Salesforce is the leading cloud-based customer relationship management software with services delivered to over 150,000 businesses around the world. The application provides updates every winter, spring, and summer.
With this Salesforce release schedule of three updates per year, programmers and developers must strategize how to keep up with the learning curve and facilitate smooth transitions. Follow these steps to take advantage of the newest functionalities and improvements on an efficient schedule.
This is How to Optimize Your Salesforce Release Schedule:
1. Plan in Advance
Salesforce aligns its updates and maintenance schedules, which are published one year in advance. Plan to preview the sandbox about four to five weeks before each release. Set clear, company-wide expectations by marking deadlines for everything from unit testing to final deployment tasks on a calendar.
2. Learn What’s New
Salesforce offers a way to learn about each software upgrade on its free online learning platform. You can complete a module to learn about the newest capabilities and performance changes, earn a badge, and climb the Trailblazer Ranks.
Review new posts on the Salesforce seasonal release blog. They provide a plethora of information about the upcoming releases with links to the learning modulate, preview videos, and published notes.
3. Automate Processes
Salesforce upgrades require software development, deployment, and management. Here are some ways you can optimize your strategy:
- Recycle templates: Use available templates and integrated filters to deploy data in an easy, efficient way.
- Test the updates: Take advantage of Salesforce’s opt-in period to activate and deactivate the updates and see how they affect the custom codes in your application.
- Modify custom codes: Alter the custom codes as needed, ensuring the new features and applications meet your quality standards by the time they go live.
- Track all the changes: Make detailed notes in a spreadsheet or work tracking system so that your developers can ensure they include each customized change in a smooth migration and rollout process.
- Review possible issues: Check the known issues page in the Salesforce Success Community or server status page if you notice any problems, like slower-than-usual loading times.
- Maximize speed and quality: Invest in AutoRABIT’s Automated Release Management (ARM) platform to use best-in-class tools and powerful integration.
Features of Our ARM Platform
If you’d like to optimize your Salesforce deployment schedules, invest in ARM. Our automation offers a way to streamline various processes, increase productivity, and reduce errors. The management tools include:
- Deployment automation: Produce a structured release process for each Salesforce upgrade.
- Version control system: Manage and merge branches of code from many developers.
- Data loader pro: Ensure data integrity with full-featured data migration.
- CI/CD: Deliver new applications with quick, successful deployments.
- SFDX: Enhance Salesforce DX with a streamlined graphical interface and extended capabilities.
- Developer sandbox management: Synchronize releases across sandboxes with different geographics.
Schedule a Demo for AutoRABIT’s Automated Release Management
Founded in 2015, AutoRABIT is dedicated to streamlining Salesforce DevOps tasks, improving critical data security, and meeting compliance standards. Our team includes over 200 members across the globe, including the United States, England, France, Australia, the Czech Republic, and India.
To learn more about our solutions for development teams, contact our team or request a demo today! Our in-house experts are ready to answer any questions you may have and show how our plans can benefit you.
FAQs
Release management is a strategy for managing the Salesforce DevOps lifecycle with a goal of improving collaboration and streamlining processes to achieve more successful deployments and a higher release velocity.
- Continuous integration
- Continuous deployment/delivery
- Data loader
- Version control
- Sandbox management
- Static code analysis
Getting started with automated release management will take some planning to see the greatest results. Read our blog that outlines everything you need to consider.
