Salesforce Classic to Lightning Migration Guide

1.????Preliminaries

Salesforce introduced Lightning in 2014 as a significant upgrade over Salesforce Classic. Salesforce has since then packed it with several robust tools and efficiency-enhancing features. All new Salesforce subscribers are on the Lightning platform. Probably the biggest business case for migrating is that, if the organization continues to use Salesforce Classic, but continues to pay (via recurring license fees) for the innovations that Salesforce delivers, without however being able to experience them. Lightning improves insights and visibility. Einstein, Salesforce’s artificial intelligence product, makes sales and marketing forecasts easier. The Sales Path feature identifies the key stages of a lead or opportunity and offers insights into the critical steps at every stage. An intuitive, sleek, and powerful UI improves functionality. The UI improves flexibility and enables a swift transition between desktop and mobile devices. Enhanced reports, charts and dashboards add to the user-friendliness. According to the 2017 Lightning Adoption Survey, Lightning users reported a: 41% increase in productivity, 41% increase in conversion rates, 40% increase in collaboration, 23% faster time to close, 21% increase in win rates.

2.????Migration Challenges

·??????Customization: As a user of Salesforce CRM platform, the organizations have appreciated how adaptable and customizable it is. And while Salesforce Classic has served organizations well, but too many customizations can make a challenging migration. To minimize this challenge, start by documenting all the customizations that are currently in use in Classic. Then review Lightning to find the relevant solutions so that when the migration takes place, it’s easy to set those up in Lightning.

·??????Performance health: Before migration, the organization might have had to put up with declining performance issues. As an example, let’s say page load time is longer or reports are unresponsive. These can hinder user experience, leading to even more problems. To minimise this challenge be sure to do a Salesforce org health assessment. This will allow to identify issues that need fixing. And they will need to be addressed before the migration, otherwise you are going to experience the same problems post-migration.

·??????Overloading: As you start to dive into the functions available within Salesforce Lightning, the variety and quantity of features that you are able to customize can become overwhelming. This can make it hard to decide which functions you need and which ones you don’t. In some of the migrations we have helped with, companies have gone overboard with customizations, which can lead to user interface fatigue. The best way to minimize any disruption is to review each customization available and decide if it’s needed. Only choose those which will actually enhance the processes you are using. It also helps to ensure that users have the correct training too. Salesforce’s Trailhead modules will help bring everyone up-to-speed faster.

·??????Roll-out Strategy: This is very important to develop before you start the migration. A rollout strategy will help define the scope, timeframe, resources and risks, so that the actual migration process holds as few surprises as possible.

·??????User adoption: as users are more accustomed to the classic app, using Lightning will require a period of learning and acclimatization.

·??????Attachments: Attachments are not supported in Lightning, so you will have to think of converting attachment to files.

3.????Impact Assessment

It is important to understand what might be affected during the migration and what won’t.

Let’s start with what is not affected during the migration:

·??????Data

·??????Business logic (Workflow Rules, Process Builders, Validation Rules, etc.)

·??????Security (Role Hierarchy, OWDs, etc.)

·??????It is still advised that the organizations shall backup this information before the migration as best practice.

Here is what is affected during the migration:

·??????User Interface (Lightning Experience has up to 25 tabs, 3-column layouts, Paths, Components, etc.)

·??????Business Processes (this is a time to review your requirements and how you solve problems)

·??????3rd Party AppExchange Apps (before migrating, you will need to review your inventory and make sure that these Apps are ready for Lightning)

·??????Custom Code (“Technical Debt” will have to be addressed as your code might not perform well in Lightning)

·??????User Training (most users will need to be retrained to use Lightning)

·??????Analytics (you are no longer limited to three-column dashboards and there is a new Lightning Report Builder)

Migrating to Lightning, when completed right, is a reimplementation of Salesforce.

4.????Salesforce Classic to Lightning Migration Methodology

Migrating any critical software requires addressing the related complex challenges and preparing a clear roadmap for implementation. As the work environment and resources of every company are unique, migrating to Salesforce Lightning needs a tailored approach to be followed. Let’s walkthrough the critical steps to get through Salesforce Classic to Lightning migration.

4.1???????Buy-In

Start with getting buy-in, not just from management but also from daily users. The organization shall focus on convincing both parties simultaneously, so benefit analysis can be tailored for the audience and customize it for different departments. ROI for management shall be highlighted, increased productivity for users shall be shown and a business case for Salesforce Lightning shall be prepared.

The organization & migration partner shall assess the need for migrating upfront and then evaluate if the incumbent Salesforce Classic meets the needs of the enterprise. Seek answers to the following questions:

·??????Do sales and marketing employees complain of complex workflow and processes?

·??????Is sales and marketing at satisfactory levels, compared to industry benchmarks and metrics? Measure processes and benchmark them against established best practices.

·??????Is there a need to improve productivity?

·??????Do sales and marketing employees complain about issues or are there common pain points in their workflow?

·??????Do customers complain frequently, or leave negative feedback?

If the answer is “yes” to any of these questions, migrating to Lightning is an easy decision.

?4.2???????Project Launch

?Migration Partner shall conduct Kick off meeting, confirm scope, objectives, establish project approach and develop the project plan.?

·??????Project goals and objectives by the project’s executive sponsor

·??????Migration Partner and Client Team members roles & responsibilities

·??????Review Migration plan and methodology

Both the parties shall identify and involve the right people for Salesforce Migration in the process. At the minimum, try and include the following participants:

·??????Project sponsor: Executive-or management-level person who drives and supports the project from start to finish

·??????System administrator: to manage Salesforce CRM activities and maintenance from day to day

·??????Project manager: to lead the migration initiative and keep it on track as per plan

·??????Power users: People who can help ensure that the project will meet the needs of end-users (including management)

·??????Trainers: People who can find relevant training material from salesforce.com or develop custom materials from scratch

Communicating with your end-users right from the beginning is a good idea to get buy-in and ensure that migration and adoption are as smooth as possible. Ideally, all major communication should come from the project sponsor.

?4.3???????Readiness Check

The Lightning Experience Readiness Check is a Salesforce Report that evaluates the organization on how it uses Salesforce Classic. It can help you estimate the effort it will take to switch over. This report explains the challenges to overcome and the pain points to resolve before subscribing to Lightning. The report also recommends the fix for each issue. To run the Lightning Experience Readiness Check, login to Salesforce, go to the setup page and click Lightning Experience >>> Evaluate if Lightning Experience is Right for You >>> Check Your Lightning Experience Readiness >>> Evaluate.

The report offers a complete list of:

·??????Potential code issues, including a deep analysis of direct and indirect code dependencies. Customized code mapping pinpoint areas of code that need adjustment.

·??????Visibility into high-risk components, or components most at risk during the migration.

·??????Features currently in use in the Classic version, but discontinued in Lightning. Users will no longer have access to such features post-migration.

·??????Features that need integration before executing the migration.

The readiness check report comes with straightforward labels, such as “The Good Stuff”, “Needs Some Attention”, and “Which Users Are Ready.” Such neat categorization makes taking action easy and interesting. Repeat the readiness check after fixing issues mentioned in the report, in a loop, until all issues are resolved. The team executing the migration may focus on these areas to smooth the process. Successful migration depends on arranging alternatives for features not supported in Lightning.

4.4???????Perform Migration

The Lightning Migration Assistant helps to take a test run of using the Lightning Experience. It will guide the users through the process of initiating the use of Lightning for their organization. It will also provide a preview of how organizations will operate in Lightning without the need to turn it on for all users of the instance. This test run will be an ideal opportunity to try apps, features and perform some experiments with customizations that the Lightning Experience Readiness Check did not evaluate. It can identify features for which teams may need help to perform the integration. To start with the Transition Assistant, go to Setup in Salesforce Classic, and click Get Started in the Lightning Experience Transition Assistant tile, given at the top of the menu. Then select Discover Phase >>> Evaluate Lightning Experience Benefits and Readiness >>> Preview.

4.5???????Post Migration Integrity Check

Evaluate the integrity of the organization post-migration. Regardless of the rollout approach, continue to assign specific users or groups on Lightning and refine the UI based on their feedback. Repeat the test for different user groups. Identify common pain points by comparing feedback from different user groups.

A handy tool at this stage is the Salesforce Optimizer report. This is a Lightning Experience app that runs in both production and sandbox environments. The Optimizer identifies areas to improve, simplify, or eradicate, post-migration. It studies the user’s usage pattern before the migration, to unearth unused custom profiles and workflow rules. It also evaluates if the AppExchange apps in use are Lightning-ready. If these apps are not Lightning ready, it is important to upgrade to alternative apps, to make the transition a success.

Running Salesforce Optimizer is easy. Go to set up in Lightning. Use the quick find box to search for “Optimizer”. Enter it. Once inside Optimizer, click on “Allow Access,” to allow Optimizer to analyse the org. Next, click “Open Optimizer,” to launch the app in the org. Admins may now access optimizer like any other app in the org, from the main App Launcher. Finally, access it from the App Launcher, and click on “Run Optimizer.” Ensuring the integrity of Salesforce Lightning roll out is a continuous process. Business requirements change. Salesforce itself changes and adds new features regularly. Migration from Classic to Lightning is the first significant step towards aligning the CRM with the requirements of a highly changing business environment.

4.6???????Rollout

A small, simple organization can be moved to the new interface as a complete unit easily. However, if the organization is complicated or large, it is recommended for a gradual rollout. Readiness report can be referred to identify groups that are ready to be moved first. The process of segmenting helps the organization in planning a sooner move and maintain focus on smaller lists of technical requirements at a time. Segmenting helps to keep the learning process active, helping you to work out any issues in the process. This type of phased approach to a Lightning Experience rollout can be made easier with a roadmap that will act as a guide. Add details to the order you want to move groups in and set a go-live date for each group.

4.7???????Validate

Validate?phase consists of an iterative series of tests aligned to ensure that the application and integrations operates in accordance with the requirements. Develop test plan and facilitate client sign-off and approval for Salesforce Migration and Data Hub integration:

·??????Setup and establish testing process to log and address application defects and changes

·??????Create comprehensive test plan and perform application unit testing and integration testing if applicable

·??????Guide user acceptance testing and facilitate UAT meetings to address defects

·??????Prioritize open issues and/or changes requested

?4.8???????Closure

Migration Partner thoughtfully executes the final step in closing out the project by auditing a check list of completed tasks and conducting a final meeting to ensure the application is deployed satisfactory. Key activities performed:

·??????Conduct final team status meeting

·??????Provide recommendations for future phases and roadmap

?5.????User Adoption

Migration to Lightning Experience should be spearheaded by an adoption team that will work on end-user testing. The team can gather data and metrics to act as proof to the rest of the team and will help in gaining further buy-in. The adoption team responsible for user adoption can also highlight major pain points for which extra training will be required. The complete user adoption process helps to ensure there are no surprises when transitioning users to the new interface.

5.1???????Salesforce Expert’s Help

It’s good to have a Salesforce admin or an employee with the deep knowledge of Salesforce Lightning to help users fill the gap in working with Salesforce Lightning quickly and painlessly. If there’s such a person providing support in a timely and efficient way, the adoption rate will grow pretty soon. If hiring a Salesforce admin is not top priority, the organization may resort to managed services, delivered by a reliable Salesforce services provider.

?5.2???????Best Adopters Rewards

To motivate more users to work with the Salesforce Lightning solution, the organization may identify the best Salesforce adopters by measuring user login rates, the number of reports created, contacts added or other criteria of productive Salesforce Lightning usage. Recognizing Salesforce Lightning enthusiasts and rewarding them publically with prizes and certificates or by placing them in the Salesforce leaderboard may motivate others to do their best with Salesforce Lightning too.

6.????Migration Benefits

·??????New UI - This improved and modernized user-friendly interface is not only about looks, but also about improved flexibility and dynamics compared to the original. The enhanced UI also allows for the swift transition from desktop to mobile devices and vice versa.

·??????Sales Path - Sales Path identifies the key stages that a lead or opportunity is to go through as well as highlight the most crucial steps at every stage. Entering information now takes much less time for sales reps, along with moving the deals to different stages.

·??????Enhanced Reports, Charts, and Dashboards - The reports underwent a redesign that not only modernized their outlook but also increased their functionality. Upgrade also touched dashboards increasing the number of columns and integrating an instant refresh feature.

·??????Lightning App Builder - The Lightning App Builder is perfect for customizing Lightning pages, reconfiguring them, dragging, dropping, and having fun with the configurations. Users can customize their Home Pages by choosing pre-made components that can be dropped. The Lightning Builder improves the users’ ability to customize the components of Lightning to meet their unique needs. The customization of the interface is critical to making the system truly efficient.

·??????Kanban View - Easily manage opportunities with the new Kanban view. Kanban allows for viewing up to four fields as well as comfortably dragging the information to the next stages. Swiftly create and distribute tasks or events without leaving the current view.

·??????Salesforce Einstein - Salesforce Einstein is a new artificial intelligence product that makes it easier to make forecasts in sales and marketing.

References

1.??????Whishworks, Salesforce Classic to Lightning Migration – Things to Consider, April 2021, https://www.whishworks.com/blog/salesforce/salesforce-classic-to-lightning-migration/

2.??????360 degree cloud, 8 Foolproof Steps to Salesforce Classic to Lightning Migration, May 2021, https://360degreecloud.com/8-foolproof-steps-to-salesforce-classic-to-lightning-migration/

3.??????Abhishek Subramanian, Steps to Migration – Salesforce Classic to Lightning, September 2021, https://suyati.com/blog/steps-to-migrate-salesforce-classic-to-lightning/

4.??????Salesforce Lightning Migration, https://www.ergonized.com/salesforce-classic-lightning-migration/

5.??????Daniela Levi, Salesforce Classic to Lightning Migration – Making the Move, https://www.panaya.com/blog/salesforce/classic-to-lightning-migration/