Once you’ve completed the Admin Beginner trail, the next step is to jump into the Admin Intermediate trail. Diving deeper than the beginner version, the Admin Intermediate trail explores advanced topics and involves more hands-on learning. It is estimated to take 14 hours and will earn you 11,100 points if all challenges and quizzes are completed correctly. The entire trail contains seven modules and two projects. In this post, we will briefly summarize the main topics of each module and project.

Module: Formulas & Validations

The first module in the Admin Intermediate trail introduces formulas and validation rules. While setting up a formula field is relatively simple, there are many different functions available to construct a formula. In this module, users learn when and how to use formulas at a high level without diving too deep into formula syntax. This lesson offers a tour of the formula editor and shows how to debug issues. It also covers roll up summary formulas, which compile information from existing fields to show aggregate information in a new field. Lastly, the module covers how to set up validation rules in order to govern information input. For example, parameters can be set to ensure that a phone number follows a certain format or a discount doesn’t exceed a designated percentage. 

Module: Data Security

The Data Security Module covers a wide range of topics related to keeping Salesforce information secure and protected. Users going through this module will learn the importance of access controls at different levels and how a robust auditing system can maintain a high level of security. The module covers:

• Access to the org (managing authorized users, setting password policies, limiting when and where users can log in)
• Access to objects (assigning a profile to users to grant minimum access, creating permission sets, and assigning permissions to users for further access)
• Access to fields (using profiles and permission sets and navigating the field accessibility menu)
• Access to records (using org-wide defaults, role hierarchies, sharing rules assigned to public groups, and manual sharing)

Module: Picklist Administration

The next module focuses on picklists and how to use them to their full extent. It covers the different types of picklists, when to use them, and how to populate values. For instance, some picklists can have values customized to a specific field, while others can be populated by global value sets or formulas. The module covers how to set them up initially as well as how to manage picklist values over time as changes need to be made.

Project: Build A Suggestion Box

In the first project, Trailhead users create a suggestion box app from scratch. They start by creating the data model with the default user interface. From there, they customize the desktop and mobile experience using drag-and-drop layout editors. Users add business logic with formulas, and the project ends by creating reports and dashboards for data monitoring and analysis. 

Throughout the entire project, no code is required, and every step is described in detail. As long as the steps are followed, anyone can build the suggestion box application.

Module: Lightning Flow

This module emphasizes the importance of automation and introduces two tools that admins can use to save time and increase efficiency – the process builder and flow builder. Process builder allows admins to create automatic processes that run in the background while flow builder creates flows requiring user input. This module touches on the differences, how to use them individually, and how to combine them for added functionality.

Module: AppExchange Basics

The AppExchange is a powerful tool for bringing additional functionality and integrations to the Salesforce platform. This module covers the basics of what it is, how it is organized, and how pricing works. It introduces basic strategy for finding solutions and emphasizes testing before buying. If you’d like to learn more about AppExchange, we also have a blog post here.

Module: External Services

This module starts off by defining and offering use cases for External Services, a feature that can bring data from external endpoints into Salesforce. It covers how to import, map, and use data with a schema definition and suggests some best practices for making a schema. Finally, the module teaches how to register an external service and use it within a flow.

Module: Salesforce Mobile App Rollout

With mobile use steadily increasing, this module teaches the importance of a mobile rollout strategy for a firm. It touches upon the key elements of a mobile strategy and emphasizes planning for widespread adoption. Some points made during this module include:

• The differences between mobile and desktop usage (short bursts vs longer viewing sessions)
• How to identify mobile use cases
• Ways to sell a mobile rollout plan to executives
• How to build a mobile rollout team
• Mobile design and testing best practices
• Planning the actual rollout
• Defining metrics for measuring success
• Designing training, communication, and launch strategy 
• Measuring success and adjusting during a rollout

Project: Build A Battle Station App

The second and last project requires skills from multiple modules to complete. However, similar to its predecessor, every step is detailed in the project notes so there should be no problem completing all steps. Users develop the battle station app without code by creating custom objects, adding fields, and creating relationships. Then, the user experience is enhanced with custom page layouts, validation rules, and automated processes. Lastly, the project has users create reports and dashboards, as well as optimize the app for mobile use.

One More To Go…

Following the Admin Beginner trail, the Admin Intermediate trail is the perfect next step on your Trailhead journey. The modules in this trail offer a more robust training than the beginner trail, and the projects help with hands-on learning. Once you’ve completed this trail, we suggest you take a crack at the Admin Advanced trail following it. And if you want further assistance, contact Ntegro today for a FREE consultation. Our Salesforce experts can fill in the blanks and help you with all of your questions.

Have you tried the Admin Intermediate trail? How did you like it? Did you find other trails equally helpful? Leave a comment below to share your experience!