Your data model choices impact analytics, performance, security, user experience, and coding requirements. While it might seem counterintuitive, the key to successful Force.com data model design is a pattern of denormalization, with tightly coupled attributes that describe core entities, rather than the traditional pattern of normalization. Join us as we explore the pros and cons of these design patterns.

1. Force.com Data Modeling
The Advantages of Denormalization
Michael Topalovich, Delivered Innovation, CTO
@topalovich

2. All about Delivered Innovation
Delivered Innovation helps growing companies run their
businesses in the cloud with Salesforce.
 Business process design for creating great customer experiences
 100% focus on Salesforce and the Salesforce Platform
 Founded in 2006 in Chicago by Michael Topalovich

37. Attributes provide
context that describe
entities as a whole.

47. Analytics

48. User Experience

49. Clicks vs. Code

50. Security

51. Scalability

53. Embrace
hierarchy.

54. Relationship queries
!= SQL joins

55. SOQL requires
relationships
between objects

56. We can go up 5 level
in a child-to-parent
relationship query

57. We can go down one
level in a parent-to-chi
relationship query

58. Reference data from
parent objects
with formulas

59. Aggregate child data w
Rollup Summary field

60. Use Master-Detail
relationships to enabl
cross-object workflow

61. Get better report
and dashboard data

66. I
RT

77. Avoid data duplication.

78. Reference before copying.

79. Beware of picklist sprawl.

92. Take a look at your current data model.

93. Experiment.

94. Apply these principles.

95. Read more about Force.com data modeling.

96. Get involved in the Force.com community.

97. @DIChicago

98. Michael Topalovich
CTO, Delivered Innovation
@topalovich