The Salesforce Approval Processes tool is specifically designed to model multi-step, criteria-based approval paths declaratively. It natively handles steps, approvers, and actions based on record criteria, making it the most efficient and appropriate choice for this complex approval requirement without code.

An after-save record-triggered flow is the recommended modern, declarative tool for automating actions after a record is saved. It can run in real-time, update a related Account record, and is easier to maintain and debug than Process Builder or Apex for this specific use case.

Duplicate Rules are the native Salesforce tool for preventing duplicates. They include built-in functionality to be bypassed by users with the ‘Bypass Duplicate Rules’ permission, which perfectly satisfies the requirement for controlled exceptions during data imports.

For a master-detail relationship, the native and fully declarative method is to create a Roll-Up Summary field on the parent (Account) object. This field type is specifically designed for this purpose and automatically handles the aggregation (SUM, COUNT, etc.) of child record values.

A Time-Based Flow Trigger (created within an autolaunched or record-triggered flow) is the modern, supported replacement for Time-Based Workflow. It allows you to schedule actions (like sending an email) for a specific time in the future based on a date field, making it ideal for this time-dependent reminder.

Best practice in solution design is to first question the business requirement and the data model. Automatically creating a Contact for every Account might indicate a misunderstanding of the model (e.g., perhaps a primary contact field is needed) or create unnecessary data. The first step is always to validate the requirement’s root cause before implementing automation.

The error ‘REQUIRED_FIELD_MISSING’ is explicit: a field defined as required on the target object is not being populated by the Flow’s update operation. The first step is to review the field assignments in the Flow’s update element to ensure all required fields for the context of the update are provided with values.

The Data Table screen component is designed specifically for this purpose. It can display multiple records from a Get Records element in a structured, sortable, and selectable table format, providing the best user experience for viewing and choosing from a list of records like open Cases.

A core performance best practice for record-triggered automations is to make them run as efficiently as possible. Configuring the flow’s start condition to run only when the specific field (Opportunity Stage) changes—rather than on every edit—drastically reduces unnecessary executions, especially during bulk updates where other fields might be modified.

The Salesforce Approval Processes tool is specifically designed to model multi-step, criteria-based approval paths declaratively. It natively handles steps, approvers, and actions based on record criteria, making it the most efficient and appropriate choice for this complex approval requirement without code.0