Salesforce Database Methods Best Practices

You probably don’t want to sit through a lecture about databases and the best practices for designing, using and maintaining them. (Well, unless maybe, you’re a tech guy). But, Salesforce database methods are important. You rely on your database being intact and stable, and so do your customers. You need to have a grasp on the best practices for keeping them clean, efficient and stable. Otherwise, your ‘data is doomed’. Databases are delicate and due to their complexity, they require some special handling. So, today, we’re going to talk about the best practices involving your Salesforce database methods, so that you can keep your data clean, non-redundant and secure. Backups The first thing to always remember, when maintaining any database, is that regular backups should be made. With Salesforce (given the frequent input and output that is made), you should back your database up weekly. Very often, databases are backed up on a monthly basis, but in the case of a CRM database, or a financial database, it should be more frequent. Honestly, I suggest backing up your data every two days, but I understand that this is not a practical timeframe (regarding time, expense and space availability. Salesforce has a built in wizard for backups and restorations, and it’s easy to use. (I’ve written a guide for it in fact, which can be found in our archives). Eliminate Duplicates The next thing that I must point out is that checks for duplicates and redundancies should be performed on a weekly basis. Salesforce has a duplicate merging and elimination function. And, it’s very easy to use. If you don’t eliminate duplicates, then you may encounter problems with searches, updates, and conflicting information. This also causes the database to be slow and cumbersome, resulting in long wait times to retrieve information. Clean Path Finally, you need to have a clear path to your database, with a simple name and an easy to remember login. If you do not, then when you upgrade Salesforce, move to a new server or restore a backup, you may have difficulty reconnecting. Be sure that all administrators coordinate on databases and their corresponding names, users and logins. Be sure that you have set the permissions of the database accordingly, with what Salesforce requires. Still have Questions? Salesforce’s site has clear documentation on the requirements of maintaining a database. It’s really not that complicated, despite what you may think when you hear the term “database”. (On a side note, business insurance does not often cover database maintenance negligence, so make it a top priority). Salesforce database best practices are important; if you don’t maintain your database correctly now, you may have to pay for it in the future. I have outlined 3 tips above that will get you started; let me know what you think!