Salesforce updates myLightning app development framework

Updates intended to make it quicker and easier to 'create customised, branded apps at scale'

Salesforce has updated its Salesforce Lightning component-based​ ​framework​ ​for application​ ​development​, called myLightning, in order to enable users to "quickly and easily create customised, branded apps and experiences at scale".

Speaking at dreamforce 2017, ​Mike​ ​Rosenbaum,​ ​executive vice president in charge of ​CRM​ ​Apps at Salesforce, said: "Two​ ​years​ ​ago​ ​we​ ​introduced​ ​Salesforce​ ​Lightning, [which] was​ ​- and​ ​still​ ​is​ - ​one​ ​of Salesforce's​ ​biggest​ ​initiatives. With myLightning, every application, every portal, every experience that a company builds can now reflect their brand."

MyLightning has more than ​700​ ​new​ ​features,​ ​including ​workspaces,​ ​kanban​ ​boards​ ​and completely revamped​ ​reports​ ​and​ ​dashboards,​ ​all​ ​focused​ ​on​ ​increasing​ ​productivity.​ ​

However, there are three new key new tools within myLightning.

The first is a Theming​ ​and​ ​Design​ ​System​, which enables companies​ ​to ​specify​ ​the​ ​brand​ ​image,​ ​colours, page​ ​background​ ​image​ ​and​ ​more​ ​to​ ​ensure​ ​that​ ​Lightning​ ​aligns​ ​with​ ​their​ ​organisation's branding.

Then there's the new App​ ​Builder​ ​with​ a ​Dynamic​ ​Pages feature, a tool intended to delivers ​different​ ​experience​s ​to each​ ​user​ ​depending​ ​on​ ​the​ ​values​ ​of​ ​that​ ​record,​ ​enabling​ ​companies​ ​to​ ​customise​ ​at​ ​scale.​ ​

"With​ ​the​ ​new​ ​Dynamic​ ​Pages,​ ​you​ ​can​ ​now​ ​control​ ​when​ ​a component​ ​appears​ ​on​ ​a​ ​record​ ​page​ ​by​ ​adding​ ​filter​ ​conditions​ ​and​ ​logic,​ ​creating​ ​a customised​ ​experience​ ​without​ ​having​ ​to​ ​add​ ​anything​ ​to​ ​custom​ ​components," Rosenbaum explained.

"​For​ ​example,​ ​a​ ​sales​ ​leader​ ​at​ ​a​ ​medical​ ​device company​ ​who​ ​wants​ ​to​ ​prioritise​ ​high​ ​value​ ​deals​ ​can​ ​easily​ ​build​ ​a​ ​filter​ ​that​ ​shows​ ​a deal​ ​priority​ ​component​ ​on​ ​the​ ​opportunity​ ​page​ ​that's​ ​only​ ​visible​ ​for​ ​opportunities worth​ ​more​ ​than​ ​$1​​m."

The third and final major new tool within myLightning is Lightning​ ​Flow​, which now powers Salesforce's existing​ ​flow​ ​automation​ ​tools, called Visual​ ​Flow. With​ ​Lightning​ ​Flow,​ Salesforce claimed that ​administrators​ ​can​ ​create​ ​guided,​ ​visual​ ​processes​ ​with​ ​Lightning​ ​Components and​ ​easily​ ​add​ ​them​ ​to​ ​a​ ​record,​ ​app,​ ​portal​ ​and​ ​console.​ ​

"Lightning​ ​Flow​ ​is​ ​a​ ​powerful example​ ​of​ ​how​ ​the​ ​Lightning​ ​system​ ​works​ ​together​ ​to​ ​make​ ​our​ ​[customers] ​more productive​ ​and​ ​marks​ ​the​ ​beginning​ ​of​ ​what​ ​is​ ​going​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​big​ ​transformation​ ​of Salesforce​ ​towards​ ​process​-​cantered​ ​applications," said Rosenbaum.

​He used the example of Farmers​ ​Insurance, one of Salesforce's customers, which uses​ ​Lightning​ ​Flow​ ​to​ ​streamline​ ​the​ ​processing​ ​of​ ​new​ ​property​-​loss​ ​claims.

"Farmers​ ​customers​ ​and​ ​their​ ​agents​ ​can​ ​report​ ​a​ ​loss​ ​simply​ ​by​ ​uploading​ ​images from​ ​any​ ​device," he said. "​By​ ​streamlining​ ​this​ ​process,​ ​and​ ​optimising​ ​it​ ​for​ ​mobile,​ ​Farmers reduced​ ​the​ ​time​ ​it​ ​takes​ ​to​ ​report​ ​a​ ​loss​ ​from​ ​approximately​ ​12​ ​minutes​ ​to​ ​three​ ​minutes."

The three new myLightning features will work alongside the existing Lightning Bolt tool that was introduced last year and will all be ​generally​ ​available​ ​in​ ​early​ ​2018​ ​at​ ​no​ ​additional​ ​cost, Salesforce said.