Salesforce Ecosystem Unveiled: SF Ben’s Groundbreaking Developer Survey
In a pioneering move that marks a significant milestone for the Salesforce community, SF Ben has released the results of its first annual Salesforce Developer Survey. This comprehensive study, one of the most extensive of its kind, offers unprecedented insights into the Salesforce developer landscape, shedding light on the challenges, trends, and opportunities shaping the ecosystem in 2024.
Ben McCarthy, Founder and CEO of SF Ben, emphasizes the importance of this initiative: “As the Salesforce ecosystem moves from a place of rapid expansion to a stage of maturity, transparency is of the utmost importance to better understand common challenges and solutions.”
Drawing from the experiences and perspectives of over 350 Salesforce professionals, this groundbreaking survey reveals several key insights that are set to shape the future of Salesforce development.
Let’s explore the top five insights that emerged from this groundbreaking survey:
Table of contents
1. The DevOps Revolution is in Full Swing
Perhaps the most striking revelation from the survey is the widespread adoption of DevOps practices among Salesforce developers. A whopping 70% of respondents report using some form of DevOps tools, with 41% specifically utilizing SFDX and CI jobs with version control. This represents a seismic shift in how Salesforce development is approached, moving away from traditional change sets towards more sophisticated, automated processes.
The implications of this trend are far-reaching. It suggests that Salesforce development is maturing, aligning more closely with broader software engineering best practices. For professionals in the ecosystem, the message is clear: DevOps skills are no longer optional but are becoming a core competency for Salesforce developers.
2. Artificial Intelligence: A Double-Edged Sword
The survey reveals that AI has made significant inroads into the Salesforce development process, with 30% of developers using AI tools daily or regularly. Tools like ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, and Google Gemini are leading the charge, offering benefits such as increased productivity, with 48% of respondents agreeing that AI makes them more productive.
However, this rapid adoption comes with a caveat. Over half of the respondents (52%) express serious concerns about AI and security. This tension between the clear benefits of AI and the associated risks highlights a critical challenge for the ecosystem. As AI tools become more prevalent, there’s a pressing need for education, guidelines, and robust security measures to ensure their responsible use in Salesforce development.
3. The Growing Complexity of the Salesforce Platform
Most developers (53%) agree that Salesforce is becoming increasingly complex to work with. This insight sheds light on the challenges faced by professionals as they navigate an ever-expanding platform with frequent updates and new features.
The growing complexity has several implications. It suggests a need for more comprehensive and ongoing training programs to help developers keep pace with platform changes. It also points to potential opportunities for tool developers to create solutions that simplify complex processes. For Salesforce itself, this feedback could inform future platform development, potentially leading to efforts to streamline certain aspects of the platform.
4. The Rise of Flow and the Blending of Declarative and Programmatic Development
One of the most intriguing insights from the survey is the increasing adoption of Salesforce Flow, with 78% of developers reporting increased use over the past year. This trend is complemented by the finding that 34% of developers use an equal mix of declarative and programmatic development approaches.
These insights suggest a shift in how solutions are built on the Salesforce platform. The growing popularity of Flow indicates that Salesforce’s investment in low-code tools is paying off, potentially democratizing certain aspects of development. The balanced approach to declarative and programmatic development points to a need for versatility in the Salesforce developer skillset, challenging the traditional divide between “clicks” and “code”.
5. The Technical Debt Dilemma
Developing on top of years of technical debt emerged as a significant challenge for many respondents. This insight underscores a common issue in long-term Salesforce implementations: as orgs grow and evolve over time, they can accumulate layers of customizations and configurations that become increasingly difficult to manage.
This finding highlights the need for better long-term architectural planning in Salesforce projects. It also suggests an opportunity for the development of tools and methodologies specifically designed to help manage and reduce technical debt in Salesforce orgs. For organizations heavily invested in Salesforce, this insight serves as a reminder of the importance of regular code reviews, refactoring, and maintaining clean, well-documented customizations.
Conclusion
This comprehensive survey provides an invaluable snapshot of the Salesforce developer ecosystem in 2024. It paints a picture of a community in transition, grappling with increasing platform complexity while embracing new tools and methodologies.
There’s no doubt that Salesforce DevOps is playing an increasingly important role in the lives of Salesforce developers and release managers. The high adoption rate of DevOps tools and practices suggests that this trend will only continue to grow. As the ecosystem matures, we can expect to see further integration of DevOps principles, potentially leading to more efficient, reliable, and scalable Salesforce development processes.
The insights from this survey serve as a roadmap for professionals looking to navigate the evolving Salesforce landscape. They highlight the need for continuous learning, adaptability, and a balanced skill set that encompasses both traditional Salesforce development and emerging technologies like AI and DevOps.
For Salesforce itself, these findings offer valuable feedback that could inform future platform development and educational initiatives. For organizations leveraging Salesforce, the survey provides crucial insights for strategic planning, resource allocation, and talent development.