Greetings, everyone!

As tech aficionados, we understand the thrill that comes with a new Salesforce project! The Salesforce ecosystem is a powerful and flexible platform and can help your business transform; however, navigating the journey to get there may not always be a linear path!

Many projects, no matter if you are a startup with 10 employees or a small enterprise of 500, will encounter similar roadblocks. Do not worry, though; the right framework provides you the concrete path to success, supported along the way with experienced Salesforce development services, and will prevent you from falling into common traps that lead to failure for your Salesforce project.

Uncertainty of Project Planning and Requirements 

One of the common traps we encounter is teams rushing right into development and being unclear about project direction, scope, and structure. That is like taking a trip to a new destination without understanding how to get there! If you do not have an understanding of your business goals and user needs, you may build something that does not provide an answer to the right challenges.

Before you write your first line of code, get all key stakeholders—from sales representatives to vice presidents—and sit down and discuss how everyone fits within a larger project, what the objectives are, document processes, and establish new KPIs that you can measure. Completing this objective document up front will avoid spending dollars on rework or “scope creep” later. A clear project scope is the basis of every successful build.

Over-Customization & Ignoring Best Practices 

Salesforce provides astonishing levels of customization; however, that double-edged sword can produce a plethora of negative unintended consequences. While it can be tempting to create a custom solution for every little requirement or nuance, doing so can produce a system that is fragile and challenging to maintain.

Oftentimes, a simpler solution leveraging out-of-the-box features or declarative tools (usually using Flow and Validation Rules) is a better, more scalable option. Custom code should always be used as a last resort for every problem. When you do end up writing custom code, always bulkify your code to accommodate large data volumes and governor limits. The use of Salesforce best practices is the best way to ensure you are creating an efficient and platform-stable solution that will be easier to update in the future.

Insufficient Testing & Poor Data Quality

Don’t shy away from testing everything and anything! Insufficient testing should always be deemed dangerous to the overall solution. Having an adequate deployment testing strategy that includes unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing (UAT) is important.

Identifying bugs and inconsistencies in advance can save time and money! Furthermore, do not discount the importance of data. You don’t want a project with dirty data—duplicates, missing fields, or incorrect data will produce valueless reports and completely frustrate your end-users. Take your time and focus on data cleansing and governance practices as part of your service from the very beginning. Good quality data is essential to real insights and trust from users!

Ignoring User Adoption & Training

Even the greatest Salesforce implementation in the world is worthless if nobody uses it. A typical pitfall is to focus entirely on building the technology and to not be concerned about the human beings that will actually use the system. You must have an effective change management approach that includes including users early on, providing proper training, and offering continuing support.

Prepare hands-on workshops, create appropriate documentation, and choose a few ‘power users’ to advocate for the new system. Finally, the level of user adoption is the best predictor of a project’s success and a significant contribution to your total return on investment.

By eliminating traps and maintaining a vision of a strategic, user-centric transformation, you will be on your way to a successful Salesforce initiative. In need of expert help? Our Salesforce development services can help you maneuver all of these hurdles and build the solution that will empower your business.

Who are We?

Tech9logy Creators is a Registered Salesforce Consulting and ISV Partner Company with over 11+ years of experience. We have a certified team of developers with extensive knowledge about different Salesforce clouds and provide you with the best-in-class integration solutions. Our dedicated Salesforce experts help you bring the best out of your CRM and ensure your business operates at its highest potential.

Contact us for more information.