Tag: data-export

  • Best Practices for Importing Data into Salesforce

    Best Practices for Importing Data into Salesforce

    The most efficient methods for arranging the data before moving it once you’ve decided which method is the best for importing or exporting your data. 

    Salesforce Does Not Have “Undo” 

    1. You should constantly have a procedure in case you ever need to recover an earlier version of your work, even though it might not be easy.  
    2. Let’s imagine you wish to re-insert contact records after deleting them. Did the deleted contacts have any Tasks or Cases attached to them? They won’t be on the recently added records if that is the case. Always undertake an impact analysis before altering or deleting existing data and keep a record of the procedures you’ll take if something goes wrong. 
    3. After an import is finished, keep the created result files in a safe location. You will have a record of the work that was done in this manner, and you will also have access to the files in case you need them to support a rollback. 
    4. Salesforce does not support “CTRL + Z,” in contrast to Excel. After an import is finished, the records remain in the system. Although Salesforce doesn’t have native functionality to reverse an import, back-stops may always be secured using Salesforce Backup and other ETL products that support rollback. 

    dont miss out iconDon’t forget to check out: An Ultimate Guide on How to Import Data in Salesforce

    Remove Duplicates Before Importing 

    1. In Salesforce, duplicates may be a headache. The existence of duplicate data has a significant negative impact on reporting, user experience, and data quality. Try to deduplicate the source data before performing the import when importing records into Salesforce. 
    2. Use ETL tools or even Excel to achieve deduplication! You can avoid any issues by deduplicating before attempting the import. 
    3. Incorporate this with Deduplication Rules to provide a unified approach. Instead, then relying just on the Standard Deduplication Rules, consider your company’s needs. Additionally, if necessary, add your own matching rules. 

    Verify the procedures 

    1. Have you ever imported data into Salesforce and wondered why the records didn’t look exactly like your source data? It’s because a Salesforce process is altering or updating the data. Clicking on Where is this utilized will allow you to see where any improper custom fields are located. 
    2. Look up examples in books like Triggers, Process, and Flows, and consider how the fields are handled. Do these procedures have an effect on your imports? 
    3. Check to determine if those processes will result in Limit problems as well. An illustration would be a trigger that modifies connected data in accordance with specific criteria. To make sure you are within the Salesforce limits and your imports will run without problems, think about adjusting the batch size of your imports. 
    4. Salesforce provides a variety of APIs for data import. The Bulk API was developed primarily for bulk data imports, in contrast to the REST and SOAP APIs, which are intended and optimized for imports that change a small number of entries at a time. Make sure you choose the appropriate API for your needs, and test each one’s speed and capacity. 

    Use Excel’s VLOOKUP Caution! 

    1. The most popular data tool around! While Excel undoubtedly has advantages and provides a simple and practical way to open and edit data, it is prone to mistakes. It’s possible to make mistakes, but no one wants to have the conversation of explaining to their users that the data in Salesforce is incorrect due to a simple typo or a wrong formula. 
    2. Did you know that VLOOKUP is not case-sensitive, by the way? Make sure to use the Salesforce’s 18-character IDs rather than the typical 15-character IDs when exporting reports and performing a VLOOKUP. Otherwise, the search can return some unexpected results. 
    3. The most essential Excel capabilities, like concatenation, field formatting, and VLOOKUP, are provided by ETL tools. You can frequently utilize a data loader’s lookup functionality in place of a VLOOKUP when constructing lookup relationships to obtain the ID instead: 
    Production account salesforce

    A different approach will be required for any large data sets because Excel can only handle up to about one million rows. 

    Automate Whenever Possible 

    1. You might want to automate the task if you plan to import data on a daily basis. It will not only greatly simplify your life but also ensure accurate data in Salesforce. 
    2. By simply saving the mapping file, you may use the Salesforce Data Loader to avoid forgetting a field when you import data again. 
    3. The employment process may also be able to be automated if you have any experience with Windows Batch Scripts. In any case, you can create automation like scheduling and mapping without writing any code by using a data importing tool. 

    dont miss out iconCheck out another amazing blog here: Top 11 Extensions for Salesforce Developers

    Test first in sandboxes 

    Salesforce developed sandboxes to provide users the opportunity to test new features before they are released. So why not include Sandboxes in data tests as well? 

  • LinkedIn Sales Navigator Integration with Salesforce: Expectations vs. Reality

    LinkedIn Sales Navigator Integration with Salesforce: Expectations vs. Reality

    LinkedIn Sales Navigator has proven to crucially boost social selling by providing salespeople with 34% of opportunities. Integrating Sales Navigator with an existing CRM creates even a more powerful tool that shortens the way to the client through automated search, account management, and messaging.

    As a result of such a promising prospect, a few clients turned to Twistellar to set up the integration with Salesforce CRM.
    Let’s delve into the pros and cons encountered along the way to decide if the outcomes live up to the expectations.

    The Benefits of Syncing Sales Navigator with Salesforce CRM

    So what exactly are the possible opportunities of this integration?
    • Manage your Sales Navigator search settings in the appliance with the contacts from your CRM to find the best-fit audience for further interactions.
    • Accounts and Contacts related to Open Opportunities are synchronized with the Opportunity Owner. It means that the owner receives timely notifications on the contacts leaving their company or changing a position. Thus, he is always aware of the latest changes and can accordingly adapt his sales strategy.
    • Stay abreast of company’s news
    • Approach the right audience
    • Keep track of the latest activities of your contacts to personalize outreach
    • Access the necessary contact information quicker as the data from the CRM is shown on Sales Navigator Lead pages.
    Data Mapping Salesforce CRM - LinkedIn Sales Navigator
    • Redirect your sent InMails, notes, and messages from the Sales Navigator to the CRM.
    • Create customized ROI reports that present how Sales Navigator usage has influenced Opportunities in the CRM.
    1. Direct records from CRM to Sales Navigator
    2. Pull necessary contact info from CRM
    3. Main activities are directed to CRM (InMails, notes & phone calls
    4. The data is customizable to each seller
    5. Combine data from both systems to ensure better search results
    6. Changes to your opportunity are synced with the CRM

    dont miss out iconDon’t forget to check out: Salesforce Integration with LinkedIn – Here’s All You Need to Know

    4 Things to Consider Before Integrating LinkedIn Sales Navigator with Salesforce CRM

    With the Summer ’21 release, there are two ways of integrating Sales Navigator:
    • Native LinkedIn Sales Navigator Integration
    • LinkedIn Sales Navigator for Salesforce App

    LinkedIn Sales Navigator native integration and the AppExchange package

    LinkedIn Sales Navigator native integration and the AppExchange package

    One of the Chrome Extensions is the totally free Assistlead, which can create Leads and Contacts in Salesforce from a LinkedIn Profile. While creating records using Assistlead works great, it can’t edit existing records, nor can it create Salesforce Accounts.

    Another Chrome Extension is Salesbolt, which has both a free and paid version. As well as creating Leads and Contacts from Profiles, it also creates Salesforce Accounts. Salesbolt can further save you time by surfacing existing Salesforce data, so you don’t accidentally create duplicate records. Salesbolt also works with custom fields and multiple page layouts, something the official app doesn’t yet support.

    Salesbolt works with the standard LinkedIn experience, as well as the paid LinkedIn editions such as LinkedIn Recruiter, Recruiter Lite and LinkedIn Sales Navigator.

    The benefit of the native integration is that it allows adding InMail and connection request steps into your cadences for Salesforce Engage (High Velocity Sales).
    However, if you don’t need this functionality, you can opt for the AppExchange package and CRM sync.
    Before you jump at this chance of a better sales perspective, make sure to meet the following prerequisites:
    1. The Core Sales Navigator plan doesn’t allow syncing, so you have to choose between Advanced or Advanced Plus. From the Salesforce side, you need to have one of the following versions: Enterprise, Performance, Unlimited, or Developer edition
    2. API access enabled in your Salesforce org
    3. A Sales Navigator Team Member Administrator + Team Member license
    4. JavaScript enabled browser with the ability to log in/configure in a cookie-clear environment. These can be Chrome Incognito, Firefox Private Browsing, and others.

    Twistellar’s Case: Expectations vs. Reality

    After checking that you meet all the requirements, you are ready to move to the next stage — implementation. Let’s review the case of one of our clients who expected to achieve the following results of the integration:
    • Accepting InMails and attaching them to the Account/Contact/Lead
    • Writing InMails from Salesforce interface
    Generating Leads in Salesforce from LinkedIn
    As mentioned before, saving leads from LinkedIn in your CRM creates a lot of opportunities for further analysis and customer nurturing. The integration makes it possible to redirect not only the information on your LinkedIn leads but also some more important data:
    • InMail messages written to non-connections
    • LinkedIn messages that are written to 1st-degree connections
    • Notes captured against Accounts or Leads in Sales Navigator
    • Phone calls initiated via Sales Navigator Mobile App
    • Smart Links Presentation Viewed
    If you want to contact potential leads, redirected to the CRM from LinkedIn, the functionality allows doing it from the Salesforce interface. The two first goals, thereby, are configured with ease.
    The key problem lies in carrying on the conversation. CRM writeback functionality does not push, update, or create LinkedIn Company data into the CRM, it only pushes the activities users take.
    So even though you can send InMails and messages to your prospects directly from Salesforce, there is no way to receive their answers there, as they will appear on Linkedin only. In the end, you would still need some double entry to save messages from your contacts in the CRM.
    LinkedIn Sales Navigator —​ Data Export (Activity Writeback)
    LinkedIn Sales Navigator — Data Export (Activity Writeback)
    Another factor to consider is budget.
    It’s necessary to have both paid licenses in Salesforce and Sales Navigator, as well as the App itself to set up and test the integration. Make sure to plan this period of testing properly to minimize the time when the integration will only cause expenses rather than profit.
    The bright side is that Sales Navigator tech support was helpful and led us through all the issues that came up during the project. It’s important to mention that we had a paid Enterprise package, and communication was held through the built-in chat.
    dont miss out iconCheck out another amazing blog by Twistellar here: How to Integrate HubSpot With Salesforce CRM: Three Options

    Pros & Cons

    After all, the integration does serve its purpose to affect the efficiency of sales with the help of analytical insights on your customers. As a result of better data management and reporting, it becomes easier to find gaps in the current sales pipeline and adapt your strategy accordingly.
    The main process of customer nurturing, however, mainly takes place on LinkedIn. It gives reason to consider Salesforce users to be caught in a less favorable position than those who mostly use LinkedIn.
    • Targeted search for potential leads
    • Audience analytics, reporting, and lead ranking
    • Opportunities to create a more personalized outreach
    • Requirements to have both paid licenses, expenses during the test period
    • LinkedIn rests the key platform for further customer contact as you can’t receive messages in Salesforce
    At the end of the day, if you plan on setting up the integration, consider all the pros and cons with a focus on the budget and main sales tool used by your team. Salesforce users can have better opportunities to find suitable leads, and Sales Navigator users will take the advantage of the reports and analytics on the customers performed in the CRM.
    The main limitation of the integration is that main sales processes will be directed to the LinkedIn platform. If you plan to work with LinkedIn from the Salesforce interface, you won’t be able to achieve that. You’ll still have to nurture your leads on Linkedin having restricted data captured in Salesforce.
    It’s very important to understand all limitations of app packages and APIs for the most efficient use of any integrations. For this reason, referring to a professional Salesforce consulting company can help you form data-driven and experience-based expectations to find the best solutions for your optimization goals.
    This article was originally published at Twistellar.com
  • Export and Import Functionalities in Salesforce | All You Need to Know

    Export and Import Functionalities in Salesforce | All You Need to Know

    To move attachment data from one Salesforce org to another, from one object to another, or to import from one place, you must follow two basic rules for exporting and importing. 

    Export Attachments in Salesforce

    1. Login to http://dataloader.io with your login to Salesforce.

    Note: You can use any data loading tool such as Data Loader, Dataloader.io or Talend 

    1. Assuming you are using Dataloader.io, click New Task and select the Export button.
    2. Select Attachment object, click Next.
    3. Select the list of fields and whether to apply filters, then click Next, or use the following SOQL query to query for example attachments on the Account object. You can use any item to download from that specific item or all items.

     

     

     
    1. Click “Save & Run”.
    2. Wait the process.
    3. After the task is complete, click the link next to the export task in Task Manager to download the attachment. This will download all attachments zipped into her one .zip file, example: Attachment Export-Demo.zip
    4. Select any other field above the text box to find a CSV file with the same name. For example: Attachment Export-Demo.csv. All the fields she chose when exporting to dataloader.io are available in her CSV file.

    dont miss out iconDon’t forget to check out: Introduction to Creating and Using Salesforce Reports

    Import Attachments in Salesforce

    1. Create an attachments.csv file (the name of the file doesn’t matter) with the following column headings: 
      • ParentId: Record’s ID to which the attachment should be associated
        Name: Name of the attachment
        ContentType: Format of extension (e.g. .xls, .pdf, etc)
        OwnerID: ID for the owner of the attachments
        Body: File path to the Attachment on the local System.(C:\documents and settings\schun\desktop\attachments\file.xls) 
    2. Log in to the Data Loader
    3. Select the “Insert” Command
    4. In the Select Salesforce Objects step, select the Show All Salesforce Objects check box and select Attachments
    5. Choose the attachments.csv file
    6. Map the following fields, in the mapping step:
      • Parent ID 
        Name 
        Owner ID
        Body: Map the previously created Body column to the file extension. How to determine the file and location of the attachment to insert. 
    7. Click “OK” to proceed with the insert. It may take a few minutes, but the attachment is successfully uploaded to your Salesforce org.
    8. Also, make sure you are using a valid Parent ID/Owner ID as the Parent ID will be different in the second org. Therefore, these attachments are added to the correct records.

    dont miss out iconCheck out another amazing blog by Nikhil here: Apex Triggers in Salesforce | Here’s What you Need to Know

  • Data Management in Salesforce – Here is All You Need to Know

    Data Management in Salesforce – Here is All You Need to Know

    This is the important part to understand clearly as an administrator. In this blog we are going to learn about how the data is imported and exported in Salesforce. 

    • Data is information, and information should be managed in an efficient manner. 
    • To manage our data in an efficient manner, we have to know about data management. 
    • We use the Data Model as a storage layout to store the data efficiently. 

    Some Terms and Features of Data Management: 

    Checkbox: We can either check or uncheck a record in this type of field. When we import data into Salesforce, it shows “1” or “0” that means check or uncheck value. 

    Data Export: In this type of field, we export data in “.csv” format from the Salesforce. 

    Data Recovery: We can recover our data within 15 days of data deletion.. Always backup our data based on regularly scheduled reports and export them as securely-stored .csv files. 

    Dirty Data: The data which are broken, incorrect or out of date, called Dirty data. 

    Date/time fields: This field shows date and time on data which we import or export in Salesforce. 

    The Activity Which We Do With Sample Record:

    •  We Create records – Import.  
    • We edit and have an existence record – Update. 
    •  We can Delete records at any time. 
    • We can export information about records. 
    • We can transfer ownership of the records. 

    dont miss out iconDon’t forget to check out: Salesforce Data Management – Data Loader – Insert, Update, Upsert, Export, Delete

    Data Management Tools in Salesforce :

    Data Import:

    • Data Import Wizard:  

      • We can populate up to 50,000 records at a time. 
      • We can Accounts, Contacts, Lead, solutions and all custom objects in this.  
      • Deduplication can happen.  
      • We can do many operations like Insert, Update, Upsert. 
    • Data Loader:

      • Can handle all standard and custom objects. 
      • Deduplication cannot take place. 
      • We can perform many operations in Insert, Update, Upsert, delete, Hard delete, export, export all operations can be done. 

    Follow Those Steps Earlier Than You Begin Uploading Any Statistics:

    • Use your present software program to create an export record. 
    • Clean up the import record for accuracy and consistency. This entails updating the statistics to do away with duplicates, delete useless information, accurate spelling and different errors, and implement naming conventions. 
    • Compare your statistics fields with the Salesforce fields you could import into, and affirm that your statistics could be mapped into the best Salesforce fields. You would possibly want to fine-music the mapping earlier than beginning the import. 
    • Make any configuration adjustments required in Salesforce to deal with the imported statistics. For example, you may want to create new custom fields, upload new values to picklists, or briefly deactivate workflow rules. 

    data management

    Data Export:

    • Data Export Service:

      • It is a browser service we can access through Setup Menu. 
      • We can Export data Once in a Week or once a month. It means any one can export data once every 7 days or 29 days. 
      • In corporate editions, performance and unlimited, weekly exports are available. 
      • Any One can generate backup data only every 29 days. 
    • Data Loader:

      • Data Loader is a client application that every one must install separately.  
      • Only not from UI you can also operate it with command line. 

    dont miss out iconCheck out an amazing Salesforce Infographics here: The Deluge of Data — And What to Do With It

    Follow Those Steps to Export Records the Use of the Data Export Service:

    • From Setup, input Data Export withinside the Quick Find box, then pick out Data Export and Export Now or Schedule Export. 
    • The Export Now alternative prepares your documents for export immediately. This alternative is best to be had if sufficient time has exceeded on the grounds that your remaining export. 
    • The Schedule Export alternative lets you to time table the export technique for weekly or month-to-month intervals. 
    • Select the preferred encoding on your export file. 
    • If you need images, documents, attachments, and so forth protected for your records, pick out the perfect options. 
    • Select Replace carriage returns with areas to have areas as opposed to carriage returns or line breaks for your export documents. This is beneficial in case you plan to apply your export documents for uploading or different integrations. 
    • If you are scheduling your export, pick out the frequency, begin and give up dates, and time of day on your scheduled export. 
    • Under Exported Data, pick out the forms of records to consist of for your export. We advocate which you pick out Include all records in case you’re now no longer acquainted with the terminology used for a number of the forms of records. 
    • Click Start Export or Save. Salesforce creates a zipper archive of CSV documents and emails you whilst it is ready. Exports will be whole as quickly as possible, but we cannot assure the date and time the export will be whole. Large exports are damaged up into more than one document. Follow the hyperlink withinside the electronic mail or click on Data Export to download the zip file. Zip documents are deleted forty eight hours after the email is sent. 
  • Salesforce Data Exporting Options

    Salesforce Data Exporting Options

    Data Loader

    Export CSV files manually or should configure the tool to automatically run at scheduled times to send out CSV to a destination location (SFTP)

    Pros: Easily configurable, supports multiple operations (Insert, Update, Delete, Upsert), and Process large datasets.

    Cons: Tool must be downloaded and configured locally on a machine. Not real-time and on-demand data.

    Data Export (Built-In)

    Salesforce out of the box functionality

    Setup > Data Export

    Schedule to create export files on a weekly and monthly basis. The tool creates files for downloading and exporting files manually.

    Pros: Native Salesforce option to download data as CSV files. Run exports manually or automatically.

    Cons: Mostly used for Data backup and files available for download are in Salesforce org. Not real-time and on-demand data.

    dont miss out iconDon’t forget to check out: Learn All About Data Modeling in Salesforce

    Custom Script

    Create a custom script in Python/Ruby/Node.js (any other scripts) to connect with Salesforce org and extract data for exporting. These scripts help in creating data extracts in different formats. (Can use Salesforce Bulk API module in custom scripting).

    Pros: Real-time data and can schedule to run the script at any point of the day. Can use Salesforce Bulk API for avoiding governor limits when exporting data.

    Cons: The source code repository should be hosted on an external platform. Needs resources for maintenance. Includes development and testing time for complete implementation.

    Dataloader.io

    Creates export files ready for download (CSV format). Can automate the tool to run hourly, daily, weekly, monthly.
    As a choice, we can automate the export to any Box account or FTP server.

    Pros: Cloud-based tool/no install required. Supports data transfer to Dropbox and Servers and scheduling jobs.

    Cons: Not real-time and on-demand data. Slower than data loader when configuring and processing the records.

    Rest API

    Exposing an endpoint to the external users (Authorized) to query and get Salesforce object data.

    Pros: Real-time and on-demand data flow.

    Cons: Rest API Service classes should be created in Salesforce Orgs. Includes development and testing time for complete implementation. Different endpoint points are exposed for each org. (Same code different endpoints).

    dont miss out iconCheck out another amazing blog by Sharath Chandra here: Delete Default RecordType for Chatter User Profiles | Salesforce Developer Guide

    Workflow Outbound Message

    Exports Salesforce record data to any external endpoint in the form of XML based on record DML-based criteria.

    Pros: Real-time and record triggered flow. Can filter out the list of fields data that should be sent.

    Cons: Data is only sent out in XML format. Needs to be converted to JSON or text or CSV in an external system.

  • Data Export in Salesforce – A Brief Guide

    Data Export in Salesforce – A Brief Guide

    Exporting data from Salesforce can be done with the help of Data Export methods, it can be done either in a manual way or in an automatic way. The data which is exported using the data export technique is in the form of a set of CSV files. Data Export is mostly done for backup or for importing it in other systems and even for copying also we can export data. 

    There are Two Methods in Salesforce for Data Export

    1. Data Export Services: It can be accessed through the Setup menu and it is an in-browser service. If you want to export data automatically and even if it is time we can use it. Manually data can be exported on a weekly or monthly basis and in the condition of automation, it is the same weekly and monthly basis. Well, it has some prequestic like weekly export is only available in some limited Editions, Enterprise, Performance and Unlimited editions. For monthly export for both manual and automatic the editions should be Professional and Developer Editions.
    2. Data Loader: If you want to use Data Loader so very first you have to install it. The best thing about the data loader is that you can operate it by command line or you can even do it by the user interface. It could be both manually as well as automated, for automated processes you must use the command line. Even APIs can be also used to integrate it with some other system.

    dont miss out iconDon’t forget to check out: How to Export Data from Salesforce to Excel and Backup Your Data On-Demand

    Talking on the Part of the Data Export Service, it can be Done in the Following Ways:

    1. Go to setup, click on it, in Quick find box enter Data Export, now select data export from the options.
      • Now there are two options:- Export Now and Schedule Export.
      • Export Now:- If you want to export your files immediately go for it. Export now will help you to do this but it has one condition. The condition is there is enough time passed after the last export.
      • Schedule Export:- If you want to export data timely or in a scheduled way so go for it, it can be done at weekly or monthly intervals.
    1. Before exporting the file should be encoded.
    2. There are multiple options available, so if you want to export things like documents, attachments and even images you have to pick an appropriate option.
    3. If the export is scheduled, you have to pick or select a date and time, as the start date and end time of export as well as the same with the time, meaning in which time slot you want.
    4. Well after all these steps if you are ready to export data then you get many options to select data, so you have to select as per your requirements as if you want to export all data so go for Include all data option.
    5. Once all these steps are done so go for Start Export or Save. After this, a zip of the CSV file is created by salesforce and sent over Emails to you once the export is done. There is no certain times or fixed time is taken to complete this export.
  • Top 10 Salesforce Consultants by Forcetalks

    Top 10 Salesforce Consultants by Forcetalks

    Apphienz ranks 2nd among the Top 10 Salesforce Consultants by Forcetalks

    Forcetalks is a Salesforce Community For You, Of You, By You. It is a network for admins, Salesforce business analysts, developers, consultants, architects, and Salesforce Partners to collaborate. A community where you can learn from others and give your knowledge. It recognizes and ranks consultants and partners doing consistent work in the field of Salesforce.

    Apphienz has worked its way up to the 2nd position with our custom Salesforce solutions, quality, hard work, patience, and persistence. We at Apphienz want to empower you in resolving your most pressing Salesforce issues. Companies that are successful, invest in building relationships with their customers. As a result, we make it easier for you to form bonds with your customers, resulting in increased sales and services.

    dont miss out iconDon’t forget to check out: How to Become a Freelance Salesforce Consultant

    We analyze your Salesforce environment and business objectives to deliver tailored platform assistance to help you succeed. And we take pride in being an important part of your company’s long-term success.

    We appreciate our relationships and put a high value on our customers’ loyalty. For your company’s Salesforce needs, you need to have a responsible and passionate Salesforce partner and we have always been about that. Our knowledge and techniques will provide you with the level of service you need to succeed in all your endeavors.

    Our solutions are curated for different and need-based business solutions by our certified Salesforce experts who work both onshore and offshore to assist you 24*7*365. The services range right from understanding your needs to customized solutions, like Salesforce implementations, AppExchange app development, Salesforce training, Salesforce managed services and support, data export, on-demand administrator, and technical debt cleanup.

    dont miss out iconCheck out another amazing blog by Apphienz here: Here’s What To Expect From Salesforce’s TrailheaDX 2021

    The quality of our work, constant innovation and staying ahead of the curve, maintaining good relations with our customers and working as an extension of their team, delivering efficient and productive results is what sets us apart.

    We are honored and proud to have been recognized among the Top 3 Salesforce Consultants by Forcetalks. If you are looking to create something out of the ordinary, we are just an email away. Write to us at info@apphienz.com and we can take it from there.