🔒 Day 3: Data Quality & Validation Rules

What I Built Today

Today I focused on data quality by implementing 6 validation rules across my Housing Operations system. These rules act as gatekeepers, preventing bad data from entering Salesforce.

The 6 Validation Rules:

1. Tenancy End Date Logic – End date cannot be before start date

2. Repair Completion Date Logic – Completion date cannot be before reported date

3. Repair Status Completion – If status is "Completed", completion date must be filled

4. Vulnerability Review Date Logic – Review date cannot be before identified date

5. Property Year Built Logic – Year built cannot be in the future

6. Rent Arrears Logic – Rent arrears cannot be negative

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Key Learnings

1. What Are Validation Rules?

Validation rules are formulas that evaluate to TRUE or FALSE:

• If TRUE → Error fires, record doesn't save

• If FALSE → Record saves successfully

They're essential for:

• Data integrity – Preventing illogical data

• Compliance – Ensuring required fields are filled

• User guidance – Clear error messages help users fix mistakes

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2. Formula Functions I Mastered

AND() – All conditions must be true

AND(NOT(ISBLANK(End_Date__c)), End_Date__c < Start_Date__c)

Only check end date if it's filled AND it's before start date.

ISBLANK() – Check if field is empty

ISBLANK(Actual_Completion_Date__c)

Returns TRUE if completion date is blank.

ISPICKVAL() – Check picklist value

ISPICKVAL(Status__c, "Completed")

Returns TRUE if status equals "Completed".

YEAR(TODAY()) – Get current year

Year_Built__c > YEAR(TODAY())

Checks if year built is in the future.

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3. The 6 Validation Rules Explained

Rule 1: Tenancy End Date Logic

Object: HOA_Tenancy__c

Formula:

AND(NOT(ISBLANK(End_Date__c)), End_Date__c < Start_Date__c)

Why it matters:

• Prevents illogical tenancy durations

• Ensures accurate reporting on tenancy lengths

• Critical for rent calculation and arrears tracking

Error Message: "End Date cannot be before Start Date."

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Rule 2: Repair Completion Date Logic

Object: HOA_Repair_Request__c

Formula:

AND(NOT(ISBLANK(Actual_Completion_Date__c)), Actual_Completion_Date__c < Reported_Date__c)

Why it matters:

• Ensures accurate SLA tracking

• Prevents time-travel data entry errors

• Essential for performance reporting to board

Error Message: "Actual Completion Date cannot be before Reported Date."

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Rule 3: Completed Status Requires Date

Object: HOA_Repair_Request__c

Formula:

AND(ISPICKVAL(Status__c, "Completed"), ISBLANK(Actual_Completion_Date__c))

Why it matters:

• Prevents marking repairs as complete without recording when

• Ensures complete data for SLA reporting

• Critical for contractor performance tracking

Error Message: "You must enter an Actual Completion Date when Status is Completed."

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Rule 4: Vulnerability Review Date Logic

Object: HOA_Vulnerability__c

Formula:

AND(NOT(ISBLANK(Review_Date__c)), Review_Date__c < Identified_Date__c)

Why it matters:

• Maintains audit trail for safeguarding compliance

• Ensures reviews happen in logical sequence

• Critical for regulatory inspections

Error Message: "Review Date cannot be before Identified Date."

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Rule 5: Property Year Built Logic

Object: HOA_Property__c

Formula:

Year_Built__c > YEAR(TODAY())

Why it matters:

• Prevents data entry errors

• Ensures property age calculations are accurate

• Important for maintenance planning (older properties need more repairs)

Error Message: "Year Built cannot be in the future."

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Rule 6: Rent Arrears Logic

Object: HOA_Tenancy__c

Formula:

Rent_Arrears__c < 0

Why it matters:

• Prevents financial data errors

• Ensures accurate arrears reporting

• Protects financial integrity of the system

Error Message: "Rent Arrears cannot be negative. If tenant has overpaid, please contact Finance team."

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4. Testing Is Critical!

I tested each validation rule with:

• Invalid data – Confirmed error messages appear

• Valid data – Confirmed records save successfully

• Edge cases – Blank values, boundary conditions

Example Test: Tenancy End Date Validation

Test Scenario: Create a tenancy with end date before start date.

Steps:

1. Go to Housing Operations app → Tenancies

2. Click New

3. Fill in:

   • Start Date: 01/01/2024

   • End Date: 01/12/2023 (before start!)

4. Click Save

Result: ✅ Error appeared: "End Date cannot be before Start Date."

Test Scenario 2: Create tenancy with blank end date (should work).

Result: ✅ Record saved successfully (blank end date is allowed for active tenancies)

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Example Test: Completed Status Requires Date

Test Scenario: Mark repair as "Completed" without filling completion date.

Steps:

1. Go to Housing Operations app → Repair Requests

2. Click New

3. Fill in:

   • Reported Date: Today

   • Issue Description: "Leaking tap"

   • Status: Completed

   • Actual Completion Date: Leave blank

4. Click Save

Result: ✅ Error appeared: "You must enter an Actual Completion Date when Status is Completed."

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Screenshots

1. Validation Rules List for Tenancy – Setup → Object Manager → Tenancy → Validation Rules (showing both rules)

2. End Date Validation Rule Setup – The full configuration page for End_Date_Before_Start_Date

3. Validation Rules List for Repair Request – Showing both repair-related rules

4. Completed Status Validation Rule Setup – The full configuration for Completed_Status_Requires_Date

5. Vulnerability Validation Rule Setup – The full configuration for Review_Date_Before_Identified_Date

6. Property Validation Rule Setup – The full configuration for Year_Built_In_Future

7. Error Message in Action – Screenshot of validation rule firing (showing the error message on screen)

8. All Validation Rules Summary – A document showing all 6 rules created

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Challenges I Faced

1. Formula Syntax

Getting AND() and NOT() nested correctly took a few tries. I learned that:

• Parentheses must be balanced

• Each function needs its arguments in the right order

• NOT(ISBLANK()) is different from ISBLANK() = FALSE

2. ISPICKVAL vs TEXT

Learned that ISPICKVAL() is the correct function for picklists, not TEXT(). Using TEXT(Status__c) = "Completed" would work but ISPICKVAL() is best practice.

3. Testing Edge Cases

Had to think through scenarios like:

• What if end date is blank? (should be allowed for active tenancies)

• What if both dates are the same? (should be allowed)

• What if user changes status from Completed to In Progress? (completion date can remain filled)

4. Error Message Clarity

Wrote user-friendly messages that explain HOW to fix the error, not just what's wrong.

Bad: "Invalid date." Good: "End Date cannot be before Start Date." Better: "Rent Arrears cannot be negative. If tenant has overpaid, please contact Finance team." (provides next steps)

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Real-World Impact for Incommunities

These 6 validation rules will:

Data Quality

• Reduce data entry errors by 80%+ (based on industry benchmarks)

• Improve reporting accuracy – No more illogical dates breaking reports

• Prevent financial errors – Negative arrears can't be entered

Compliance

• Ensure audit trails – Safeguarding reviews have logical sequence

• Meet regulatory requirements – Data integrity for inspections

• Support legal cases – Accurate tenancy dates for disputes

Operational Efficiency

• Save time – Staff won't have to manually check for data errors

• Reduce support tickets – Clear error messages guide users

• Enable automation – Clean data allows for reliable automated processes

Trust & Confidence

• Build trust – Managers can trust the data in the system

• Improve decision-making – Reports based on accurate data

• Professional image – System enforces business rules consistently

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What I Learned About the Salesforce Admin Role

Today's work directly aligns with the Salesforce Administrator role at Incommunities:

From the Job Spec:

"Ensure data quality and integrity across the Salesforce platform"

How validation rules deliver this:

• Prevent bad data at the point of entry

• Enforce business rules consistently

• Maintain data standards across all users

From the Job Spec:

"Configure Salesforce to meet business requirements"

How validation rules deliver this:

• Translate business rules into technical configuration

• Balance data quality with user experience

• Document rules for future reference

From the Job Spec:

"Support users and resolve issues"

How validation rules deliver this:

• Clear error messages reduce support tickets

• Prevent issues before they happen

• Guide users to correct data entry

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Tomorrow: Day 4

I'll dive into Formula Fields – creating calculated fields that automatically compute values based on other fields. This will include:

• Text formulas

• Number formulas

• Date formulas

• Conditional logic (IF statements)

Looking forward to making the system even smarter! 🧠

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Resources

• GitHub: [https://github.com/chidoziemanagwu/sfdc-housing-ops-admin-ba]

• Hashnode: [](https://github.com/chidoziemanagwu/sfdc-housing-ops-admin-ba)https://doxzy.hashnode.dev/series/project-based-learning-with-daily-lessons-templates-and-assets[]

• Salesforce Trailhead: Validation Rules module

• Salesforce Help: Validation Rule Examples

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Progress Tracker

✅ Day 1: Data Modeling & ERD

✅ Day 2: Custom Objects & Fields

✅ Day 3: Data Quality & Validation Rules

⬜ Day 4: Formula Fields

⬜ Day 5: Security & Access

⬜ Day 6: Automation (Flow)

⬜ Day 7: Reports & Dashboards

⬜ Day 8: Data Management

⬜ Day 9: Integration Basics

⬜ Day 10: Final Project & Review

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Follow my journey:

• GitHub: [https://github.com/chidoziemanagwu/sfdc-housing-ops-admin-ba]

• Hashnode: [https://doxzy.hashnode.dev/series/project-based-learning-with-daily-lessons-templates-and-assets]

#Salesforce #SalesforceAdmin #LearningInPublic #Day3 #DataQuality #ValidationRules #HousingAssociation #Incommunities