6-Best Practices for an Effective Salesforce Data Migration

Migrating data in a Salesforce project requires the right resources, considerable efforts and ample planning. However, many organizations do not lay much emphasis on migration analysis which not only affects workflow but also impacts their brand value.

Imagine a scenario when the tasks set for a user are assigned to another user, it will lead to confusion, wrong information flow and potentially derail your other project activities as well. Similarly, not reviewing active triggers and workflows can lead to unnecessary emails to customers putting a dent in your goodwill.

To have a simplified migration, businesses should have a good understanding of the system and must plan the process with all stakeholders. Systematic planning can help in preventing potential risks concerning data quality, loss, or mismatch in the initial stages.

In this blog, we have covered the basics of the Salesforce Data Migration process with a focus on data extraction, mapping, cleansing and loading. We hope the below considerations will help you to have the best results post-migration.

1. Identify the Data and Migration Scope

Having an understanding of the structure and flow of data will help in preventing post-migration issues. For this, examine the forms of organizational data and identify what you need to migrate (source/destination), and how you will do it. Since the scope of data transfer can be complex, and repetitive, it is wise to align an expert with your team.

2. Carry Out a Pre-Migration Check

Before you start uploading data into Salesforce, keep a note of the following points:

• Order of migration of objects should be defined properly as it dictates how the process will be carried out.

• Create a data template for every object in Excel using data export. The same template can be used to bring the data back into the system.

• Email deliverability should be turned off so that no unnecessary emails are sent to contacts.

• Data loader should be configured with the timezone of the target organization.

3. Prepare a Data Migration Workbook

The best Salesforce Migration Partners prefer to create a workbook for systematic process execution. This workbook holds the data mapping for all the objects involved in the process. Moreover, it contains a single template for multiple tables, a checklist, and the entire data storage requirements. Don’t forget to ask your development expert if he/she has created a workbook or not.

4. Begin With a Small Subset of Data

Cleaning, optimizing, deduplicating, and validating the source data is essential before you go for full-fledged migration. This not only reduces errors during the process but also makes testing an easier job. We suggest businesses feed data in small subsets to identify and address possible issues at first.

5. Be Aware of the Possible Data Loading Issues

While you migrate data to Salesforce, check the network speed, custom code and beware of API bottlenecks as they can affect the speed of processing. To ensure the Salesforce to Salesforce Data Migration is successful and carried out quickly, data must be sent in batches and not entirely at once.

6. Document the Entire Process

The whole migration process including testing highlights must be well documented. It can help you in future migrations or when there is a need to upgrade the setup. The following information can be extremely helpful in future migration activities when the process is recorded in a standardized manner:

• Data restrictions applied to various fields and objects
• Relationships between primary and foreign keys
• Project timelines and data of migration phases
• Log issues highlighting problems that came across

Bottomline

To have a seamless Salesforce Data Migration, is it important to follow a standardized process while taking due consideration of all the risks involved in it. By aligning a certified expert and following the above-mentioned points, you can minimize possible complications and ensure the data is migrated accurately to the destination. With effective data migration, businesses can centralize data, collaborate easily and make decisions on the go adding to overall productivity.