Three Releases a Year, Every Year for Every Customer: Are You Innovating with the Salesforce Releases?
With Summer ‘24 on the way, it’s time to ask yourself: Are you truly maximising the innovation opportunities provided by Salesforce’s releases? Each year, Salesforce delivers three major updates packed with new features, enhancements, and tools designed to propel your business forward.
Here are five green flags that indicate you’re making the most out of these updates:
💚 You Have a Sandbox Strategy & Preview Org
Actionable Tips:
- Allocate Roles: Designate a team member to manage and monitor the sandbox and preview org, ensuring that new features are thoroughly tested and evaluated.
- Regular Updates: Schedule regular updates and maintenance for your sandbox to keep it aligned with your production environment.
💚 Collaboration Between Business and IT Teams
The most successful Salesforce implementations happen when there’s a strong partnership between your business and IT teams. This collaboration ensures that both current needs and future possibilities are considered when evaluating new release features.
Actionable Tips:
- Joint Planning Sessions: Hold regular meetings between business and IT to discuss upcoming releases and prioritise which features to implement.
- Feature Utilisation Roadmap: Develop a roadmap that outlines how new features will be rolled out and integrated into your existing processes.
💚 User Enablement and Action Plans
Introducing new features is only as effective as your users’ ability to utilise them. An action plan for user enablement ensures that everyone is on board and proficient with the latest updates.
Actionable Tips:
- Training Programs: Create comprehensive training programs tailored to different user groups within your organisation.
- Feedback Loop: Implement a feedback system where users can report issues or suggest improvements, ensuring continuous optimisation of the new features.
💚 De-risking Your Implementations
Timing is crucial when it comes to implementing new features. By avoiding release windows close to Salesforce’s own release dates, you minimise the risk of conflicts and ensure smoother transitions.
Actionable Tips:
- Implementation Calendar: Develop an implementation calendar that avoids overlapping with Salesforce release dates.
- Contingency Plans: Have contingency plans in place to address potential issues that might arise from new releases.
💚 Automated Regression Testing Suite
An automated regression testing suite is essential for maintaining the integrity of your customisations and processes. It ensures that your Salesforce instance continues to function as expected after each release.
Actionable Tips:
- Regular Testing: Schedule automated tests to run regularly, especially after new releases.
- Update Test Cases: Continuously update your test cases to cover new functionalities introduced in Salesforce releases and your own functionality.
Additional Thoughts for Enhancing Your Strategy
- Stay Informed: Regularly review Salesforce release notes and participate in Salesforce community forums and webinars to stay informed about upcoming changes.
- Leverage Salesforce Partners: Collaborate with Salesforce partners and consultants who can provide expert insights and assist in maximizing the value of new releases.
- Custom Feature Analysis: Conduct a thorough analysis of custom features versus out-of-the-box solutions to ensure you are not over-customizing when standard features suffice.