In the dynamic world of customer relationship management, Salesforce continues to be at the forefront, evolving its offerings to ensure businesses can optimize their operations. One such evolution is the transition from Salesforce Classic to Salesforce Lightning. But what does this shift entail, and why is it more than just an aesthetic upgrade?

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll gain insights into:

• Dive deep into the essence of Salesforce Lightning and how it differs from its predecessor, the Classic version.
• Discover the strategic advantages of making the shift and how it can revolutionize your business processes.
• Follow a detailed roadmap to ensure a successful transition without hiccups.
• Learn vital recommendations to ensure a smooth and fruitful migration process.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a solid understanding of why and how to make the transition to Salesforce Lightning, ensuring your organization stays ahead in the CRM game.

Why Migrate to Salesforce Lightning?

The shift from Salesforce Classic to Lightning is more than just a change in aesthetics – it’s a strategic decision that can revolutionize how your organization conducts business. Let’s dive into some specific reasons to migrate to Salesforce Lightning.

1. An Enhanced User Interface

The Salesforce Lightning interface is a notable improvement from the Classic version. The Lightning Experience is designed around the principle of a modern and intelligent user interface. It focuses on visualization, and the design allows for a more efficient, intuitive, and interactive user experience.

With Salesforce Lightning, you can enjoy a flexible, component-based structure for a truly customizable experience. The drag-and-drop functionality makes it easy to personalize your homepage, dashboards, or record pages according to individual user or team preferences, allowing users to work more efficiently and effectively.

2. Increased Productivity

Salesforce Lightning is designed with productivity in mind. It offers a range of features that allow users to complete tasks faster and more efficiently, contributing to significant productivity gains.

For instance, the Lightning Console has a workspace with tabs, subtabs, and utilities that let users multitask and find what they need quickly. The Kanban view allows users to manage opportunities and tasks more visually, leading to better data organization and task management.

Furthermore, Lightning Experience includes features like Path and Guidance for Success. The path is a visual representation of a process, like a sales path or order fulfillment process. Guidance for Success, on the other hand, provides helpful tips and guidance at each stage of the process, acting as a virtual mentor for your team.

3. Innovative Features

Salesforce Lightning brings a host of innovative tools and features to the platform that is not available in the Classic version.

For example, Lightning Voice allows users to make calls directly from Salesforce for a seamless sales process. There’s also Einstein, Salesforce’s AI, that provides predictive lead scoring and other AI-driven insights.

The Lightning App Builder offers a new level of customization, allowing users to build mobile and desktop apps with a simple drag-and-drop interface. Similarly, Lightning Components provide reusable building blocks for apps, allowing for the rapid development of apps tailored to specific business needs.

Finally, the Lightning Report Builder is an intuitive tool that enables users to create and customize reports with ease, making data analysis and decision-making faster and more efficient.

Step-by-Step Guide to Lightning Migration 

Step 1: Gaining Approval for the Shift to Lightning 

Start by securing support not only from the managerial staff but also from the everyday users of the platform. You need to simultaneously pitch to both groups, customizing the advantages and benefits analysis as per the audience – whether it’s different departments, management, or users. Show the management the ROI enhancements while emphasizing the productivity boost for the users to make a compelling case for Salesforce Lightning.

Step 2: Evaluating Compatibility with Lightning Experience 

A comprehensive ‘Lightning Experience Readiness Check report assists in assessing your organization’s compatibility with the proposed Lightning migration. It enables you to gauge the efforts required for the transition and flags potential code-related issues. It also helps identify currently employed features that might not be compatible with Lightning. Additionally, you need to conduct a gap analysis to chalk out viable alternatives for unsupported features in Lightning Experience.

To execute the Lightning Experience Readiness Check, log into Salesforce, access the setup page, and navigate through Lightning Experience >>> Assess if Lightning Experience Suits You >>> Review Your Lightning Experience Compatibility >>> Evaluate.

Step 3: Optimizer Report 

Once you have a clear understanding of how the transition might affect your organization and the potential obstacles, you can begin formulating your resource distribution plan. Salesforce Optimizer will guide you in identifying areas for improvement, simplification, or even removal, based on your usage prior to migration. This strategy can aid in removing unused custom profiles, deactivating dormant workflow rules, and assessing your AppExchange apps for compatibility with Lightning.

Step 4: Employing the Migration Assistant 

The Lightning Migration Assistant provides you with an opportunity to test drive the Lightning Experience. It guides you through the process of initiating Lightning usage for your organization, offering a preview of how your organization will function in the Lightning environment without implementing it for all users at once.

This trial period is a great chance to experiment with apps, features, and customizations not evaluated by the Lightning Experience Readiness Check. It also aids in identifying features that might require assistance for seamless integration.

To engage the Transition Assistant, navigate to Setup in Salesforce Classic. Then click on ‘Get Started’ in the Lightning Experience Transition Assistant tile, positioned at the menu’s top. Continue to Discover Phase >>> Assess Benefits and Readiness of Lightning Experience >>> Preview.

Step 5: Establishing ROI Targets 

The primary goal for any organization implementing new software or upgrading existing ones is to improve ROI. The same applies when migrating to Salesforce Lightning. Begin by assessing current business procedures in each department and use customer and employee surveys to identify common issues and gauge whether the migration can address these. Set KPIs and metrics in advance so you can quantify your success once the transition is complete.

Step 6: Executing the Rollout 

A small and simple organization can transition to the new interface as a whole with relative ease. However, for larger or more complex organizations, a phased rollout might be more appropriate. Refer to your Readiness report to identify the groups that are prepared to migrate first.

Segmentation facilitates a quicker move and allows you to focus on a manageable list of technical requirements at a time. It also fosters continuous learning and enables you to rectify issues promptly. A phased rollout to Lightning Experience can be guided effectively with a roadmap that outlines the order and the go-live dates for each group.

Step 7: Post-Migration Management

It’s fairly common to face a certain level of user resistance and anxiety following the migration process. This is where a clear and effective management strategy comes into play. Identify the user profiles that will be impacted, specify the scope of work, and outline clear timelines. Preparing each group for the shift in advance can significantly reduce friction.

Step 8: Promoting User Adoption

The transition to Lightning Experience should be championed by a specialized adoption team that focuses on end-user testing. This team has the responsibility of gathering data and metrics to demonstrate the benefits of the transition to the rest of the team, thus aiding in securing further acceptance.

The user adoption team can also pinpoint major pain points for which additional training might be required. A comprehensive user adoption process aids in ensuring there are no unexpected challenges when users transition to the new interface.

Best Practices for Migrating from Classic to Salesforce Lightning

Migrating from Salesforce Classic to Lightning can be a significant undertaking, but with a sound strategy and adherence to best practices, the transition can be smooth and fruitful. Here are some key recommendations:

1. Conduct a Thorough Readiness Check

Before you jump into the migration process, conducting a readiness check is essential. Salesforce offers the ‘Lightning Experience Readiness Check’ tool that analyzes your Salesforce Classic instance and provides a customized report, highlighting potential challenges and areas requiring attention. This evaluation will give you a clear picture of what to expect during the migration and help you plan your strategy better.

2. Develop a Comprehensive Migration Plan

Next, devise a detailed migration plan. This plan should outline every step of the process, including preparation, execution, and post-migration activities. It should detail the necessary resources, timelines, and responsibilities. Break down the migration into manageable phases and prioritize elements based on their complexity and business impact.

3. Pilot and Testing

Before you implement Lightning organization-wide, pilot it with a small group of users. Adopting this methodology allows you to gather valuable insights and adjust as needed before executing a wider rollout. Also, use sandbox environments to test the Lightning Experience thoroughly. Perform functionality and user acceptance tests to ensure all features work as expected.

4. Training and Support

Training is a crucial component of successful migration. Facilitate thorough training sessions to acquaint your team with the new interface and its functions. Also, provide resources such as user guides and tutorials for self-learning. Post-migration, establish a support system to handle queries and resolve issues quickly. This will aid in the adoption and smooth transition to the Lightning platform.

5. Post-Migration Review

After the migration, it’s vital to perform a thorough post-migration review. Collect feedback from end-users to understand their experience, any challenges faced, and areas for improvement. Leverage these insights to execute necessary modifications and improvements to your Lightning Experience.

Conclusion

Moving from Salesforce Classic to Salesforce Lightning can be challenging, but a well-structured plan and strategic execution can make the process seamless and greatly beneficial for your organization. By adhering to the steps provided above, you can guarantee a smooth migration, boosting your team’s overall productivity and efficacy.

If you’re looking for comprehensive training to prepare for the migration or simply to enhance your Salesforce skills, consider enrolling for saasguru’s Salesforce Training Bootcamp Program. It’s designed to provide in-depth knowledge and practical experience to ensure you’re well-prepared to handle the complexities of Salesforce.

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