Implement and Share the Solution

Learning Objectives

After completing this unit, you’ll be able to:

• Plan the implementation of the solution to the user problem.
• Communicate the implementation of the solution.
• Implement the solution.
• Document the solution for use in future cases.

Failing to Plan Is Planning to Fail

You researched the problem, did some testing, and came up with a solution. Now you need to implement the solution in your production org. Seems easy enough, but there’s more to it than just saving the solution to your production org and calling it a day. Your solution will probably affect others’ work. And your solution needs to be communicated and executed correctly. This is a crucial part of troubleshooting. Failing to plan the implementation is essentially planning to fail the implementation. 

This implementation plan should include:

• Timeframe of implementation (when, how long, and so on)
• Actions taken
• Changes user will expect to experience
• Any downtime expected
• Users affected

Communicate the Plan

Your solution plan needs to be communicated to your stakeholders. If only there was a convenient way to share this plan... oh wait, there is! Use your newly minted official channel to share your plan. Communication promotes transparency and trust. It can even be an avenue to get leadership approval, if needed. If your plan impacts multiple users, this broadcast allows for feedback to adjust your approach. 

Execute the Plan

You shared your plan—now it’s time to execute it. Follow the details of your plan and implement the solution in your production org. Once done, test to make sure your implementation was done correctly and everything works as it should. Post to your official channel that the solution has been implemented and users should be able to proceed without issue.

Help Your Future Self

You’ve done a lot of work to get to this point. No need to go through the troubleshooting process again for the same problem. Document, document, document. Help yourself or anyone else who may run into a similar challenge by documenting your findings, actions, and outcomes. 

Save yourself time, frustration, and future headaches by having your test findings and outcomes accessible. Who knows, one of your documented incorrect solution attempts from earlier can hold the elusive solution to your next problem. Thank goodness you documented everything! Additionally, you’re now a resource for someone else in the Salesforce community who might experience the same problem. Your future self and others thank you.

That’s a Wrap

You’ve fixed your problem by successfully navigating the troubleshooting process. Pat yourself on the back for all the great troubleshooting work you’ve done. You established an official channel to communicate customer problems. You gathered information about a problem, replicated it, referred to resources, and identified possible solutions. Then you formed a hypothesis, tested, and came up with the solution. And, finally, you formulated an implementation plan, shared it in your channel, implemented it, and made sure everything was documented. 

Now you know the troubleshooting process—and have resources for future reference (for you and others). Good work! OK, now you can log off and put your feet up.