Salesforce Connector

Overview

The Salesforce connector enables seamless integration between Salesforce CRM and Field Nation:

• Trigger-based creation: Use Salesforce Flows to automatically create Field Nation work orders
• Real-time sync: Instant notification via Outbound Messages
• Bidirectional messaging: Sync comments between platforms
• Flexible object support: Works with standard or custom Salesforce objects
• Related field access: Map fields from parent/related objects

At a Glance

How It Works

Common Use Cases

Dispatch from Case

Automatically create Field Nation work order when Case status changes to "On-site Required"

Case Status = "Dispatch Required"
  → Flow triggers
  → Outbound Message
  → Field Nation Work Order Created

Controlled Send via Checkbox

Use custom checkbox field to give users control over when to dispatch to Field Nation

"Send to Field Nation" checkbox = True
  → Flow triggers
  → Work order created
  → Checkbox reset or status updated

Status Synchronization

Reflect Field Nation work order status and completion back to Salesforce Case

FN Work Order Status = "Completed"
  → Integration Broker
  → Salesforce Case Status = "Resolved"
  → Case Comment added with completion details

Bidirectional Messaging

Sync comments and messages between Salesforce users and Field Nation technicians

Technician adds message in FN
  → Broker creates CaseComment in Salesforce

Salesforce user adds CaseComment
  → Flow triggers Outbound Message
  → Message appears in FN work order

Architecture

Features

Field Mapping Capabilities

• Standard Fields: Case Subject, Description, Priority
• Custom Fields: Access any custom field on base object
• Related Objects: Map fields from Account, Contact, Owner, etc.
• Lookup Fields: Access related record data (e.g., Account.Name)
• Formula Fields: Use calculated field values
• Picklist Values: Map Salesforce picklists to Field Nation enums

Supported Operations

Prerequisites

Salesforce Requirements

Field Nation Requirements

• Active buyer account with admin access
• Integration settings access
• Sandbox environment (recommended for testing)

Complete prerequisites →

Authentication

The Salesforce connector uses Username-Password flow with security token:

Authentication = Username + Password + SecurityToken
Instance = production | test (sandbox)

Format:

• Username: Full email address (e.g., integration@company.com)
• Password: Salesforce password
• Security Token: System-generated key from Salesforce

Instance Types:

• production: Connect to live Salesforce org (login.salesforce.com)
• test: Connect to sandbox environment (test.salesforce.com)

Data Flow Patterns

Inbound: Salesforce → Field Nation

Trigger: Record-Triggered Flow evaluates conditions Action: Outbound Message sends record ID to Field Nation Result: Field Nation work order created/updated

Example Flow Conditions:

• Case Status = "Dispatch Required"
• Custom Checkbox "Send to FN" = True
• Priority = "High" AND Type = "On-site"
• Record Type = "Field Service"

Outbound: Field Nation → Salesforce

Trigger: Field Nation work order event (assigned, completed, etc.) Action: Integration Broker calls Salesforce API Result: Salesforce Case/record updated with status/comments

Configurable Events:

• Work order assigned → Update Case Status
• Work order completed → Add CaseComment with details
• Provider checked in → Update custom field "Technician Arrived"
• Work order approved → Update Case Status to "Resolved"

Best Practices

Flow Design

• ✅ Use specific trigger conditions (avoid "any field changed")
• ✅ Add safeguards to prevent duplicate sending
• ✅ Test with sandbox Salesforce and Field Nation environments
• ✅ Handle failures gracefully (don't block record saves)
• ✅ Log Flow execution for debugging

Field Mappings

• ✅ Map all required Field Nation fields
• ✅ Use default values for optional fields
• ✅ Test with various Salesforce record states
• ✅ Handle null/empty values appropriately
• ✅ Document mapping logic for maintenance

Security

• ✅ Use dedicated integration user (not personal account)
• ✅ Rotate security token periodically
• ✅ Grant minimum required permissions
• ✅ Monitor API usage and limits
• ✅ Enable IP whitelisting if security policy requires

Limitations & Considerations

API Limits

Salesforce enforces API call limits based on license type:

• Enterprise: 1,000 calls/day (min)
• Unlimited: 5,000 calls/day (min)
• Additional: Available for purchase

Each work order sync consumes 2-3 API calls (authentication + data retrieval + optional status update).

[Monitor API usage in Salesforce Setup → System Overview]

Related Object Depth

The connector can access:

• ✅ Fields on base object (Case, Opportunity, etc.)
• ✅ Fields on directly related parent objects (Account, Contact, Owner)
• ❌ Grand-parent or distant relationships (requires custom JSONNET)

Example Access:

• ✅ Case.Account.Name - Direct parent
• ✅ Case.Contact.Email - Direct relationship
• ❌ Case.Account.Parent.Name - Two levels up (not automatic)

Outbound Message Behavior

• Salesforce retries failed Outbound Messages for 24 hours
• Integration Broker responds within seconds to prevent retries
• If Broker is down, Salesforce will retry (may cause duplicates)
• Implement idempotency using correlation IDs