Salesforce is a sophisticated tool that enables businesses to generate a 360-degree picture of their customers and operations. Integration with additional databases can further enhance the insights, providing Salesforce users with significantly more value. However, connecting on-premise/cloud systems with Salesforce is not always easy and can cause disruptions in workflow and productivity.
You may reduce the risks and complications of the process by partnering with a competent salesforce integration consultant. Integration experts employ appropriate integration patterns, approaches, and technologies based on your company’s needs and future goals. They provide a comprehensive integration strategy that focuses on maximising system capabilities while minimising downtime.
Salesforce customers face a variety of obstacles throughout the integration process; let’s go over a few of them and see how you may overcome them:
- Creating a Project Scope
Salesforce project scoping is key to its success. Unfortunately, many businesses overlook this issue during the early stages of implementation, resulting in a subpar output. The issue can be resolved by including all relevant parties and seeking answers to questions such as:
- Which apps should be integrated with Salesforce?
- Will master data be kept in Salesforce or another system?
- What data mapping strategy will you employ, and what style of integration will you use?
- How will you sync data from on-premise systems that aren’t as well-suited to Salesforce?
While this is not an exhaustive list, we hope it points you in the right direction.
- Correct Data Mapping
Another issue that Salesforce customers are concerned about is data mapping across separate platforms. Because various apps utilise different field types to store and portray data, mapping takes a long time. Salesforce Integration Consultants can solve this issue by utilising dynamic technologies such as Mulesoft. It enables you to map data items in other applications to Salesforce field types. But keep in mind that data conversion could be necessary for Salesforce to support the appropriate field types.
- Managing Duplicate Records
Another issue that emerges when merging or integrating databases is duplicate records. It results in inadequate reporting, biased analytics, and a negative sender reputation. Consider your sales and marketing teams using the same data across many systems. When you decide to merge systems, you discover two accounts with the same name. Reaching out to clients repeatedly from two different accounts might harm your company’s image. Salesforce Integration Services providers employ an external ID to identify records imported into Salesforce, which eliminates duplicate issues.
- Validating Data Correctly
Your post-migration data may be missing, inconsistent, obsolete, duplicated, or include different spelling problems. It causes confusion, loss of time and money, as well as internal and external mistrust. To properly validate data and avoid such outcomes, you must first put up the rules, formulae, filters, and flows. For example, you can block incorrect input in one or more fields by utilising limit-based validation rules. A validation rule examines a formula using certain criteria. Records are only preserved when a certain formula-based criterion is satisfied. Because most data validation errors are caused by incorrect data validation formulas, it is prudent to align trustworthy individuals who can develop bespoke rules regardless of data architecture.
- Choosing the Best Apps on AppExchange
AppExchange has thousands of apps from which to choose desired integration options. However, before making a decision, be sure the software you want to integrate is configurable. It is significant because, once you have integrated a non-customizable program, you will almost certainly have to compromise on its extensibility. To avoid mistakes in the selection, we recommend that organizations incorporate unmanaged packages since, unlike managed packages, they may be changed.
Bottomline
Salesforce integration with on-premise/cloud systems enables data centralization, and infrastructure modernization breaks down information silos and improves your understanding of customer and business processes. Consider following the right protocols and avoiding typical pitfalls when integrating any on-premise/cloud app. You may optimise CRM capabilities and reduce numerous potential hazards with careful preparation, the appropriate resources, and a reputable Salesforce implementation consultant.
