Salesforce Data Migration: Top Tools, Best Practices & Benefits
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With exceptional and top-notch CRM services and other facilities, Salesforce has earned the ranks as a name that offers every bit of solution to companies struggling with daily operational issues. That has made it the leading business pick for data migration also.
However, most companies find data migration in Salesforce complex due to technical expertise absence. This failure and complexity in the process forces companies to stick with their current system rather than attempting the shifting process.
Therefore, this blog discusses everything related to Salesforce data migration, from suitable tools to best practices, helping you in every manner possible for a successful migration.
So, let’s begin.
What is Salesforce Data Migration?
The ‘data migration’ term simply refers to moving or transferring data or information from one place to another. Salesforce Data Migration is a mechanism where a company shifts its entire data [sensitive+public] from its legacy or current system to the Salesforce platform.
This migration occurs when companies proceed with transferring their data into the salesforce platform because it offers them an easy approach to the latest and upgraded technologies that improve their operational efficiency.
What Makes Data Migration Necessary for Businesses?
Here are the reasons that make data migration necessary for businesses:
Multiple Data Storage Platforms
Several companies use multiple platforms to store confidential data. This practice seems appropriate in its early stage given that there are numerous fronts to look for, but companies also face several drawbacks. With multi-storage platforms, businesses have data accessing issues, incur server maintenance costs, delays in decision-making, implementing security protocols, etc.
The need for Salesforce data migration becomes crucial because it solves these issues with one feature – a centralized data storage platform. It helps companies resolve data access, informed decisions, maintenance costs, data protection, etc.
Inefficient Customer Data Analysis
Decisions are made of proper insights, not assumptions. However, a company needs proper analytical tools to ensure they have the right information to proceed with the action. Since companies operate without the required analytical tools, they act on less extensive perspectives about the current situation or trends.
Companies choose the Salesforce platform to migrate their data because it offers efficient data analytical tools. It helps them frame better decisions based on detailed insights about current trends & market situations, yielding better results of their actions.
Ineffectual Customer Experience
Impactful customer experience helps companies turn prospective customers into permanent ones. With scattered data on multiple platforms, it becomes difficult for companies to read and analyze for future predictions or increase engagement. Even if companies pursue prospective customers with minimal insight, they lose the opportunity to retain them permanently.
The necessity of data migration in Salesforce gives them a comprehensive view or a 360° view of the customers’ information. It provides them with better insight into the customer’s outlook helping them develop personalized and impactful engagement.
Effective Salesforce Data Migration Tools Businesses Can Leverage
Here are some of the tools businesses can use for the process:
| Data Migration Tools from Salesforce | ||||||
| Tools | Features | When to Use | ||||
| Data Loader | • Widely used Salesforce Data Migration tool. • Can import, export, and delete files • Catch duplicate files using record IDs. • Support manual workflow pause or stop. | • Ideal for a maximum of 150 million records with 150 MB in size. • The object is not supported by the Impact Wizard tool. • For a complex object that needs consistent import entry. | ||||
| Data Import Wizard | • Specialized in identifying duplicate records using record titles. • Supports automatic workflow control for stopping or pausing. • Can import data with standard and custom objects. | • When data import files are less or up to 50,000 records. • The Import Wizard system supports the objects or records in your data. • The targeted object contains less or up to 50 fields to import. | ||||
| Command Line Tool | • It is a modern version of the ant migration tool with data migration features. • It is a text-based interface that lets users initiate the process with commands. • CLT Offers functions such as importing and exporting. | • Ideal data migration tool for transferring large files into the system. • Helps with creating and managing multiple orgs for a seamless connection. • Use scripting to perform repetitive tasks by automating the process. | ||||
| MuleSoft | • Help companies transfer and shift their on-premises data to Salesforce. • Implement DataWeave to simplify the data migration process. • A user-friendly data migration tool with a simplified interface. | • Ideal salesforce migration tool to clean & delete data. • Helps with warehousing and data backup features for safekeeping. • Connectivity with multiple endpoints and no data restrictions. | ||||
| Data Loader.io | • Offer access to account IDs to companies within the combined application. • Use a secure FTP server to transfer files to and from Salesforce. • Provide a 30-day task retention feature to complete the migration. | • Useful for migration with data files less than 10000 in count. • Provide easy access to all previous tasks and their entire process. • Ideal for creating clone tasks for previous works but with new functions. | ||||
Aside from these tools, a few other third-party tools can help you shift data into the Salesforce system.
| Third-Party Tools for Salesforce Data Migration | ||
| Tools | Features | When to Use |
| Jitterbit Data Loader | • Robust open-source tool offering data migration into Salesforce. • Can perform functions like import, export, data synchronization, etc. • Operates after combining the capabilities of API, AI, and Integration. | • Ideally for shifting information related to customer leads. • Offer a simplistic interface & multiple functions for ad-hoc cases due to its. • Derive information from various sources using a single query. |
| iSyncSF | • A native Salesforce data migration tool runs as a part of Salesforce org. • provides data migration within different Salesforce organizations. • A simplified tool for data migration from complex apps like Salesforce CPQ. | • Ideal for data migration process between multiple Salesforce orgs. • Suitable for extensive data migration including files & attachments. • Can handle complex data hierarchy between Salesforce orgs. |
| Integrate.io | • Deploy comprehensive solutions and approaches for a simplified data shift. • Offers data security, and migration speed which influence reliability. • Supports data transfer from any location & to any third-party tool. | • Handles migration for large data banks with efficiency. • Ideal for real-time data shifting between existing and Salesforce systems. • Execute expansion of the connection using its pre-built connectors. |
Salesforce Data Migration Best Practices Companies Must Follow
Here are a few best practices that companies can follow for a smooth process:
Backup Essential Data Before Migration
It is best to store the essential data at a different location to avoid data loss in case of any uncertainty. Therefore, companies should initiate the data backing process before initiating any stage of the migration process. Also, remember to store the essential data or information first, and if you have more space left, you can shift the other useful business information.
Identify the Specific Objects to Migrate
Objects are the fields that carry customer information such as their contacts, case history, name, etc. Businesses should verify and execute their migration process after identifying the objects to transfer to the new system. However, it also depends on the duration of the process depending on cloud migration or database migration.
Study and Finalize the Required Tool
Before you initiate the data migration process, finalizing the specific tool is crucial as it helps you shift your data smoothly into the new system. However, selecting one is tough since you must inspect several factors such as data volume & complexity, budget, systems (current+new), data security, and more. So, always specify the method before proceeding with the migration.
Prepare Templates for Data Analysis
Data analysis before transporting it to the new system is crucial. Therefore, companies must prepare templates listing their overall data to identify sensitive, duplicates, and other anomalies. This insight will help them decide what data objects carry sensitive information to transfer them first and specify the data sequence for migration accordingly.
Review Templates Before Uploading Data
The Excel templates help you upload data more accurately but only if the information is correctly placed and entered. Businesses should review the overall Excel template to check if the entries are correct and contain the overall data. This will help them avoid repeating the same head to shift data to the new platform.
Finalize the Destined Salesforce ORG
The perception with Salesforce data migration is that you select and transfer the data to the new system. However, the destined org should have the same object to store the specific data you wish to transfer. Hence, businesses must always finalize the destined Salesforce org by properly inspecting the specific org to transfer the data successfully.
Execute Testing Process & Initiate Migration
Data loss during data migration is challenging and companies often tackle this problem. Hence, it is recommended to execute a test run to see if shifting information to the Salesforce org will be successful. Once acquiring proper results, you can easily transfer the priority data to the destined org with fewer issues.
Validate the Data After Migration
Once the migration process is complete, businesses act confident as their sensitive data is under a secured server. However, there can be a few mistakes that could impact the integrity and confidentiality companies offer. Hence, businesses must examine the shifted data with the Excel templates designed for accurate understanding.
Benefits of Salesforce Data Migration That Companies Receive
Acquire Robust Data Security
One of the most important concerns in today’s world is data security. Companies suffer huge losses in revenue and clientele due to inefficiently protecting customer-sensitive information.
They get robust data protection with advanced measures implemented to tackle modern threats. This helps them avoid unauthorized access leading to data breaches and loss.
Accessing Centralized Information
Data scattered across multiple platforms can be troublesome for companies to manage. Due to that, businesses suffer data losses that affect their efficiency and operational performance. companies can avail centralized information in one platform by migrating data.
This provides them easy access to their entire information at once which helps them make informed decisions. Moreover, it helps prevent data losses and breaches since the unified platform will have updated security protocols. Also, it reduces maintenance costs to update security protocols on each platform to avoid data breaches.
Enhanced Decision-Making
A business can only make beneficial decisions if there’s enough data to back the claim and answer the doubts. With data migration in Salesforce, companies acquire better analytical tools that help them examine the collected data more efficiently.
This enhancement in the analytical area becomes a key factor in devising important strategies that support decision-making. With this, businesses are more likely to achieve the desired result with informed decisions.
Final Statement
Data migration in Salesforce is beneficial and companies can take advantage of what Salesforce offers. However, it is crucial to execute due to the technical aspect of the process that requires experience and expertise to handle critical situations.
Therefore, you need the best Salesforce development company, and Cyntexa can help integrate your business with the Salesforce platform smoothly. With the experience and knowledge behind our team, we deploy effective tools and practices, allowing you to migrate your business data to the Salesforce platform without any issues.
So, if your current working system is exhibiting problems that you cannot deal with so you are looking to migrate your information to Salesforce, we can help you.
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Frequently Asked Questions
The challenges businesses face with data migration are duplicate records, incomplete data transfer, extracting data issues, and more. This impacts the data migration process and extends the process.
Data Loader allows companies to share unlimited files in its complete (enterprise) version. It offers functions like importing, exporting, cleaning, and more. It can also catch duplicate data with a record ID.
Data Import Wizard allows companies to share 50,000 files at a time. It has the feature to capture duplicate records through head names. Also, it helps to turn off the workflow running automatically.
Due to an anomaly, businesses might face a difficult situation. To avoid such a case, companies can implement security measures like backup strategies to store data at a third location, or limiting personnel access to reduce unauthorized access. This would help them to avoid any certainty where the data is highly impacted.
Before migrating the data into the Salesforce platform, businesses must create and form Excel templates to store the data they wish to migrate. Later, after the migration process is complete, the companies can use these templates to compare and inspect if the information is properly transferred.
