Top Mistakes to Avoid When Migrating From Goldmine with Salesforce Data Loader

Even though you may have been using GoldMine in your business for long, you may have decided to move to Salesforce to take advantage of the added functionality and features. It is best not to assume that the process is simple even though you have professional assistance to tackle years of historical data, considerable customization as well as inconsistent usage by multiple users and many other unique and complicating factors.

Consultant Selection Pitfalls – Poor GoldMine Expertise

Unless you exercise considerable care in selecting the migration consultant, you could blow up lots of money and waste valuable time and need to start all over again. The first aspect you need to evaluate is whether the consultant has sufficient expertise in GoldMine. This is very important as generally it has been observed that some Salesforce Consultants think they know all there is to know about Salesforce and GoldMine to them is just a toy application and thus the process of migration will be simple. However, if you have been performing complex functions over the years with GoldMine, you will know that such an assumption can only lead to complete disaster. You will have to ensure that the consulting team has adequate exposure and expertise in GoldMine, not to speak of core strength in Salesforce.

Consultant Selection Pitfalls – Inadequate Tools

If your database is complex and large, the consultants require migration expertise beyond simple data manipulation in Excel or using Import Wizards to get the data into Salesforce. They will need expertise with more complex integration tools/ advanced data loaders to handle anything more than the simplest data migrations.

Consultant Selection Pitfalls – Inadequate Technical Knowledge

Many Salesforce consultants that are run-of-the-mill have very little technical competence outside of Salesforce and thus are completely all at sea when required to take on conversion challenges that involve Notes, historical records, including user-defined fields, email, inconsistent use of Additional Contacts and Details, etc. The consultant may also require having skills in handling SQL Server if your GoldMine CRM system uses a database so structured. Find out more about essential knowledge required in CRM conversions on http://www.flosum.com/salesforce-data-migrator/.

Consultant Selection Pitfalls – Insufficient Migration Experience

Data migration has too many minefields for it to be further complicated by engaging consultants who do not have the experience of successfully handling more than a few similar data migrations. After all, you can hardly run the risk of being the Guinea Pig for them to develop their expertise.

Avoiding Project Mistakes – Inadequate Data Analysis

Now that you have managed to avoid the consultant selection pitfalls and engaged a suitably competent and experienced Salesforce migration consultant, you need to ensure that a proven methodology is followed in your project to ensure the maximum chances of success and least disruption. It is important to adequately analyze your GoldMine data to avoid a conversion nightmare. Even before planning out the conversion, you need to firm up the basis for deciding what data to clean up and what data to import and how the Salesforce mapping should be done. If the volume of data is not too much then it is of no great concern, however if your records go back to a decade or more, then you need to decide how much data you should migrate to keep your project cost under control.

Avoiding Project Mistakes – Insufficient Data Clean Up

Not cleaning up your data before conversion will make the process more complicated and you will need to spend valuable time in trying to debug the errors. Not only should you decide what data should be cleaned up before conversion to Salesforce but what to clean up during the conversion process and what is required to be done after the conversion has been completed.

Avoiding Project Mistakes – Not Having Mapping Plan Clarity

It is vital to acknowledge the fundamental differences in data structures between GoldMine and Salesforce. Unless you are aware of the differences and know how to tackle them, it is quite likely that the ensuing mess could take some time to sort out.

Avoiding Project Mistakes – Not allowing for Shortcomings

Even though Salesforce is considered among the most robust, there are some shortcomings that could be surprising for the uninitiated, especially when these features would have taken for granted in GoldMine.Functions like integrated email and Groups simply do not exist in Salesforce. So, if you don’t plan for this you are liable to end up with some very unhappy users.

Avoiding Project Mistakes – Poor Planning

Data migration projects are never as simple as they look at the outset, especially when you have been using one package for quite some time and accumulated a massive database. If you do not plan carefully and don’t have a project approach that is flexible and capable of dealing with the unexpected, your conversion project could be left in a mess and your employees fuming and fretting.

Sujain Thomas is Data IT professional and blogger