So, your business has made the decision to move from Salesforce over to Dynamics 365 but doesn’t know how to make the migration?
This is where you are in luck, as in our latest blog article, we will take you through how to plan a migration from Salesforce to Dynamics 365.
So why do businesses decide to move to Dynamics 365?
Like with any data migration, it can be an extremely difficult & tiresome process to collate your existing data, sort it out into the format that is accepted in the new system and make sure that there are no errors when it is imported into the new system. Given the fact that some of the customised elements of Salesforce are programmed on its very own proprietary code, moving away from this platform can often have a number of barriers that need to be overcome.
Despite the barriers that need to be overcome, why do businesses choose to move from Salesforce over to Dynamics 365?
- Better CRM functionality
- Seamless integration with existing Microsoft products such as Word, PowerPoint & Excel
- Microsoft is more cost effective than Salesforce
- Microsoft is more scalable as your business grows
- Microsoft’s platform can give you access to PowerApps as well as PowerBI
- Salesforce sells add-on functionality at a cost whereas Microsoft provides it for free.
What do you need to know before starting a data migration?
Right, you are now ready to start the data migration part of the process, you will need to ensure that you use the best practices to ensure that you don’t fall into the common traps.
Planning
This part of the process is crucial as you need to outline exactly what needs to be done and when.
Analyse and review the data in your current system
Before you make the switch you need to make sure that everything is tied up your end. Even though your current data might be in perfect order and contains thousands of datasets and fields, you will find that some of these may include duplicates, inaccuracies or no information at all.
At this point, it is crucial that you make a note of any potential problems in your current data to avoid any complications when making the migration. The best thing to do as well as this is to get used to the new system by working through the fields, that way it will make it easier for you to organise & cleanse your data in your current system for the migration.
This is very straightforward if data fields are common (such as a contact number, address, job title). The problem is if you find out that your new solution has fields that your old platform doesn’t, you may need to take data from multiple fields to complete these. Also, if your new platform doesn’t have fields to store your existing data, you will need to put some time in the diary to see whether these need to be manually added or need an alternative option.
Cleansing your data and profiling
After you have a firm grasp of your data and how your records align with the new platform, you need to go through the process of cleaning up the data in preparation for moving to the new system.
The good thing about data cleansing is the fact that it allows you to assess the quality of your data, whether you can address data anomalies and how you can approach collating data together to move to the new platform. If you identify patterns of data fields that remain empty or are not maintained correctly, you need to decide whether this data is important or can be removed across the board.
Although you need to move important data to your new system, ensure that you take into account that the less data you have to move, the quicker and easier the task becomes.
Our top tips for things to look out for when cleansing and profiling your data
- Have a firm understanding of where and how your data is stored.
- Have a clear outline of your policies, data standards and quality requirements.
- Examine the current data quality against your policies and standards.
- Assess the reasons behind bad data and track the impact of having such data to the business.
- Manually improve your data and build systems to avoid any bad data as a result of the causes you have found.
- Once the profiling and systems have been created to maintain your data, monitor it to check that the processes are being followed.
Set a time frame for the migration to take place
You need to plan out a timeline for your migration so that your business understands all of the elements involved and when actions need to be completed by. Once this is done, you are free to start your migration.
Moving away from Salesforce to Dynamics 365?
Planning
As we’ve mentioned earlier, the planning part of the process is one of the most important to make sure that you can successfully move from Salesforce to Dynamics 365.
Some other things you should take into account:
- The business processes that will be making the move.
- Who will be involved in the migration. Define and engage with key stakeholders such as users and senior management.
- Set a complete date for your migration. Don’t wait until the last minute to complete the migration. Allow plenty of time for you and your team in the region of 3 to 4 months to both gather data, have conversations and determine how your CRM should operate.
- Which way will your new system be implemented? In the Cloud or on-premise? Select the type of deployment that will best suit your specific business requirements and CRM objectives.
Which type of migration will you employ?
You will need to make a number of decisions when looking to make the switch from Salesforce to Dynamics 365 such as are you looking to make wholesale changes & how quick does this change need to be? By answering these types of questions will allow you to make the decision on whether you opt for a full implementation or simply just moving to a new platform.
If you decide to go for a complete implementation you will need to complete a thorough data reconciliation. If you are a business that is looking to dramatically improve your overall business processes and maximise your use of Dynamics 365 then you would select this option.
If you are looking at simply moving systems, it is easier at it requires you to simply move your data from Salesforce into Dynamics 365.
Take the time to prepare your data
It goes without saying but your new CRM mirrors the data you move. Putting the emphasis on data quality is vital in the success of a migration. You can look to ensure data remains accurate by considering the following:
- Cleansing your data: It is recommended that you clean and profile data for both dependability and validity. The best time to do this is before a migration happens. Analyse the data for errors to remove, remove duplicates & flag up incomplete records.
- Grouping your data: This involves identifying data categories in Salesforce and matching them up to their equivalent labels in Dynamics 365 which will make it easier when the migration happens.
Move your information
Moving your data involves sending out information from Salesforce and importing it back into Dynamics 365. There are a number of variations between Dynamics 365 and Salesforce that impact on this migration:
Export
It is important to note that not all data fields will be able to be extracted from Salesforce as some of these entities don’t exist in Dynamics 365. For the fields you want to remove will need to be marked as ‘visible’ and outlined accurately, with correct letter cases.
Import
Take advantage of the Dynamics 365 data import template which takes into account any disparities in calculated fields and custom entity types. Make sure that you complete this import at least 2 weeks in advance of the new CRM’s launch using batches.
Approve integrations
The great thing about Dynamics 365 and Salesforce was the fact that both are designed to allow integrations with third-party systems. The only problem is that some of the integrations that were allowed in Salesforce might not be applicable in Dynamics 365. Pick which apps you want to copy when you make the move. It is at this point, you should consider Microsoft’s other business options such as Business Central ERP, Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365), Power Automate as well as PowerBI.
Furthermore, your business may consider using data integration tools such as Scribe. This can be used as a tool for translating data from Salesforce to Dynamics 365 CRM. This can be extremely helpful for the more complex migrations.
Migrating over to Dynamics 365 gives your business much better access to a whole host of opportunities. Microsoft’s seamless integrations with Business Central ERP, Microsoft 365, Power Automate will broaden your company’s horizons and these tools can combine to meet your overall objective of growing your business.
Next Steps?
Advantage are a Microsoft Gold partner that can help support your business through the whole process of migrating from Salesforce. Our team of experts have decades of knowledge and CRM experience which will be perfect for helping you to plan, migrate, prepare data & integrate all you need into your Microsoft CRM system. Contact us today so we can discuss your specific requirements.
