As the new year unfolds, Salesforce users are setting resolutions to propel their skills, amplify efficiency, and elevate their contributions to their organizations. I sat down to think of all the major themes in the past year that customers, prospects, and community members struggled with and asked me how they could be addressed. I also reached out to some fellow Salesforce MVPs to find out their top personal resolutions and recommendations to optimize your investments in Salesforce:
1. Stay updated on Salesforce releases
Keep abreast of new Salesforce features and updates. Salesforce releases three major updates each year, so make it a resolution to understand and implement the latest features to optimize your organization’s use of the platform. The product team at Financial Services Cloud has been hard at work creating really cool functionality and out-of-box templates.
Check out the latest Financial Services Cloud release notes to learn about the configurable Flows and templates that apply specifically to the financial services industries, increasing ROI faster for your investments. The insurance capabilities over the past couple releases have been very robust. I gave an overview of the Winter ‘24 updates in this video and will be sharing Spring ‘24 at an upcoming Insurance Trailblazer community virtual event.
2. Optimize processes
Evaluate current processes within your Salesforce instance and identify areas for improvement. Streamline workflows, eliminate redundancies, and ensure that your organization is using Salesforce to its full potential. Dust off those workflow swimcharts and dig in to see the gaps you need to fill to transform your business.
3. Enhance reporting and analytics
Invest time in improving reporting and analytics capabilities. Create custom reports and dashboards to provide valuable insights to different stakeholders within the organization. Leverage technology like CRMA to create highly interactive dashboards that allow for visualization of big data.
4. Improve data quality
Want to take advantage of the new AI features for Sales and Service Clouds, predictive analytics, and/or automation of tasks? Get your data right! Resolve to maintain clean and accurate data. Regularly perform data audits, implement validation rules, and establish data quality best practices to ensure the integrity of your Salesforce data. Check out this Trailhead to get started.
5. Master automation
Expand your automation skills by learning more about Flows, OmniStudio, and other automation tools within Salesforce. Even AI can help! l Be sure to check out the latest Service Process Automation Studio. Haven’t migrated all your workflows and process builders to Flows? Check out my video for the Trailblazer Community on Refactoring Automation for Flow, part 1 and part 2. There are many options, so identify opportunities to automate repetitive tasks and improve efficiency.
6. Enhance user training and support
Invest in user training programs and resources. Ensure that all Salesforce users, especially new hires, are well-trained and have access to documentation or support resources. Maybe now is the time to look at change management in your organization. We have lots of articles on the importance of change management, how it affects your people, and how to prepare.
7. Conduct security and compliance reviews
Conduct a thorough review of your Salesforce security settings and compliance measures. Not sure where to start? Try the Security Health Check feature directly in Salesforce to identify risks and fix them for you. Learn how with this Trailhead. Ensure that your organization is following best practices for data security and compliance with regulations like GDPR or industry-specific standards. This can include your data retention policies around Archival, Deletion Processes, and Retention Policies.
8. Engage with Salesforce network and community
Join Salesforce user groups, forums, and communities. Networking with other Salesforce professionals can provide valuable insights, solutions to challenges, and opportunities for collaboration. Don’t forget to take advantage of the passionate Trailblazer community, where there are other experts and innovators eager to help you reach your full potential!
9. Document and share discoveries
Resolve to document configurations, processes, and customizations effectively. This not only helps you, but it also supports knowledge sharing within the team and contributes to the long-term success of the Salesforce instance. Learn more in this video on Well-Architected Documentation featuring fellow MVP Stuart Edeal.
10. Earn new Salesforce certifications
As suggested by a community member, aim to achieve Salesforce certifications, which demonstrate a commitment to mastering the intricacies of Salesforce architecture. You can also pursue the coveted Certified Technical Architect certification, symbolizing the pinnacle of expertise and leadership within the Salesforce ecosystem.
11. Transition from profiles to permission sets
Permissions on profiles are set to end with Salesforce’s Spring ’26 release, so why not start planning now? Depending on how old your org is and how many users and profiles you have, this could be quite the undertaking. Many enterprise clients, especially in the insurance Industry, have automation and integration built around spinning up new users or terminating others. All these processes will have to be touched. Get ahead of the curve before this change that will come in 24 months turns into a fire!
12. Focus on proactive self-care:
Don’t forget about the importance of self-care and being proactive rather than reactive! Maintaining personal well-being can enhance professional performance.
Remember, setting realistic and achievable goals is key to successfully implementing New Year’s resolutions. Choose the resolutions that align with your professional growth and the needs of your organization. May the coming year be filled with successful Salesforce implementations and continuous learning! If you have any questions you can always contact me at [email protected].
Is your resolution to find a great job in the Salesforce ecosystem? Check out our open positions.
