Introducing…Salesforce Lightning
On Tuesday, August 25, 2015, Salesforce announced the release of a visual and functional update to its platform called Salesforce Lightning. While the previous iterations of the CRM would remain available under the name Salesforce Classic, Lightning would continue to be updated and patched with new features as the years progressed.
Is your company using Lightning? If not, you have probably taken a quick glance and noticed that while a migration from Classic to Lightning is very possible, there is a lot of work involved. Aside from the various technical complications you may face with custom code and third-party applications, you must take into account real-life adoption factors such as executive support and user acceptance. When all is said and done, a migration from Classic to Lightning can be a time-intensive project. However, success can be seen through careful planning and stakeholder buy-in.
Managing Change
A major part of change management for any migration is the ability to set appropriate expectations. Before any technical work is done, it is important to communicate what will be happening to your users. This can be done through various communication channels, such as email, Chatter, or even posters and fliers in your physical office. Highlighting some of the major advantages of switching to Lightning will cause excitement and buzz around the migration rather than fear and discontent. Make sure to include any documentation you or Salesforce has provided that may be of interest, and hold trainings or information sessions to ease your users into the idea of an updated platform.
Starting a campaign weeks or months before the actual migration is extremely important. Lightning is also able to be implemented on specific users or groups of users, and a phased approach is preferable in order to get feedback to improve your rollout strategy while affecting only small subsets of users at a time.
Kick-Starting Adoption
Nothing kick-starts adoption like getting actual users to vouch for the migration. Identifying a group of super users who want to test-drive Lightning and can be proponents for the switch can be incredibly helpful in driving adoption. They can create hype, excitement, and curiosity about the new platform among the rest of the users, making it easier for them to open up to something new. Additionally, you can use these test sessions to gather data and metrics that can help you make a quantitative case for the benefits of migration. Executive backing for this project is integral to success, and any benefits you can show hard data to support will help you win them over.
Technology Hurdles
While Lightning will largely be able to accommodate many of the features that Classic offered, there will be some changes in functionality. The good news is that most functions will be available in one way or another, and some due diligence on your part may be required to find workarounds or recreate custom code. AppExchange offers a multitude of different apps, many of which have been approved for the “Lightning Experience.” A good way to get a sense of how much code and customization you have ahead of you is to use the Lightning Experience Readiness Tool to evaluate your current state. From there, you can conduct a gap analysis to determine what needs to be done to accommodate your users’ current needs.
Consider Talking To A Salesforce Consultant
If all of this sounds like a lot of work, that’s because it is. To make things easier, don’t be afraid to ask an expert about how to approach this migration. Bkonect can be reached online, and your first consultation is free! We’re happy to answer any questions you may have to help you with your migration efforts.
Are you already using Lightning? Do you have any tips you’d like to share about your migration? Any fears you may have if you haven’t made the move yet? Share your stories below, or check back in for the next post from the team at Bkonect next week!
