Do you want to improve your business processes? CRM Data Migration processes are the right resolution. It is one of the most challenging tasks for any Salesforce professional. It is about transferring data from one system to another. 

However, before we migrate to Salesforce CRM, we must consider certain factors and plan out the entire process in such a way that the transition takes place in a seamless, streamlined and secure way. 

First, it becomes important to consider the challenges for the Salesforce Data Migration.

Challenges for Salesforce Data Migration 

Here are some of the challenges faced by the Salesforce professionals, while planning a Data Migration:

• Incur time and money cost for best practices adopted.
• Enhance usability and efficiency of the new system, for increasing ROI.
• Guide you throughout the Data Migration lifecycle.
• Chalk out a perfect custom integration plan.

The process of Data Migration has three phases.

Salesforce Data Migration Process

1. Preparation:

Preparing the system for Data Migration is the most crucial phase in the entire migration process. Devote enough time in this phase, so that there is no time to iterate. Identify the Data to Migrate and the Data Source of Truth in this phase only. First, the developer analyzes the legacy system to determine the data structures, formats, dependencies between the CRM objects, and the workflows.

More than one data source is used in your business with multiple tools used. So, different sources of truth exist for different categories of data.

2. Data Selection

Some businesses store data in the backend and for an online business, this is termed as the Data Source of Truth. However, the information related to the sales process is more likely to be stored in the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. You need to be aware of the fact about which specific information to extract from which system.

3. Data Mapping

The developer identifies the database tables and then starts the process of mapping the fields in the legacy system to the Salesforce fields. Each record of the source must contain a unique identifier. If the data categories of one source system are related to another one in another system, a unique ID is required in each related record.

Data cleansing is required, with IDs not in place. Outdated and duplicate accounts must be removed before starting with the migration. Get the metadata from the source system to find the data structure in each source system.

Next, you map admin tables, fields and values in the source system to the objects, fields and values belonging to the new Salesforce instance. The data mapping process becomes more complex with differences between the Salesforce data model and the data structure in the source system. The complexity of the data mapping process also depends on the number of source systems from which data is extracted.

4. Migration

The next phase is the migration which constitutes the actual transfer of data from the source system into the Salesforce org. You have to choose the migration method based on factors such as – the volume of data imported into Salesforce, the complexity of source data, resource types and distance between Salesforce data model and data structure in the source data.

5. Quality Assurance

On the completion of the data transfer, the accuracy of the data has to be determined. The format and the relationship between data tables are ascertained, reflecting accurately in Salesforce.

Next, we provide insights on some best practices for Salesforce Data Migration.

Best Practices of Salesforce Data Migration:

The Salesforce Data Migration aims to enhance performance and deliver a competitive advantage. While migrating the data, there are many issues and one of them is to repeat the process, instead of a one-time activity, due to mistakes and not to jeopardize the customer’s sensitive data. The best practices for reducing these issues are:

• -Identify the Required Fields
• -Determine the Order of Migration
• -Create a Workbook on Data Mapping
• -Data Loading Rules
• -Other Rules

Identify the Required Fields

Identify the fields in the migration process as:

• -Required
• -Optional
• -System Generated

Other fields like legacy id and business rules.

Determine the Order of Migration

The order of Salesforce migration depends on the relationship and dependencies between objects. Load the users, accounts and then the opportunities in that order.

Create a Workbook on Data Mapping

This contains the data mapping of the objects in the migration process. The workbook can be personalized based on business requirements.

Data Loading Rules

• -Clean, validate source system data before starting the migration process.
• -Use Bulk API to increase load speed for managing large volumes of data.
• -Disable the processes to protect data entry errors in batch loads or in daily operations with clean data.
• -Defer the sharing calculations until the load is complete as that is time-consuming.

Other Rules

• -Resort to targeted profiling and auditing for refining the scope of the project.
• -Process Builder must know the source and target data format.
• -Reduce the amount of data migrated.
• -Profile and audit source data before starting the mapping process
• -Decide on a project budget and timeline based on the data issues.
• -Volume-test of all data, mentioned in the scope.

What are some examples of Salesforce Data Migration?

The types of Salesforce Data Migration are:

• -Salesforce CPQ data migration
• -SugarCRM to Salesforce Migration
• -Hubspot to Salesforce Migration

1. Salesforce CPQ data migration

Salesforce CPQ (Configure, Price and Quote) is a sales tool for accurate pricing for product configuration scenarios. Companies migrate from legacy ERP systems to CPQ, for migrating the dependencies as well as the data. While migrating a contract, you must migrate the account and opportunities as well. Some of the tools for Salesforce CPQ migration are:

• -ETL Tool (Extract, Transform and Load ) Tool in the Salesforce system
• -Data Loader
• -SOAP/REST Api Integration
• -Custom CPQ Accelerator

None of the existing functionalities and records must not be lost. Data integrity and accuracy is a key concern, while migrating to a new system. You must also report on redundancies and discrepancy of data.

2. SugarCRM to Salesforce Migration

Import your SugarCRM data to Salesforce, on-premises, on the Cloud or both. Carry out a hassle-free migration of custom fields, attachments and legacy data with an easy-to-use, intuitive platform. Our experts will map the data, meeting your requirements and switch from SugarCRM to Salesforce effortlessly.

3. HubSpot to Salesforce Migration

Data Migration is all about migrating data from one location to another. Data Migration from HubSpot to Salesforce has its own set of challenges – complexity of data, data loss and Testing/validating data. Companies want to migrate to Salesforce to drive ROI and offer advanced automation that provides real-time updates, analytics, sales tracking and many more.

Conclusion

Before you decide to migrate to Salesforce CRM, it becomes essential to consider certain factors and plan out the entire process in such a way that the transition takes place in a seamless, streamlined and secure way. Migrating to Salesforce helps in many ways – driving ROI and providing advanced automation.

The data mapping process, one of the crucial stages in the Data Migration process, becomes more complex with higher number source systems and the differences between the Salesforce Data Models and the data structures in the source systems. The aim of any Salesforce Data Migration is to enhance performance and competitive advantage.