6-Best Practices for Salesforce Application Integration
Organizations rely on multiple systems for business management which limits their capability to have a unified view of data. This not only frustrates users who have to log in to apps but also the customers that were expecting a timely response. To prevent data silos and gain a holistic view of organizational data, businesses should go for application integration.
If you are already having Salesforce setup, you would be aware of its tremendous integration capabilities. There are numerous apps that one can add to their business ecosystem and enhance collaboration across teams. However, the alignment process can be full of doubts/challenges and hence requires careful consideration. As a Salesforce Integration Consultant, we have come up with best practices that will help you to overcome the potential hassles and have a successful implementation.
1. Do a Self-Assessment
There are various reasons businesses opt for Salesforce Integration — lack of data centralization, substandard automation, low user adoption. By doing a self-assessment, teams can highlight their pain points and create a plan that can solve the existing hassles. For this, an organization should appoint a project lead who discusses with all stakeholders their data needs, identifies the source and target data, and shares the integration expectations with an expert.
2. Configure the Data Model that Suits You
Teams should avoid copying the data structure of the source system and rather focus on meeting user needs with the best possible data model. For instance, if an organization is only concerned about the sales data of the past year, then there is no need to replicate the model that tracks the entire sales history of the company since its inception. With a simplified data model, teams can overcome the hassles they faced with the earlier data structure.
3. Understand the Data Latency Requirements
Before selecting a method like batch integration or real-time integration, you should clearly understand the data latency requirements. This would allow you to know whether the data could be added in real-time or in scheduled batches. Teams should prefer keeping real-time integration as the last resort unless they have an expert Salesforce Integration Partner alongside.
4. Select the Right iPaaS
An iPaaS is a cloud tool by which firms can integrate applications hosted/installed on different platforms. There are various iPaaS vendors including Mulesoft, Oracle, Dell Boomi, IBM AppConnect, etc which can be used as per the requirement. Using the right platform as a service, developers can create workflows and connect apps seamlessly. However, while selecting an iPaaS, teams should know that not all of these tools would be suitable for them as some would support alignment via connectors and others won’t. Collaborating with a Salesforce Integration Services partner can enable you to make the right choice regarding iPaaS.
5. Prefer Bi-Directional Syncing
In unidirectional synchronization, data flow is only from the source to the target application. This method of data sync has limitations as users can neither override the data in the target app nor can they push back the data to the source. To overcome this, organizations should consider going for bi-directional synchronization. With this, changes in one system will directly be reflected in other systems.
6. Focus on Error Handling
The integration process can have errors and when not addressed promptly, it can also lead to data loss. To overcome this, teams should create backups so that any loss in data can be recovered easily. Hiring Salesforce Integration Partners on a fixed hour basis can be a great step to keep the setup optimized and error-free. Salesforce consultants monitor the process to ensure any potential errors are addressed while testing in the production environment.
Bottomline
App centralization helps in breaking data silos and enhancing collaboration across business units. With a unified view, teams can work in coordination, make decisions faster and serve customers better. While app integration is highly beneficial for organizations, it can be challenging at times. To overcome this, firms should avail Salesforce Integration Services of established partners. By keeping the above considerations in check, teams can have the desired results post-implementation.
