Clicks Not Code
You may recognize this phrase as a mantra often touted by Salesforce. Indeed, the Salesforce Platform provides a wide range of declarative tools that make it easy to customize a Salesforce Org by clicking, dragging, and configuring. These declarative tools are built into the platform, are usually easy to set up and automate, and benefit from three regular Salesforce Platform releases per year. Custom coding on the other hand (whether in the form of Apex or JavaScript), requires the specialized skills of a developer, can take more time, and requires attentive maintenance after the initial development is complete. Custom code does not generally benefit from the regular platform upgrades during the year. So, in many cases, it makes perfect sense to use clicks (not code) when developing custom solutions on the Salesforce Platform.Configure, Extend, Customize
However, we understand that, in many industries, “clicks” alone may not always be sufficient when attempting to meet your unique business requirements. As a Salesforce Solutions Integrator (SI), Trifecta touts our own mantra: Configure, Extend, Customize. In every project, we configure our clients’ Salesforce solution to the maximum extent possible. Then, we extend the platform with solutions from the AppExchange. Finally, we will customize their Org using tools such as Lightning Experience and Heroku. With this in mind, we are sharing 3 reasons why custom code might be the right option for your team.3 Reasons for Custom Code
1. Unique Requirements While the declarative toolbox continues to grow with every Salesforce release, it can be challenging (and in some cases, impossible) to meet the very unique requirements of our clients. If a requirement cannot be met with a current declarative capability or AppExchange solution, it might be time to introduce custom code to solve the problem. 2. Custom Interfaces Change can be difficult for everyone, across every industry. Users might be accustomed to going about their daily work in a specific way. Managers or leaders might be particular about the way they prefer business information be presented. To facilitate and maximize adoption of a new Salesforce solution, it could be beneficial to leverage code to provide a familiar, customized interface. 3. Data Volume If your business has the need to consistently load large volumes of data into your Salesforce Org, it might be advantageous to introduce code. Custom code can help process a large number of records by leveraging batch Apex. Batch Apex has the benefit of being able to process large amounts of data in chunks (or batches) that can help ensure you’re observant of your limits within your Salesforce Org RELATED: Read about the Salesforce Optimizer Report and how it can help you understand org limits. Of course, benefits to custom code are not limited to these 3 situations. Rather, these situations illustrate common scenarios where coding could be preferable to declarative customization. Likewise, not every project (even the ones that meet the criteria above) need custom code. In fact, as Trifecta’s mantra suggests, it’s important to leverage the declarative capabilities of the Salesforce Platform wherever possible.Let Us Help!
Not sure what’s right for you? An SI (like Trifecta!) can conduct a careful analysis of your requirements to determine what can/cannot be accomplished with standard, out-of-the-box Salesforce declarative tools. Sometimes, the optimal solution may be a combination of declarative customization and custom code. At Trifecta, skilled Salesforce Architects, Developers, and Consultants are available to help you evaluate your requirements, create a cost/benefit analysis, and navigate you toward the best solution to ensure success in your project and beyond. Contact our team today for a free consultation!
Sean Russell
Technical Lead
