Question 1 of 20
When would you choose a roll-up summary field instead of a formula field or Flow for a parent-level metric, and what relationship limitation matters?
Strong Interview Answer
Use a roll-up summary when a master record needs a native aggregate of its detail records in a master-detail relationship. Native roll-ups support COUNT, SUM, MIN, and MAX, with optional filter criteria. A formula field cannot iterate over an arbitrary set of child records, while Flow is usually unnecessary when the native aggregate meets the requirement.
What to Listen For
- master-detail relationship
- native parent aggregation
- COUNT/SUM/MIN/MAX
- formula fields do not iterate child collections
Caution
Strong answers should explain both the relationship prerequisite and why a native roll-up is simpler than automation.