The core roles
- Salesforce Administrator (admin) — the hands-on person who configures the system: creates fields, sets up users, builds simple automation. No code; “clicks, not code.”
- Consultant — translates business needs into Salesforce design. Sits between the client and the build.
- Business Analyst (BA) — runs discovery, draws out and documents requirements, maps how the business works today and how it should work.
- Developer — writes code for the things configuration alone cannot do.
- Solution Architect — the senior technical brain who designs how all the pieces fit and keeps the whole thing coherent.
- Project Manager (PM) — owns timeline, budget, and communication; keeps the engagement on track.
- Client stakeholders — the people at the client: a sponsor (paying, deciding) and end users (who will actually use it daily).
Client versus user — not the same person
A trap for newcomers: “the client” is not one person. The executive who buys the project (the sponsor) and the staffer who will use the system every day (the user) often want different things. Good engagements listen to both — the sponsor sets direction, but if the users hate it, it fails. Hearing that difference is a senior skill worth learning early.
Who to ask
Stuck on how to configure something? Ask the admin. Unsure what the client actually needs? Ask the BA or consultant. Worried about timeline? The PM. Knowing the map saves everyone time — including you.