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Since businesses increasingly rely on Salesforce to handle customer interactions and internal operations, it is essential to know the Salesforce Development Lifecycle (SDLC) for developers who hope to build seamless and efficient solutions on this platform.
In this blog, we take you through the stages of the Salesforce Development Lifecycle to understand the entire process from start to finish. Whether you are a newcomer to the Salesforce platform or wish to sharpen your skills, this guide will help you make applications for Salesforce successfully.
Key Takeaways
- The Salesforce Development Life Cycle (SDLC) ensures structured, efficient project management from planning to deployment.
- Following best practices in each SDLC phase enhances collaboration, reduces errors, and speeds up project delivery.
- Proper version control, testing, and regular feedback loops are critical to achieving a successful Salesforce implementation.
What is the Salesforce Development Life Cycle?
The Salesforce Development Life Cycle is the structured process developers follow to plan, develop, test, and deploy applications on the Salesforce platform. Like every other lifecycle of software development, Salesforce SDLC comprises different stages such that the final product is well-designed, functional, and aligned with business requirements.
The flexibility and scalability provided by the Salesforce platform make it the leader of preference among developers who work with applications built through the Cloud. Top-notch apps can be developed on the Salesforce Lightning Platform by understanding each stage in Salesforce’s development cycle.
Stages of the Salesforce Development Lifecycle (SDLC)
Now, let’s break out the Salesforce development life cycle stages to give you a clear understanding of what happens at every stage.
1. Planning and Requirement Gathering
Planning and Requirement Gathering is the first and foremost phase of the Salesforce development lifecycle. This step demands a joint effort between business stakeholders, developers, and Salesforce administrators. This stage is essential to understanding what the client or business needs from the Salesforce system.
Key Activities:
- Identify the business problem that has to be solved.
- Gather detailed functional requirements.
- Define goals, timelines, and budgets for the project.
At this stage, the Salesforce developer should pay close attention to every detail. The lifecycle will be successful if the project’s requirements are correctly understood.
2. Design
After planning and requirement gathering, once the needs are clearly defined, the design phase comes. In the designing stage, the architecture and flow of the Salesforce solution are produced. This means developing technical documentation, sourcing tools, and creating a development plan.
Key Activities:
- Data models and system architecture
- Custom object, field, workflows, and user interface design
- Planning to integrate with other systems (if necessary).
The importance of the design phase is based on its role in laying down the foundation for the development process. In Salesforce, this also involves decisions on whether to use declarative tools, like Process Builder or Flows, or custom code, like Apex and Visualforce.
3. Development
Actual coding and customization happen in the development stage. Salesforce developers take the design documents developed in the previous stage and start building on top of them. They use declarative tools (point-and-click) or programmatic tools like Apex, Visualforce, or Lightning Web Components for this development stage.
Key Activities:
- Building custom objects, fields, and validation rules
- Writing Apex classes, triggers, and LWCs
- Configuration of workflows, process builders, and Flows.
- Integrating Salesforce with other external systems, if required.
In the development stage, the small modules of the solution should constantly be tested to ensure everything works as expected before moving ahead.
4. Testing
Testing is the phase after the development of the Salesforce solution. This stage ensures the Salesforce solution works correctly and meets the defined requirements. Testing also helps reveal bugs, performance problems, or functional mismatches before the solution goes live.
Key Activities:
- Unit tests a custom code and component.
- User acceptance testing with stakeholders
- Test and integrate with third-party applications.
- System testing with security exposure and performance checks.
In Salesforce, developers use built-in testing frameworks like “Apex test classes” to test the reliability of their code. Furthermore, user feedback is collected during this phase to ascertain whether the solution meets expectations.
5. Deployment
After the solution passes the testing stage, it’s time to deploy it to the production environment. It is a critical phase because this is where the solution is made available to the actual users.
Key Activities:
- Preparing a deployment plan.
- Applying “Change Sets,” “Salesforce CLI,” or “Ant Migration Tool” for moving components from the sandbox (testing environment) to the production environment.
- Data migration (if any) should be carried out smoothly.
- Providing the training and documentation to users.
Good planning beforehand is essential to ensure a smooth transition into production. Deployments mostly happen during off hours or on weekends, thus not causing much distraction to users.
6. Maintenance and Updates
Maintenance and Updates are the last stage in the Salesforce development lifecycle. Soon after the solution rolls out, routine maintenance is necessary to keep it working as expected. Businesses and requirements change, so updates and enhancements are bound to happen.
Key Activities:
- Monitor the system for any bugs or issues.
- Provide ongoing support to end-users.
- Implement new features or updates as required.
- Regularly back up data and audit security measures.
This must also account for three major releases from Salesforce every year (Spring, Summer, and Winter). Many of the new features and updates are found in these releases and may require changes to custom solutions.
Key Benefits of the SDLC
Understanding and following the Salesforce development life cycle provides various benefits:
- Structured Approach: A defined life cycle keeps teams organized and ensures that all relevant procedures are taken, reducing risk.
- Better Collaboration: With clear roles and responsibilities at each level, developers, administrators, and stakeholders collaborate more effectively.
- High-Quality Deliverables: By including correct planning, testing, and deployment techniques, you can ensure that the final Salesforce application meets business and user requirements.
- Scalability: With a well-planned and implemented SDLC, Salesforce applications can expand with the business, meeting future needs without requiring significant rework.
Tools That Will Help to Manage SDLC
There are several tools for managing the Salesforce development lifecycle, and some of the useful ones are as follows:
- Salesforce DX: It is a set of advanced tools for managing and streamlining Salesforce development.
- Version Control Tools(Git): This will enable you to track the changes made to your code base.
- Jira or Trello: These are used to manage tasks and project follow-up.
- Salesforce CLI: It is a command-line tool that helps streamline development and deployment.
Summing Up
Lastly, the Salesforce Development Lifecycle is a step-by-step process that helps developers design, build, and maintain high-quality products or applications. As a developer, every stage is crucial for you because it will help you to ensure that applications meet the business requirements and deliver value over time.
Also, understanding the SDLC process will help you achieve success in multiple Salesforce projects. But, if you are new to this ecosystem and planning to start your development journey, you can explore our Salesforce developer training program. Our experts will deepen your understanding of the platform and its Salesforce development models to make you a seasoned professional.
