Creating Project Templates in ChatGPT

#GenerativeAI #ChatGPT #Salesforce

The opinions in this article are the author's and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of their employer.

In the world of Salesforce and beyond, leveraging Generative AI (GenAI) tools like ChatGPT to create, store, and use project templates can be very powerful. As a Salesforce architect and developer with a deep appreciation for the power of GenAI, I've embarked on a journey to optimize the use of ChatGPT's capabilities for Salesforce projects.

A user story template that ChatGPT can readily recall and utilize doesn't just enhance the efficiency of Salesforce development but also establishes a versatile tool that can benefit all projects reliant on user stories. Join me as we explore this ChatGPT capability.

Let's start by asking ChatGPT to write a detailed user story template.

Prompt: Please write a detailed user story template in the style of agile / scrum projects.

ChatGPT Response:

Certainly! Here's a detailed user story template in the style of Agile/Scrum projects, tailored to your expertise as a Salesforce Technical Architect and Developer:

User Story Template:???????????????????????????????????????????????????

- Story ID: [Unique identifier for the user story]

- Story Title: [Concise title summarizing the user story]

- Story Points: [Estimate of the story's complexity, e.g., 1, 2, 3...]

- User Story:

? - As a [Type of user, e.g., Salesforce Administrator, Sales Representative],

? - I want [Desired action or functionality],

? - So that [Explain the benefit or reason for this functionality].

- Acceptance Criteria:

? 1. [Detailed criteria that must be met for the story to be considered complete]

? 2. [Each criterion should be specific, measurable, and testable]

? 3. [Include conditions for success or failure]

- Definition of Done:

? - [List of tasks or activities that must be completed to consider the story "done"]

? - [Tasks could include coding, testing, documentation, and deployment]

- Dependencies:

? - [List any dependencies or prerequisites for this user story]

? - [Identify any other stories, tasks, or components needed]

- Technical Details:

? - [Provide any technical information, such as APIs, data models, or third-party integrations]

? - [Include references to Salesforce features or components]

- Notes:

? - [Add any additional information or context that might be relevant]

Storyboard (if applicable):

- [Visual representations or diagrams, such as wireframes or flowcharts]

Testing and Validation:

- [Describe the testing approach, including unit testing, integration testing, and user acceptance testing]

- [Specify how the story will be validated with end-users or stakeholders]

Definition of Ready:

- [Criteria that must be met before the story can be pulled into a sprint]

- [Examples include clear requirements, acceptance criteria, and design considerations]

Sprint Backlog (Link to JIRA or equivalent):

- [Link to the sprint backlog or task board where this user story is tracked]

By using this user story template, we ensure that each piece of functionality is well-defined, measurable, and aligned with the needs of users and stakeholders. This approach fosters collaboration, transparency, and incremental development in Agile/Scrum projects, whether in the realm of Salesforce or other domains.

This is pretty good! I might prefer the sections to be in a different order, but on the assumption this capability will be integrated with a tool like Jira or Azure DevOps, the order of the sections on a page is not that important.

Next step is to ask ChatGPT to remember the template.

Prompt: This is great! Please name this "Detailed User Story Template" and remember it.

ChatGPT Response: Certainly! I've named this template "Detailed User Story Template," and I'll remember it for future reference. If you need to access it or use it again in the future, feel free to ask, and I'll provide it for you.

Let's use this template and have ChatGPT turn a requirement into a user story.

Prompt: Please use the "Detailed User Story Template" to write a user story for this requirement: When an Account Billing Address in Salesforce changes, send the updated address an external system. Assume the connection has been established, and the endpoint is: https://example.com/api/accounts

ChatGPT Response:

Certainly, here's a user story using the "Detailed User Story Template" for the given requirement:

User Story Template: Detailed User Story Template

- Story ID: US001

- Story Title: Send Updated Account Billing Address to External System

- Story Points: 3

- User Story:

? - As a Salesforce Administrator,

? - I want the system to automatically send the updated Billing Address of an Account to an external system,

? - So that the external system always has the most current billing information.

- Acceptance Criteria:

? 1. When a user updates the Billing Address of an Account in Salesforce, a trigger or process should be triggered.

? 2. The trigger or process should construct an HTTP POST request to the external system's endpoint: https://example.com/api/accounts.

? 3. The POST request should include the updated Billing Address details in a JSON format.

? 4. The external system should respond with a success status code (e.g., 200 OK) to confirm the receipt of the updated address.

? 5. In case of a failure response from the external system (e.g., 4xx or 5xx status code), an error should be logged in Salesforce for further investigation.

? 6. The integration should handle any potential network issues gracefully, including retries if necessary.

? 7. Ensure that the integration process runs asynchronously to avoid performance issues for users updating Account records.

- Definition of Done:

? - The code for the trigger or process has been developed, tested, and deployed.

? - Integration with the external system has been successfully established.

? - Appropriate error handling and logging mechanisms are in place.

? - The integration has been documented for future reference.

? - User training or awareness about this functionality has been provided.

- Dependencies:

? - Integration with the external system must be set up and accessible.

? - Access to the Salesforce org and the ability to create triggers or processes.

- Technical Details:

? - Use Salesforce Apex code to create a trigger or process for monitoring changes in the Billing Address field.

? - Use Apex HTTP callouts to construct and send the HTTP POST request.

? - Implement appropriate security measures and authentication for the external system's endpoint.

- Notes:

? - This integration enhances data consistency and ensures that the external system always reflects the most up-to-date billing information from Salesforce.

Storyboard (if applicable):

- [No storyboard needed for this user story]

Testing and Validation:

- Unit tests should cover trigger or process functionality.

- Integration testing should validate communication with the external system.

- User acceptance testing should ensure that the trigger or process works as expected when users update Billing Addresses.

Definition of Ready:

- Clear requirement and acceptance criteria are defined.

- Integration with the external system is set up and functional.

- Development environment is ready for implementing the trigger or process.

Sprint Backlog (Link to JIRA or equivalent):

- [Link to the specific sprint backlog where this user story is tracked]

This user story outlines the development and integration steps required to automate the sending of updated Account Billing Addresses from Salesforce to an external system, promoting data synchronization and accuracy.

Writing user stories is always about making assumptions. Let's ask ChatGPT what questions should be asked of the product owner to minimize rework/risk.

Prompt: Please write an exhaustive list of the questions that would help refine this user story and minimize rework and risk.

ChatGPT Response:

Absolutely, refining a user story through comprehensive questions can help minimize rework and mitigate risks. Here's an exhaustive list of questions to consider:

1. Who is the primary user or stakeholder for this user story?

2. Are there any secondary users or stakeholders who might be impacted by this functionality?

3. What specific data is required to be sent to the external system when an Account Billing Address changes?

4. Is there a specific format or structure that the external system expects for the data (e.g., JSON schema)?

5. What are the potential security considerations for transmitting data to an external system?

6. Are there any compliance or regulatory requirements to be aware of when handling this data?

7. How frequently should the integration check for changes in the Billing Address?

8. Should this integration be bi-directional, allowing updates from the external system to be reflected in Salesforce?

9. Is there an existing data transformation or mapping process required to convert Salesforce data into the format expected by the external system?

10. What should happen if the external system is unavailable or returns an error during the data transmission?

11. Should there be a maximum number of retry attempts if the initial transmission fails?

12. Are there any specific error codes or response messages expected from the external system, and how should they be handled?

13. Is there a need for logging and auditing of all data transmissions and responses for troubleshooting and compliance purposes?

14. What happens if multiple updates to the Billing Address occur in a short time frame? How should they be handled and transmitted?

15. Are there any special considerations for handling bulk updates or imports of Account records with Billing Address changes?

16. Is there a need for user notifications or feedback when the integration successfully or unsuccessfully transmits data?

17. Should this integration be asynchronous or synchronous in nature, considering performance and user experience?

18. How will this user story impact the overall performance and scalability of the Salesforce system?

19. Are there any specific Salesforce governor limits that need to be considered when implementing this functionality?

20. What is the timeline for completing this user story, and are there any specific deadlines or milestones to meet?

21. Is there a rollback plan in case the integration causes unexpected issues in the Salesforce org?

22. Is there a plan for monitoring and maintaining this integration after it's implemented?

23. Are there any cost considerations associated with using external APIs or services for this integration?

24. Should there be any end-user training or documentation provided for users who update Account Billing Addresses?

25. Are there any long-term strategic goals or business objectives that this integration supports?

These questions should help refine the user story, clarify requirements, and ensure that all aspects of the integration are thoroughly considered to minimize rework and risks during implementation.

Wow – this is a lot of questions! The reality is that I probably would not ask the product owner to answer all of these, but as it is far easier to eliminate unneeded questions than to write questions, starting with an exhaustive list and scrubbing is the shorter path to a great set of user story questions for the product owner.

Once the product owner answers the questions, the answers can be fed back into ChatGPT along with a request to rewrite the user story to reflect the answers. At that point, an experienced business analyst and solution architect will want to review the user story with the product owner, but at a minimum using ChatGPT gets the user story written more quickly and more consistently than spreading the user story writing work out across multiple project team members.

This same approach can be used for all material generated for a project spanning epics, manual test cases, automated test cases, deployment scripts, training material, functional design documents, etc, etc. Once you and ChatGPT have aligned on each project template, they can be leveraged to turn out project content quickly!

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