The focus of this white paper is the Kibo-Salesforce Integration project by iResponsive Solutions. In customer care, quickly obtaining order details is essential for maintaining high customer satisfaction. However, many CRM platforms struggle in this area. Support teams work best when they can gather and verify order details independently, without manual system access.

iResponsive Solutions identified this inefficiency and initiated a project to integrate Salesforce and Kibo Order Management (OMS) functionality. Kibo OMS provides detailed shipping information and real-time updates. By automating the process of retrieving order data and displaying it within Salesforce, the support workflow is streamlined, improving support personnel effectiveness and enhancing customer experience.

We developed a specialized Salesforce application using Lightning Web Components (LWC) and the Apex framework. The middleware application we created to facilitate communication between Salesforce and Kibo OMS overcame technical barriers such as CORS policy restrictions.

This white paper details the existing business problems, project goals, technical implementation, and benefits of this integration.

Support teams using Salesforce CRM face significant inefficiencies in handling order related queries due to the need for manual data gathering. This manual approach leads to several critical challenges

1. Delays in Support Response: Manually locating and fetching order information is time-consuming, delaying customer problem resolution and leading to customer frustration.
2. Increased Workload and Inefficiency: Manual data retrieval overburdens support staff, diverting their attention from more complex and value-added activities.
3. Higher Chance of Mistakes: Manual processes increase the likelihood of human errors, aggravating customer dissatisfaction.
4. Inconsistent Customer Experience: The lack of a streamlined process results in inconsistent customer experiences, eroding trust and loyalty.
5. Limited Real-time Access to Order Information: Without integrated CRM and OMS, support teams lack real-time access to comprehensive order details, hindering timely updates and relevant changes like altering shipping addresses or terminating orders.
6. Scalability Issues: As customer inquiries grow, sustaining manual processes becomes harder, leading to additional delays in response time.

These challenges underscore the need for CRM/OMS integration to improve operational efficiency.

iResponsive Solutions developed a comprehensive integration between Salesforce CRM and Kibo OMS. The goal was to automate the retrieval, display, and editing of order details within Salesforce, streamlining the support workflow and enhancing customer service. Key components and features of the solution include

1. Specialized Salesforce Application: Leveraging Lightning Web Components (LWC) for front-end execution and the Apex framework for back-end support, this application integrates directly with Kibo OMS, enabling support teams to fetch and utilize comprehensive order details effortlessly.
2. Middleware Application: A middleware application operating as a proxy layer between Salesforce and Kibo OMS was designed to tackle technical issues like CORS policy restrictions, facilitating seamless communication. It was deployed on Azure Cloud or Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
3. Key Features:
   Automatic Parsing: The application pulls order numbers and email IDs from Salesforce case descriptions, reducing manual data entry and error probability.
   Real-time Query: Interacts with Kibo OMS to acquire detailed order particulars in real-time, giving support agents immediate access to the latest information.
   In-ticket Display: Displays detailed order data within the Salesforce Cases interface, allowing support agents to see and act on necessary order details without leaving the system.
   Actionable Features: Allows support agents to enhance shipping addresses and cancel orders directly within the Salesforce interface, streamlining the support process.

Technical Implementation

•  Ticket Creation: A ticket is created in the Salesforce Cases module when a client sends an email regarding an order issue.
• Data Parsing: The application reads the ticket description and  parses the email ID and order ID if provided.
• API Calls: The application makes API calls to the middleware application using the parsed email ID or order ID.
• Middleware Processing: The middleware application authenticates  with Kibo OMS and retrieves necessary order and shipment details through various API endpoints.
• Data Rendering: The retrieved order information is returned to the Salesforce application and displayed within the case interface.

Benefits

Efficiency and Accuracy:
• Streamlined Workflow: Automated integration reduces the time support staff spends responding to orders and verifying details, leading to faster responses and better outcomes.

Scalability and Sustainability:

• Handling Increased Workloads: The support team can process more queries without compromising service quality.

• Future-proofing the Support Process: The solution is scalable and can be updated to meet future needs.

Enhanced Data Management:

• Centralized Order Information: Centralizes all order-related information within Salesforce Cases, reducing the need to navigate multiple systems and improving data consistency.

• Customizable Data Display: Allows customization of data display based on specific requirements, providing tailored information that matches each inquiry.

Empowered Support Team:

• Reduced Administrative Burden: Automates routine tasks like data retrieval and parsing, allowing agents to focus on more complex activities.

• Enhanced Decision-making: Provides accurate and up-to-date information, leading to better customer interactions and higher quality support services.