Unlocking Smarter AI: Key Insights from the Salesforce ‘Build Better Agents’ Workshop
Recently, one of our Solution Engineers had the valuable opportunity to attend a Salesforce Partner Workshop focused on how to "Build Better Agents". This interactive session emphasized that "tinkering is the best way to learn" when it comes to Salesforce Agent development. The workshop provided practical strategies for diagnosing and optimizing AI Agent performance.
The workshop covered several critical areas for developing effective AI Agents:
Addressing Latency: We explored common causes of slow responses and learned best practices to curb these latency issues, aiming for smoother, more efficient Agent interactions. Efforts are underway to achieve improved performance in future releases.
Managing Overlapping Topics: A significant challenge discussed was how ill-defined Agent Topics can hinder an Agent's ability to respond accurately. The workshop highlighted the importance of creating distinct and well-described Topics to ensure Agents correctly interpret user queries.
Diagnosing Unexpected Responses: When Agents don't behave as anticipated, understanding how to debug is crucial. We learned structured approaches to diagnose issues, such as verifying if the correct Topic or Action is being utilised and ensuring data flows correctly to and from Agent Actions.
Implementing Deterministic Logic: A core insight was that Large Language Models (LLMs) are inherently unpredictable. Instead of trying to force rigid "if-then" logic into the Agent's instructions, it's best to delegate deterministic business logic to structured tools like Actions, Variables, and Filters, leveraging Flow and Apex. LLMs are best used as facilitators and synthesizers, not strict logic engines.
Optimizing Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG): The workshop delved into how to properly ground Agents in relevant information. We discussed best practices for structuring data, configuring search indexes, and crafting effective prompts to ensure accurate and complete information retrieval, which is vital for preventing wrong or incomplete answers.
We also received a sneak peek at the exciting Agentforce roadmap, including upcoming enhancements like advanced voice capabilities for realistic, real-time voice interactions and improved monitoring and interoperability through features like a (Service) Command Center and AgentExchange.
This workshop was invaluable for anyone aiming to build robust, reliable, and intelligent AI Agents and was extremely well led by the Partner Success Team.
Written by: Anja Porter
