as a blueprint to configure your Service Cloud instance and optimize customer service operations.