Salesforce, a leading customer relationship management platform, has recently announced a significant partnership with SharkNinja, a prominent global product design and technology company. This collaboration aims to enhance SharkNinja's operations through the implementation of Salesforce’s Agentforce and other solutions, including Commerce Cloud. This initiative focuses on scaling SharkNinja’s personalized customer service as it navigates rapid global growth across more than 30 markets.
SharkNinja, recognised for its innovative range of household products, including the well-known Shark and Ninja brands, seeks to transform how consumers cook, clean, and manage their daily lives. As part of its strategy to deliver seamless consumer experiences, SharkNinja is adopting advanced AI technology which will enable autonomous agents to facilitate customer interactions. These agents will operate 24/7, assisting consumers with purchasing decisions, product inquiries, troubleshooting, and returns management, thereby allowing human agents to devote their attention to more complex tasks that require personal engagement.
Velia Carboni, Chief Information Officer at SharkNinja, remarked, “Innovation is the driver behind every product SharkNinja creates across our vast portfolio, so it was really important to find a tool that could give us the capabilities needed to be just as innovative across every consumer interaction.” This sentiment underscores the company's commitment to leveraging technological advancements to build a loyal consumer base while continually introducing new products that address everyday challenges.
The deployment of Agentforce not only streamlines customer service interactions but also enhances brand loyalty by personalising support based on insights derived from customer purchase histories. Adam Evans, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Salesforce AI Platform, stated, “By integrating customer data with service and support functions, Agentforce enables SharkNinja to deliver an exceptional experience at every touchpoint—building customer loyalty and keeping them coming back time and time again.”
In addition to Agentforce, SharkNinja will use Commerce Cloud to provide a consolidated view of customer data across multiple sources, enabling more personalised shopping experiences. This holistic data approach allows for more effective engagement tracking across SharkNinja's diverse global audience.
The potential of agentic AI technology is gaining considerable traction across various industries. As highlighted by the insights from ERP Today, approximately 26% of companies were reported to have initiated AI pilots or proofs of concept as of late 2024, with expected growth to 50% by 2027. This trend indicates a rapidly evolving landscape in which AI plays a crucial role in operational decision-making.
In related developments, the application of AI is becoming increasingly crucial within the supply chain sector. According to an article from SupplyChainBrain, experts predict that by 2025, autonomous operations powered by advanced AI will become more common. Hardik Chawla, Senior Product Manager-Technical at Amazon, discussed the notion of “end-to-end process automation” or the “self-driving supply chain,” emphasising its potential to significantly improve efficiency and decision-making in logistics and procurement.
AI's capacity to operate independently in real-time decision-making processes is being recognised as a pivotal development in supply chain management. For instance, it can dynamically select suppliers or carriers based on logistical needs and external conditions, thereby optimising processes without human intervention. However, Chawla cautioned that while autonomous operations are developing, they remain predominantly in segments, with early applications seen in shipment tracking.
Industry leaders like Justin Newell, CEO of Inform, stressed the growing importance of agentic AI as companies strive to fully integrate AI capabilities into their operations. This approach enables systems to take independent actions based on data analysis, which could lead to more streamlined workflows.
As the landscape continues to evolve, companies are increasingly aware of the need for structured data to enhance AI performance. Future challenges will include ensuring the compatibility of legacy systems with more advanced AI applications to maximise operational efficiencies.
While industry experts predict that AI will improve operational efficiency, it is expected that human expertise will continue to play a critical role in strategic decision-making. Companies will need to upskill their workforce to work alongside AI technologies, leveraging human insight and judgement to complement automated processes.
Overall, the collaboration between Salesforce and SharkNinja, alongside broader advancements in AI applications across various industries, points towards a transformative shift in how businesses operate, with a strong emphasis on merging technology with customer engagement strategies for sustained growth and efficiency.
Source: Noah Wire Services