Diagramming Salesforce Solutions
The Diagramming Salesforce Solutions framework is a practical guide to visualising Salesforce architectures with clarity and consistency. It brings together the core diagram types used by architects to describe systems, data, integration, and user access, and explains how to extract these visuals from real project discussions and documentation. The framework helps architects, designers, and technical leaders communicate complex ideas simply, so that teams can align quickly and deliver with confidence.
The framework represents the distillation of my work between 2016 and 2017, when I moved from the role of Salesforce consultant into that of Salesforce architect. During that period, I needed to quickly and repeatedly absorb dense information from projects and proposals, then produce a reliable architectural summary that could be shared with stakeholders. The framework emerged as a practical way to translate complexity into clarity and to communicate technical decisions with confidence. It also reflects the foundation of the presentation format used within the Salesforce Certified Technical Architect review board, although that process has since become far more detailed and wide-ranging as the platform itself has evolved.
Extraction Techniques
Solution extraction is the craft of turning words into pictures. It involves analysing written descriptions, requirements, and user stories to identify the systems, data, and interactions that underpin a solution. By translating narrative detail into visual structure, architects can expose hidden complexity, test assumptions, and create a shared understanding of how the design will work in practice. This process turns documentation into insight and bridges the gap between conversation and architecture and it is the process needed to successfully create the four core diagrams.
Environments & Deployment
The Environments and Deployment Diagram shows how changes move through a Salesforce estate from development and testing through to production and operations. It maps the environments, pipelines, and governance controls that support continuous delivery, making it easy to visualise where code, configuration, and data intersect. This view helps teams understand release sequencing, dependencies, and deployment pathways so that change can flow safely and predictably across the platform.
System Landscape
The System Landscape Diagram provides a high-level view of the Salesforce estate and its connections to other enterprise systems. It identifies the major applications, data flows, and integration patterns that define how information moves across the organisation. This diagram helps teams and stakeholders understand the overall architecture, boundaries, and points of interaction within the wider technology ecosystem.
Data Model
The Data Model Diagram illustrates how key Salesforce objects and relationships support business processes across the platform. It highlights the core entities, their attributes, and how data flows between them, helping teams understand where information is stored and how it connects. This view provides a shared reference point for solution design, integration planning, and data governance.
Role and Access Diagram
The Role and Access Diagram shows how users interact with the Salesforce platform through profiles, roles, and permission sets. It clarifies which users can see, create, or modify specific records, and how those permissions align with business responsibilities. This diagram helps ensure that access is consistent, secure, and aligned with organisational policy.