Oracle Knowledge to Salesforce: Migration Strategies & Best Practices

Nixon James

May 11, 2022
Oracle Knowledge to Salesforce: Migration Strategies & Best Practices

When companies are choosing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to align with their business objectives, they carefully evaluate various factors. Although there are numerous CRMs available, Salesforce and Oracle have consistently stood out as top choices in recent years. Salesforce is renowned for its robust features and remarkable adaptability, making it capable of integrating with diverse data sources, whether on-premise or cloud-based.

Due to their impressive features and market leadership, many businesses contemplate both Oracle and Salesforce before making their CRM investment, often opting for a blend of both solutions. Regardless of the choice, the process of migrating data from one system to another remains a complex challenge. According to Forbes, only 36% of data migration projects stay within their projected budgets, and merely 46% are delivered on schedule. This means that the remaining 64% of projects exceed budget forecasts, leading to negative impacts on the entire business. Often, the primary reasons behind failed data migration projects are ineffective migration approaches and poor execution. [1]

Oracle Knowledge Management (KM) is a tool designed to enable users to create, store, and share knowledge. By implementing Oracle Knowledge, users can efficiently search for solutions, develop, organize, and access knowledge. Oracle KM offers more relevant results related to the issue under investigation, enhancing customer satisfaction and reducing service-related costs. It also empowers businesses to manage information confidentiality and visibility by controlling who can access specific information.

Salesforce, on the other hand, is a central CRM application used by sales, service, and marketing departments worldwide. It facilitates improved customer and partner engagement, tracks customer activity, supports marketing efforts, and offers various functions to enhance business-customer interactions. Aside from its CRM capabilities, Salesforce provides a range of software solutions and a platform for creating custom applications. Notably, Salesforce operates as a multi-tenant platform, allowing multiple customers to utilize the same technology and benefit from automatic upgrades, thus enabling businesses to concentrate on innovation rather than technology management.

Integration Methods:

Method 1: Using Salesforce Bulk APIs

This method involves employing the Salesforce bulk API to migrate data from Oracle to Salesforce. The bulk API facilitates the seamless transfer of substantial data volumes programmatically. It allows users to perform actions like addition, editing, and deletion of records in Oracle using Salesforce's bulk APIs. These APIs follow the SOAP architecture and provide straightforward data access. The migration process requires access to Oracle tables, where data is extracted as CSV files and subsequently imported into Salesforce.

Advantages:

  • Supports parallel processing for faster migration.
  • Requires minimal client-side code.
  • Allows completion of ingest and query workflows in fewer calls.
  • Provides straightforward monitoring of job statuses.
  • Automatically retries failed records.
  • Simplifies the management of data batches.

Disadvantages:

  • Bulk APIs might not handle duplicates efficiently, necessitating additional pre-processing steps.
  • Implementing API-based jobs requires multiple lines of code, demanding strong knowledge of API procedures.
  • The ETL process often involves regular scheduling and data requirements, which can be challenging.

Method 2: Using Oracle Integration Cloud

Oracle Integration Cloud (OIC) is a managed cloud service offered by Oracle, designed for data loading from Oracle to other destinations. It is a comprehensive solution that supports connections to both cloud-based and on-premise applications. However, it requires a costly license. OIC utilizes pre-built technologies and adapters to enhance productivity, featuring a visual development environment for creating and hosting business applications. While it provides advantages, users might struggle with its interface due to a steep learning curve.

Advantages:

  • Offers various pre-built technologies and SaaS adapters for enhanced productivity
  • Features a visual, low-code process automation environment that boosts business agility.

Disadvantages:

  • Requires an expensive license to use.
  • Transforming data before loading might lack flexibility.
  • Users might find it challenging to adapt to the interface due to its complexity.

Method 3: Using Third-Party Tools

Third-party integration involves utilizing external APIs to integrate data into existing projects. This approach accelerates development by utilizing pre-existing components instead of creating code from scratch. While it offers benefits like time and cost savings, overreliance on third-party integrations could potentially lead to issues.

Advantages:

  • Allows focusing on core product development, saving time and money
  • Enables rapid deployment of programs with enhanced features

Disadvantages:

  • Difficult to measure page performance across different browsers
  • Limited insight into application user-friendliness

Method 4: Manual Data Integration

Manual data integration relies on dedicated data engineers who manually manage and code data connections. This approach involves writing custom code, connecting various data sources, collecting and cleaning data, all without automation.

Advantages:

  • Potential cost reduction
  • Enables a focus on core business competencies

Disadvantages:

  • Prone to human errors
  • Inefficient and time-consuming

Migrating Data from Oracle Knowledge to Salesforce Challenges:

Data migration, while seemingly straightforward, is a complex and risky endeavor for IT specialists. Common challenges include:

  • Improper Analysis & Poor Planning – Each company's data structure is unique, demanding thorough analysis and planning before data migration. Accurate assessment is crucial for success.
  • Inaccurate Data Backup – Data often exists in multiple versions and files, requiring deduplication and proper organization before migration.
  • Data Loss: – There are high chances of losing data while migrating data from one system to another, which can severely cost the businesses.
  • Lack of Technical Skills – Insufficient technical skills often contribute to project failures and higher- than-expected costs.
  • Data Incompatibility – Challenges arise from data inconsistencies in terms of structuring, formats, and conversion during migration.
  • Limitations – Product limitations, such as extraction limits, encryption patterns, file size, etc., must be considered during analysis and addressed with innovative solutions.

Data Migration Steps

  • Oracle Service Cloud (OSvC) Knowledge Advance Data Export: – Data extraction from Oracle Knowledge using OSvC Rest API, categorized into Master Data, Article Data, and Attachment Data.
  • Salesforce Knowledge Management Data Import: – Importing OSvC data from external files into Salesforce Knowledge.

Recommended Data Migration Approach:

A successful data migration involves a well-structured strategy comprising five phases:

  • Data Analysis: Thoroughly analyze existing data structures and pain points to anticipate and prevent issues during migration.
  • Data Extraction Setup: Extract data using REST API, separating master data and article data in suitable formats, including translations.
  • Data Mapping: Align data fields to a unified schema to ensure interoperability between datasets.
  • Data Import: Sequentially import data, starting with master data, using suitable import solutions. Generate reports for data correction.
  • Data Validation: Validate migrated data through various phases to ensure accuracy and quality between systems.

Benefits After Migration

A successful migration yields several benefits:

  • Quick Access to Information: – Users and agents can access valuable information rapidly, improving efficiency.
  • Increased Productivity: – Improved access to information enhances agents' productivity in addressing queries.
  • Efficient Knowledge Management: – Implementing Salesforce Knowledge ensures accurate content and best practices.
  • Customization and Control: – Configure custom reviews, publications, and approval processes for various content types.

Conclusion:

Data migration is a pivotal aspect of digital transformation. To ensure success, careful planning, suitable tools, and rigorous execution are crucial. Given the value of data, it's paramount to treat the migration process with utmost care to leverage its benefits for business growth and innovation.