Transforming Data Management: A Journey of Salesforce Org Consolidation

Upcore Technologies successfully consolidated data from two distinct Salesforce orgs into a single, unified platform. This comprehensive project not only addressed immediate data management issues but also paved the way for improved operational efficiency, enhanced decision-making capabilities, and significant cost savings. The case study highlights the challenges faced, the innovative solutions implemented, and the transformative results achieved through this data migration initiative.

Client:

The client is a dynamic marketing company with a strong presence in the United States. Recently, they expanded their operations through the strategic acquisition of a UK-based business, aiming to broaden their market reach and diversify their service offerings. However, this expansion brought with it the challenge of managing data across two separate Salesforce organizations.

Project Objectives

1. Consolidate data from both Salesforce orgs into a single organization
2. Simplify data management processes
3. Eliminate the need for the executive team to switch between multiple orgs
4. Provide a unified view of the business for C-suite executives
5. Enable the sales team to access all data from a single platform

Challenges:

1. Data Complexity: Both companies operated in the same business sector, leading to overlapping accounts in different regions. This required implementing region-based rules for strategic accounts to consolidate information without data loss.

2. Data Migration Process: The team faced several challenges in the data migration process:

- Identifying relevant data for migration
- Importing data from the source system
- Detecting and managing duplicate data
- Mapping data accurately between systems
- Transforming data to fit the new structure
- Determining which data could be left behind (current vs. future state analysis)

3. Technical Hurdles: Migrating accounts, contacts, and opportunities while maintaining referential integrity and correct mapping proved to be a significant technical challenge. Filtering the data for migration was complex and required Apex logic.

4. User Interface Requirements: The client requested that the detail pages in the new org mirror the existing org, necessitating careful configuration of profiles, page layouts, and record types.

Solution:

Upcore Technologies approached the project with a systematic methodology:

1. Data Analysis: Thoroughly analyzed data in both Salesforce orgs to identify critical information for migration.

2. Data Mapping: Created a comprehensive data mapping strategy to ensure accurate transfer of information between systems.

3. Custom Migration Tools: Developed custom Apex-based tools to handle complex data filtering and maintain referential integrity during migration.

4. Deduplication Process: Implemented a robust deduplication process to identify and merge duplicate records.

5. Region-Based Rules: Created and implemented region-based rules for strategic accounts to ensure proper data roll-up without information loss.

6. User Interface Configuration: Carefully configured profiles, page layouts, and record types to match the client's existing org structure and user experience.

7. Iterative Testing: Conducted multiple rounds of testing to ensure data accuracy and system functionality.

Results:

The Salesforce data migration and consolidation project yielded several positive outcomes for the client:

1. Unified Data Platform: Successfully consolidated data from two Salesforce orgs into a single organization.

2. Improved Efficiency: Users can now access all data in a single org without switching between multiple systems.

3. Cost Savings: Eliminated the need for Salesforce licenses for the old org, resulting in significant cost reduction.

4. Enhanced Data Management: Improved overall data quality and management processes.

5. Streamlined Operations: Allowed the executive team to focus on critical tasks rather than juggling multiple systems.

6. Rapid Implementation: Completed the entire org consolidation in just 23 days.

7. Clean System: Resulted in a healthy, streamlined Salesforce instance with improved data integrity.

Technologies Stack:

- Salesforce
- Apex (for custom migration logic)
- Data loader tools