Imagine you’re at point A on a map. And your goal is to get to point B.
You have multiple options to move from A to B:
- Walk
- Bicycle
- Car
- Train
- Airplane
Depending on how far point B is away from point A, some of these choices make sense, and some don’t. And for each choice, there are sub-choices. For example, if you take a car, you’ll need to make certain turns along the way.
Most of these decisions should be made before you start your journey. Of course, some of the smaller sub-choices can be made in real-time, but the major ones should be known in advance.
This analogy shows why you need a design document before starting a Salesforce project. Without a design, how do you know where point B is, which vehicle to choose, and what additional choices to make?
The takeaway
A design dictates the major choices in a Salesforce implementation. While some decisions can be made along the way (using an agile methodology), the major decisions should be clear and agreed upon.