Advanced Architecture
for New & Existing Salesforce Clients

0

Advancing Your Salesforce Architecture: Best Practices for Scalability and Efficiency

SOWED understands that Salesforce is the backbone of many businesses, driving customer relationships, data management, and automation. However, as organizations grow, their Salesforce architecture must evolve to ensure scalability, security, and efficiency. As your Partner, we evaluate key strategies to advance your Salesforce architecture, helping you avoid technical debt and optimize your system for long-term success.

1 

Adopt a Well-Defined Data Model

A strong data model ensures consistency, efficiency, and easy scalability. Without a well-structured architecture, businesses may experience data duplication, slow performance, and reporting challenges.

• Normalize Data to Avoid Duplication and Inconsistencies

  • Ensure that customer records are not duplicated by implementing duplicate rules and matching rules.

  • Use cross-object relationships instead of repeating data across multiple objects.

  • Implement record types and picklists to categorize data correctly.

• Use Custom Objects Wisely and Leverage Standard Objects Where Possible

  • Salesforce provides a rich set of standard objects like Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities—using them reduces the need for custom development.

  • Custom objects should only be created when business requirements cannot be met by standard objects.

  • Ensure that relationships between objects (e.g., lookup vs. master-detail) align with your data model strategy.

• Implement Master-Detail and Lookup Relationships Effectively

  • Master-detail relationships allow for roll-up summaries and tight coupling of related records.

  • Lookup relationships provide more flexibility when data needs to be loosely related.

  • Use hierarchical relationships (e.g., Parent Accounts) to structure complex data relationships.

2

Leverage a Modular Approach

A modular Salesforce architecture allows for easier updates, better performance, and reduced risk of system failures.

• Salesforce Platform Events & APIs for Event-Driven Integrations

  • Implement Platform Events to send and receive real-time event notifications, reducing dependency on batch processing.

  • Use REST or GraphQL APIs for external system interactions, ensuring loosely coupled integrations.

  • Consider Change Data Capture (CDC) to track and sync record updates across systems.

• Use Managed Packages to Implement Modular Solutions

  • Leverage managed packages to introduce new functionality without affecting core Salesforce customization.

  • Ensure that third-party apps from the AppExchange meet compliance and security standards before integration.

• Build Reusable Lightning Web Components (LWC)

  • Design LWCs with modularity in mind, enabling reuse across different pages and applications.

  • Avoid excessive JavaScript logic in components—offload complex calculations to Apex classes.

  • Optimize performance using lazy loading, ensuring that only necessary data loads when required.
     

3

Enhance Automation with Best Practices

Automation is essential for efficiency but should be used strategically to avoid system performance issues.

• Use Flow Over Process Builder & Workflow Rules

  • Salesforce is deprecating Workflow Rules and Process Builder in favor of Flow—migrate old automations accordingly.

  • Flows offer greater flexibility with subflows, loops, and decision elements for complex business processes.

  • Use record-triggered flows instead of Apex triggers when possible to reduce code maintenance overhead.

• Avoid Excessive Triggers—Use Handler Classes and Trigger Frameworks

  • Implement Trigger Frameworks (such as the One Trigger Per Object pattern) to centralize logic.

  • Move complex logic into Apex handler classes to separate concerns and improve code maintainability.

  • Use future methods and queueable Apex for time-intensive operations, ensuring better system performance.

• Schedule Batch Jobs Strategically

  • Avoid running batch jobs during peak business hours to prevent performance bottlenecks.

  • Implement batch chaining where necessary, but be mindful of Salesforce governor limits.

  • Consider using Scheduled Flows when possible for automation without writing Apex code.

4

Optimize Security & Compliance

A secure Salesforce architecture protects sensitive business and customer data while ensuring regulatory compliance.

• Use Field-Level Security & Permission Sets Over Profiles

  • Reduce the reliance on profiles for permissions—use permission sets for more flexible access control.

  • Implement permission set groups to manage role-based access effectively.

  • Regularly audit security settings using the Health Check tool in Salesforce.

• Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) to Secure Logins

  • Enforce MFA for all users to comply with Salesforce security mandates.

  • Use Single Sign-On (SSO) where possible to improve login security and streamline access management.

• Enable Shield Encryption for Sensitive Data

  • Use Shield Platform Encryption to protect Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

  • Ensure event monitoring is activated to track data access patterns and prevent unauthorized access.

5

Improve Data Governance & Integrations

Data governance ensures data integrity, while efficient integrations improve system interoperability.

• Use Middleware (e.g., MuleSoft) for Scalable Integrations

  • Avoid point-to-point integrations, which can create data silos and maintenance challenges.

  • Leverage middleware solutions like MuleSoft, Boomi, or Jitterbit for API-led connectivity.

  • Implement retry mechanisms and logging for robust error handling in integrations.

• Set Data Retention Policies to Optimize Storage

  • Define archiving strategies to remove or store old records efficiently.

  • Use Big Objects for storing large volumes of historical data without consuming standard object storage limits.

  • Implement data purging strategies to delete outdated records while ensuring compliance with data regulations.

• Leverage External Objects for Large Datasets

  • Use Salesforce Connect with External Objects to link real-time data from external systems.

  • Reduce SOQL query load by only fetching data when required rather than storing redundant records in Salesforce.

6

Ensure Scalability with Performance Optimization

A well-optimized Salesforce architecture ensures smooth performance as the organization grows.

• Use Indexing & Custom Indexes to Optimize SOQL Queries

  • Identify selective queries that use indexed fields to prevent performance issues.

  • Work with Salesforce Support to create custom indexes for frequently queried fields.

• Limit API Calls and Batch Data Processing

  • Use bulkified Apex code to handle large record processing efficiently.

  • Implement Asynchronous Apex (Queueable, Batch, or Future methods) for high-volume operations.

  • Monitor API usage using the System Overview and API Usage dashboard.

• Monitor Performance with Salesforce’s Event Monitoring & Optimizer Tools

  • Activate Event Monitoring to track page load times, API performance, and security events.

  • Use Salesforce Optimizer reports to identify inefficient automation and areas for improvement.

  • Regularly review Governor Limit reports to avoid hitting platform restrictions.