If you can’t find what you’re looking for, try adding the asterisk (*) wildcard before, after, or in the middle of your keywords to expand your search to words that start with, end with, or are similar to your keywords.
FIGURE 3-2: Looking at a Search Results page.
Managing your calendar
The calendar section of the home page defaults to a calendar of the current month and your scheduled events for the next seven days. Like other calendar tools, the calendar allows you to drill down. Your scheduled events are based on events that you assigned to yourself or that other users have assigned to you.
From this calendar section (shown in Figure 3-3), you can do the following:
❯❯ Schedule a new activity. Click the New Event button, and a New Event page appears in Edit mode. (See Chapter 5 to see how to complete a new event record.)
❯❯ View an event record. If you see a listed event, click the link. A page appears with details on the activity.
❯❯ Drill into your schedule. Click a date on the calendar to drill into your schedule for a specific day. The Day View page appears.
❯❯ Schedule a group activity. Click the Multi User View icon (which looks like two little people). A page appears for the selected day that displays the availability of multiple users. From there, click the New Event button and follow the same instructions for scheduling a new event, as described in detail in Chapter 5.
FIGURE 3-3: Looking over your calendar options.
Tracking your tasks
On the home page, you see a section entitled My Tasks, which displays tasks that you created for yourself or that have been assigned to you.
A task is an activity that you need to do, and it can have a due date. Unlike an event, however, a task doesn’t have a specific time and duration. For example, if you want to remind yourself to send a proposal, you typically create a task instead of scheduling an event. (See Chapter 5 for additional tips on managing tasks.)
From the My Tasks section (shown in Figure 3-4), you can do the following:
❯❯ Add a new task. Click the New button, and a New Task page appears in Edit mode.
❯❯ Change task view. Use the drop-down list at the top right of the My Tasks section to select from a list of common task views. For example, select Overdue to see your open tasks that are past their respective due dates.
❯❯ Review a task. Click a link in the Subject column to review a task. A task record appears with details.
❯❯ Go to associated records. Click links in the Name column, the Related To column, or the Account column.
❯❯ Complete the task and enter any details before saving. Click the X link in the Complete column. You can also use this link to update a task, but if you haven’t completed the task, remember to adjust the Status field before you save it.
❯❯ See more tasks. If you have several tasks in your list, the View More link appears at the bottom of the My Tasks section on the home page. Click it to see more tasks on the list. The Day View appears, and the My Tasks section appears in the right column.
FIGURE 3-4: Reviewing the My Tasks section on the home page.
Using dashboard snapshots from the home page
If your company has customized your home page, you may also see and select up to three key charts or tables from your dashboards. Dashboards display important information from reports in Salesforce that can provide key performance indicators on the health of your business. Each dashboard chart or table is composed of at least one component. (See Chapter 24 for details on building dashboards that can measure and analyze your business.) As of this writing, dashboards are available in the Group, Professional, Enterprise, and Unlimited editions.
If you see a chart or table on your home page, you can also perform these actions from the Dashboard section:
❯❯ Click a chart or table to drill into the detail. A report page appears with the data that supports the graphic.
❯❯ Choose a different dashboard. Click the Customize Page button at the upper right of the section. The Customize Your Home Page page appears; here, you can select from available dashboards if you have the proper administrator permissions. Your home page displays a snapshot of only the three components along the top of any dashboard.
❯❯ Refresh the dashboard snapshot. Click the Refresh button at the top of the section. In the left of the section, a date and timestamp appear showing when your dashboard was last refreshed.
Accessing information with the sidebar
The sidebar is the column on the left that appears on just about every page of Salesforce except for dashboards and reports. On the home page, use the sidebar to quickly go back to pages you recently accessed, stay informed about important company messages, click links to useful websites, and create new records.
Creating new records
Use the compact Create New picklist on the sidebar to quickly create any new record.
Revisiting recent items
The Recent Items section displays up to ten records that you most recently clicked. Use the list to quickly get back to records that you’ve been working on, even if you logged out and logged back in. The recent items show an icon and the name or number of the record. These items include mostly the records that are organized under a tab heading, such as Accounts, Contacts, and so on. To visit the detail record of a recent item, simply click a listed link.
Getting more out of your home page sidebar
With the help of your administrator, you can offer other tools and information from the sidebar on the home page to improve productivity and drive overall adoption. Review the following tips, see Chapter 17 on customizing Salesforce, and consult with your administrator if Custom Components could help your organization:
❯❯ Display company messages. Your administrator can add a section to the home page that displays text to keep users informed of important announcements. For example, if you’re in sales management, you may want to use the home page to alert reps to end-of-quarter goals or bonus incentives.
❯❯ Emphasize important custom links. If you rely on other websites