How to Get Admins Comfortable with Salesforce DevOps
Here are a few ideas to help your team better collaborate and deploy!
By Randalyn Hill-Coffer·Reviewed by the Blue Canvas team··4 min read
If you’re a Salesforce developer, chances are your team is filled with developers and admins alike! You’re not all from the same background or experience. It can be frustrating when you’re trying to involve admins in the development process due to their different technical backgrounds.
We have a few ideas to help your team function better with developers and admins!
1. Why Admins Should Care About Salesforce DevOps
It’s easy to feel like the real work of development should be done by a “professional,” but the truth is that non-developers can play a big role in their team’s general ability to produce great work.
When you have non-developers involved in DevOps, you’ll likely see faster deployments, fewer manual errors, more collaboration, and more robust version histories!
How do you get your team to overcome hesitancy and show more interest?
2. Common Barriers That Prevent Non-Developers from Adopting DevOps
A. Fear of Complexity
It’s no surprise to anyone that being asked to review or edit a screen full of code, if that’s not your area of expertise, would be overwhelming!
After all, admins and other business members tip-toeing into the Dev Ops process aren’t “developers.” Their strengths lie in other areas, so expecting them to function as developers will only lead to more tension on the team.
When you involve team members like this, it’s best to ensure that they feel comfortable with the tools you’re asking them to use: Git, CI/CD, and, if you use them, command-line tools, too.
B. Perception That DevOps Is “Only for Developers”
Another common area where there might be some disconnect between team members is in the thought process that DevOps is for developers
More than one person not close to the DevOps concept would likely believe that you have to know code to be involved. But those of us behind the curtain know it’s not just coding changes.
DevOps also benefits every area of your data management, including metadata updates, workflows, and more.
C. Lack of Training & Familiarity with DevOps Tools
The last big hurdle many teams face is the general lack of confidence and training regarding the tech-based tools your team uses.
You know, the tools of the trade - Git, Blue Canvas, or other integral pieces of software. Without proper training, those tools can seem overwhelming, intimidating, and likely frustrating!
3. How to Make Salesforce DevOps More Accessible
A. Introduce DevOps Concepts Without the Jargon
If you want to level the playing field and make all the members of your team feel equal, ditch the jargon!
Instead of using the technical terminology for things like version control or CI/CD, make an effort to explain them for what they really are in the simplest way possible.
Version control = a history of changes.
CI/CD = an automated way to deploy safely.
Bonus tips if you incorporate visual tools or dashboards into your onboarding to help people visualize how DevOps works.
B. Provide User-Friendly DevOps Tools
If you’re going to build a diverse team, you can’t only pick truly technical tools. Having a varied tech stack will make it possible for anyone to feel like they are involved in a meaningful and productive way.
Consider low-code options like Blue Canvas or leveraging automation and drag-and-drop deployment software to ensure even those without a technical background can feel confident in their work.
C. Encourage Hands-On Training & Collaboration
When onboarding, it’s important to emphasize the availability of practice space. Show your non-developers where to find a sandbox environment and how to create one.
A buddy system can also be helpful. This would allow admins and developers to walk through workflows together so admins can see this software in action.
If there’s a way to document and provide step-by-step guides for simple tasks, like committing a metadata change, locate that in an easy-to-find and use database.
D. Automate Tedious Tasks to Build Confidence
Update your workflow to be more beginner-friendly. Use tools like automation to run your deployments, rollbacks, and validate code. If you can leverage DevOps tech correctly, you should eliminate many repetitive manual steps and save the team loads of time.
4. How Blue Canvas Helps Non-Developers Adopt DevOps
Blue Canvas makes it easy to involve your team by creating a level playing field for all members.
With automatic change tracking, there’s no need to learn Git commands. You can easily track metadata changes visually, allowing anyone to compare code without being a pro.
Our automatic version control lets you see who changes what and when, so you know what could be the problem vs where you might be wasting your time.
We enable the most effortless deployments you’ll ever have, with no complex code required. It’s a simple click to roll out a new feature or five!
Conclusion
DevOps isn’t just for developers, and making it accessible to everyone on your team stops it from being a bottleneck and starts allowing it to be a superpower!
With a few simple updates to your current processes and some time dedicated to thorough onboarding, you’ll build your team’s confidence and see their productivity skyrocket.
Want to see how Blue Canvas can make your DevOps team better? Try it today!
