Lean Layer SFDC Deployment Process

CRM development and deployment best practice Lean Layer uses to ensure smooth rollouts and change management.

Lean Layer Salesforce Deployment Best Practices

1. Planning and Development

Stakeholder Engagement

• Identify all relevant stakeholders (e.g., department heads, process owners) who will be impacted by the changes.
• Schedule a kickoff meeting to discuss the proposed changes, business needs, and objectives.
• Ensure all requirements are fully documented, with clear business justifications.
• Obtain formal sign-off from stakeholders before proceeding with development to prevent scope changes later on.

Sandbox Setup

• Use a full or partial sandbox, depending on the scale of the project, to replicate the production environment as closely as possible.
• Define and document a Sandbox refresh strategy, especially for larger projects.
• Establish development best practices (naming conventions, standardized process flows, coding standards, etc.) to ensure consistency.

2. Testing and Feedback

Initial Testing (Stress Tests)

• Conduct stress testing in the Sandbox environment to identify potential issues under load, particularly for processes that may involve large data sets or high-frequency operations.
• Consider using automated testing tools or test scripts to ensure that the new functionality meets performance standards.

Internal Review

• Schedule a meeting or record a Loom video, depending on the complexity of the change, to give internal stakeholders an overview of the functionality and its impact on current processes.
• Define a clear timeline for feedback (e.g., allow 48 hours for internal stakeholders to test and provide feedback).
• Include edge cases and real-world scenarios during user testing to ensure the solution is robust and flexible.

Feedback Loop

• Review the feedback from stakeholders and make necessary adjustments to the changes.
• Ensure any bugs or performance issues identified during testing are resolved before deployment.
• Communicate updated timelines if further development cycles are needed.

3. Deployment

Deployment Planning

• Create a detailed deployment plan, including timing, responsible parties, and expected impact on the production environment.
• For large-scale changes, consider deploying a prototype or pilot program that runs parallel to the current system to minimize disruption.
• Plan deployment times carefully to minimize business interruptions (e.g., evenings, weekends).

Change Set Management

• Prepare the change set with all necessary components. Double-check dependencies to avoid errors during deployment.
• Validate the change set in the Sandbox to ensure successful deployment to production.
• Deploy the change set in production and communicate the completion of deployment to all stakeholders.

Post-Deployment Testing

• Perform post-deployment testing to verify that the changes are functioning as expected in the production environment.
• Test integrations and automations to confirm no unintended side effects have occurred.

4. Monitoring and Optimization

Documentation Updates

• Immediately update all relevant internal documentation to reflect the changes. This includes process guides, CRM manuals, and help documents.
• Maintain a version-controlled record of changes for future reference and rollback purposes if needed.

Enablement and Training

• If the changes impact broader teams, prepare a structured enablement session or training material (in-person training or video walkthroughs).
• Allow for Q&A sessions post-deployment to ensure everyone is comfortable with the new functionality.

Ongoing Monitoring

• Continuously monitor the impact of the changes in production to ensure the desired behavior is achieved (e.g., improved reporting accuracy, faster process execution).
• Establish a feedback mechanism for users to report any issues or further refinements needed after go-live.

Process Refinement and Cleanup

• Based on monitoring and feedback, refine the processes to improve functionality or usability.
• Deprecate unused fields, automations, or processes, and ensure that any historical data is exported and backed up before removing anything from the system.

Continuous Improvement

• Foster a culture of continuous improvement by regularly reviewing processes and soliciting feedback from users to ensure the Salesforce environment remains aligned with business needs.

Additional Considerations

Backup and Recovery Planning

• Establish a robust backup process before any major deployments in case rollback is required.
• Define clear rollback procedures for critical deployments.

Security and Compliance

• Ensure that any new deployments comply with data security policies, including field-level security, data privacy standards (such as GDPR), and access control settings.

Cross-System Dependencies

• If Salesforce is integrated with other platforms (e.g., marketing automation, ERP), ensure that those systems are accounted for in the deployment process and that relevant teams are informed of potential impacts.

Release Management

• For larger organizations, implement a release management strategy where changes are bundled into planned release windows (e.g., monthly or quarterly).
• Use tools like Git or change management systems to track and approve changes.