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Tag: salesforce devops

Copado Extends AI Reach to Surface Relationships Between Salesforce Code

Copado this week extended the artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities it makes available for its DevOps platform for building and deploying Salesforce applications to include an ability to now discover the relationship between the objects used to create code.

The Org Intelligence module added to the Copado AI Platform leverages the metadata exposed on the Salesforce platform to extrapolate those relationships in a way that promises to reduce by 80% the amount of time previously required to discover them.

Gloria Ramchandani, senior vice president of product at Copado, said that capability, in addition to accelerating the ability of a DevOps team to respond to any incident, will also help organizations reuse objects rather than inadvertently recreating them simply because developers didn’t have a way to easily discover what code had been previously developed.

In addition, organizations will be able to use the Org Intelligence module to analyze the impact of any change they might make to their applications, she added. Understanding how applications are configured and connected will also reduce the overall stress level many DevOps teams experience when updating existing applications, noted Ramchandani.

Overall, Copado claims the Org Intelligence module could reduce by 40% the amount of time required to create code in a way that conforms with established best practices.

Copado, for the past several years, has been steadily extending a set of AI capabilities that make it simpler for both professional and so-called citizen developers to build and deploy custom applications for the Salesforce platform. While there is no shortage of tools for building these applications, the Salesforce platform is based on a proprietary object architecture, and Copado has developed a DevOps platform to streamline and optimize application development workflows.

With the rise of AI technologies, the pace at which Salesforce applications are being built and deployed has been steadily accelerating, which creates an even more acute need for ensuring best practices are being applied in ways that don’t slow down the pace at which those applications are built. That’s especially critical in Salesforce environments where many applications are being built by administrators who often lack formal software engineering training and expertise, noted Ramchandani.

In fact, rather than simply focusing on the amount of code being written, more organizations would be well-advised to focus more on how their applications are designed to ensure usability, she added.

It’s not clear what percentage of the organizations that build and deploy applications on the Salesforce platform have adopted best DevOps practices. The need for those best practices, however, will become more acute as various classes of developers leverage AI to build software. Otherwise, most organizations will simply wind up deploying more poor-quality applications than ever.

In the meantime, organizations might want to assess how many applications they are building and deploying today on software-as-a-service (SaaS) application platforms such as Salesforce, with any toward ensuring as many as possible of them are reliably built and deployed using a set of best practices that ensures they can not only scale but are also just as importantly secure.

August 15, 2025
Salesforce Winter Release: What you Need to Know

With the Salesforce Winter release dates behind us, it’s time to evaluate all of the new innovations added to your Salesforce ecosystem. Let’s just say that many users will be excited about the features added to this release cycle; plus, there were many anticipated updates that have finally come to fruition.

Let’s dive right in and get to the meat of the release that will appease the administrator community, automate internal processes and close many operation gaps, and promote more team collaborations for you and your clients.

Search Capabilities and Admin Processes

These updates make an admin’s day-to-day work more streamlined, automated and convenient when it comes to getting things done.

● Configure Searchable Objects: This update allows admins to determine searchable objects available by Profile. This will allow users to broaden their search capabilities of records and more quickly and easily find what they need. For example, you can search for a picklist value and see all the records with that chosen value. Users, especially those in larger organizations, have been wanting this as it will streamline their process for customers. *This is in beta.
● Refine Your Search Results With Sort: Another win in the Search department – now you can sort your searches by different attributes and column headers. A nice “sigh of relief” feature for users, allowing them to find what they need faster. *Created because of users’ input on IdeaExchange.
● Dynamic Forms on Standard Objects: Administrators will very much appreciate this update as it streamlines the admin process with enhanced page performance and optional visibility rules. This will be rolled out everywhere except in three areas: Campaigns, products and tasks (though we really look forward to when this will be available here.) *Created because of users’ input on IdeaExchange.

AI

Since Einstein was introduced to the Salesforce community, it has helped users work smarter and faster, which is why seeing some of these key updates come to light, as noted below, has been a game-changer for many.

● Ability to Report on Emails Captured by Einstein Activity Capture (EAC): When EAC was first introduced, it was a huge weight off of admins because there was no more logging and it helped synchronize all conversations in one place. Over time, you couldn’t access or report on the data because it lived outside of SF, so you couldn’t compare it to other data in Salesforce, i.e., how many conversations does it take to close a deal? However, with this new update, you can! This is an enormous feature gap that has been filled, and will ultimately save people time and money as many would outsource this work to third-party vendors. *Created because of users’ input on IdeaExchange.● Call Summaries Powered by Einstein: This is fully available, and just a generally cool feature where Einstein will record voice and video calls and transform them into summaries that are editable and include next steps and customer feedback.
● Conversation Sentiment Analysis: This feature goes hand in hand with the call summaries because now, customer success agents can listen and view sentiments of a conversation between agent and customer, distinguishing if they are happy, calm, disgruntled, etc. There’s a sentiment score and visuals provided for easy reporting as well. This is a great feature for agent performance grading and identifying coaching opportunities.

Flows

Flows continues to be a priority and focus for Salesforce, and they certainly delivered on giving users what they want with these improvements.

● Screen Flows With Reactive Components: Users and developers will very much appreciate this update as it reduces the number of screens they have to click through. With reactive components, the user interface can react to the user and what it puts on the screen. Previously, in order to use the choice a user selected, you’d have to click “next” for it to recognize and load the next screen. This could turn into three to four “next” clicks to get where you need. Now, the choice can be calculated on the fly and the dependent choice will appear below, without the need for extra click-throughs!
● Custom Error Messages in Record-Trigger Flows: What was once an automated feature, now puts the user in the driver seat. With a custom error message, you can now create targeted – and user-friendly – error messages for your customers and explain what went wrong and/or how to correct it. This is a big win in our opinion, which will not only save the end user headaches and blockers but will also save your admin or consultant time researching where and what happened. This is now generally available – during the Summer release, this was still in beta. *Created because of users’ input on IdeaExchange.
● Autolaunched Flows Based on Data Changes in Data Cloud: Based on a data model object or calculated insight object, you can start a data cloud-triggered flow. This allows you to apply flows to your data cloud, storing all of your business data, and of course Salesforce data too.

Callouts

It wouldn’t be fair to close out the review of this release update before highlighting a few noteworthy callouts that will surely resonate with certain users, which include:

● Automated Site Check-Ins and Check-Outs: For mobile workers, this new feature protects their privacy while also tracking the times they arrive and leave job sites. It provides automated timestamps for location-based actions and gives you a report based on those insights. This is being piloted so not fully available yet.
● Controlled Tabs and Sub-Tabs: This change is currently in beta, but will resonate with the day-to-day user as it makes it immensely easier to manage these tabs with the methods they provide.

There’s a lot to experience and discover within the Winter ‘24 release, from increased workflow to automated operations; any user will be happy. But Salesforce also delivered for its users. Many of the ideas posted on IdeaExchange are now reflected in these new features, which just goes to show that Salesforce is listening. Let’s continue using these innovations and work with Salesforce to continue bettering the overall experience for us and our customers. We can only imagine what Salesforce will conquer with the Spring ‘24 release!

November 9, 2023
4 Salesforce DevOps Adoption Challenges
In today’s ultra-competitive digital landscape, adopting DevOps practices has become crucial for organizations looking to accelerate their development processes and enhance software delivery. Salesforce is no exception to this trend.

Salesforce DevOps essentially refers to applying DevOps principles and practices to the development and deployment of applications and customizations on the Salesforce platform. When done right, it integrates development and operations teams and offers numerous benefits, including better collaboration, faster release cycles and improved code quality.

Furthermore, Salesforce DevOps empowers organizations to adapt rapidly to changing business requirements, respond to complex customer needs faster and improve their experience via process automation (for instance, streamlining the product configuration and price quote generation process with CPQ automation) and drive innovation more efficiently on the Salesforce platform.

However, while the advantages of Salesforce DevOps are evident, its adoption comes with its fair share of challenges. In this article, we will dive into the four core hurdles that organizations face when embracing Salesforce DevOps. Moreover, we will provide actionable tips to tackle these challenges head-on, helping you ensure a successful Salesforce DevOps adoption journey.

1. Siloed Development and Operations Teams

DevOps isn’t just about technology and automation; it is also about people. In the realm of Salesforce DevOps, one of the most significant challenges that organizations encounter is the existence of siloed development and operations teams. Traditionally, these two teams have operated independently, often with minimal interaction, leading to fragmented workflows and hindered collaboration.

This disconnect between dev and ops can impede the delivery of high-quality Salesforce applications and features. The lack of timely communication and coordination can result in misaligned priorities, delays in deployment, and an increased risk of errors during the release process.

Moreover, siloed teams can stifle innovation and limit the potential for continuous improvement. The development team may create features that do not align with the operational requirements or may not be feasible to deploy efficiently. On the other hand, the operations team might struggle to understand the intricacies of the development process, hindering their ability to provide valuable insights or feedback.

To overcome the challenge of siloed development and operations teams in Salesforce DevOps, organizations must foster a culture of collaboration and shared responsibility. Here’s how:
- Promote cross-functional collaboration: Encourage regular meetings and knowledge-sharing sessions between development and operations teams. Foster an environment where team members feel comfortable discussing challenges, sharing insights, and jointly working towards solutions.
- Break down communication barriers: Utilize collaboration tools such as Slack and Asana that facilitate seamless communication and information sharing between teams. This can help reduce misunderstandings and keep everyone informed.
- Align incentives and goals: Create shared objectives and metrics that encourage both development and operations teams to work together towards common goals such as improving product-market fit or feature adoption. Recognize and reward collaborative efforts to reinforce the importance of cross-functional teamwork.
2. Version Control and Source Code Management

Effective version control and source code management are vital pillars of successful Salesforce DevOps practices. However, many organizations with layered dev teams find it tricky, leading to complexities, inefficiencies, and potential risks in their development processes.

Version control is essential for tracking changes to Salesforce customizations and configurations over time. Without proper versioning, development teams may find it difficult to collaborate, understand changes made by others, or revert to previous states in case of issues. Additionally, source code management allows for better organization and control of codebases, ensuring consistent and reliable deployments.

To tackle the challenges related to version control and source code management in Salesforce DevOps, teams should implement best practices and use appropriate tools. Here’s how:
- Adopt a version control system: Implement a robust version control system, such as Git, specifically tailored for Salesforce projects. Git allows teams to track changes, manage branches, and collaborate efficiently.
- Establish clear branching strategies: Define clear and consistent branching strategies for different development scenarios, such as feature development, bug fixes, and releases. This helps manage parallel development efforts and ensures smooth collaboration.
- Encourage code reviews and collaboration: Conduct regular code reviews to ensure code quality, identify potential issues, and ensure compliance with best practices. Encouraging collaboration during code reviews fosters knowledge sharing and enhances the overall development process.
- Automate deployments and rollbacks: Integrate version control with your Continuous Integration and Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline to automate deployments. This reduces the risk of manual errors and facilitates easy rollbacks in case of issues.
- Educate and train development teams: Provide training on version control best practices and tools to ensure all team members are familiar with the processes and benefits of using version control effectively.
3. Continuous Integration and Deployment

Continuous Integration and Deployment (CI/CD) are core principles in the DevOps methodology that aim to automate and streamline the software delivery process. However, implementing effective CI/CD practices for Salesforce development can be a daunting task for large-scale enterprise companies, presenting them with various challenges along the way.

One of the primary challenges in CI/CD for Salesforce is the complexity of customizations and configurations. Salesforce projects often involve multiple components, such as Apex classes, triggers, Visualforce pages, and metadata configurations. Coordinating the integration and deployment of these components in a seamless and automated manner can be intricate, leading to potential bottlenecks and delays.

Moreover, organizations may encounter difficulties in ensuring the stability and reliability of their CI/CD pipelines. Incomplete or inaccurate tests, improper versioning, and inadequate rollback mechanisms can result in the introduction of bugs or errors into the production environment.

Here are a few ways to combat this challenge:
- Automate the build and deployment process: Use Salesforce-specific CI/CD tools that automate the build and deployment process, reducing manual intervention and ensuring consistency in deployments.
- Implement comprehensive testing: Incorporate automated testing into the CI/CD pipeline to validate changes and ensure code quality. This includes unit tests, integration tests and regression tests to detect issues early in the development life cycle.
- Use sandboxes for testing and staging: Utilize Salesforce sandboxes to test changes in environments that mimic the production setup. This allows teams to identify and address issues before deploying to the production org.
- Establish version control for metadata: Use version control for Salesforce metadata to keep track of changes and enable seamless collaboration among developers working on different features.
- Monitor and optimize pipeline performance: Continuously monitor the CI/CD pipeline to identify areas of improvement and optimize the deployment process for speed and efficiency.
4. Test Automation and Code Quality

Test automation and code quality are critical aspects of Salesforce DevOps that directly impact the reliability and performance of applications. However, organizations often have a tough time when it comes to implementing comprehensive test automation and ensuring consistently high code quality in their Salesforce projects.

Manual testing can be time-consuming, error-prone and insufficient to keep up with the speed of Agile and DevOps development practices. The lack of automated testing can lead to delays in identifying bugs, lower confidence in code changes and a higher risk of regression issues when deploying new features.

Furthermore, maintaining code quality becomes challenging as Salesforce projects grow in size and complexity. Without adequate quality control measures, development teams may introduce code that does not adhere to best practices, leading to suboptimal performance, security vulnerabilities and increased technical debt.

Here are a few tips to tackle this challenge:
- Implement automated testing frameworks: Utilize Salesforce’s built-in testing capabilities, such as Apex unit tests and Lightning Web Component (LWC) tests, to automate the validation of code changes and functionalities.
- Adopt test automation tools: Consider leveraging third-party test automation tools that can extend and enhance your testing capabilities, such as Selenium for end-to-end testing of Salesforce applications.
- Create a comprehensive test suite: Develop a comprehensive suite of test cases that cover different aspects of your Salesforce application, including positive and negative scenarios, boundary testing, and integration testing.
- Integrate testing into CI/CD pipelines: Incorporate automated testing into your CI/CD pipeline to ensure that code changes are automatically tested before being deployed to production.
- Conduct regular code reviews: As mentioned earlier, establish a culture of code reviews to assess code quality, identify potential issues and ensure adherence to coding standards and best practices.
- Invest in code analysis tools: Use code analysis tools such as SonarQube and CodeScan to identify potential bugs, security vulnerabilities and maintainability issues in your Salesforce codebase.
Wrapping up

Embracing Salesforce DevOps offers numerous benefits for organizations, including increased collaboration, faster delivery cycles, and improved software quality.

From breaking down silos between development and operations teams to establishing robust version control and source code management practices, addressing CI/CD complexities, implementing test automation, and prioritizing code quality, a lot goes into driving successful Salesforce DevOps adoption. Armed with the solutions, it’s time to implement them, adapt them to your organization’s unique needs, and embark on a journey of unmatched quality and collaboration in your Salesforce projects.
August 8, 2023