Salesforce, the global champion in CRM solutions, has revolutionized how businesses manage customer relationships. Salesforce’s data model makes the platform effective at helping organizations manage and analyze information about their customers, products, and services. 

This data model is comprised of Salesforce objects. Thus, familiarity with the distinctions between custom and standard objects is essential for making the most of the Salesforce platform.

Salesforce Objects: An Overview

Before we examine the differences between custom and standard objects, let’s define what Salesforce objects are. In Salesforce, “objects” function like database tables by storing data associated with your company’s numerous “entities.” Fields in an object can be used to record information like a person’s name, a date, or an address.

✍ There are two primary types of objects in Salesforce:

  1. a) Custom Objects
  2. b) Standard Objects

Custom Objects: Definition and Use Cases:

User-defined objects, or custom objects, provide a way to keep information specific to your company. Modifications can be made to these objects to suit the user’s needs better. Users with the appropriate privileges can create, edit, and delete custom objects.

☛ Use Cases for Custom Objects

1. Custom Business Processes

If your company has specific workflows and processes that aren’t already supported by the standard objects, you can build them with custom objects. For instance, if you run an event planning business, you might require a custom object to handle things like registering participants, keeping tabs on their whereabouts, and storing relevant data.

2. Third-Party Integrations

The flexibility of custom objects to incorporate data from other systems, such as ERP, marketing automation, or other third-party apps, is a major perk. Using custom objects, you can bring information from these other systems into Salesforce and organize it in one place.

This salesforce integration facilitates unified data administration and reporting across all platforms, which improves operational effectiveness and deliberation.

3. Analytics and Reporting

You can create unique reports and obtain a deeper understanding of KPIs by storing and analyzing data using custom objects tailored to your company’s needs. You may use this information to spot patterns, track progress, and make well-informed decisions to boost your company’s efficiency.

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4. Custom Applications

Applications developed using salesforce features can also use custom objects as their base. These applications can be modified to fit the specifications of any business, making them ideal for solving specific issues.

5. Extending Standard Objects

Standard objects can sometimes have their capabilities expanded with the use of custom objects. For instance, if your business needs to track information not included in the Account object, salesforce development services can make a related custom object that serves as a data repository.

This allows you to extend the functionality of the standard object with your data while keeping the two objects linked for use in reporting and analytics.

Standard Objects: Definition and Use Cases

Salesforce’s familiar objects are pre-made objects that meet typical business demands in several sectors. Account management, lead tracking, and opportunity management are just some of the CRM staples these objects are meant to ease your way through. While removing standard objects completely is impossible, you may hire a dedicated Salesforce developer to alter the fields per your needs.

☛ Use Cases for Standard Objects

1. Sales Process Management

Salesforce’s ordinary objects are geared toward efficient sales management. You can manage your sales pipeline, monitor customer interactions, and predict income with objects like Accounts, Contacts, Leads, and Opportunities. Your sales staff will be able to better manage customer connections, sort prospects, and close deals with the help of these common data points.

2. Marketing Campaigns

Marketing campaigns may be planned and carried out in Salesforce with the help of standard objects like Campaigns and Campaign Members.

Emails, landing sites, and digital ads are just some marketing assets that can be monitored and controlled using these objects. Using common objects for marketing allows you to generate qualified leads, nurture them, and measure your campaigns’ success.

3. Customer Support

Standard objects in Salesforce, such as Cases and Solutions, make organizing customer service requests, knowledge base articles, and resolution processes easy. Your support staff will be better able to manage customer inquiries, keep tabs on case history, and pass on solutions to problems by using these objects. 

4. Event and Task Management

Events and Tasks are two examples of standard objects that can be used to keep track of your company’s schedule of events, meetings, and due dates. By connecting these objects with others, such as Accounts, Contacts, and Opportunities, you can get a full picture of your team’s actions and make sure nothing gets missed.

5. Product and Price Management

You may control your product catalog, price structure, and quotation production with standard objects in Salesforce, such as Products, Price Books, and Quotes. To streamline the sales process and guarantee uniformity, these objects enable you to bundle products, provide discounts, and generate precise quotes for your customers.

Differences between Custom Objects and Standard Objects

Salesforce’s ordinary objects and custom objects are used for distinct reasons by Salesforce development services. They provide varied degrees of personalization and adaptability. Let’s look at the fundamental differences between these two objects to learn more about them and how to make the most of them.

1. Functionality

Custom objects provide adaptability and can be modified to fulfill unique company needs that use everyday objects can’t meet. Specifically tailored to your business’s needs, they can record and organize various data types, processes, and interconnections.

Salesforce’s ordinary objects are pre-made objects that facilitate typical CRM features like sales, marketing, and customer support. They provide a basis for administering standard business procedures and data elements in various sectors.

2. Creation and Deletion

Authorized users can make changes to or even delete custom objects. Since you may make your objects to suit your business’s specific needs, this provides great flexibility and customization.

Standard objects cannot be withdrawn because they are an integral component of the Salesforce platform. Users can make standard objects more suitable for their requirements by modifying their fields.

3. User Interface

With the ability to create unique page layouts, linked lists, and buttons for each custom object, salesforce development services can tailor the UI to the needs of your business and improve the user experience.

The page layout, related list, and button configurations of standard objects are all predetermined. The user interface for standard objects is more uniform on the Salesforce platform and can be modified to a certain extent.

4. Relationships

Custom objects can have relationships with other custom objects and standard objects, facilitating the creation of complex data models. You may hire a salesforce programmer to establish various relationships for your business.

Standard objects can form relationships with other standard objects and custom objects. However, the extent of customization for relationships between standard objects may be less than that of custom objects.

5. Analytics and Reporting

With the help of custom objects, salesforce development services can collect and examine data unique to your company, letting you make informed decisions based on metrics that matter most to you.

Common CRM features can be analyzed with the help of standard reporting and analytics objects. While they provide a framework for reporting on typical business procedures, they may not account for all the data points and KPIs relevant to your company.

6. Automation

Automating business procedures has never been easier than with the help of Process Builder, Workflow Rules, and Apex Triggers, all of which can use custom objects.

While standard objects can be utilized in automation systems, they may not offer as much flexibility in terms of customization as custom objects can. However, standard objects provide a sturdy basis for automating typical CRM procedures.

Creating and Managing Custom and Standard Objects in Salesforce

To create and manage objects in Salesforce, follow these steps:

☛ Custom Objects

  • Click the settings icon in the upper-right corner of the Salesforce user interface to access the Setup page.
  • Type “Objects” into the Quick Find bar and click “Object Manager.”
  • You can make your objects by selecting “Create Custom Object” and providing the necessary details, such as the object’s label, plural label, and API name.
  • Adjust the object’s settings to your liking, including its name format, features, and deployment.
  • Select “Save” to permanently store the new object type.

In the Object Manager, you can manage your custom objects by changing their properties, deleting, or duplicating them. You can also build new custom fields, page layouts, and related lists.

☛ Standard Objects

  • Go to the Setup menu and type “Objects” into the Quick Find field.
  • Go to “Object Manager” and then pick the generic element you need.
  • Modify the default object by altering its fields, adding new custom fields, changing page layouts, and including related lists.

Bottom Line

Standard objects offer pre-built functionality for typical CRM procedures, while custom objects give flexibility and modification choices to meet unique needs.

You should use both objects to get the most out of Salesforce and propel your business forward. If required, take assistance from salesforce development services to optimize these objects.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQS)

Developers turn to custom objects when standard objects cannot meet specific business needs. They are adaptable, enabling workflows, data models, and integrations with external systems that may not be possible with standard objects.

Custom objects store user-specific data, whereas custom settings store application configuration data. By allowing access to data that can be used in other places within the organization, custom settings help cut down on API calls and boost performance.

A custom object is a user-defined object that stores unique data. In contrast, a custom field is an additional field added to an existing object (either standard or custom) to store specific data associated with that object.