Salesforce Flows allow admins to automate complex processes without writing code.

For those new to it, Flows are automations built using a drag-and-drop interface within Salesforce that can do almost anything, such as creating new records, updating records, routing data to various objects, and even creating dynamic screen flows.  

In today's no-code/low-code world, this kind of automation saves time and reduces dependency on developers to do more basic automations, allowing them to focus on more complex developments.

Whether you’re just starting out or a seasoned admin, Flows let you create anything from simple task automations to intricate workflows that solve specific business needs.

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Simplifying Automation

Flows allow admins to create complex workflows, that used to require code, to be done via a simple and intuitive interface. This makes Flows accessible to admins of all levels. Flows can be simple, such as updating a record based on some conditions, or complex, with loops, variables and more elements.

Flows also allow admins to create dynamic screen flows, which allow users to enter information into Salesforce in a more intuitive way. Think of a form with dependencies based on certain selections, therefore reducing bad data and improving the user experience. This type of data collection was out of reach for admins prior to Flows being introduced.

Examples of Flows

1. Automating Approval Workflows: Suppose your team needs manager approval before giving a discount to a customer. With Flows, you can automate the entire approval process, sending requests based on preset criteria and ensuring updates to Salesforce happen instantly once approved.
   
2. Updating Records Automatically & Task Automation: When a deal closes, you can set up a Flow that automatically updates customer details, assigns follow-up tasks to the team, and adjusts key data fields without manual input, ensuring everything is up-to-date.
   
3. Record Creation: Flows can create records based on almost any criteria you define. For example, when an Opportunity is closed, perhaps an order record needs to be created with Order Products and Invoice Lines. Flows can create these records, allowing your billing team more time to focus on valuable tasks.
   
4. Data Capture: Screen Flows allow users to enter information into Salesforce more intuitively. Let’s say you have a Partner Community where partners need to register deals before they can start working on them.
   
   A screen flow can be created with various questions, and based on specific answers, the flow can behave dynamically to ensure the correct information is captured. This removes any guesswork on the partner’s side, improving data quality and leaving the partner with a positive user experience.

These are just some examples of how Flows can be implemented in your organization.  

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From Code to Clicks

Automating processes in Salesforce used to mean relying heavily on developers to write custom code. This created bottlenecks, with admins needing to wait for developer time and expertise to implement even small workflow changes. With Salesforce Flows, automation has been democratized.  

Admins can now build and manage automations on their own without any coding skills. This shift gives admins more control and flexibility, meaning they can act quickly and adapt to business needs.

Benefits of Using Flows Over Custom Code

Flows offer several clear advantages over traditional custom code.

First, they allow faster updates. What used to require hours of coding can now be handled in a fraction of the time using a drag-and-drop interface. Because Flows are built within Salesforce, changes can be made quickly, tested, and deployed easily. This means admins can iterate and test their automations quickly, making them more responsive to shifting business requirements.

Another key benefit is the ease of maintenance. With custom code, any changes or updates typically require the involvement of a developer, and possibly extensive code refactoring depending on the change required.

Flows are easier to modify directly within your Salesforce developer environment, saving time and money. You no longer need to worry about troubleshooting code or coordinating with a development team for small changes. Flows make ongoing management much more accessible and leave your developers open to work on larger, more complex, valuable projects.

Admin Independence

Perhaps the most significant impact of Salesforce Flows is the independence it provides to admins. Admins can now own the automation process from start to finish, building everything from simple task triggers to complex, multi-step workflows.

This independence translates to faster decision-making, fewer delays, and the ability to adjust automations as your business scales. Faster iteration and more straightforward configurations keep your Salesforce environment working smoothly, and admins can deliver faster updates to your users.

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So, How Should You Build Flows?

Building strong Salesforce Flows goes beyond just getting them to work. They need to be scalable, reliable, and easy to manage.

Here’s how to approach it:

Build with Scalability In Mind

When building a Flow, always think ahead. As your business processes grow, your Flows should be able to handle increased complexity without breaking.

• Use Subflows: These allow you to break down large processes into smaller, reusable components. By doing so, you avoid the risks of creating large, complex Flows that become difficult to maintain. Map out your automation on a whiteboard to understand the various elements, inputs, outputs, and more before you start creating anything in Salesforce. This will help you to understand the best way to design your Flow for maximum scalability and efficiency.

• Variables and Collections: Variables make your Flows more adaptable. For instance, if you’re automating the assignment of tasks after a deal closes, use variables to assign ownership dynamically rather than hard coding user names, which could change, breaking the flow in the future.

• Combine Flows Where Possible: When Flows have the same trigger criteria they can be combined. For example, if you have five separate flows that all update your opportunity upon creation, combine them into a single flow. This will reduce the time it takes to do regression testing and ensure your build is scalable for the future. Every time you build a new flow on an object, check the ones that are already affecting that object to see if you can combine them first and to understand what is already being automated to ensure your new automation won’t disrupt your existing setup. Having multiple flows firing on a single object can be a recipe for disaster as they can cause data overrides or clash in the backend, causing errors for the user.

Test, Test and Test More!

Flows can have unintended consequences if not properly tested. Testing is crucial to catch hidden issues before a Flow is deployed to production.

• Use Sandboxes: Always build and test your Flows in a sandbox environment first. This ensures that any changes don’t affect live data.
  

• Test Edge Cases: Simulate various conditions, such as what happens when data is missing or when multiple criteria are met at once. This checks the Flow behaves correctly in all situations. This is especially important for decision-based Flows, where different conditions can lead to multiple paths.
  
  This is especially important if you have numerous automations running in your environment and validation rules that could be affected by updates to various records and objects. It can be easy to develop your Flow in a silo, only focused on what it will do specifically without considering what is already automated in your environment.
  

• Check for Performance Issues: Be mindful of how your Flow handles bulk data updates. If your Flow processes thousands of records at once, make sure it’s designed to handle that volume without slowing down Salesforce.
  
  For handling large volumes of data updates, consider using a time-triggered flow, especially when the updates aren’t time-sensitive. By scheduling the flow to run during hours where users aren't actively working, you can minimize the impact on system performance during their workday. This keeps your system running smoothly, avoiding performance slowdowns that might otherwise occur when processing significant updates in real time.

Keep It Simple

Complexity is often the enemy of efficiency in Flows.

• Simplify Your Logic: Avoid cramming too many actions or decisions into a single Flow. If you find yourself adding more and more conditions, consider breaking the Flow into smaller, focused subflows. ‍For example, instead of a single Flow that handles every part of the customer lifecycle, you could create separate Flows for lead qualification, deal closing, and post-sale follow-up.
  

• Don’t Overuse Loops: While loops help process multiple records, too many can cause performance issues. Batch processing (handling records in smaller groups) can help prevent your Flow from becoming overwhelmed by large data sets. If you find yourself using multiple Loops in a single Flow, that could indicate that the automation needs refining or that it might be better to be coded.

Pitfalls to Watch Out For

Some common mistakes can cause issues down the road if not addressed early.

• Overwriting Data: Flows that update records should be carefully configured to prevent overwriting critical data. Ensure that you’re only updating fields that need to be changed, and that no data is lost in the process.Documenting your automations can help reduce issues when building new Flows, as you can check what’s already built across your environment before creating a new Flow. It’s easy to create a Flow and test it with only the parameters that trigger it, but this can lead to unanticipated issues later.
  

• Forgotten Dependencies: If your Flow interacts with multiple objects or fields, be mindful of any dependencies. Changes in one area of Salesforce could impact other parts of your Flow. This is where testing and documentation is especially important.
  

• Technical Debt: When quick fixes, like hard-coded values or overly complicated flows, are used to solve problems fast, this can cause issues later. Your Flows will be more challenging to update, maintain, or scale as your business needs change. To avoid this, it’s essential to regularly review and clean up flows to keep them simple and efficient.

• Hardcoding: Avoid hardcoding anything in Flows, such as record IDs, user IDs, record type IDs, and more. Hardcoding can lead to Flows which break when underlying data is modified, and sometimes the consequences of an automation breaking down are not always immediately apparent. Use sustainable data points in your criteria, such as picklists, checkboxes, and formulas. These ensure more scalability as you continue to develop your automations.  

Introducing Salto: A Smarter Way to Manage Flows

As your business processes become more complex, managing and deploying Flows across different environments can become tricky. Salto makes things easier.

With Salto, admins work with the correct Flow version using the preferActiveFlowVersions flag, preventing errors from outdated versions. Salto also helps automate deployments, activating new Flow versions in production when code coverage requirements are met.

With detailed deployment previews, it flags potential issues like missing dependencies, allowing admins to deploy confidently and avoid costly and time-consuming errors.

These features save time, reduce risks, and ensure smoother workflows.

For more, check the full article here.

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Use Cases for Salesforce Flows

When evaluating where to use Flows in your Salesforce org, follow these steps to pinpoint the most impactful areas:

1. Manual, Repetitive Processes: If a task involves repeating the same steps over and over (like updating fields, assigning tasks, or triggering notifications), Flows are ideal. For example, use Flows to automatically update opportunity stages based on other field updates (reducing user clicks) or assign leads based on specific criteria, such as segment or country.
2. Multi-Step, Conditional Processes: If a task requires following a series of steps or decision points, Flows can streamline the process. For instance, automating approvals where different conditions, such as discount percentage or pricing terms, determine the next step is a perfect use case for a Flow.
   
3. Identify Areas Requiring User Interaction: Use Flows when end users need to input data or go through guided steps. For example, customer onboarding or lead qualification processes are ideal for Flows since they ensure consistency and accuracy while collecting data.
   
4. Complex Workflows: When a process involves integrating data across systems or updating multiple records based on specific conditions, Flows help maintain accuracy and speed. An example would be automatically creating and/or updating related records when an opportunity is closed-won, such as automatically creating an Order or Invoice record for the Finance/Billing team.

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Summary

Salesforce Flows allows admins to automate processes without writing code, making complex workflows more accessible and manageable.

Using a drag-and-drop interface, admins can create everything from simple automations to advanced workflows that handle tasks like updating records or even creating dynamic forms for user data entry.

By focusing on scalable design and proper testing, admins can maintain easy-to-update automations, reducing technical debt and keeping their Salesforce environment running smoothly.

Salto can help you take control of your Flow management and your entire Salesforce DevOps process.

If you're looking to simplify version control, avoid costly deployment errors, and keep all automations, including Flows, running smoothly, try Salto today. Don’t let deployment challenges slow you down!

Request a demo, and let us show you how Salto will be critical in your admin toolkit.