OmniStudio Vs LWC/Apex Tools

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Imagine that we need to build custom components on the Salesforce platform to control a third-party application from the homepage, like a stock or crypto market.?

Note: There are prerequisites for implementing both (2h): Inspect API with Postman, prepare requests, save JSON responses.?

Let’s compare the toolsets and time estimates required for this case:?

There are two factors to bear in mind when comparing OmniStudio tools to custom platform development:?time and scalability.?OmniStudio provides you with time-saving shortcuts, simplifies complex development processes, and offers more opportunities to reuse components. It means that results can be reached quickly and with fewer resources deployed.?

And that’s not all. There are other OmniStudio benefits worth considering:?

·???????Fast prototyping with minimised custom development (LWC/Apex/tests)

·???????Quick conversion from an idea to the solution

·???????Easy debug: the ability to inspect raw JSON data with an embedded procedure debugger

·???????Obvious components structure

·???????Codebase versioning

·???????Conditional view of the components, reactive variables

On the contrary, LWC/Apex tools like lookup, datable, DTOs take significant time in the release process and most likely will not be reused in other features. However, when flexibility comes to the fore, custom development hits the target.?

Having dealt with a good deal of Salesforce Industries projects, we have faced some of its?challenges?that are hard to spot at the outset.?

·???????For long-term projects, features should be carefully architectured. You should develop and maintain the naming convention for the OmniStudio components, as it can quickly turn into a mess

·???????Previous component versions will not work anymore if not wrapped in a data pack it will be hard to revert the process to a specific moment

·???????Some bugs are hard to find because of the growing complexity

·???????Some features still work on Angular components, Angular skills are more specific than LWC

·???????Most likely, you will not be able to replicate UX from customer mockups, despite the ability to override the components with LWC

·???????Technical knowledge is a prerequisite for interacting with the components (Http Actions, formulas, conditional views)

·???????Lack of reactivity – no handlers onClick, onChange, you can only use buttons and actions between Omniscript steps

·???????No standard search by specific word/method for the whole OmniScript – a developer should track and update any upward changes

Summary?:

OmniStudio offers a set of built-in components for different industries, and these components can give a fresh look at standard processes like guided selling, CPQ, etc.?

Potentially, it can fill the gaps in out-of-the-box Salesforce features, so you can definitely consider replacing parts in your Salesforce org with Vlocity solutions. You need to keep in mind, though, that the architecture has to be built with caution, and it doesn’t offer much scalability in the long run. As a result, the best choice is usually a well-thought combination of OmniStudio tools and custom development.