Installing EDA is a 30-minute task; configuring it for your institution takes weeks. The package itself is free; the implementation labor is the real cost. Most institutions partner with a Salesforce.org-certified implementation partner.
- Install EDA from the AppExchange or GitHub
For most institutions: AppExchange, search for EDA, click Get It Now, install in production or sandbox. For organizations that need source control or self-managed deployments: clone the EDA GitHub repository and deploy through the Salesforce CLI.
- Configure EDA Settings
Setup, then EDA Settings. Configure default settings for Affiliations, Course Connections, Term Defaults, and Behavior Involvement. These defaults drive trigger behavior; review them before letting users in.
- Set Record Types on Account and Contact
EDA expects specific Account Record Types (Educational Institution, Department, University Department, Administrative Unit, and so on) and Contact Record Types (Student, Faculty, Staff, Alumni). Create these or use the EDA-provided ones. Assign Page Layouts per Record Type.
- Build out the data model
Add custom fields specific to your institution: a Major field on Contact, a Department field on Account, financial aid fields on Opportunity. Test that EDA''s triggers continue to work with your additions.
- Migrate data
Bring in current students, faculty, courses, and terms. Use Data Loader or third-party ETL. EDA''s data model requires careful sequencing (Account, then Contact, then Affiliation, then Course, then Course Offering, then Course Connection); load in the right order.
- Train and roll out
Train recruiters, registrars, advisors, and administrators on EDA-specific workflows. The Power of Us Hub and Salesforce.org Higher Ed Summit are great training resources.
Easiest path for most institutions. Salesforce.org maintains updates.
For organizations needing source control. Pulls from the EDA repo and deploys via CLI.
In-app configuration without changing managed-package source. Covers most institutional differences.
Configures how Affiliation roles map (Student of, Parent of, Employer of). Set once per role pair.
- EDA''s managed package code cannot be edited directly. Customizations live alongside the package, not inside it. Plan custom logic with this constraint in mind.
- Upgrades sometimes change data model behavior. Read EDA release notes before applying updates to production; some changes need configuration follow-up.
- EDA and the Rebuilt Education Cloud are mutually exclusive. Choose one architecture per org; mixing them produces confusing data.
- Record Type assignment is fundamental. Forgetting to set Record Types on Accounts and Contacts breaks half of EDA''s downstream logic.