People Import 5 Stages

The videos for the five stages of People Import have been uploaded to the Salesforce User Guide site and are also available in the screen cast side bar of this blog. I have detailed a brief description of these five steps below:

1. Mapping - Select the source file & map the fields (or column names) in the file (ex. spreadsheet) to salesforce fields.

• If the field names match exactly use can use the "automap" button to automatically mach the fields.
• You can also manually drag and drop the names to map the fields
• In this stage you can also choose from field options to update the Insert, Do not update, Update, or Update only if blank for each individual mapping

Helpful Tips

• Be sure to include all required fields on import which would include Last name and Company. For prospective students without a company affiliation use the "last name, first name" in lieu of this value
• Be sure to include the recordtype id to ensure newly created records are affiliated with the appropriately

2. Comparison - Compare the records in the source file against all salesforce records (default) or choice to select a subset of records for comparison.

Helpful Tips

• It is highly suggested you match the incoming records to those of the desired record type
• Matching against a subset of records within the system will not only expedite the elapsed time but can also enhance matching precision

3. Matching - The most involved stage of all five stages where you can create various matching steps to compare source records to those in salesforce in order to avoid importing duplicate records You can match almost any field that you imported in stage 1 of the import process such as matching the first name, last name, email, phone, or address in the source file to those in salesforce (certain fields such as long text areas can't be used in this stage)

• This stage also allows you to adjust the match type settings from "exact" match type to "cleaned account name" or select additional options to loosen matching capabilities with use of "fuzzy" or "alpha clean". For a complete list of match types click here
• You can create multiple matching steps to increase the probability of locating a potential duplicate with Salesforce.
• You can assign the leads matched with each step to a pre-existing salesforce campaign or create a new task for the matching group.
• The "Final Matching conditions" step is where you specify conditions for records in the source file that did not match any of the matching steps. You can choose to import these records as "new leads", "New Contacts" or "Do Nothing"

4. Global Campaigns & Tasks - This step is optional but provides the ability to assign records not matched in Step 3 to a campaign or create a new task for these records.

5. Results & Processing - This stage is where People Import checks for dupes and matched records are retrieved. You can also review, verify, and ultimately commit & update the matched records while importing new leads that were not matched (if specified in "Final Matching Steps" of Stage 3)

People Import

This week we will be taking a more detailed look at the People Import tool (available on app exchange). As previously mentioned this is a stand alone app that can be downloaded and installed from the appexchange or CRM Fusion site. I have already uploaded a detailed presentation on the Salesforce User Guide site which provides information on each step of the import/update process. I will also be adding videos detailing the process within the next few days.

Do you have a list of prospective students you wish to import into salesforce but are considered there may be pre-existing salesforce records already in the system ? Are you looking to match an external spreadsheet of leads or contacts to those in salesforce to prevent duplication? Do you not have a unique field in order to exactly match the records in the external source to those records in salesforce? Are you looking for a way to match records using methods other than an exact math perhaps you are looking to match values that contain typos or varying punctuation. If so, People Import may be a valuable tool in acheiving these goals.

People Import is a great way to import new leads or contacts from an external data source into salesforce. The import process also provides the ability to match records that may already exist within Salesforce to ensure only new leads are imported (avoiding duplicate leads) and update the fields of your choosing for those records that match the system. For example, you can easily take a spreadsheet of new admits to your program and update their data in salesforce accordingly as well as add any students that may not already exist within the system. The People Import wizards provides 5 easy steps to achieve such a task.

Of course the most seamless way to integrate data from external data sources would be using the Salesforce Web API (Applicaton Programming Interface). This enables the data source to communicate directly with Salesforce to create, retrieve, update or delete records, such as accounts, leads, and custom objects.

* Please note when logging into People Import for the first time you will need to use a security token to login successfully. I have created a video on resetting and using your security token for the Oulook plugin fund on the Salesforce User Guide site.

Week 7 & 8 CRM Fusion (Introduction)

So I finally feel like this week we are able to delve a bit deeper taking a look at the toolset provided by CRM Fusion available on the Appexchange. One of the added benefits to utilizing cloud computing technology is the ability to easily install new "apps" to enhance your current use of the platform. The next few weeks we will examine both People Import as well as CRM Demand Tools for enhancing data management (both available on the app exchange). Typically these apps require fee based memberships (avg cost $5,000), however non-profits organizations (which includes Higher Education) receive these tools at NO COST :)

Below is a brief description as to the capabilities of these valuable tools.

People Import

• PeopleImport is a Windows based app that is designed to allow the end user to develop customized import scenarios.
  
• These scenarios include customized passes to ensure duplicates are not created, but rather that existing Leads, Accounts or Contacts are updated
• The People Import app walks you through 5 stages (some stages contain several steps) to map a spreadsheet of prospective or current students to a record that already exists within salesforce or create a new record.

DemandTools

• Provides a suite of 4 modules to enhance data management of all salesforce objects
• Maintenance - Contains a number of very useful advanced tools to import, update, and maintain your data
• Zipfix - ZipFix can suggest and correct the two digit state name and the spelling of the city name associated with that zip code.
  
• MassChange - The MassChange module is the easiest way to mass manipulate data in salesforce.com because no import or export of data is required.
• MassChangeBatch - The MassChangeBatch feature extends MasChange capabilities allowing you to create rules and develop schedule routines to execute in mass
• Other tools within this group include MassEffect, MassImpact, and MassBackup.
• Cleansing - Provides single & multi table dedup tools as well as mass lead convert features
  
• Verification - Verifies address against USPS address
  
• Discovery - Compares data in external data sources outside of salesforce and returns matching records (no data modified)

**Both People Import & CRM DemandTools are stand alone windows applications so users can feel free to download the app without the need to request integration to the live CRM environment.

Although salesforce does offer some standard data management tools within the platform to import, update, and manage your data, I found CRM Fusion Tools offer much more flexibility.

I have posted a more detailed introduction to People Import & CRM Demand Tools in a PowerPoint presentations located on the salesforce user guide site. Over the next few weeks I intend to add detailed presentation on both tools including a step by step features guide. In addition I will be recording short videos to demo some of the above.

Weeks 6 & 7 The Beginning of Data Management: Reports

This week I plan on uploading videos demonstrating how to:

• Reports Overview - Browse, Search, and Organize Reports
• Create a Basic Report/Modifying a Report
  
• Using Advanced Filter Criteria
• Exporting a Report (using salesforce id's)

The salesforce guide website has been updated with a PowerPoint "Step by Step Guide" to reports as well as a "Reporting Tips" document with tips on entering filter criteria.

It is important to have a firm understanding of the report feature so you are able to extract and update data efficiently. The next section will discuss CRM Fusion People Import & Demand Tools and the various ways in which to utilize it.