Tech stack decisions is an important conversation in all technology, with many additional nuances when it comes to Salesforce. In the Salesforce development world, there are out of the box offerings, Salesforce Clouds, custom build, and Appexchange as the primary options. Choosing to custom build, say over using an App on the Appechange is a discussion of it’s own with pros and cons to weight.
Oftentimes when describing a project that I designed, people will question the tech stack used for said project. The response naturally varies based on projects, and by large there is no right or wrong choice. It comes down to the specific requirements and circumstances of this decision.
Some of the criteria which has helped determine the optimal technology:
- Requirements: What are the technical needs? What are the business needs? This sounds basic, but is truly one of the main factors in determining the solution necessary.
- Configuration: How is the solution configured? How customizable is it? If you are using an out-of-the-box offerings, you will likely need to modify it to you use case.
- Provider: Who is the provider of this tool? Are they reliable for long term use? Nobody wants a company that disappears overnight. Support options are also important to consider.
- Pricing: Is there an annual or per use cost? Is there an upfront cost? Things needs to be factored into the budget and project longevity. Is is also important to calculate the cost of customizing this solution as described above.
- Existing Technology: Is there an existing system we can repurpose or extend? Is there another system to consider when selecting the technology for this project? Consider the project from all angles, and how it fits into the larger picture and company processes.
- Project Success: How does this option help us meet our goals? How do we measure success with this tool? Using a tool on it’s own is useful, but using it for larger success is how you ensure long term results
These are just a sampling of some of the thought process involved in selecting your tech stack. What are other considerations you have?