Guide to Developing Salesforce Solution Designs: A 10-Step Framework

At Kolvan, we believe that crafting a well-architected Salesforce solution is both an art and a science. Solution design is a cornerstone of successful Salesforce projects, enabling businesses to meet their unique needs while maintaining scalability and efficiency.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through our proven 10-step framework for Salesforce solution design. From eliciting requirements to finalizing designs, these steps provide a structured process to guide architects, consultants, and business stakeholders towards implementation success. By following these steps, you can ensure your Salesforce solutions are thoughtful, aligned with business objectives, and ready to drive measurable impact.

Step 1: Requirements Elicitation

Understanding the client’s functional and non-functional needs is the foundation of effective solution design. At Kolvan, we start by eliciting and documenting requirements using structured formats like process flows, user stories, and acceptance criteria.

Essential components of requirements documentation include:

• Stakeholder maps and organograms
• Business process diagrams
• Conceptual models
• Personas
• Epics and user stories with clear acceptance criteria

Kolvan adheres to best practices, including the INVEST framework, to ensure high-quality user stories. These provide a clear blueprint for design and implementation.

Step 2: Requirements Validation

Validated requirements are a critical milestone in any Salesforce project. This step ensures that all business needs are accurately documented and agreed upon by stakeholders. At Kolvan, we prioritize transparency and collaboration during validation sessions.

Key practices include:

• Validating process flows, personas, and user stories.
• Welcoming client feedback and iterating as needed.
• Tracking changes to maintain requirements traceability.
• Highlighting critical “go-live” requirements early.
• Securing formal, written sign-off before proceeding.

Step 3: Managing Scope

Scope management is essential to focus efforts on high-impact requirements. Kolvan’s approach involves prioritizing business-critical items and deferring non-essential or out-of-scope features for future phases.

We backlog requirements that:

• Fall outside the project’s mission or vision.
• Are low priority or prone to change.
• Present minimal value relative to their complexity.

Step 4: Solution “Matching”

Salesforce’s out-of-the-box (OOB) functionality offers robust solutions for common business challenges. At Kolvan, we begin by matching requirements with standard Salesforce features to reduce complexity and cost.

Benefits of solution matching include:

• Simplifying designs and minimizing technical debt.
• Leveraging Salesforce’s consistent platform updates.
• Lowering maintenance costs and reducing development effort.

Examples include using Chatter for team collaboration, Field History Tracking for auditing, and Kanban views for sales pipelines.

Step 5: Gap Analysis

When OOB features don’t fully meet requirements, Kolvan performs a gap analysis to identify where custom solutions or third-party tools are necessary. This ensures we’re addressing unmet needs without over-complicating the design.

Step 6: Leveraging Third-Party Tools

Kolvan emphasizes composability by exploring AppExchange solutions before considering custom development. Managed packages can:

• Save time and costs compared to building from scratch.
• Offer ongoing product support and enhancements.
• Reduce long-term maintenance burdens.

Evaluating third-party tools is a key part of our due diligence to design scalable architectures.

Step 7: High-Level Solution Design

Once we’ve narrowed down requirements that demand custom solutions, Kolvan develops high-level designs. These capture the essential components, tools, and logic needed to meet client needs.

Our high-level designs:

• Include pros, cons, and assumptions for key decisions.
• Highlight design limitations and provide effort estimates.
• Empower clients to provide feedback and make informed choices.

Step 8: Solution Validation

Validating the proposed solution ensures alignment before moving to implementation. Kolvan’s “solution playbacks” walk clients through how the design meets their requirements, allowing for adjustments and refinements.

Best practices for solution validation include:

• Tying solutions to the client’s vision and roadmap.
• Clearly communicating assumptions and limitations.
• Encouraging open dialogue and collaboration.
• Securing written approval to formalize agreements.

Step 9: Implementation Planning

With validated designs, Kolvan transitions to implementation planning. This phase involves finalizing the scope of work (SOW) and aligning on project management practices.

We prioritize requirements based on impact and effort, focusing on major projects and quick wins. The SOW outlines:

• Estimated budgets and timelines.
• Agreed-upon features and deliverables.

Step 10: Low-Level Solution Design

The low-level design serves as the detailed blueprint for implementation. Kolvan ensures our designs are comprehensive, covering:

• Object and field specifications.
• Automation workflows and permissions.
• Testing steps and configuration notes.

These granular details equip our technical teams to deliver solutions efficiently and effectively.

Final Thoughts‍

At Kolvan, we’re committed to delivering Salesforce solutions that are thoughtful, scalable, and aligned with our clients’ long-term goals. By following this structured 10-step framework, we ensure that every aspect of solution design is validated and leverages Salesforce best practices.

This process not only simplifies complex projects but also empowers teams to collaborate effectively, maximize value, and drive business success. Whether you’re starting a new Salesforce project or refining your approach, Kolvan’s expertise ensures you’re on the path to success.

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