SFDX is not just for developers – it can also be useful for product managers who work with Salesforce applications.
As a product manager, you may not be writing code, but you still need to understand how the application works, how it's built, and how it can be customized to meet your customers’ needs.
Product managers can use SFDX for a variety of purposes, including:
SFDX provides a common set of tools and processes for product managers and developers, making it easier to collaborate on Salesforce projects.
SFDX uses a source-driven development model, meaning all code and metadata are stored in a version control system. Product managers can use SFDX to review developers' changes, track progress, and better understand the development process.
Product managers can create and manage sandboxes. This makes it simpler to customize Salesforce applications without affecting the production environment.
Product managers can use SFDX to create scratch orgs. Testing new features and configurations is easier in isolation from other developers.
SFDX includes a powerful command-line interface for automating tasks, running tests, and deploying changes to Salesforce environments. Product managers can use this to streamline their workflow and save time.
SFDX provides a packaging system that allows product managers to bundle their applications and dependencies into a package installed in other Salesforce environments. This is useful for distributing the application to customers or deploying it to production.
SFDX does have its limitations, including the following:
Product managers unfamiliar with software development may need to invest time in learning how to use the toolset effectively.
This includes creating custom code or installing third-party packages. Product managers may need to work closely with developers to ensure all dependencies are accounted for and properly managed.
Product managers may need to carefully plan and coordinate the deployment process to avoid conflicts – especially if multiple developers are working on the same application. They also need to ensure that everything is properly tested.
This can be difficult to manage if product managers are unfamiliar with Git or other version control systems.
Product managers may need to supplement SFDX with other tools or processes depending on the application's requirements.
Product managers may need to balance their use of SFDX with other responsibilities and priorities.
Product managers may need to ensure that SFDX is used in a way that meets security and compliance requirements.
This is especially true if changes are not communicated properly or the user experience is negatively affected. Product managers may need to work with end users to ensure that any changes made using SFDX are well-received and do not disrupt business operations.
If you're a product manager looking for a user-friendly solution to work with SFDX, Hutte has you covered. Our web-based interface simplifies Salesforce version control, so you don't have to worry about pesky command-line interfaces (CLI) or other bottlenecks.
We give you everything you need right at your fingertips, making you more productive than ever before. With Hutte, creating and managing Salesforce scratch orgs and sandboxes is a breeze.
Check out our demo to get your eyes on how Hutte looks and feels:
Plus, we've integrated our UI with popular Git hosting tools, so you don't have to worry about learning Git. You can view changes directly from these hosting providers in a line-by-line comparison format.
Start your Hutte journey with our free 30-day trial. Once you’ve created your account, continue reading about how Hutte simplifies product management with SFDX.
Hutte is truly one of the best tools that we use. Product owners, Salesforce solution architects, business analysts — anyone on our team can easily and visually accomplish the tasks that would otherwise take a lot of clicks, time, and coding.
Create your scratch orgs or sandbox environments from a clean UI using custom buttons.
You can also use different seed datasets to shape development environments that fit the organization's needs.
For example, these could be sample data sets for demos or sets for training you want to share with the team.
You, as a product manager, can then:
For ISVs, Hutte allows you to inspect sources that are otherwise hidden. You build your package with your hidden code. So, the metadata of your org becomes inspectable.
Without Hutte, your team will need to use Git, which is difficult to read. With Hutte, you can see how your team has built calculations. This will then equip you to build a better understanding for product training purposes.
You will see all of the metadata you have touched. You can also opt out of any changes you don’t want to be included.
You can create a pull request from an easy UI without having to learn Git.
The lifecycle can include the following:
Hutte empowers product managers to participate in the overall lifecycle without installing additional tooling, waiting for environments to be provisioned from their machines, and offloading the tasks to our clouding infrastructure.
Product managers must keep stakeholders in the loop regarding their busy schedules. However, SFDX can often complicate this process, requiring additional understanding and knowledge.
Using Hutte, any product manager can show their changes and create pull requests in one intuitive place.