Salesforce is a fairly vast CRM platform and provides users with a range of different tools and features. This makes it important for organizations to choose the right tools to implement and develop the software according to their needs and preferences. This is precisely why the responsibilities of a Salesforce developer is important.
A Salesforce developer understands the requirements of their clients and develops the CRM platform accordingly. They are responsible for building a Salesforce org along with the tools and components chosen by their clients.
Salesforce developers are technical experts who are well-versed with the smallest details about the technical aspects of the CRM platform. This allows them to identify issues in the software and troubleshoot them to ensure smooth functioning.
Salesforce developers engage in the configuration and customization job at Salesforce. Salesforce configuration is the simple process of using the pre-built functionality of the CRM platform for making necessary changes and building applications within the Salesforce architecture.
On the other hand, Salesforce customization involves coding and programming to make necessary changes within the CRM platform based on the requirements of the client. It involves using Visualforce and Apex for building custom Salesforce functionality for the users.
Salesforce has ruled the CRM market for more than two decades and continues to do so in the age of digitization. As more and more organizations are driving digitization, the need for skilled Salesforce developers keeps increasing. Today, organizations operating at all scales and in all major industries are looking for competent Salesforce developers for building a robust and rewarding CRM platform.
The increasing demand for Salesforce developers has also created a plethora of new job opportunities for aspirants around the world. If you are well-versed with the technical aspects of Salesforce and can apply your knowledge to provide personalized services to your clients, you can work as a Salesforce developer from any corner of the world.
Whether you are looking for a Salesforce developer for building a CRM platform or are willing to become one yourself, it is important to understand the roles and responsibilities of a Salesforce developer.
Key Job Responsibilities Of A Salesforce Developer
A Salesforce developer needs to be adept in:
- Apex – Apex is the proprietary development language for Salesforce, very similar to Java.
- Visualforce – Visualforce is a markup language used by developers to create custom Salesforce pages. While it is similar to HTML, Visualforce can also use a combination of JavaScript and Apex for getting the work done.
- Lightning Component Framework – This is a dedicated UI development framework similar to React and Angular. Over time, Salesforce developers have started giving more importance to Lightning Web Components (LWCs) for building powerful Salesforce applications.
Here are some of the major job responsibilities of a Salesforce developer:
- Understanding the client’s requirements and developing personalized solutions to suit their needs
- Designing, developing, and deploying Salesforce applications
- Testing and troubleshooting the Salesforce org or an application as and when necessary
- Making sure that the CRM platform is safe and the data stored therein remains private
- Conducting meetings with the clients, Salesforce administrators, and architects to figure out the CRM demands to be fulfilled
- Training and empowering the technical staff working in the company for achieving common organizational goals
Roles And Responsibilities Of A Junior Salesforce Developer
Freshers with little experience in the realm of Salesforce development are often deployed with senior developers who guide them every step of the way and help them garner the required skills and knowledge to move up the ladder.
Here are some of the major roles and responsibilities of a junior Salesforce developer:
- Gathering requirements, analyzing them, and coming up with valid estimates
- Creating formal project documentation for every client including system design documents, technical specifications, reports, etc.
- Stating diagrams and working on user manuals
- Providing personalized assistance to business users during UAT (user acceptance training) and analyzing the same
- Helping the team resolve production issues during the course of the warranty period
- Working in close association with the Force.com administration team while deploying the code
- Taking an active part in new Salesforce development projects and initiatives
- Having discussions with prospects/clients and gathering opportunities to work on
- Writing clean, efficient, and well-designed code with the help of their seniors
- Actively participating in all phases of SDLC (Salesforce development life cycle), including need analysis, designing, coding, unit testing, software integration, QA testing, deployment, and maintenance
- Working in close association with the clients and product managers for understand the needs, vision, objectives, and problems that can be used to provide personalized technical solutions.
- Working with Triggers, Salesforce Apex Classes, SOQL statements, Visualforce pages, and Salesforce best practices related to the development
Roles And Responsibilities Of A Senior Salesforce Developer
Ideally, a Salesforce developer who has spent 5+ years providing their services can be considered a senior developer. These developers have most of the heavy lifting to do, along with training their subordinates.
Here are the major roles and responsibilities of a senior Salesforce developer:
- Meeting clients and senior analysts to gather specific client requirements to be fulfilled with Salesforce development
- Developing out-of-the-box solutions tailored specifically for the concerned client using SOQL, Apex, SOSL, Lightning Components, etc.
- Leading the development projects from ideation to execution and maintenance
- Overlooking processes like code review and testing
- Handling post-deployment tasks such as process documentation, knowledge transfer, bug fixing, etc.
- Working in close association with solution architects to facilitate seamless Salesforce integrations
- Communicating with the project teams on a regular basis for managing technical issues, the status of the projects, and designing the solutions to be offered
- Mentoring junior developers in achieving common organizational goals
- Staying informed about Salesforce development best practices and the latest CRM functionality to offer better services to the clients
The Final Word
This was just a small glimpse of some of the major roles and responsibilities of a Salesforce developer. Developers shoulder a range of different responsibilities and master the technical aspects of Salesforce implementation. Looking at the rate at which businesses are moving to the cloud and streamlining data management, it is safe to say that the demand for Salesforce developers would only increase in the days to come.