Skip to content
theCodeFlash

Quick Reference: Scenario Analysis

Fast-track refresher for reading, annotating, and architecting from a CTA scenario document. The 180-minute preparation phase is your most constrained resource. How you spend it determines your board performance.

The 180-Minute Battlefield

Three-phase time allocation across the 180-minute prep window showing Reading at 0-50 minutes, Design at 50-140 minutes, and Presentation Preparation at 140-180 minutes with internal sub-phase breakdowns.
Figure 1. The 90-minute design block is deliberately front-loaded with System Landscape and Data Model, the two highest-scoring artifacts. Migration and Governance take the final 20 minutes of design; if time is short, these can be covered at a higher level and defended verbally in Q&A.

Time Allocation by Scenario Type

PhaseStandard (3-4 systems)Integration-Heavy (5+ systems)Org-Strategy (complex BU)
Pass 1: Skim15-20 min15 min20 min
Pass 2: Annotate25-30 min20-25 min25-30 min
Solution design & diagrams90 min100 min90 min
Presentation prep20 min15 min20 min
Review & buffer15-20 min15 min15-20 min

The number one time trap

Spending too long on the data model or system landscape and running out of time for governance, dev lifecycle, and presentation prep. Set hard timers for each phase and move on even if the diagram is not perfect.

What Every Scenario Contains

Every CTA scenario, regardless of industry, includes these elements:

ElementWhat to ExtractMaps to Domain
Company overview (industry, size, regions)Scale, regulatory implicationsD1 System Architecture
Current state systemsIntegration landscape, technical debtD5 Integration
User types & countsLicense strategy, sharing modelD1, D2 Security
Business requirementsSolution componentsD4 Solution Architecture
Data volumes & growthLDV strategy, archival needsD3 Data
External systemsIntegration patterns, middleware decisionsD5 Integration
Compliance / regulatory mentionsSecurity model, encryption, auditD2 Security
Timeline & phasingEnvironment strategy, release planD6 Dev Lifecycle
Stakeholder concernsPrioritization, change managementD7 Communication

The 9 Essential Artifacts Checklist

#ArtifactDomain(s)Must Show
1Company Overview & ContextD7Business context, scope, success criteria
2Actors & LicensesD1, D2All user types, license types, access channels
3System LandscapeD1, D5All orgs, external systems, integration points
4Data Model (ERD)D3Key objects, relationships, cardinality, volumes
5Role Hierarchy & SharingD2Role tree, OWD settings, sharing rules
6Identity & Access (SSO)D2Auth flow, IdP, SSO protocol, MFA
7Data Migration StrategyD3Source-to-target, sequencing, tooling, cutover
8Governance ModelD6, D7Decision structure, change mgmt, stakeholder cadence
9Development & DeploymentD6Environments, branching, CI/CD, testing

Hidden Requirements - What the Scenario Won’t Say Explicitly

Never stated, but always expected in your solution:

CategoryScenario ClueWhat to Address
PerformanceData volume numbers, user countsLDV strategies, caching, async processing
Scalability”Plans to expand,” growth projectionsElastic design, multi-tenant considerations
AvailabilityGlobal ops, 24/7, mission-criticalDR strategy, backup, SLA commitments
SecurityRegulated industry, data sensitivityEncryption, audit trails, compliance
MaintainabilityMultiple dev teams, ongoing opsCode standards, documentation, governance

Implicit Requirements by Industry

IndustryYou Must Address (Even If Not Stated)
HealthcareHIPAA, PHI handling, consent, audit trails
Financial ServicesSOX, PCI DSS, encryption, regulatory reporting
GovernmentFedRAMP, data sovereignty, accessibility
RetailPCI for payments, seasonal scaling, CCPA/GDPR
Any global companyData residency, GDPR, multi-currency, time zones

The “Big 3” Diagram Priority

Put 80% of diagram time into your first 3 diagrams. A polished Big 3 scores higher than 6 rough ones.

Scenario SignalDiagram 1 (Must)Diagram 2 (Should)Diagram 3 (Should)
Multi-system enterpriseIntegration / Data FlowSystem LandscapeSecurity Model
Complex business unitsSystem Landscape (Org)Data Model (ERD)Integration Flow
Large data volumesData Model (ERD)Migration / ETL FlowSystem Landscape
Regulated industrySecurity ArchitectureSystem LandscapeData Flow

Ambiguity Handling - The Five-Finger Method (study-aid mnemonic)

When you encounter vague or missing information (and you will), use this structure:

FingerSay This
1. “In order to…”State the business requirement
2. “I recommend…”State your solution
3. “Assuming that…”State your assumption
4. “I considered…”Name the alternative
5. “But I chose this because…”Justify your decision

Example

“In order to support real-time inventory sync between SAP and Salesforce, I recommend a Platform Events integration via MuleSoft, assuming that SAP supports outbound real-time notifications. I considered a batch polling approach, but I chose event-driven because the scenario specifies ‘near real-time’ visibility for the sales team.”

Reverse-Engineered Use Cases

Use Case 1: The Buried Mobile Requirement

Scenario: A manufacturing company scenario mentions in a stakeholder quote on page 6: “Our field reps need to update work orders on-site, even in areas with poor connectivity.”

What most candidates miss: This buried sentence requires offline-capable mobile architecture - Salesforce Mobile App with offline briefcase or a custom mobile solution.

What to do: During Pass 2, when you color-code this as a D1 (System Architecture) requirement, flag it prominently. Address it in your system landscape with a mobile architecture component and in your solution architecture with the offline data sync strategy.

Use Case 2: The Conflicting Stakeholder Priorities

Scenario: The VP of Sales wants “real-time pipeline visibility across all regions” while the CIO wants “minimal integration complexity and low TCO.”

What to do: Acknowledge the tension explicitly. “These priorities are in tension - real-time visibility requires more integration infrastructure. I balance this by using Change Data Capture for the highest-priority pipeline data (satisfying the VP) while keeping the integration architecture event-driven and serverless to minimize operational overhead (satisfying the CIO). The trade-off is a 5-minute data freshness lag on secondary objects.”

Use Case 3: The Unstated Compliance Requirement

Scenario: A financial services company operating in the US and EU. The scenario mentions “customer financial data” but never says “GDPR” or “SOX.”

What to do: Address both regulations proactively. State your assumption: “Given the EU operations and financial data handling, I assume GDPR and SOX compliance are required.” Then design for data residency (EU data stays in EU), encryption at rest (Shield Platform Encryption), audit trails, and data retention policies. Judges expect you to identify implicit compliance needs.

Deep-Dive References

Sources

Personal study notes for the Salesforce CTA exam. Content compiled from VJ's study notes, official Salesforce documentation, community sources, and online publicly available content, then organized and presented with AI assistance. Not affiliated with Salesforce. © 2025–2026 VJ Srivastava.