Have a New Salesforce Org?
If you purchased a new Salesforce org, you may be wondering where to begin setting it up. In this blog we’ll explore a few of the essential areas to review and configure to help get you started.
When you first sign into your new Salesforce org you will see that it is preconfigured with most of the basic things a company would use. In fact, you could start using it the moment you sign in. But more likely you’ll need to configure some features to make sure that your Salesforce org is setup to support your company’s processes. As a Senior Solutions Architect, here are the basic steps I recommend to cover your “getting started” phase.
Start with Trailhead
This is the first place to start. Salesforce Trailhead is an incredible resource for training. All your users should go through the basic trailheads designed to familiarize them with general Salesforce usage. Trailheads are easy to use and generally pretty entertaining. Users will earn badges and advance their levels as they complete Trailhead modules.
To begin your journey with Trailhead I’ve assembled this collection of Trailhead modules. Use this New Users Trailmix to get started. Then explore on your own the thousands of other possibilities, like the ones in Learning to Use Salesforce: A Beginner’s Guide.
Clear Your Demo Data
When you first login to your new Salesforce org, it will be preconfigured with basic settings, as well as data. The first thing you’ll want to do is clear out the demo data. Do this before you add any new data to Salesforce. This helpful document will guide you through mass deleting the trial data: Mass Delete Salesforce Demo Data.
New Salesforce Org Design Considerations
When you begin planning your design, focus on the following key areas.
Security
Design how records will be shared by configuring Organizational Wide Defaults (OWA). Will you have a tight, restricted-visibility Salesforce model? Or will everyone “see” everything?
Determine what users can do with Profiles and Permission Sets. Will users have the ability to create reports, export data, delete data, etc.?
Domain
Improve user experience by defining a domain. Using My Domain, you can customize your login page with your own branding and make it easier for using links-to-records in the future.
Templates
Salesforce provides a great collection of out-of-the-box communication templates to get you started. However, they truly are samples. You’ll want to use them as a reference tool to create the templates you will need going forward.
List Views
Again, Salesforce has provided numerous standard views that will support many of your needs, but views are one of the most powerful tools available to help users find and work with their data. Think of views as queries that return a list of data like “Show me new Leads this week” or “Show me my Accounts” or “Show me Opportunities closing this month.” Views are easy to create and configure to support your business processes.
Users
Once you’ve implemented your design and setup the basic configuration, you’ll need to go live and you can start creating users. You’ll want users in place before you start migrating data into Salesforce or creating your Sandboxes. You can use tools like Data Loader to make loading users a lot easier than entering them one at a time.
Sandboxes
Sandboxes are where you will test your changes and write your code before moving it into your production (live) environment in the future. Before you create your Sandbox you should configure as much as possible in your new Salesforce org. When you create a Sandbox, it takes a snapshot (mirror image) of your Salesforce production environment.
Begin Designing
Now that your new Salesforce org has been cleaned up, you’re ready to begin configuring it for your use. This is where you’ll want to spend a bit more time mapping out what needs to change to best support your business. Salesforce is incredibly flexible and easy to change on the fly, but some changes can take more effort than others. Over time some changes will certainly increase in difficulty, so as you map out your design, keep scalability in mind. Don’t paint yourself into a corner by designing features now that will not scale later! This is where the team at Perficient can help ensure a path forward for success.
Key Takeaway
Setting up a new Salesforce org can be fun. It’s like having a blank canvas to paint on and the possibilities are limitless! There are design considerations you’ll want to make up front, as well as process design for things like Change Management to ensure that your use of Salesforce in the future continues to be successful for you and your team. The team at Perficient can work with you to develop a solid strategy to make sure you get the best use out of your new investment.
