How do Salesforce Next Best Action and Prediction Builder differ?

Einstein Prediction Builder is now generally available, as the beta run has ended. At the same time, the Salesforce Next Best Action component also received updates.

Here's what each tool does:

• Next Best Action -- still pretty new itself -- is innovative in a way that signifies new expectations and standards in AI support of CRM methodology. Using enterprise business rules as a starting point, it crafts customized, context-sensitive action recommendations to individual customer journey maps.
• Prediction Builder is similar: It's a codeless customization tool for customer experience administrators to fill in the gaps that appear when Einstein out of the box doesn't match a use case. It makes suggestions to administrators on what to do next in crafting a specific customer experience.

Both products exist for the same reason: to enable codeless customization of predictive, customer-oriented applications. So, what's the difference between the two? Put simply, Next Best Action suggests actions and Prediction Builder offers support for an action already on the table.

Think of it this way: Salesforce Next Best Action is the assistant at the professional's elbow, offering an idea out of the blue when a new opportunity for contact presents itself. Prediction Builder, by contrast, is intended to provide empirical support for a decision that the professional has already anticipated and needs to be scored for potential effectiveness.

Both are very common scenarios in customer experience, so both tools are of great value and complement one another.