Salesforce-nCino-201 approach - Salesforce nCino 201 Commercial Banking Functional Updated: 2023

Salesforce recently announced that it would be partnering with the Ministry of Education to upskill 100K students in AI, through its Trailhead cloud platform, for fostering tech talent in India. In addition to this, the partnership will also be offering a virtual internship program – funded by Salesforce – which would serve as a great platform to promote the capability of the growing generation. 

Salesforce, the leading AI CRM platform, has joined forces with the Ministry of Education in India to revolutionize education through Trailhead, Salesforce’s free online learning platform. This strategic collaboration aims to equip 100,000 students in India with Salesforce skills by 2026, fostering a new wave of talent in the Salesforce ecosystem.

In alignment with global objectives outlined by IDC, which predicts the creation of 11.6 million jobs and $2.02 trillion in business revenues in the Salesforce economy between 2022 and 2028, Salesforce is actively engaging with academia in India. The primary focus is to bolster the availability of skilled talent through a comprehensive program that combines industry-relevant content, “train-the-trainer” initiatives, mentorship, employment connections, and Salesforce-supported virtual internships.

The collaboration emphasizes the creation of National Occupation Standard-recognized course content, ensuring that the learning modules align with industry standards. The program extends beyond conventional education, incorporating mentorship opportunities, connections to potential employers, and practical virtual internships supported by Salesforce. The content on Trailhead will be customized based on the specific requirements of programs established by the Ministry of Education, affiliated departments, organizations, and agencies.

“India’s race toward technological dominance is inextricably intertwined with the depth of its talent pool, digital adoption and the scope of technological innovation with a long-term focus on global reach. Talent is at the core of this journey, and with over 500,000 software engineers and technologists graduating each year, India is posed to be a global hub for tech talent. I’ve always believed in the immense talent opportunity that India offers, but no amount of talent will make a difference unless it is properly skilled. Hence, we are delighted to be partnering with the Ministry of Education, supporting skilling and leveraging the power of collaboration to drive change,” said Arundhati Bhattacharya, CEO and Chairperson, of Salesforce India.

“The Ministry of Education’s Department of Higher Education has decided to offer industry-related courses on the SWAYAM platform in collaboration with Salesforce with an objective to increase the employability of the students. By combining our resources, expertise, and network, we can create a comprehensive program that empowers students with the skills they need to succeed in the job market. I believe that this collaboration will not only benefit individual students but also contribute to the overall growth of any person participating in these courses,” said Govind Jaiswal, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Education.

The collaboration is bridging the gap between education and industry needs, Salesforce’s collaboration with the Ministry of Education marks a significant step towards empowering the next generation of Trailblazers in India. The initiative not only aims to skill 100,000 students but also contributes to the broader global vision of a thriving Salesforce economy driven by artificial intelligence. This comprehensive approach ensures that learners receive practical, industry-relevant training, laying the foundation for a skilled and dynamic workforce in the years to come.

Businesses must successfully convert leads and manage and grow customer relationships to succeed. Salesforce CRM features myriad customization options to achieve these goals, empowering businesses of all sizes – and across various industries – to better understand and support prospects and customers. You can adapt nearly every aspect of the software’s interface and performance to help sales, marketing, customer service and technical support teams succeed. Salesforce CRM features thousands of fully integrated apps, plug-in scripts, and a superior API interface to help businesses create a flexible, customized solution. Once implemented, you’ll enjoy a beautifully designed product that’s speedy, powerful, and perfectly tailored to your company’s specific needs and processes.

With so many companies out there, it can be tough to nail down the best Salesforce alternative for your business. To find the right one for you, consider your goals, budget and must-have features. Additionally, consider user reviews and review articles to get a fuller picture of what the CRM software is like. We also suggest asking friends or colleagues from other companies to see what they use for their business and if they recommend it.

Essential Features

You may have certain CRM features or integrations in mind that are necessary for your business to run smoothly. If so, be sure to write them out and reference them during your search. Consult your team and other relevant stakeholders to review the list and add to it, if applicable.

• Automation tools: Your CRM software should be a central hub for finding leads, turning leads into customers, and relating with them to build customer retention. That means you need a CRM with automation features for lead management, contact management, sales forecasting, sales completion, project management, pipeline management and even email marketing.
• Reporting and analytics: Your business requires a CRM that provides in-depth and easy-to-understand CRM analytics. The data and reports you’ll get will guide your teams to develop and maintain the marketing and customer relationship strategies they need to achieve better and faster results.
• Integration capability: Ensure the CRM you’re considering enables integration with third-party apps. That’s because you’ll need CRM integration with customer data platforms, marketing software, VoIP services, email marketing software, scheduling tools such as Calendly and Doodle, and others to relate with your customers appropriately and from one place.
• Mobile accessibility: You need a CRM that provides access to CRM features even when you’re away from your desktop. That means accessing essential customer data and insights, staying on top of relevant information and initiating or completing necessary customer relationship tasks—on your Android or iOS devices with easy navigation.
• Customization options: Choose a CRM platform that allows you to customize the app to suit your business operations. You should be able to select dashboard elements, customize workflows, personalize communications and customize your package via multiple pricing plan options or add-on availability. Even better is a CRM that enables application programming interfaces (APIs) for enhanced CRM software configuration.
• Robust data security: Ensure your chosen CRM can secure customer data. Security features to look out for are encryption, two-factor authentication and advanced user permissions.

Goals

Aligning with your team is the first step you should take when looking for a Salesforce alternative. Understand what they need or don’t need in a CRM and ask if there are any pain points with Salesforce in particular.

Measure these against your business’s priorities. Review past reports to identify gaps or areas of improvement, and make sure that a CRM can help you reach your goals. For example, if you find that your customer satisfaction score (CSAT) numbers were lower than expected, a CRM can help you streamline your customer support management to provide better service.

Pricing and Budget

CRM providers vary in price. Companies such as Freshsales CRM and monday.com offer free versions, but you’ll need to pay something per month or year to get their premium features or add as many users as required. Generally, CRM pricing ranges from a few dollars per user to hundreds per month. It all depends on your needs. However, consider factors such as a CRM’s per-user per-month rates and whether discounts are available for bulk subscriptions.

Also, check for the need for specific contracts, add-ons or integration capabilities. For instance, Microsoft Dynamics 365 enables software integration only when you pay for its add-on feature. So, consider each CRM’s pricing peculiarity and nail down your budget ahead of time to make your search easier.

Ease of Use and Support

You need a CRM that is easy to set up and navigate. So, choose one with user-friendly layouts that allow you to create tasks, import and export data and update information. Also, ensure the CRM supports its users via various channels, including phone, live chat and email. Other popular support channels to look out for are tickets, user forums and resources such as webinars, tutorials, live demos and a rich knowledge base of answers to FAQs, infographics and videos. A CRM software that is easy to use will help you enjoy CRM benefits, and a reliable support team will make sure you don’t miss out on those benefits due to glitches.

As promised last week, Salesforce announced the replacement today for Slack CEO Lidiane Jones, who stepped down last week after 10 months on the job to become CEO at dating app Bumble.

In a post on X (the social platform formerly known as Twitter) this morning, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff announced that Denise Dresser, a long-time Salesforce employee with loads of executive experience, would be filling the role.

“I couldn’t be more excited to share the news that Denise Dresser is our new CEO of Slack! Denise is an incredible business leader who has excelled at every level in her career at Salesforce,” Benioff wrote on X.

Writing on LinkedIn, where she wasted no time on changing her title to Slack CEO, Dresser also understandably expressed excitement at being promoted. “I am incredibly humbled to share that I will be joining the team at Slack as CEO,” she wrote.

Her official Salesforce bio describes her this way: “As a 12-year Salesforce veteran, Dresser has excelled in leadership roles of increasing responsibility while building mission-driven, high-performing teams. She has a passion for product-driven customer success, collaborative leadership and mentoring future women leaders and top talent.” She should be able to hit the ground running with that background and her understanding of how Salesforce operates.

Like Jones, she should be able to act as a bridge between Slack, the company that Salesforce acquired for almost $28 billion in 2021, and the Salesforce family of products. But like her predecessor, she has to walk the narrow line between keeping Slack independent, while finding ways to to integrate it more tightly when it makes sense. She also has to keep long-time employees happy, while hearing from customers and Salesforce execs about the direction of Slack.

It won’t be easy, but Benioff expressed confidence in her abilities, based on her extensive experience at Salesforce.

“Her record of success, most recently as president of Accelerated Industries and before that as EVP, Enterprise Sales, includes driving some of our most important customer success ever. Denise is a collaborative technology leader who brings teams together and has inspired me and so many of us with her deep commitment to our values and to our customers and to the spirit of innovation,” Benioff added on X.

Ray Wang, founder and principal analyst at Constellation Research, sees Dresser as a good internal pick. “Denise is an enterprise pro. She cut her teeth in enterprise performance management and built a reputation for understanding how to sell in industries. It’s a good indication of that they hope Slack will align better with the overall Salesforce Industry strategy,” Wang told TechCrunch. It’s worth noting that enterprise performance management is about improving performance across an organization, a skill which should be a helpful running Slack (or an organization, really).

The change was needed when Jones, who was only hired at the end of last year to replace co-founder and CEO Stewart Butterfield, announced that she was taking on the role of Bumble CEO, a rapid rise from unknown Salesforce executive to Slack CEO to the leader of a public company.

Benioff expressed happiness for Jones and wished her well in her new job in a public statement. “We recognize what an amazing opportunity this is for Lidiane in becoming a public company CEO. And all the more so at Bumble, a truly great company, with great values that we admire dearly,” he said.

Dresser takes on the job immediately, although Jones indicated she would stick around until the end of the year to help with the transition.

In a notable insider transaction, Srinivas Tallapragada, the President and Chief Engineering Officer of Salesforce Inc (NYSE:CRM), sold 10,000 shares of the company on November 13, 2023. This sale is part of a series of transactions over the past year, where Tallapragada has sold a total of 267,538 shares and has not made any purchases. The insider's exact move has caught the attention of investors and analysts, prompting a closer look at the implications of such insider activities on the stock's performance and valuation.

Who is Srinivas Tallapragada at Salesforce Inc?

Srinivas Tallapragada plays a pivotal role at Salesforce Inc, holding the position of President and Chief Engineering Officer. His responsibilities include overseeing the technological advancements and engineering efforts that keep Salesforce at the forefront of the Customer Relationship Management (NYSE:CRM) industry. With a career deeply rooted in software engineering and development, Tallapragada's actions and insights are highly regarded within the company and the tech community at large.

Salesforce Inc's Business Description

Salesforce Inc is a global leader in CRM solutions, providing a suite of cloud-based applications for sales, service, marketing, and more. The company's platform is designed to bring companies and customers together, helping businesses of all sizes to grow and manage their customer relationships more effectively. Salesforce's innovative approach to CRM has revolutionized the way companies engage with their clients, making it a critical tool in the digital transformation of businesses worldwide.

Analysis of Insider Buy/Sell and Relationship with Stock Price

The insider transaction history for Salesforce Inc reveals a pattern of insider selling, with 280 insider sells and no insider buys over the past year. This trend could be interpreted in various ways. On one hand, insiders might sell shares for personal financial planning reasons that do not necessarily reflect their outlook on the company's future. On the other hand, consistent selling by insiders, especially without any offsetting buys, might raise questions about their confidence in the company's valuation or growth prospects.

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On the day of Tallapragada's exact sale, Salesforce Inc shares were trading at $212.86, giving the company a substantial market cap of $215.21 billion. This price point is particularly interesting when considering the company's price-earnings ratio of 139.11, which is significantly higher than the industry median of 26.97. Although this elevated P/E ratio might suggest a premium valuation, it is lower than the company's historical median, indicating a potential normalization of valuation multiples.

The relationship between insider selling and stock price can be complex. While insider sales can sometimes lead to negative market reactions, the impact on Salesforce's stock price must be analyzed in the context of the company's overall financial health and market conditions. It is also essential to consider the volume of shares sold relative to the total number of shares outstanding; in the case of Salesforce, the insider transactions represent a small fraction of the company's total market cap.

Valuation and GF Value Analysis

Salesforce's current stock price of $212.86, when compared to the GuruFocus Value (GF Value) of $268.46, suggests that the stock is modestly undervalued with a price-to-GF-Value ratio of 0.79. The GF Value is a proprietary intrinsic value estimate from GuruFocus, which takes into account historical trading multiples, a company-specific adjustment factor based on past returns and growth, and future business performance estimates from analysts.

This modest undervaluation could be an attractive entry point for investors, especially if the insider selling is not indicative of underlying business issues. It is also worth noting that the stock's valuation is not solely dependent on insider transactions but also on broader market trends, investor sentiment, and Salesforce's continued performance and growth trajectory.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the exact insider sale by Srinivas Tallapragada at Salesforce Inc warrants attention but should be contextualized within the broader scope of the company's financials and market valuation. While the pattern of insider selling over the past year may raise some eyebrows, the current GF Value suggests that Salesforce's stock might still be an attractive investment opportunity. Investors should continue to monitor insider activity, alongside other financial metrics and market trends, to make informed decisions about their investments in Salesforce Inc.

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

In this article, we will take a look into Salesforce Inc's (NYSE:CRM) DCF analysis, a reliable and data-driven approach to estimating its intrinsic value. Instead of using future free cash flow as in the traditional DCF model, the GuruFocus DCF calculator uses EPS without NRI as the default for the DCF model based on research that shows that historically stock prices have been more correlated with earnings than free cash flow.

As of 2023-11-06, Salesforce Inc's intrinsic value as calculated by the Discounted Earnings model is $54.45. It's currently trading at a price of $207.47. Therefore, the margin of safety based on the DCF model is -281.03%. The company is significantly overvalued.

The model

The GuruFocus DCF calculator follows a two-stage model by default. This model consists of the Growth Stage and the Terminal Stage. In the growth stage, the company is experiencing faster growth, while in the terminal stage, a lower growth rate is applied because sustained rapid growth is not sustainable in the long run. Salesforce Inc's intrinsic value estimated by Discounted Earnings model are arrived at by following assumptions and steps.

Assumptions

Calculation

Discounted Free Cash Flow Model

GuruFocus also provides the calculation using the traditional approach of free cash flow. Using trailing twelve month(ttm) Free Cash Flow per Share as a parameter, the DCF intrinsic value based on free cash flow is $239.41. This valuation indicates that the Salesforce Inc is modestly undervalued, accompanied by a margin of safety of 13.34%. You can always switch to using Free Cash Flow per Share to calculate the real DCF model on our DCF calculator page.

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The Bottom Line

Please note that while the DCF model is a robust valuation methodology, it relies on various assumptions and projections that may affect the accuracy of the final intrinsic value calculation. Here are some considerations when employing the DCF model:

• Future Earnings Potential: The DCF model evaluates a company based on its potential future earnings.

• Embracing Growth: Growth plays a pivotal role. All else being equal, a company with rapid growth will have a higher value.

• Predictability: The model assumes that a company will grow at the same rate as its past 10-year performance, making it a better fit for companies with consistent performance. For companies with unpredictable performance, such as cyclical companies, the DCF model may be less accurate and a larger margin of safety should be emphasized.

• Discount Rate: Selecting an appropriate discount rate is paramount. Using your anticipated return on investment is a sensible choice for the discount rate.

Navigating with GuruFocus:

Using the GuruFocus All-in-One Screener, you can easily screen for stocks that are currently trading below their intrinsic value: DCF (FCF Based) and Intrinsic Value: DCF (Earnings Based). To identify undervalued predictable companies, focus on those with a high Predictability Rank that are trading at a discount to their Intrinsic Value: DCF (FCF Based) and Intrinsic Value: DCF (Earnings Based).

This article, generated by GuruFocus, is designed to provide general insights and is not tailored financial advice. Our commentary is rooted in historical data and analyst projections, utilizing an impartial methodology, and is not intended to serve as specific investment guidance. It does not formulate a recommendation to purchase or divest any stock and does not consider individual investment objectives or financial circumstances. Our objective is to deliver long-term, fundamental data-driven analysis. Be aware that our analysis might not incorporate the most recent, price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative information. GuruFocus holds no position in the stocks mentioned herein.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

InvestorPlace - Stock Market News, Stock Advice & Trading Tips

2023 has been a volatile one for the equities markets, especially for the tech sector. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq, two of the most widely followed indexes, have experienced significant swings in performance, as investors reacted to changing economic conditions, interest rates and earnings reports.

Uncertainty around where interest rates would land in the long term caused both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to approach correction territory towards the end of October 2023. A number of technology stocks were hit during this exact sell-off period, creating opportunities for investors willing to look long-term. Below are three oversold, large-cap tech stocks that have significant upside potential.

Salesforce (CRM)

Source: Tada Images / Shutterstock.com

One of the oversold tech stocks is Salesforce (NYSE:CRM), the leading provider of cloud-based software solutions for customer relationship management (CRM). Salesforce’s shares are nearly 10% down from their $234.37 peak in late July. As a direct result, the CRM software company is trading at a reasonable multiple of 16.3 times forward EBITDA.

Prior to the exact macroeconomic slowdown, Salesforce had grown rapidly off of the tailwinds brought about by enterprises implementing cost-saving digital transformation efforts, including digitizing their CRM practices. Unfortunately, like many businesses, the software company has been hit with headwinds of the challenging macro environment, which has made it tougher for Salesforce to acquire new customers or upsell existing ones. However, recently employed cost cutting initiatives have helped Salesforce to maintain profitability.

As Salesforce’s share price continues to recover from the broader market sell-off, it may be an opportune time for investors to allocate to shares of a company that has become crucial for managing customer relationships.

IBM (IBM)

Source: Laborant / Shutterstock.com

IBM (NYSE:IBM) is another oversold large-cap technology stock. The iconic technology company that offers a wide range of products and services, such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity and consulting. IBM has been undergoing a strategic transformation to focus on its high-growth and high-margin segments, while divesting from its legacy businesses. For example, the company was able to spin off its IT infrastructure services business into a new public company called Kyndryl (NYSE:KD).

The company has not only been investing in AI products and services but also in quantum computing. IBM offers a cloud-based quantum computing service called IBM Quantum Experience, which allows customers and researchers to access its quantum hardware and software. Given quantum computing will probably be the next step in computer revolution after language-based AI, IBM’s shares could be in for solid returns in the long run.

Alphabet (GOOGL)

Source: salarko / Shutterstock.com

Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL,NASDAQ:GOOG) needs little introduction at this point. The tech giant is not only the parent company of Google but also of several other businesses, such as YouTube and Google Cloud. Because the company has its hands in several technology verticals, the company has been able to weather the macroeconomic environment better than other technology companies. In their second quarter, for example, Alphabet beat both Wall Street’s revenue and earnings estimates. Similarly, in the third quarter, revenue growth returned to the double-digit growth territory. While cloud revenue disappointed, Google Cloud did swing to an operating profit when compared to last year’s figure during the same period.

As Alphabet continues to employ AI tools into Cloud platform, investors should expect this segment to not only grew in terms of revenue but also with respect to profitability. Shares in Alphabet sold off around 10% due to what investors saw as “disappointing” Google Cloud performance, but investors willing to take a long term bet on Google Cloud could benefit by allocating now before shares recover.

On the date of publication, Tyrik Torres did not have (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.com Publishing Guidelines.

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