Searchlab Custom Development
Some requirements cannot be clicked together. When Flow hits its limits, when a screen needs behaviour the platform does not offer, or when Salesforce has to talk to your ERP in real time, code is the answer. We write it bulk safe, tested, and readable for whoever maintains it next.
The first question on any build is whether it needs code at all. Record triggered flows handle most field updates, related record creation and simple branching, and an administrator can maintain them without a developer. Apex earns its place when logic is recursive, needs complex sorting or aggregation, calls an external service, or must run reliably across a fifty thousand record load.
Apex is written with one trigger per object and a handler class behind it, so order of execution stays predictable. Everything is bulkified: no SOQL or DML inside loops, collections instead of single records, and heavy work moved into Queueable, Batch or Scheduled Apex when governor limits come into play. Tests cover positive, negative and bulk cases, well past the seventy five percent minimum.
On the front end we build Lightning Web Components. LWC uses standard web components and the Lightning Data Service, which means faster rendering and less Apex than the older Aura framework. Existing Aura components can remain and interoperate, but new work goes to LWC. Components are exposed to App Builder with configurable properties, so admins can place and adjust them without a developer.
Integrations use Named Credentials and External Credentials rather than hardcoded endpoints or stored passwords. Depending on the pattern we use REST callouts, Platform Events for event driven work, Change Data Capture for downstream sync, or middleware where the estate is large. Field level security is enforced in queries, and code is reviewed against the Salesforce secure coding guidelines before it ships.
Everything in Custom Development
Technical design document
The chosen pattern, objects touched, limits considered and alternatives rejected, written before development so the approach is reviewable rather than discovered in the code.
Apex triggers and services
Bulk safe trigger handlers, service classes and asynchronous jobs built with governor limits in mind and structured for reuse rather than copy and paste.
Lightning Web Components
Custom screens, list components and utility panels built in LWC, exposed to App Builder with configurable properties and tested on desktop and the mobile app.
Integrations
REST or SOAP callouts, Platform Events or Change Data Capture wiring, secured with Named Credentials and built with retry handling and proper error logging.
Apex test classes
Meaningful tests covering single record, bulk, negative and permission scenarios, using test data factories rather than relying on records that happen to exist in the org.
Error handling and logging
A logging framework that captures failures with context, plus alerting so a failed nightly job is noticed by a human before a user reports it.
Deployment package
Metadata organised for SFDX or change set deployment, with a documented deployment order, post deploy steps and written rollback notes.
Code handover
Commented source in your repository, a short architecture note, and a walkthrough session so your admin or in house developer can maintain what we built.
The process
Feasibility and design
We confirm the requirement cannot be met with configuration, then pick the pattern: flow, Apex, LWC, integration or an AppExchange package. The design is written down and reviewed with you.
Build with tests
Development happens in a scratch org or Developer sandbox under version control. Tests are written alongside the code, not bolted on at the end to clear a coverage gate.
Review and UAT
Peer code review covers bulk safety, security and limits. Your team then tests the feature in a Partial Copy sandbox against real record volumes and real edge cases.
Deploy and monitor
Deployment runs through SFDX or a change set, with a validation only run first. After release we watch Apex exception emails and job logs through the first full business cycle.
Questions about Custom Development
When should we use Flow instead of Apex?
Use Flow when the logic is declarative, runs across a manageable number of records, and an administrator should own it. Move to Apex when you need callouts, complex loops, recursion control, sorting or reliable behaviour under large data volumes. Mixing both is fine, provided one automation per object owns the order of operations.
How much Apex test coverage do we need?
Salesforce requires seventy five percent across the org before Apex deploys to production, but coverage is a floor, not a goal. We write tests that assert real outcomes and include bulk and negative cases. Code with ninety percent coverage and no assertions is worth less than honest tests at eighty.
What are governor limits and why do they matter?
Salesforce is multi tenant, so every transaction has hard limits: one hundred SOQL queries, one hundred and fifty DML statements, fifty thousand records retrieved, ten seconds of CPU time in synchronous code. Poorly written code hits these during data loads or integration spikes and throws errors. Designing around them is basic hygiene.
Should we build custom or buy from AppExchange?
Buy when a well supported package covers most of the requirement, especially for document generation, electronic signature, telephony or data enrichment. Build when the process is specific to how you operate and packages would force you to change it. We tell you which applies before quoting any build.
Ready to talk about Custom Development?
Tell us where you are stuck. We reply within the hour on WhatsApp, usually sooner.
Or email Searchlabtools@gmail.com