Automated SMS Notifications with Twilio Integration

Workshop trainers at Positive Coaching Alliance often missed critical emails or Salesforce custom notifications about the attendance code for their upcoming workshops. This led to unnecessary back-and-forth communication, delaying workshop preparation.  

Additionally, trainers were required to enter the number of attendees after each session, but without timely reminders, this step was sometimes overlooked.  

Since trainers were accustomed to SMS notifications in the previous system, it was natural to design a Salesforce solution that leveraged SMS as the primary communication

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To improve trainer communication and accountability by implementing a comprehensive SMS notification system through Twilio integration within Salesforce. The goal was to replace missed emails and overlooked custom notifications with timely, automated SMS reminders that deliver critical workshop information directly to trainers. By leveraging Salesforce automation and dynamic message management, the solution aimed to streamline workshop preparation, ensure accurate attendance reporting, and enhance overall communication efficiency.

We implemented a comprehensive SMS notification system using Twilio integration within Salesforce. The solution introduced automated scheduled notifications that improved trainer communication and accountability. Specifically, two key notifications were created:  

• Attendance Code Reminder – sent 24 hours before the workshop, providing trainers with the attendance code.  

• Post-Workshop Reminder – sent 24 hours after the workshop, prompting trainers to enter the number of attendees.  

Both SMS messages included direct links to Salesforce records, allowing trainers to navigate seamlessly to the relevant page using the Salesforce Mobile App. To ensure long-term flexibility, custom settings were implemented for managing message content.

Technical Implementation:  

• Twilio managed package setup and configuration  

• Custom scheduled notification jobs with queueable architecture to handle volume limitations  

• Dynamic SMS content using custom settings for easy maintenance  

• Duplicate message prevention logic with future method optimization  

• Load testing and production monitoring capabilities  

This initial phase delivered two scheduled automated notifications, with plans underway to extend the solution by adding three additional notifications for new coaching applicants.

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SMS integration significantly improved communication efficiency and trainer engagement. By shifting from missed emails to timely SMS reminders, workshop trainers received critical information at the right moment and were able to act on it without delays.  

The automated notifications streamlined the entire process, reducing back-and-forth communication and increasing completion rates for post-workshop attendance reporting.  

Overall, the system now delivers 400+ SMS notifications per month with a 99% delivery success rate, significantly enhancing program efficiency and communication reliability.

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