Salesforce is used by hundreds of companies worldwide because it's really good at what it does. But what makes it even better is that it's always getting updates. In fact, Salesforce is arguably the most frequently updated technology with three releases every year.
Salesforce Developer, Technical Writer, and Entrepreneur
Sushrut is a skilled Salesforce Developer, Technical Writer, and Entrepreneur. His expertise includes front-end dev, Web3, and DevRel. He leverages technology to craft exceptional digital experiences.
Manuel Moya Ferrer is a highly skilled freelancer who serves as a technical architect, developer, and DevOps engineer. He specializes in Salesforce solutions, covering all technical aspects of their development lifecycle.
Article highlights
Salesforce updates its platform three times a year ("Spring," "Summer," and "Winter" releases), introducing new features, bug fixes, and security enhancements to improve functionality and user experience.
Each update follows a phased rollout process, starting with pre-release testing environments and gradually deploying to production instances to minimize disruptions and allow Administrators to validate changes in sandbox environments.
It's crucial to review release notes, conduct thorough testing in sandbox environments, communicate changes to stakeholders, plan deployments carefully, and monitor performance post-deployment to address any issues promptly.
These updates, known as release updates, are a big deal for anyone using Salesforce.
In this article, I'll explain these updates, their schedule, and how they work. Whether you're a seasoned Salesforce user or a newbie, understanding release updates is important.
Let's start with the utmost basics.
What is a release update?
A release update in the context of Salesforce denotes the systematic introduction of new features, bug fixes, and security enhancements to the Salesforce platform. Salesforce typically rolls out updates three times a year: "Spring," "Summer," and "Winter" releases. These three release updates contain all the major, minor, and patch releases. These releases often introduce significant new functionalities and improvements.
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Before deployment, Salesforce announces upcoming releases through its trusted site and other communication channels. You also get detailed release notes accompanying these announcements, providing comprehensive information about the changes and additions introduced in each release.
This documentation is important for Salesforce Administrators and users to understand the implications of the updates on their Salesforce environment and workflows.
The deployment of release updates follows a phased approach, commencing with testing in pre-release environments and progressing to production instances. This methodical rollout minimizes the risk of disruptions to business operations by allowing Administrators to preview and validate the updates in sandbox environments before implementing them in their production orgs.
Understanding the Salesforce release schedule
As mentioned above, Salesforce operates on a structured release schedule to ensure a predictable rhythm for delivering updates and new features to its users. Each release brings a host of enhancements, new functionalities, and improvements to the platform.
The spring release sets the tone for the year by introducing innovative features and enhancements aimed at enhancing user experience and efficiency. These updates often reflect industry trends and feedback from the Salesforce community.
Winter releases may introduce significant enhancements to prepare users for the upcoming year or address specific industry challenges.
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In addition to these major releases, Salesforce delivers minor updates throughout the year to address bugs, security vulnerabilities, and minor enhancements. These updates, which you can call 'patch releases,' are deployed regularly to ensure the platform's ongoing stability and security.
Salesforce release update process
Salesforce meticulously designs its release update process to ensure a seamless integration of new features and enhancements while minimizing user disruptions. Let's talk about the stages of this process and how each contributes to the smooth rollout of updates:
Announcement
Salesforce announces upcoming release dates and provides detailed information about the changes through its official site and various communication channels. This allows users to prepare for upcoming updates and understand how they might impact their Salesforce environment.
Documentation
Detailed release notes accompany each release announcement, providing information about the new features, enhancements, and changes introduced in the update. These release notes serve as essential resources for Administrators and users to understand the impact of the updates on their Salesforce orgs.
Pre-release testing
Salesforce provides pre-release environments where users can preview and test the upcoming updates before deploying them to production orgs. This allows Administrators to assess the updates' impact on their specific configurations and workflows and identify any potential issues or conflicts.
Phased rollout
Release updates are deployed to Salesforce instances in a phased approach, starting with pre-release environments and gradually expanding to production orgs. This phased rollout minimizes the risk of disruptions to business operations by allowing Administrators to validate the updates in sandbox environments before implementing them in their production orgs.
Post-deployment validation
After the updates are deployed to production orgs, Administrators conduct thorough testing to ensure that the changes have been implemented correctly and have not caused any unexpected issues. This validation phase helps to confirm the stability and functionality of the Salesforce instance post-update.
Monitoring and support
Throughout the rollout process, Salesforce closely monitors the deployment to ensure the platform's stability and performance. Dedicated support resources are available to assist users with any issues or questions they may encounter during or after the update process.
Steps involved in the Salesforce update process
Updating your Salesforce environment with the latest release involves a series of important steps to make sure everything goes smoothly:
Evaluate the impact: First, you need to check how the update might affect your current setup. This helps you anticipate any issues or changes you might need to address.
Review release notes: You will then read through the release notes and documentation. This helps you understand what's changing and what new features are being added.
Test in sandbox: Before changing your live Salesforce environment, you will test the update in a sandbox environment. This lets you see how it works without affecting your real data.
Plan and schedule: Once you're confident the update won't cause any problems, you can plan when to deploy it. You then ensure everyone who needs to know is informed about when it's happening.
Communicate: Communication is key. You will then let everyone know what's changing, why, and how it might affect them. This will help everyone prepare and reduce surprises.
Controlled deployment: You will then deploy the update carefully, ensuring it doesn't disrupt your day-to-day operations.If any issues come up during deployment, you can deal with them quickly.
Monitor and fix issues: After the update is live, you will monitor it to ensure everything is working as it should. If any problems arise, you will then fix them to keep everything running smoothly.
Best practices for managing Salesforce updates
Here are some best practices for managing Salesforce updates:
Stay informed: Watch Salesforce announcements and updates to know what's new.
Review release notes: Check out the release notes for each update to see what's changing. Focus on new features and how they might affect your setup.
Test in sandbox: Try out updates in sandbox environments before going live. Make sure your customizations and integrations still work smoothly.
Engage stakeholders: Get input from Admins, users, and leaders to understand the update's impact. Consider how it affects different parts of your team.
Develop a deployment plan: Plan out how you'll roll out updates in your production org. Assign roles, set timelines, and keep everyone in the loop.
Schedule downtime: If necessary, plan for downtime during updates to avoid disruptions. Let your team know ahead of time.
Communicate proactively: Keep users in the loop about workflow updates and changes. Offer training and support to help them adjust.
Monitor performance: Keep an eye on how your org is doing after updates. Fix any issues quickly and get help if needed.
Document changes: This is super important. Keep track of what changes during updates for future reference. Note down any customizations or tweaks you make.
Stay flexible: Be ready to change your plans if things don't go as expected. Stay open to fixing problems and making adjustments along the way.
How to mitigate risks during the update process
Now you know how Salesforce rolls out updates and the steps you need to take to incorporate them. What you may need to learn is how to minimize the risks involved. Here are some steps:
Backup data: Safeguard your Salesforce data by creating backups before any update. This ensures that your org's critical data remains intact in case of unexpected issues during the update process.
Thorough testing: Utilize sandbox environments to extensively test updates before deploying them live. Test scenarios, workflows, and integrations to identify and address potential compatibility issues or unintended consequences early on.
Phased rollout: Implement a phased rollout strategy to minimize disruption and mitigate risks. Start by deploying updates to a small user group, then gradually expand to larger groups as you monitor performance and address any issues.
Effective communication: Keep stakeholders informed about update schedules, changes, and potential impacts. Provide clear channels for users to report issues and offer training and resources to help them adapt to new features.
Contingency planning: Have a plan to quickly roll back changes and restore functionality in case of critical issues. Regularly review and update your contingency plan to improve readiness for future updates.
Stay update ready
The three waves of Salesforce release updates may scare you off if you're a beginner – not anymore. Now that you've gone through this guide, you know when, what, and how to expect new release updates in Salesforce.
Sushrut is a skilled Salesforce Developer, Technical Writer, and Entrepreneur. His expertise includes front-end dev, Web3, and DevRel. He leverages technology to craft exceptional digital experiences.
