From time to time, even a Salesforce admin needs a vacation. But for many of you, you are the only admin at your company. So how can you take time away during business hours, and still give you users the support that they need to do their jobs? In this post, I’m going to share some of my tips for a successful admin vacation.
It may seem obvious, but the first thing I do is to communicate that I will be away. 
By informing those I work with regularly that I will be out of the office, the hope is that they manage expectations and let me know of any urgent issues before I leave. I also provide clear information in my Out-of-Office alert on when I will be back, and what sort of access to email I will have while I am away. Finally, I include a link in my Out-of-Office to submitting an internal Salesforce ticket, so that requests that can be handled by others end up in the right queue.
But sometimes that’s not enough. As an admin, you need to make sure that you have the right tools to help you when you’re away. One of my all-time favorite admin tools is SMAC. This app can help you do things from a speedy password reset or deactivating a user, to running reports on your database. Sure, it’s not as good as being in front for your screen, but if one of your end users has a need for something quick, this is a great way to do it on the go. (A must-have during Dreamforce as well.)
Once you’ve communicated to your users and armed yourself with tools, the final step is to plan your return. While I try to have work buttoned up before I leave, you also have to remember that the longer you are gone, the more that will be waiting for you when you get back. Don’t over commit to having work done too soon after you get back, and know that your inbox may fill up with higher priority requests when you are back. Set expectations with your end users, and only commit to realistic deadlines. This will help to carry the relaxation from your time away back to the office.
Are you a solo admin? What tricks do you use to support your end users while you’re gone?
A force behind the force 