Salesforce DevOps promises faster deployments, better collaboration, and reduced risk across the development lifecycle. But adopting a DevOps approach within the Salesforce ecosystem is not without its hurdles. Salesforce’s unique architecture—including its metadata-driven environment, customizations, and lack of traditional version control—can complicate standard DevOps practices, unless you have a strategy to fill the gaps.
Below are the five biggest challenges teams face when implementing Salesforce DevOps, and how to successfully overcome them.
1. Version Control in a Metadata-Driven Environment
The Challenge:
Unlike traditional code-based development environments, Salesforce is highly metadata-driven. Many Salesforce teams still rely on changes made directly in sandboxes, making it difficult to implement effective version control. Without proper version tracking, teams risk overwriting each other’s work, creating conflicts, or losing critical updates.
The Solution:
Adopt a source-driven development model by integrating Git-based version control systems. Use tools that support Salesforce metadata structures and enforce team-wide standards for committing, reviewing, and merging changes. This ensures transparency, improves collaboration, and provides an audit trail for every change.
2. Complex Release Management Across Multiple Orgs
The Challenge:
Managing releases across multiple Salesforce orgs—such as development, QA, UAT, and production—is a logistical headache. Without automation, teams rely on manual change sets and spreadsheets, increasing the chance of human error and making rollback nearly impossible.
The Solution:
Automate your release pipeline with a DevOps platform tailored for Salesforce. Solutions like Flosum DevOps simplify deployment processes through CI/CD automation, allowing you to schedule, track, and manage releases across orgs with precision. Automated back promotion and rollback capabilities reduce risk and restore confidence in every release.
3. Lack of Integration with Non-Salesforce Tools
The Challenge:
Salesforce doesn't naturally integrate with many popular DevOps tools like Jenkins, Jira, or GitLab. This disconnect creates silos between teams and limits end-to-end visibility across the development lifecycle.
The Solution:
Look for a Salesforce-native DevOps platform that offers robust integrations with third-party tools. This allows you to sync your Salesforce work with external ticketing systems, testing platforms, and CI/CD pipelines, resulting in better alignment between development, QA, and operations.
4. Insufficient Testing and Quality Assurance
The Challenge:
Testing in Salesforce is often treated as an afterthought. Many teams rely on minimal test coverage or manual testing, which can lead to bugs making their way into production. Complex configurations, dependencies, and lack of sandbox parity only add to the risk.
The Solution:
Build a test-first culture. Integrate automated testing into your CI/CD pipeline and enforce Apex test coverage thresholds. Use scratch orgs or full sandboxes to replicate production environments for more accurate testing. The more you automate testing, the faster and more reliably you can deploy.
5. Resistance to Cultural Change
The Challenge:
DevOps isn’t just about tools—it’s a cultural shift. Teams used to traditional Salesforce development models may resist the move toward automation, collaboration, and continuous delivery. Silos between admins, developers, and release managers can delay adoption.
The Solution:
Start with education and buy-in. Provide training that aligns with your team's roles and responsibilities. Involve stakeholders from across the organization in DevOps planning to ensure shared ownership and collaboration. Celebrate early wins and continuously gather feedback to evolve your processes.
The Path Forward: Modernizing Salesforce DevOps
Implementing DevOps for Salesforce isn’t a plug-and-play process. It requires intentional strategy, the right tools, and a commitment to continuous improvement. By tackling these common challenges head-on, organizations can unlock faster releases, fewer errors, and a more agile Salesforce ecosystem.
Flosum DevOps is built specifically for Salesforce, helping teams move beyond spreadsheets and manual change sets to embrace a modern DevOps approach. From version control to automated releases and compliance, Flosum enables teams to innovate confidently without compromising security or governance.
Want to learn more about how Flosum DevOps can streamline your Salesforce operations? Connect with an expert today!
