The Ultimate Free Salesforce Admin Tools

Pragmatic Solutions while we wait on Salesforce Ideas

We love Salesforce and love the flexibility it gives us. There are times where functionality isn’t quite released yet. So this page contains a list of tools you can use until the functionality is released. They are all designed for admins to be fired from process builder.

We operated on the following principles:

  • Avoid replicating standard functionality
  • Build everything declaratively is possible (then anyone can understand and tailor it)
  • Avoid Apex – it is slow to develop on, harder to change, hard to delete and requires testing.
  • Use process builder and not triggers
  • Easily removable – we don’t want to install multiple features at once as we are planning for Salesforce to remove the need for workarounds with standard features.
Process_Builder_v637dz

Launch with Process Builder

Add Opportunity Contact Roles

A flow that checks if an opportunity contact already exists before adding one. Inputs: Contact ID and Opportunity ID. Unmanaged Package Idea to upvote

Add/update Campaign Members

Checks where a campaign member exists and then adds one. If you add straight from process builder you will get a flow error on duplicates. You can optionally choose to overwrite the status by entering a status and marking ‘OverrideStatus’ as true

Install Link. Idea to upvote

Delete Anything

Not supported by us as you can do it in flows and it’s a rare business case. There is this github package that can do it for you though: https://github.com/mshanemc/processBuilderBlocks 

Idea to upvote.

Auto Convert leads

Convert Leads into Accounts, Contacts, and (optional) Opportunities on-demand according to your criteria. This solution includes one apex class and its unit test. See instructions in stall link for setting this up with Process Builder or Flow to automate your lead conversion needs.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Credit: Doug Ayers

Convert Contact to Person Account

Made with in process builder to work on professional edition. For lot’s of our client’s, it’s an all or nothing switch to person accounts. Data gets messy when you have contacts and person accounts in the same org. Unfortunatly, at present you cannot create a person account from a contact lookup, only contacts. So this tool in the background converts the contacts to a person account.

You will need to create a process builder to trigger this flow. Make the criteria a contact with no account. Launch this flow as the immediate action. Enter the record types and names. Mailing addresses are copied to billing and shipping.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Campaign Activator

Campaigns need to be active to work in Salesforce lookups. This simple process build will activate the campaign on the start date and deactivate the campaign a day after the end date.

Install Link. Idea to upvote .

Better Chatter Posts

We cannot post to related records in process builder. Use this flow to specify the record, message and anybody you want to mention (only one user).

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

 

If you need more advance features like rich text chatter posts or choosing the post is posted by see: https://github.com/DouglasCAyers/salesforce-chatter-bot-feeds

NPSP Process BuilderTools

Add/Update Relationships

You can create relationships with process builder. But, if the relationship already exists it will create a duplicate. Use this flow to check for an existing relationship and then only create a new one if the contacts are not already linked.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Add/Update Affiliations

You can create Affiliations with process builder. But, if the Affiliations already exists it will create a duplicate. Use this flow to check for existing affiliations and then only create a new one if the contact and accounts are not already linked.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Applications and Triggers

Rollup Anything (Declarative Rollups for Lookups)

A comprehensive and must use tool! Perform rollups on schedules or in real time from any lookup. It’s free and better than roll up helper or the built in roll-ups (which have major limitations)

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Credit: Andy Fawcett

Declarative Scheduler (and add campaign members automatically)

Run monthly, daily, hourly schedules the declarative way. This tool utilises Salesforce’s report engine to select the records and fields you want to update. Then this tool changes a datetime field to trigger a process builder

Instructions. Idea to upvote.

Opportunity Primary Contact Role Trigger

So we can’t do anything with opportunity contact roles as they are a second class object. No triggers or process builders. So when a contact is added as the primary role we want to have access to that contact on the opportunity. To install: create a field called Primary_Contact__c on the opportunity. Now whenever, you edit the opportunity and there is no primary contact then this trigger will populate it will the primary contact in the opportunity contact roles.

Unmanaged Package (this could be built with process builder and flows, however, we wanted it to not have any dependencies on any fields as many of you will already have a primary contact field)

Idea to upvote

Preserve Related Files on Account, Contact, or Lead Merge

Apparently, you lose related files when you merge accounts, contacts or leads. That’s terrible. It’s not a known problem for most of our client’s but we install this fix so it never needs to be.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Credit: Doug Ayers

Campaign list builder

The Campaign List Builder is a tool to help you quickly build complex mailing lists based on multiple Campaigns. Using a series of filters, you decide who should be part of the Campaign list.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Opportunity Stage Insert

Opportunities are fussy as they always require a stage and close date. This simple trigger allows you to specify the stage to use for each record type and if a close date is missing it adds in today’s date:

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Custom Fields to Quote Lines

When a Quote is created or is syncing and you create an OpportunityLineItem then Salesforce automatically copies and syncs the OpportunityLineItem standard fields to the QuoteLineItem standard fields. Custom fields are ignored.

This project allows you to define via custom setting which OpportunityLineItem custom fields you want copied down to the newly created QuoteLineItem custom fields.

Please note that this project currently does not handle syncing.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Credit: Doug Ayers

Even Lead Assignment

Lead Assigner allows Admins to distribute leads evenly among its sales representatives. Admins can configure rules for lead assignment and select users to whom leads need to be routed. It also provides the capability to assign leads to only logged in users.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Other Admin and Development Tools

Bulk Field Level Security Editor

Edit all of your profiles on all or your objects at once. A dream come true.

Install Link. Idea to upvote.

Bulk adding fields

Schema Builder – there is a lot of talk about bulk creating tools. We have tried a few approaches. But this standard feature is just as quick as anything. It gives FLS to everyone and doesn’t add it to the page layout. It’s not good for adding formulas or roll ups, but those shouldn’t be added on mass as they need consideration.

Trailhead Link

Skyvia Data Loader

dataloader.io was a go to, but the free version has more limits now. Skyvia allows you to set constants and formulas on import which is great for set statuses or record types. You can also import child objects of the same row. Skyvia will import the parent object and then get the ID and add it to the child object in one go

Link

Mass Switching validation rules, workflows, triggers and process builder.

An awesome tool to be able to toggl on and off all validation rules and workflows. Great for apex deployment are importing records.

Install Link. 

Credit: Ben Edwards

Winter 18 Release Notes

As you should know Salesforce is regularly updated to keep it as the world’s most innovative and advanced CRM. Three times a year they release a major update. In October they are making a major release and you will see some changes when you use Salesforce.

There are thousands of exciting changes happening in the background all of which you can view here. Here is a summary of some of the key changes that may impact you:

New look and feel

 

  • Background  – You will notice that the layout has been improved to reduce ‘snow blindness’. There is now less glaring white on the screen and each component is framed in a darker background
  • Conditional Components – parts of the screen (not individual components) can be hidden or shown depending on the stage or field attributes of a record

More Dashboard Functionality

  • You can also add tables to dashboards with up to ten columns.
  • You can add dashboards straight onto the home screen or other pages

 

Lightning Report Builder (Beta)

At the moment when you build reports it takes you to an out of date looking drag and drop report building tool. Good news Salesforce have developed a better looking tool that is even more intuitive to use. At this stage you must opt into using this tool by changing some settings and permissions.  See https://releasenotes.docs.salesforce.com/en-us/winter18/release-notes/rn_rd_reports_lightning_report_builder.htm

Improved Lead Conversion

  • If you are using and converting leads then it’s now even easier to create and match to existing accounts, contacts and opportunities

 

Google Calendar Integration

This has been available in a limited form for over a year. But, it finally will do proper two way synchronisation better events in Salesforce and events on your calendar.

 

Many improvements to the user experience

  • Branded Communities – You can set up different brands and colors for your communities based on each partner
  • Mass editing from custom views – Edit multiple records at once straight from the related list (does not include related lists)
  • Merge Person Accounts – You can now merge person accounts from the person account screen. You do not need to use the quick link we created for you on your home screen
  • Better search – search now includes better spelling correction
  • Skype integration – if you use Skype for business it can now be integrated into Salesforce (there are some delays on the roll out of voice calls with Microsoft)
  • Better Einstein Ai – Ai is getting more tightly integrated across the Salesforce platforms
  • Longer Internet Explorer Support – Your users should be using a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Microsfot Edge. If you have users on Internet Explorer you can opt in to keep support until 2020
  • More tools to integrate – Salesforce is the king of integration and they are making it quicker and easier for partners to integrate other systems

 

As mentioned there are thousands of other exciting changes happening which I don’t expect you to get excited about. If you have any questions get in touch info@gravitylab.nz

Graphics and images are copyright of Salesforce®

 

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