Why is my Salesforce so slow? A guide for Salesforce Managers

Salesforce managers, if you're grappling with the frustrating question, "Why is my Salesforce so slow?" you're in the right place. 

A sluggish Salesforce can impede productivity and hinder your team's potential. Sure, a slow internet connection (or having 50 open tabs) may be the culprit, however there are certain steps all Salesforce Admins and Managers should be taking to ensure their org is optimized and efficient. In this article, we'll unpack our top tips for diagnosing a slow Salesforce org and provide actionable solutions to optimize its speed and efficiency.

1. Efficient data management: Speed starts with clean data.

Efficient Salesforce performance begins with data management. Regularly audit and clean your data, eliminating duplicates and outdated records. Streamline your database to ensure that your team is working with relevant, high-quality information. A clutter-free database translates to faster data access and improved Salesforce speed.

Here are some tips for efficient data management in Salesforce:

• Conduct regular data audits: Schedule regular data audits to identify and eliminate duplicates, outdated, or irrelevant records. Automate this process where possible to ensure continuous data cleanliness.
• Implement validation rules: Create validation rules to enforce data accuracy. These rules can prevent users from entering incorrect or incomplete information, ensuring that your database maintains its integrity.
• Implement data governance policies: Develop and enforce data governance policies. Clearly define who is responsible for data quality and what the standards are. Regularly review and update these policies.
• Refine data access permissions: Monitor and refine who has access to your data. Not only is this important for efficient data management, but also security and compliance regulations. Recent research shows the average Salesforce org has 24 ‘Modify All Data’ permissions and 20 data export permissions. The implications of these access levels are far-reaching, impacting the core of your organization's integrity. Review your profiles and permission sets for free with Hubbl Diagnostics.
• Streamline custom sharing rules: Complex sharing rules can significantly slow down report generation as each rule has to be evaluated during data retrieval. Simplification can be achieved by consolidating user permissions within a minimum number of permission sets, reducing the complexity of assignments.

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2. Field health: Identifying and removing empty custom fields.

Empty custom fields might seem like a minor issue, but they can cause significant problems in your Salesforce org. Not only do they complicate report-building by cluttering dropdown menus and increasing user confusion, but they also contribute to technical debt, making your org harder to maintain and optimize, ultimately slowing down your team.

According to a recent study, approximately 10% of all custom fields on the most important objects in most orgs (Account, Opportunity, Case) are empty. This means that a field was created but never used.

Use Hubbl Diagnostics’ free solution to identify your empty custom fields on your most important objects (Account, Opportunity, and Case). 

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3. Code review and optimization: Streamlining customizations.

Custom code can be a double-edged sword. While it tailors Salesforce to your needs, inefficient code can slow down your org. Collaborate with your development team to review and optimize Apex code, triggers, and workflows. Efficient, streamlined code directly translates to improved Salesforce speed. 

Here are some tips for reviewing and optimizing your custom code in Salesforce:

• Static Code Analysis: Static code analysis is a software testing technique used to evaluate the source code of a program without executing it. It's an essential practice in software development for ensuring code quality, adherence to coding standards, and identifying security vulnerabilities. Utilize static code analysis tools, such as PMD or ESLint, to scan your codebase for issues and identify areas for optimization.
• Review API versions: While API versions themselves don't directly impact the speed of your Salesforce org's user interface, they play a vital role in the efficiency and performance of your integrations, custom code, and data processing operations. Staying current with the latest API versions allows you to leverage improved functionality, performance optimizations, and security enhancements, ultimately contributing to a more efficient and responsive Salesforce environment.

Hubbl Diagnostics automatically scans your Salesforce org, using both PMD and ESLint, to identify code issues and identify older API versions. 

4. Field indexing: Accelerating data retrieval.

The proper use of field indexing is pivotal for speeding up data retrieval. Work closely with your technical team to identify frequently accessed fields and ensure they are properly indexed. Proper indexing reduces search times significantly, enhancing overall user experience and Salesforce responsiveness. 

You can check whether a field is indexed through the Salesforce Schema Builder or the Object Manager. 

5. Modernization: Migrating to Salesforce Flow.

It’s clear to everyone in the ecosystem that Flow is the automation tool of the future, and with Salesforce having blocked the ability to create new workflow rules and processes, migrating to Flow is no longer an option, but a necessity. 

Migration effort aside, flows and triggers can significantly speed up your Salesforce org. In fact, our data shows that over 50% of Salesforce orgs could save more than 100 hours per year by migrating away from workflow and process builder. 6% of orgs would save over 1000 hours! 

Here are some recommendations to help you get started in your migration to Salesforce Flow:

1. Build your case using ROI metrics: Demonstrating the value of migrating to Flow can help you secure the resources and support you need to make the move. Hubbl Diagnostics automatically calculates your hours of lost productivity due to legacy code. 
2. Upgrade installed packages: Upgrading your installed packages can help you speed up your org, as 8% of active workflow rules are from installed packages.
3. Create a migration plan: Build an understanding of how much declarative automation you need to migrate to Flow with Hubbl Diagnostics. Tabulate the legacy automation on all your objects and note which are firing on the same events.
4. Gamify your modernization: Get some motivation by seeing how you compare against the rest of the ecosystem and celebrate once your legacy automation counts go to zero. 

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6. Continuous monitoring: Empowering your team with metadata insights.

If you have one takeaway from this article, let this be it: Continuous monitoring stands as the cornerstone of a high-performing Salesforce org. Empowering your team with comprehensive metadata insights is not just a practice—it's a strategic advantage. These insights provide a real-time pulse on your Salesforce environment, ensuring that any issues hindering speed and efficiency are promptly addressed.

Hubbl Diagnostics is a free Salesforce metadata analysis solution that allows you to scan your Salesforce org monthly and monitor:

• Org complexity: Review your org’s complexity compared to the rest of the Salesforce ecosystem. 
• Object automation: Explore the amount and complexity of automation across your Salesforce org.
• Custom code: Pinpoint custom code issues and identify opportunities for optimization.
• Installed packages: Monitor packages and identify out-of-date or risky installed packages.
• Field utilization: Review field usage and identify underutilized fields.
• Profiles and permission sets: Monitor and assess data access permissions across your Salesforce org. 

Embracing continuous monitoring and leveraging metadata insights empowers your team not just to react to challenges but to anticipate them. This proactive approach transforms slowdowns into opportunities for growth, making your Salesforce environment agile, efficient, and truly optimized.

Still wondering “why is my Salesforce so slow?”

Still wondering, "Why is my Salesforce so slow?" You're not alone. The causes behind a sluggish Salesforce can be diverse and complex. While we've covered valuable starting points here, it's important to acknowledge that every Salesforce org is unique. The most proactive step you can take today is to gain a comprehensive understanding of your org's current state and complexity. We highly recommend beginning this journey with our free Salesforce org analysis solution.

A slow Salesforce not only impedes productivity but can also be incredibly frustrating for your team. By delving into the specifics of your organization's setup and performance, you're not only addressing the frustration but also unlocking the potential for a streamlined, efficient, and highly responsive Salesforce experience.