8 Foolproof Steps to Salesforce Classic to Lightning Migration

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.

Bringing such a change in the IT setup also requires necessary work on user adoption. A business must spend time preparing users with the skills and mindset needed to work with Salesforce Lightning features and enforce effective change management plans. But all those efforts are worth it when you will be able to get hold of every new update and service right when they come out, along with achieving the productivity increase.

In this article, we are going to walk you through the critical steps to get you through the Salesforce Classic to Lightning migration.

Step 1: Salesforce Classic to Lightning Migration Buy-In

Start with getting buy-in, not just from management but also from daily users. You should focus on convincing both parties simultaneously, so you can tailor benefit analysis for the audience and customize it for different departments. You can highlight ROI for management and show increased productivity for users and make a case for Salesforce Lightning.

Step 2: Lightning Experience Readiness Check

The report on Readiness Check helps to evaluate your org to determine what will be impacted when you migrate. It can help you estimate the effort it will take to switch over. It will also highlight potential code issues and identify features currently in use that will no longer be available. In addition to this, you need to perform a gap analysis to derive clear alternatives in place for those features that are not supported in Lightning Experience.

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.

Don't forget to check out: How to Change the Text Color in Salesforce Lightning

Step 3: Optimizer Report

When you know how this transition can affect your org and are aware of any potential issues, you can determine allocation.  Salesforce Optimizer will help you identify areas you can improve, simplify, or eradicate, calculating it according to your usage before transition. It can help you remove unused custom profiles and inactive workflow rules. You can also evaluate your AppExchange apps to find out if they are Lightning-ready.

Step 4: Migration Assistant

The Lightning Migration Assistant helps you to take a test run of using the Lightning Experience. It will guide you through the process of initiating the use of Lightning for your company. It will also provide you a preview of how your org 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 also help you identify features for which your 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.

Step 5: Set ROI Goals

The basic intention of any company implementing new software or upgrading it is to observe an improvement in the ROI. The same is in the case of migrating to Salesforce Lightning. Start with measuring current business processes in each department and create customer and employee surveys around common complaints to find out if it is possible to resolve them with this migration. You must set KPIs and measurements beforehand so you can show your success after the transition is completed.

Step 6: The Rollout

A small, simple org can be moved to the new interface as a complete unit easily. However, if your org is complicated or large, you should consider going for a gradual rollout. You can refer to the Readiness report to identify groups that are ready to be moved first.

The process of segmenting helps you plan 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.

Step 7: Management Strategy

It is always common to encounter user resistance and panic on some level after the migration process. You need to specify the affected user profiles, the scope of work, and timelines and then prepare each group for the shift in advance. Make sure you test key new Salesforce Lightning features. You can consider going through The Lightning Experience Transition Change Management Hub, which provides step-by-step instructions and best practices on managing the transition of your org.

Check out another amazing blog by 360 Degree Cloud here: 5 Groundbreaking Features Exclusive to Salesforce Lightning Experience

Step 8: 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.

Plan Your Move with the Right Team

Salesforce Classic to Lightning Experience migration can yield tangible gains in productivity for organizations across industries, with increased adoption and collaboration between functions, achieving higher IT efficiency and cost savings. That is why Salesforce considers Lightning to be one of its best innovations, with which the user experience and platform have only gotten better over time. Impressive right? If you are thinking about making a switch, talk to our Salesforce consultants, and we’ll help you plan and implement a safe migration process for your business.