Salesforce Technical Debt: Expert Strategies for a Healthier Org

Technical debt is one of the most significant IT concerns businesses face worldwide. According to the 2024-25 Global CTO Survey, 91% of CTOs worldwide agree with this sentiment.

It occurs when development teams prioritize speed over quality due to deadline pressures. Over time, unchecked technical debt in Salesforce can result in deployment inefficiencies, security risks, and increased operational costs.

Despite these serious repercussions, organizations spend about 20% or less of their IT budget on managing it.

So how do we keep Salesforce technical debt under control?

In this guide, we'll explore practical strategies to reduce and prevent technical debt in Salesforce development. But first, let's understand what we're dealing with.

What Is Technical Debt In Salesforce?

Think of technical debt as shortcuts to reach your destination faster but at the risk of potholes and dead ends. It happens when developers opt for quick fixes instead of long-term, sustainable solutions, often to meet tight deadlines or launch products faster.

At first, these shortcuts may seem harmless, but over time, they pile up, leading to:

• Outdated codes

• Maintenance nightmares for developers

• Costly reworks for management

• Decreased system performance

• Integration challenges

Like financial debt, the longer you ignore it, the harder it becomes to manage.

Eventually, teams end up spending more time fixing issues than innovating, which slows down progress and impacts business growth.

Common Causes of Salesforce Technical Debt

Understanding the root causes helps prevent future debt:

• Rushed Deployments: When the focus is more on quick fixes to meet delivery deadlines rather than quality deployment.

• Lack of Documentation: Without proper documentation, new team members struggle to understand existing code and configurations.

• Communication Breakdowns: When information isn't shared effectively within the IT team, misunderstandings occur.

• Excessive Customizations: Going beyond standard features can make it harder to upgrade and maintain, thus impacting performance.

• Insufficient Testing: Inadequate testing leads to bugs and performance issues that compound over time.

7 Smart Strategies To Reduce Technical Debt In Salesforce

Technical debt is inevitable, but intelligent management can prevent it from spiraling out of control. Here are proven strategies to reduce current debt and avoid future accumulation:

1. Start Planning For Tech Debt

Ignoring is never an option. First, start by acknowledging that technical debt is inevitable and plan for it. A proactive approach is needed.

• Conduct a Salesforce technical debt assessment to identify weak points

• Regularly audit your codebase to spot issues early

• Create a structured debt reduction plan

• Advocate for a quality-first development culture in your organization

• Use Salesforce Health Check to evaluate security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies

  
  

2. Work On Salesforce Updates

Salesforce releases multiple updates each year, and staying current is essential.

• Schedule regular update reviews into your development cycle

• Use tools like DevOps Center to streamline upgrades and minimize disruptions

• Remember: "You can't fix what you can't see." Monitoring and tracking code debt is a must

  
  

3. Fill The Gaps With AppExchange

Rather than building from scratch, use pre-built solutions available on the Salesforce AppExchange.

• Find ready-made apps like MuleSoft and Zapier that integrate seamlessly with Salesforce, saving time and effort

• Use Tableau CRM for its ready-to-use dashboards

• Evaluate existing solutions before defaulting to custom development

  
  

4. Document Every Process

How can you improve your system if you cannot understand what went wrong with any process, code, or metadata? This is why you need to pen everything down.

• Maintain a technical debt ledger and record configurations, customizations, and workflows

• Regularly update your documentation with new additions to ensure accuracy in each process

• Industry research shows developers spend 13.5 hours per week (33% of their time) resolving technical debt. Tools like Jira can help you track the time spent on technical debt-related tasks

  
  

5. Improve Developer Collaboration And Code Management

Good coding practices and teamwork can significantly reduce technical debt.

• Enforce Code Reviews: Peer reviews help in catching inefficiencies early

• Build team consensus: Ensure everyone (developers, stakeholders, finance, and other departments) is in the same loop. Start having regular discussions, meetings, and transparent communication systems

• Support the right people: Encourage and reward developers who contribute positively to teamwork and code quality. A recognition system can boost morale and productivity

• Use Version Control Systems: Teams using Salesforce DX manage code changes more effectively. Version control allows teams to track, manage, and revert code changes when needed

• Standardize Coding Practices: Follow Salesforce coding guidelines for consistency

  
  

6. Automate Testing And Deployment

Many developers mistakenly think that testing comes at the end of all processes. However, it is not so. The smart approach employs automated testing at each stage to catch issues early and save time and resources.

• Write Test Cases Early: Develop test cases in the early stages of software development

• Integrate Testing in the CI/CD Pipeline: Continuous integration ensures that code changes don't break existing functionality

• Regularly Review and Update Tests: Ensure test coverage evolves with new features

• Automate deployment processes: Reduce human error through automation

  
  

7. Plan The Future

Don't let technical debt slow your growth manage it alongside new development. When planning for the future, start by:

• Setting realistic deadlines that allow for both innovation and refactoring

• Aligning business and tech teams to ensure long-term sustainability

• Planning for future scalability. Design solutions that can grow with your business needs

• Allocating specific time in each sprint for tech debt reduction

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The Real Cost of Ignoring Salesforce Technical Debt

Overloading your IT infrastructure with technical debt is going to cost your organization in the long run in terms of:

• Missed revenue opportunities

• Disruptions and increased complexity of core operations

• Loss of market share

• Frustrated customers

• Unproductive developers fixing bugs and errors

• Security vulnerabilities

• Increased total cost of ownership

  
  

Taking Action: Next Steps

Begin with these practical steps:

1. Assess your current state: Conduct a technical debt audit to understand your baseline

2. Prioritize issues: Focus on high-impact, high-risk areas first

3. Allocate resources: Dedicate specific time in each sprint to debt reduction

4. Measure progress: Track key metrics like code quality and development velocity

5. Celebrate wins: Recognize improvements to maintain momentum

   
   

Stop Accumulating Debt; Start Optimizing Today!

Now is the time to stop ignoring technical debt by adopting proven mitigation strategies for Salesforce technical debt. The earlier you invest in addressing these issues, the better results you'll see in the future.

Don't know how to start working on technical debt? Hire our Salesforce consulting experts at Implementology and let us handle everything for you.

As certified Salesforce partners, we help businesses optimize Salesforce environments, reduce technical debt, and enhance productivity. Don't let inefficiencies hold you back contact Implementology today.