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Platform Events are a Salesforce-nativefeature that enable apps to communicate inside and outside of Salesforce using an event-driven messaging architecture. An event producer creates an event and adds it onto the event bus, which operates as a queue with a strict chronological order. An eventconsumer subscribes to an event and gets notified when the event is put onto the event bus.

According to 3, Platform Events can be used to defineand manage custom notifications within the Salesforce platform and in external apps. They can also be used to integrate Salesforce with external systems and devices in near real-time.

Therefore, a Solution Architect should suggest utilizing Platform Eventsbased on the devices’ state change. This way, UC can connect the data from the smart devices to Salesforce in a scalable and reliable manner, without having to poll or query for changes constantly. UC can also use Platform Events to trigger workflows or actions based on the device status, such as creating a case, sending an email, or ordering a replacement part.

For UC's requirement to offer self-service capabilities while managing complex product configurations, the recommended options are:

• A. Implement B2B Commerce on Experience Cloud to allow customers to purchase simple products with the addition of complex product configurations in a follow-up phase.This approach enables UC to quickly provide a self-service portal for straightforward products, with the flexibility to enhance the platform with more complex configuration capabilities later. It addresses the CIO's concern about time to market.
• C. Implement a templated self-service Experience Cloud site to show product information, add a "Request a Quote" component, and recommend B2B Commerce implementation in a follow-up phase.This solution allows UC to leverage Experience Cloud for immediate needs while planning for a more comprehensive B2B Commerce implementation. It provides a scalable way to enhance customer engagement and streamline the sales process.

These recommendations are based on Salesforce's best practices for implementing B2B Commerce and Experience Cloud, as detailed in Salesforce's B2B Commerce implementation guides and Experience Cloud documentation.

According to SOGAF Operating Models1, an operating model has two dimensions: business process standardization and business process integration. Business process standardization refers to how similar or different are the processes across different units of an organization, such as direct and indirect sales teams. Business process integration refers to how much data is shared across different units of an organization, such as direct and indirect sales teams.

By asking these two questions, a Solution Architect can determine which of the four types of operating models (coordination, diversification, replication, or unification) best suits Universal Containers’ needs for cross-departmental process and data utilization1.

To select the right operating model, the Solution Architect should ask:

• C. Are the processes the same for the direct Sales team and indirect Sales team?Understanding if the sales processes differ significantly between teams will influence the design of the operating model.
• D. Is the data shared between the direct Sales team and indirect Sales team?Knowing how data is shared helps to determine the extent to which systems need to be integrated and whether data duplication can be avoided.

A Salesforce Center of Excellence (COE) is a centralized division within your company that oversees and manages all aspects of the Salesforce instance, including projects, maintenance, and support12. A COE acts as a central governing body for the entire organization and funnels all decision making and product ownership through a single group2. By creating a COE, you can ensure that all development decisions will be made by internal resourceswho have direct relationships with stakeholders throughout the company12.

Another benefit of creating a COE is that knowledge of the solution will stay within the organization3. A COE provides leadership, best practices, research, support and training for Salesforce3. By having an internal team that is responsible for implementing and maintaining the solution, you can avoid relying on external vendors or consultants who may not have your best interests at heart or who may leave after the project is done4.