Org Discovery process will make you a superhero

Walking into a client as a consultant or starting in a new company can be daunting. New people. New processes. New technology. But having no idea about the complexity and scale of the Salesforce Org(s) can increase the stress to the max. This article looks at a proven, step by step process for evaluating the Org maturity and complexity.

“We allocated 2 weeks for the discovery, but it was done in less than a week. I am going to look like a superhero” – Consultant, Platinum Consulting Partner

Step away from the browser

It is tempting to dive into Setup, start poking around and asking questions about Salesforce configuration, workarounds and automations. But take a step back and first try and understand the bigger picture. Why is Salesforce being used by the business? What is the scope and scale of the implementation? How does it fit with the other corporate apps/platforms? You also need to understand the current implementation lifecycle. What is the process for getting from “idea to production” and how mature is it?

Then you have the context to start thinking about the complexity of the Org or Orgs. Let’s assume there is one Org for the rest of this article.  If there are more than one, then simply rinse and repeat. This is where it gets scary. How old is the org and how many different owners, admins and SI’s have touched it? How well used is it? How well documented is it?

This seems like a very long list, so we have created process map to guide you with links to supporting information. The aim is to produce a report of the Org vision, business drivers, usage, implementation maturity and technical complexity.

Then you can decide whether to walk away, as one new admin did after 3 weeks  (OrgConfession #1075)!!!

“We reduced the time taken to analyze a new Org from 2 weeks to 3 days.”  – Salesforce Solution Architect – Salesforce Partner

Org discovery process

So below is a screenshot of the process. It is a fully interactive process map. You can zoom in/out. The paperclips in the top right corner of the process boxes are links to supporting info / web pages /  apps. If the top left corner is filled in, then there is a lower level diagram.

And if you register for Elements.cloud with a free user account you can access it and also copy it for your own use.  Here is the link to REGISTER and in the Element.cloud Demo Space you will have access to the PROCESS

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