Salesforce: Multi-Person Calendar Event (User as invitee)

In previous blog Multi-Person Calendar Event (Contact / Lead as invitee), we discussed about adding contact or lead as invitee, we also discussed the structure at the backend and how we can use API to add contact or lead as invitee.

But, when the invitee is a user, the structure will be a little different, although the objects used is the same.

1. Event object
Instead of create only 1 event record as add contact/lead as invitee, invite user will create multiple event record based on number of invitee + sender. In this scenario, we are going to invite 2 users and 1 contact.

Sample query: Select Id, Subject, OwnerId, GroupEventType, IsChild, WhatId, WhoId, CreatedDate, ActivityDate, ActivityDateTime, StartDateTime, EndDateTime, EventSubtype, IsReminderSet, Type, WhatCount, WhoCount FROM Event WHERE Subject = 'Test with User'

This will create 3 events with same subject, one event for each User, but only 1 with IsChild = False, which is "parent" event. Also notice that each record have different Owner Id, and all events with GroupEventType = 1, remember that we cannot populate / update GroupEventType manually.


2. EventRelation object
Sample query: SELECT Id,EventId,RelationId,IsParent,IsWhat,IsInvitee,Status,CreatedDate FROM EventRelation WHERE EventId IN ('00U63000001T8Y9EAK','00U63000001T8YAEA0','00U63000001T8YBEA0')

Notice that records created in this object is relate to: 1 opportunity, 1 contact and 2 users, but all linked to the same event, which is parent event where IsChild = False.


3. EventWhoRelation object
Same with EventRelation object, only 1 record created as we only have 1 contact relate to the event, and it is linked to the parent Event (IsChild = False)

Sample query: SELECT Id, EventId, RelationId, Type, CreatedDate FROM EventWhoRelation WHERE EventId IN ('00U63000001T8Y9EAK','00U63000001T8YAEA0','00U63000001T8YBEA0')

How to auto add User as Invitee Event with API?

You just need to insert record(s) to EventRelation object, 1 record for 1 contact / lead. Here are fields you need to populate:
1. EventId = Event Id
2. RelationId = User Id
3. IsParent = False
4. IsWhat    = False
5. IsInvitee = True
6. Status   = New

This is similar with add Contact / Lead as invitee, the difference is: Salesforce will auto create event record for the user as child record, if the parent record initially is not for multi-person, GroupEventType will change from 0 to 1.

Salesforce: Multi-Person Calendar Event (Contact / Lead as invitee)

In Salesforce, you can create event and relate to multiple Contacts (up to 50 contacts), but make sure you have enable Allow Users to Relate Multiple Contacts to Tasks and Events from Setup | Customize | Activities | Activity Settings.

You also can invite Contacts that is not defined in the Relate To for the event, including from Leads.

As you see from screenshot above, the event is relate to Opportunity and 2 contacts, we add both Contacts as invitee, and then we also add 2 Leads as Invitee.


So what happened in the backend ?

1. Event object
Salesforce create a new event record, because this is Multi-Person Calendar Event, notice GroupEventType = 1; while WhoId is the primary Contact.

Note that you cannot populate GroupEventType from API, but the value will be auto populate based on event category:

• 0 (Non–group event)—An event with no invitees.
• 1 (Group event)—An event with invitees.
• 2 (Proposed event)—An event created when a user requests a meeting with a contact, lead, or person account using the Salesforce user interface.  

Sample query: Select Id, CreatedDate, ActivityDate, ActivityDateTime, ReminderDateTime, StartDateTime, EndDateTime, EventSubtype, GroupEventType, IsReminderSet, OwnerId, Subject, Type, WhatCount, WhatId, WhoCount, WhoId FROM Event WHERE Id = '00U63000001T8XGEA0'


2. EventRelation object
Represents people (a user, a lead, or contacts) or a resource (such as a conference room) invited to an event.  For above screenshot scenario, query to this object for above event will return 5 records: 2 Contacts, 2 Leads and 1 Opportunity.

Sample query: SELECT Id, EventId, RelationId, IsParent, IsWhat, IsInvitee, Status, CreatedDate FROM EventRelation WHERE EventId = '00U63000001T8XGEA0'

3. EventWhoRelation object
Represents the relationship between an event and a lead or contacts, this object DO NOT have relation with invitee, but it is pure on contacts or lead Relate To the Event. EventWhoRelation allows a variable number of relationships: one lead or up to 50 contacts. Available only if you’ve enabled Shared Activities for your organization.

Sample query: SELECT Id, EventId, RelationId, Type, CreatedDate FROM EventWhoRelation WHERE EventId = '00U63000001T8XGEA0'

From the top screenshot scenario, query will return 2 records which is Contact relate to: Mike Lee and Jack Man. We cannot create record directly in EventWhoRelation object with API.


How to auto add Contact / Lead as Invitee Event with API?

You just need to insert record(s) to EventRelation object, 1 record for 1 contact / lead. Here are fields you need to populate:
1. EventId = Event Id
2. RelationId = Contact Id / Lead Id
3. IsParent = False
4. IsWhat    = False
5. IsInvitee = True
6. Status         = New


Reference:

• Event
• EventRelation
• EventWhoRelation

Salesforce: Automate Assigning Managed Package Licenses

When you purchase 3rd party app by License (from AppExchange or others), once installed in Production, you will find the Packaged in Setup | Installed Packages. For free package, it will be available for all users, but for license by user, you will notice Manage Licenses link next to the Package Name. Then admin or user with Manage Package Licenses permission need to add users for particular license. This is simple job, but when you have new user onboard and offboard over the times, this activity often forget and become not practical.

Can we automate this? 
Since Summer 14 release, Salesforce make the object available via API, where you can use Process Builder + Flow or Trigger to automate license assignment and license removal.

There are 2 object you need to work with:

1. PackageLicense
Represents a license for an installed managed package.
This object only support record query, not create, update, and delete.

2. UserPackageLicense
Represents a license for an installed managed package, assigned to a specific user.
This object support record create, delete, query, but not update.

I'll not go down to the detail on how to create Process Builder + Flow or Trigger code in this blog, but the idea is based on objects above, you need to get the PackageLicense Id, the create new record in UserPackageLicense, you just need to provide PackageLicenseId and UserId.


Sample Query
SELECT Id, NamespacePrefix, AllowedLicenses, UsedLicenses FROM PackageLicense WHERE Status = 'Active' AND AllowedLicenses > 0 ORDER BY NamespacePrefix

SELECT Id, PackageLicenseId, UserId FROM UserPackageLicense WHERE PackageLicenseId = '050o0000000DC8JAAW'


Reference:

• Assigning Licenses Using the API
• Flow Record Delete Element

Salesforce: New Event versus New Meeting Request

In previous blog, we discussed about New Meeting Request. However, using Event and Select Invitee, this will also can be used to send invite for coworkers and customers.

What is similar between New Event with select Invitee versus New Meeting Request?

• Both can be launch from Home page calendar and Open Activities of lead and contact.
• When you can use customize logo in meeting request, it will be the same logo for both, you can configure from Setup | Customize | Activities | Activities Setting | Show Custom Logo in Meeting Requests
• Both can invite User, Lead, and Contact
• Both have start and end date time
• Both have Location and Subject
• Invitees will get email of the invite, although the message a little different, Meeting Request have more content, see screenshots below
• Invitees to response the invite
• Both event is report-able using standard report type = Events with Invitees

New Event with select Invitee

New Meeting Request

What is the difference between New Event & New Meeting Request?
An event does not necessarily mean that you will be having a meeting with someone, even the event type is meeting, your customer will not receive meeting invite, until you add them as Invitee. When you create new event, scroll down to the bottom and look for Select Invitees section

Once you add invitee to the event, notice the event title change from New Event to New Multi-Person Calendar Event, and there is a button Save & Send Update, this will send email to all invitee. Once New Meeting Request is confirmed, it will have the same behavior as Event with invitee.

New Event 

• Sender will receive initial email and it consider confirmed invite
• Meeting times is fixed
• No customized message 
• Event send will show in sender Calendar as "Scheduled Meetings"
• Invitees to accept or decline invite, issue: sender do not get email when invitee response.

New Meeting Request

• Sender can propose up to five meeting times
• Sender can customize message
• When meeting invite sent, event will be show in sender Calendar as "Requested Meetings"
• Invitees receive email and select preferred meeting times or propose new times
• After invitee responses, sender to confirm the meeting, sender will get email when invitee response.
• Invitees will receive email and need to accept or decline confirmed meeting times, here we have the same issue as New Event, sender do not received email as well.
• When sender confirmed the meeting time, event will move from "Requested Meetings"to "Scheduled Meetings" in Home page

Sample Report
In this scenario, we are using report type "Events with Invitees"
 Sender = Jack Bob
 Invitee 1 = Linda Yie (co-worker)
 Invitee 2 = Sean Lee (lead)

Initial sent
• Linda received email
• Sean received email

Linda select a time
• Nothing change in report

Sean select a time
• Nothing change in report

Jack confirm the meeting time

• Linda received email

• Sean received email

Sean accept & Linda reject the invite

Sender can track who has accept, decline and has not responded to the invite from the event itself.

Reference:

• Set Up Cloud Scheduler in Salesforce Classic
• Request a Meeting
• Confirm a Requested Meeting 

Salesforce: Cloud Scheduler aka New Meeting Request

Cloud Scheduler allows your users to request meetings with customers and coworkers, and lets customers and coworkers select when they can meet before organizers confirm meeting times. The New Meeting Request button lets users request meetings using Cloud Scheduler. It's added by default in the Home page under Calendar component, and in Open Activities related list for contacts, leads, and person accounts (if enabled).

If you not see New Meeting Request button in the Home page, make sure Calendar component is added to your Home page layout. After that also make sure Show Requested Meetings in the Calendar Section on the Home Tab is selected under Setup | Customize | Activities | Activity Settings. When this is selected, you will see Scheduled Meetings and Requested Meetings tab under Calendar.

"Show Requested Meetings in the Calendar Section on the Home Tab" NOT selected

"Show Requested Meetings in the Calendar Section on the Home Tab" is selected

For New Meeting Request button in Open Activities related list of Lead and Contact, make sure the button New Meeting Request is added to the page layout.

When you use Cloud Scheduler to request a meeting with a contact, a lead, a person account, or a coworker, Salesforce creates a unique Web page for your meeting that displays the proposed meeting times. When invitees visit the page, they select the times that work for them and send you a reply. Salesforce tracks all the responses so that you can pick the best time to meet when you confirm the meeting.


Tips:

• You must have at least read access to the contacts, leads, and person accounts that you request a meeting with.
• Each invitee must have an email address specified in their record so Salesforce can send them a meeting request.
• You can invite up to 50 people to a meeting. Invitees can consist of only contacts, leads, or person accounts, only coworkers who use Salesforce, or a combination.
• You can propose up to five meeting times by picking times in the calendar.
• Recommend you to install Salesforce for Outlook so you can sync your calendar events between Salesforce and Microsoft® Outlook®
• Your meeting’s Web page displays all messages between you and the invitees. This includes messages that invitees write when responding to your request.
• If you requested the meeting from an Open Activities related list, the meeting appears on the detail page for that contact or lead only. It doesn’t appear on the Open Activities related list for any other invitee. For example, if you requested a meeting with Jane Smith from her contact detail page and then clicked the To field to invite John Doe, the requested meeting only appears on the Open Activities related list for Jane Smith and not John Doe. If you requested the meeting from the Calendar section on the Home tab, the meeting doesn't appear on the Open Activities related list for either Jane Smith or John Doe.

Currently Meeting Request only available for weekday, vote this idea to include weekend in the meeting request https://success.salesforce.com/ideaView?id=08730000000jA8pAAE and this idea https://success.salesforce.com/ideaView?id=08730000000I4z9AAC


Reference: How Cloud Scheduler Works in Salesforce Classic

Cloud Scheduler to begin phased retirement with Winter ‘17

Salesforce: Personal Groups

Public Groups is one of the most famous and widely use feature in Salesforce, with contain a set of users, it can be individual users, other groups, the users in a particular role or territory, or the users in a role or territory plus all of the users below that role or territory in the hierarchy.

Only admin (or users with Managed Users permission) can create Public Group. Public Group can be used from sharing rules, manual record sharing, report/dashboard folder sharing, list view visibility and etc.

What is Personal Group? 
Personal group is not so popular compare to Public Group. Personal Group are intended only for the user themselves to create and manually add members.

Salesforce user can create and manage their own personal group from Name | My Settings | Personal | My Groups, from here you click New Group or edit or delete existing group. Each user can create more than 1 personal groups.

While Public Group only for system admin to setup, Personal Group can only be created, edit, "seen" and used by the User himself (no one else can access it).

Personal Group Usage
Once your personal group created, you can use it to share records to this specific group. But, make sure your Salesforce admin to add Sharing button to the page layout.

If there is no personal group created, you will not see Personal Groups option in drop down menu. Before Personal Groups created:

Once Personal Groups created:

Reference:

• Public Groups vs. Personal Groups
• Granting Access to Records
• Create and Edit Groups