Why Most Salesforce DevOps Tools Fail Mixed Admin + Developer Teams

Daniel RosenbergCo-Founder

Dec 22, 2025Blog

Why Most Salesforce DevOps Tools Fail Mixed Admin + Developer Teams

Salesforce isn’t like other platforms. It’s a unique blend of point-and-click customization and complex code development, meaning your team likely includes both admins who work inside the Salesforce UI and developers who manage code in Git.

Most DevOps tools try to force both sides into the same workflow, which often leads to frustration, lost changes, and unreliable deployments.

This post explains why those tools fall short, and how OrgFlow takes a smarter, Git-native approach that actually works for mixed teams.

The Reality of Mixed Salesforce Teams

Salesforce teams are rarely made up of just developers. More often, they’re a mix of:

Admins, who click and configure directly in orgs
Developers, who write code and use Git

The challenge? Most Salesforce DevOps tools weren’t built with this mix in mind.

They force everyone, admins and devs, to work in the same way. That’s where things break.

What Goes Wrong with Traditional Tools

Let’s break down three common issues with Salesforce DevOps platforms:

1. Git is treated like a backup, not a workflow

Many tools “sync” metadata to Git after the fact. Admins make changes in the org, and the tool tries to mirror that in Git. But that approach often leads to:

Git history that doesn’t reflect who did what
Changes are getting overwritten or missed
Merge conflicts; no one knows how to resolve them.

The problem isn’t syncing; it’s syncing without context.

2. Admin changes can overwrite developer work

This is the nightmare scenario: an admin makes a change in a sandbox, a developer updates the same component in Git, and whichever gets deployed last wins.

Without safeguards, Salesforce DevOps becomes a game of overwriting each other’s work.

3. Merge conflicts turn into fire drills

Salesforce metadata (like Flows, Profiles, or Layouts) is complex and XML-based. That makes it hard to merge cleanly, especially if your DevOps tool just throws changes into Git and hopes for the best.

It’s no surprise that many teams resort to manually editing XML or trying to “just deploy and fix it later.”

Why OrgFlow Works for Mixed Teams

OrgFlow takes a different approach. Yes, it syncs Git branches and Salesforce orgs, but it does more than that. It adds structure, safety, and visibility.

Let’s break it down:

1. Git Is Still the Source of Truth

OrgFlow connects Salesforce orgs and Git branches, but Git remains the authority. Changes made in the org are synced back to Git with clear visibility and smart merging.

That means:

Developers can work in Git as usual
Admins can work in Salesforce as usual
Everyone’s changes are tracked in version control

This avoids the “overwrite war” that happens in other tools.

2. Smart Merging Prevents Conflicts

OrgFlow’s biggest advantage is how it handles change tracking and merging:

Admin changes in the org are tracked and committed to the correct Git branch
Developer changes in Git aren’t blindly overwritten by sandbox changes
If both make changes to the same metadata, OrgFlow flags and helps resolve them with visual diffing and smart guidance

Instead of mysterious conflicts, your team sees what changed, who changed it, and how to safely merge it.

3. Admins Don’t Need to Learn Git

Admins don’t need to use the CLI, run scripts, or understand branching.

OrgFlow captures their changes in the org and safely commits them to Git. This gives admins a Git-based workflow, without Git.

It also means:

Devs can review changes from admins
Admin changes become part of the audit trail
Everyone contributes to the same release process

4. Developers Keep Their Native Git Workflows

OrgFlow doesn’t replace Git. It supports it.

Developers can:

Use GitHub pull requests
Run CI pipelines
Push and pull branches freely
Write tests and track metadata history

If you love your Git workflow, OrgFlow doesn’t get in the way. It makes Git work for your entire team.

How This Solves the Real Pain

Let’s revisit the common DevOps issues and how OrgFlow addresses them.

Problem	How OrgFlow Solves It
Git is disconnected from real changes	Git is actively updated from orgs with structure
Admins overwrite devs (or vice versa)	Smart merging prevents accidental overwrites
Merge conflicts are messy and unclear	Visual diffing makes changes clear and safe to resolve
Admins can’t participate in DevOps	Admin changes are automatically tracked in Git
Devs are forced to use unfamiliar tools	OrgFlow works with native Git, not against it

How It’s Different from Other Tools

Most tools:

Try to copy metadata between orgs and Git
Don’t track who changed what
Can’t resolve complex metadata merges
Require extra tooling, scripting, or custom diff workflows

OrgFlow:

Keeps Git and orgs in sync, but Git is still the source of truth
Offers smart merging to resolve admin/dev conflicts
Makes it easy for both devs and admins to contribute safely
Gives architects full visibility and auditability

This makes OrgFlow the only Salesforce DevOps platform built for real-world teams, not just developers working in a vacuum.

Conclusion: A Smarter DevOps Model for Mixed Teams

Salesforce DevOps tools often break because they force everyone to work the same way, or assume everyone uses Git the same way.

But the reality is: admins and developers work differently. And that’s okay.

OrgFlow was built to support that.

Admins get a safe, trackable way to contribute
Developers get to use Git normally
Architects get the control and visibility they need
Everyone stays in sync, without risking each other’s work

If your team struggles with conflicts, overwrites, or messy release cycles, it’s not your team’s fault.

It’s the tool.

Book a demo to see how OrgFlow supports real Salesforce teams with smart syncing and Git-native workflows.