Salesforce is an integrated software system that allows organizations to track and analyze sales data, manage interactions with customers, run marketing campaigns, provide customer support, and automate business processes. The use of Salesforce will grow in tandem with an organization’s expansion, which often leads to the implementation of new features, changes to current configurations, updates to automated processes, and the integration of other software systems.
Each time there is a modification, there is always the possibility of a risk.For example, if you create a new Salesforce Flow, it may conflict with an already established approval process. Or if you update an Apex Class, this may create issues for other components. Also, if a deployment works fine in the Sandbox environment, but causes error messages in the Production environment, then that is also a risk.
These problems can be directly related to the process of managing the implementation of releases on Salesforce. The management of releases on Salesforce includes the planning of the release, the testing of the release, the approval of the release, and the deployment of the release to the production environment.
With a structured release management process, a simple configuration change could lead to disruption of crucial business operations. For example, sales professionals may be unable to obtain essential data, automated tasks may cease functioning properly, and/or customer records may no longer function according to the prescribed processes.
The complexity of the challenge increases significantly when there are numerous developers, administrators, integration points, and business users working in the same Salesforce environment.
The purpose of this article is to examine some of the most common issues associated with Salesforce release management, identify the reasons that new modifications cause disruptions to existing processes, and provide recommendations on how to enhance the reliability of your Salesforce deployments.
Salesforce is made up of multiple components that work together, such as custom objects, fields, validation rules, Apex classes, flows, approval processes, reports, permissions, and third-party integrations.
A change to one component can affect several others.
For example, if a company adds a new field to aid with lead qualification, the field can function properly; however, existing flows, validation rules, reporting, and/or integration will continue to be dependent upon the previous data structure.
If these dependencies are not identified before the deployment of the change, it could result in unexpected actions being performed in production.
Several factors make Salesforce release management challenging:
These issues illustrate why the process of deploying Salesforce does not involve just transferring a configuration between environments.
The goal of an effective Salesforce release process is to ensure that both the new functionality being introduced by the release will function as intended and that existing business processes are still operating correctly after the release.
The better you can understand the common release management problems that occur most often, the easier it will be for your company to find where there may be weak areas in your processes and systems prior to users experiencing those issues.
Custom fields rarely function on their own. For example, a single custom field can be used within an Apex Class, a Flow, a Validation Rule, a Report, and an External Integration.
If you change or remove that field without knowing what other processes rely on it, you may cause many different processes to stop functioning properly.
As an example of how this can occur, consider when a business changes the name of a field, or removes a field altogether, which is being utilized by an integration that sends customer data to a third-party ERP system. At first glance, everything appears to be functioning properly within the Salesforce UI; however, upon the deployment of the change, the integration will start to fail.
How to prevent it: Identify all dependencies before modifying anything. Examine related metadata, Apex references, automation, integrations, and other downstream processes. Incorporate all dependent components into your deployment strategy and perform comprehensive testing of the entire business process, as opposed to solely testing the modified component.
If many people are working with Salesforce at once (developers or admins), they may create conflicting changes.
A single developer may make an update to a flow, while at the same time another developer makes changes to the same business process by using another component. When developers make changes to components on their own, the end result of the two sets of changes being combined can be unpredictable.
A single group may revise the criteria for determining if an opportunity qualifies for a sale. Another group will then make changes to the approval procedure, which relies on the qualification criteria.
How to prevent it: Set up a structured development process, use version control to track modifications as necessary, and check over overlapping work prior to deploying. Give clear responsibility to individuals responsible for crucial parts of the system, and plan out releases that impact the same business operation.
Manual deployment can lead to errors in the process of deploying a large number of metadata components by the team.
A system administrator can leave off an essential field, install components in an incorrect order, or fail to find a component that is in the source environment but missing from the production environment.
These omissions can cause deployment failures or runtime problems.
How to prevent it: Teams should utilize repeatable deployment processes, metadata tracking, deployment validation, and automated checks. Teams may also find that using Salesforce CLI and supported DevOps tools enables them to create packages, validate their work, and deploy their changes more consistently.
Automating business processes with Salesforce Flow is popular because it lets users automate them without writing much custom code. When you make changes to your automations, you may run into problems if you do not understand your current process.
A single Salesforce record can be impacted by more than one flow, apex trigger, validation rule, or other automated process.
One Flow can update an opportunity’s status upon contract approval; another automated process determines if the opportunity satisfies particular qualification standards.
The automations could generate unanticipated outcomes if the order of execution and dependency issues are overlooked.
Updating the Entry Conditions of a Flow may cause it to no longer run for those Records which had previously met the criteria.
A change intends to improve performance, but it can unintentionally prevent some opportunities or customer segments from being included.
A Flow will fail if the necessary data is missing, an associated record is unavailable, or there is an issue with a subsequent step in the process.
When failure is not being monitored, then there is no way for a business process to complete itself with an understanding of what happened.
How to prevent it: Document all automated processes that are critical to your organization. Review overlapping processes to determine if they can be combined or eliminated. Test both expected and unexpected scenarios to ensure that your system behaves correctly under any circumstances. Ensure that your entry conditions include only those records you want included in the process. Create appropriate error-handling and notification procedures to alert you when errors occur.
Test all aspects of your company’s workflows before making changes to important flows. Use real-world examples (records) and the permissions that each user will have when they use the system.
Salesforce Sandboxes allow team members to create and run tests on new features, updates, etc., prior to putting those updates into production.
However, just because you test your application in a “sandbox” (or other test environment) doesn’t mean that when you release it into production, everything will go smoothly.
The sandbox will differ from the production environment in its configuration, amount of data available to users, user access rights, external connections (integrations), etc.
For instance, a system can be integrated within a sandbox environment by using a “test” URL/endpoint, whereas the actual “production” URL/endpoint will require different authentication methods/credentials, and possibly different authorization/permission settings.
In addition to this, automated processes can run successfully with a limited amount of sample data; however, they will likely react differently when handling numerous records.
Teams will often verify that a new feature is working correctly without verifying if it has any effect on the current functioning of the system.
While a revised lead assignment process will likely be successful in each test it completes, there is a risk that this revision will have an unintended negative effect on how leads are distributed from a different marketing source.
To help prevent problems: Test new features within your current processes that may be affected. Verify dependencies of deployments, configurations, interactions with other systems, and user permissions.
The use of representative data volumes and production-like configuration should be done wherever possible. In addition to testing integration points using appropriate test endpoint(s), you may want to separate verification of production-specific setting(s).
Regression Testing is a way to ensure that you are not breaking anything that has been working properly before making changes.
Salesforce has a special need for change management due to how changes may impact common objects, automated processes, user access controls, and systems integrated with Salesforce.
A release with a new approval process must be careful to avoid inadvertently interfering with current opportunities update or notification rules.
Identify Critical Business Workflows
Start by identifying processes that have a direct impact on business operations.
Examples include:
These workflows should form the foundation of the regression testing strategy.
Manual testing is a great way to test your software; however, if you are continuously testing the same things prior to each release, it may take a lot of time.
Automated tests will verify important business logic, data modifications, interactions with other applications, and application outputs.
Salesforce has a way for users to test their Apex code using apex test classes. Teams who want to automate their larger workflow processes should find the right automation framework or testing tool that will allow them to do so.
However, automated testing should go beyond simply verifying how much code is tested. Automated tests must assure that the business goals are met, as well as the expected performance of the system.
A workflow can be successful as long as there is valid data; however, if essential information is absent, or if a data point falls beyond what would typically be considered normal, the workflow will likely fail.
For example, a discount approval process should be tested using various levels of discounts, different user roles, types of accounts, and results of approvals.
Testing these scenarios helps identify defects before deployment.
Salesforce Metadata contains many configurations that make up an organization, such as objects, fields, automations, layouts, and Apex code.
Teams can have difficulty knowing what has been modified, who made those modifications, and what elements are part of each release when there is no consistent way to track metadata changes.
Version control allows teams to keep track of modifications, view differences between versions, assess alterations made to code, and revert to an older version of code if needed.
The use of a source-based workflow can help ensure consistency throughout your development process by having all relevant metadata and code managed within a single controlled repository.
The team is able to verify and approve modifications made to a Flow or Apex class prior to the approval process for deployment.
When direct modifications are made to a production environment, inconsistencies will develop between environments and managing future deployments will become more difficult.
Where practical, teams should create and verify changes in a specific environment prior to advancing those changes into a formalized release process.
While emergency changes to production may sometimes be required, these changes must be documented and incorporated back into the managed development process.
Every new version must list all components that are modified, why they are being modified, any component dependencies, documentation of successful testing of those modifications, and what will be required to deploy the modified version.
The purpose of this documentation is to assist with the impact of releases on business, development, and administration.
Salesforce Metadata contains many configurations that make up an organization, such as objects, fields, automations, layouts, and Apex code.
Teams can have difficulty knowing what has been modified, who made those modifications, and what elements are part of each release when there is no consistent way to track metadata changes.
Version control allows teams to keep track of modifications, view differences between versions, assess alterations made to code, and revert to an older version of code if needed.
The use of a source-based workflow can help ensure consistency throughout your development process by having all relevant metadata and code managed within a single controlled repository.
The team is able to verify and approve modifications made to a Flow or Apex class prior to the approval process for deployment.
When direct modifications are made to a production environment, inconsistencies will develop between environments and managing future deployments will become more difficult.
Where practical, teams should create and verify changes in a specific environment prior to advancing those changes into a formalized release process.
While emergency changes to production may sometimes be required, these changes must be documented and incorporated back into the managed development process.
Every new version must list all components that are modified, why they are being modified, any component dependencies, documentation of successful testing of those modifications, and what will be required to deploy the modified version.
The purpose of this documentation is to assist with the impact of releases on business, development, and administration.
Even a carefully tested Salesforce release can cause unexpected problems.
Teams will likely lose productive time trying to figure out how to bring back the prior behavior when there isn’t a recovery strategy in place, and users continue to experience issues.
Identify potential failure modes for the proposed changes before release, then determine what actions the team will take should those failures occur.
In addition to recovering from changes, depending on what type of change was made, you may need to either redeploy prior metadata, restore a previous version of your Apex code, undo a change you made to your system settings, disable a feature that is causing problems, or make a correction to fix the issue.
Some changes to your Salesforce account cannot be easily reversed with a simple “rollback.” You will need to take different steps for each type of change. These can include: database updates, deleting data, updating systems outside of Salesforce, and performing business processes.
Feature control and/or limited exposure of users to features may allow teams to introduce functionality slowly as needed.
Identifying potential issues early can prevent problems from affecting the entire organization.
Monitor important workflows immediately after a release.
Check for failed automated tasks, unanticipated validation errors, problems with integration, changes in transactional volume, and issues reported by users.
A successful release is not determined by whether the deployment command was executed successfully. Success of a release is measured by how well it works in the actual business environment.
The following checklist may be used by businesses before making major changes to their use of Salesforce.
| Release Stage | What to Check |
| Planning | Are requirements, scope, and business impact documented? |
| Dependency review | Have related metadata, Flows, Apex classes, and integrations been identified? |
| Development | Are changes tracked and reviewed? |
| Sandbox testing | Has the new functionality been tested in a suitable environment? |
| Regression testing | Do existing critical workflows still work? |
| Security testing | Are permissions and access controls correct? |
| Deployment validation | Have metadata and deployment dependencies been checked? |
| Release approval | Have the required technical and business stakeholders approved the change? |
| Recovery planning | Is there a documented response if the release causes problems? |
| Post-release monitoring | Are critical workflows and integrations operating as expected? |
This checklist will provide organizations with a way to reduce the risks associated with deployments through a repeatable process. Organizations should adjust this checklist based on the complexity and overall business value of each release.
Salesforce release management issues typically result from the fact that changes to Salesforce (i.e. Flows, Apex Classes, Fields, Permissions, Integrations, etc.) will have an impact on related systems and processes which support critical business activities. When a change is made to one of these types of systems/processes, and the relationship between that system/process and others is not known, then unexpected results may occur.
Businesses may reduce these risks through effective management of dependencies, testing within an appropriate sandboxed environment, automated regression checks, tracking of changes to metadata, and implementation of a structured deployment process.
The use of CI/CD automation enables increased repeatability of releases. Monitoring and recovery planning minimize the negative impacts of issues that continue to develop.
Salesforce releases should be managed effectively by not just getting new features out quickly. Salesforce releases should ensure that each change made to the platform will provide what was expected, while at the same time not causing any disruption to the current way your organization is running its daily business operations.
By having each release as a structured process of planning, validation, deployment, and monitoring, organizations will be able to enhance the stability of their Salesforce system and create a simpler way to manage their CRM environment as business needs change.
1. What is Salesforce release management?
Release Management for Salesforce is a method of managing the entire lifecycle of a change to a Salesforce environment, including the steps of planning, developing, testing, approving, and releasing the changes with as little impact on the existing functions as possible.
2. Why do Salesforce deployments fail?
Missing dependencies, inconsistent metadata, configuration inconsistencies, permission problems, failed tests, and/or incorrect deployment order can all result in failed Salesforce deployments.
3. What strategies do organizations use to avoid having their Salesforce changes break current workflows?
Businesses can lower the risks associated with this type of issue by doing several things: reviewing all the dependencies involved, testing the changes in a sandbox environment, regression testing the application, maintaining a history of metadata within a version control system, verifying that the deployment was successful, and monitoring the critical workflows of the application once it is released.
4. What is Salesforce regression testing?
The purpose of Salesforce regression testing is to check whether recent modifications to the system have altered its current functioning. Regression testing will help verify that all your workflows, automation, integrations, and business processes are still working correctly.
5. How does CI/CD improve Salesforce release management?
CI/CD provides automated validation, testing, and deployment of applications. It allows teams to create standard release processes, find problems before they happen, and have greater control over what is released.
6. Can a Salesforce deployment always be rolled back?
No. Some changes can be reverted by deploying prior metadata/code; however, other changes such as data modifications, deleted records, and outside transactions will likely require further recovery actions. Before deploying any high-impact changes, teams need to develop recovery plans.
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