How to Resolve Issues Occurring with Marketo Fields When the Marketo Salesforce Sync Stops?

The configuration changes made to the Marketo SFDC frame will affect a number of fields during the syncing process. Previously Marketo had two packages in its Salesforce AppExchange: Marketo Lead Management (MLM) package and Marketo Sales Insight (MSI) package. This current configuration update will remove the MLM package, and the MSI package will not require MLM for installation.

With the expiration of MLM package, Marketo has stopped  support for syncing those 16 fields which were under that package. Hence, users might experience a few issues occurring while updating and syncing those fields such as, incorrect data in Salesforce reports. Here is what you need to know about changes made, how to address probable issues caused by changes made, and how to add Marketo fields.

Impacts of Marketo configuration sync changes

As new fields will be formed in Salesforce, fields in Marketo will be re-synced to newly added fields. This will trigger the backfill process which will stop the syncing with previously created fields. Thus, the data update process will be suspended immediately. Thus, every data which has the reference to the older dataset and fields will stop syncing and updating. Another issue caused is the backfilled data added to new fields will replace older values in Marketo and will be the only data set available in SFDC.

Fields that will be affected in the Marketo configuration change will be the following 16 fields. Data from these Marketo fields will stop syncing to the related SFDC 16 fields on the ‘Lead Object’ and 16 on ‘Contact object’.

  1. Lead Score
  2. Acquisition Program
  3. Acquisition Program Id
  4. Acquisition Date
  5. Original Search Phrase
  6. Original Source Info
  7. Original Source Type
  8. Original Referrer
  9. Original Search Engine
  10. Inferred Company
  11. Inferred Metropolitan Area
  12. Inferred Phone Area Code
  13. Inferred State Region
  14. Inferred City
  15. Inferred Postal Code
  16. Inferred Country

Other issues and areas to be affected by Marketo and Salesforce sync changes include –

Workflows

The Workflows in Salesforce enables users to automate processes in SFDC and execute actions based on any criteria set. As the Marketo-Salesforce changes stop syncing of specific fields of data, the workflow rules which are associated with older fields will refer data those were stopped getting updated. Thus, the backfill processes will affect the workflow and make it react in another way than expected. Therefore, new data se will influence your workflow and will be seen in place of precious data value.

Apex Triggers

Apex Triggers is that which allow users to execute actions, before or after changes made to the records as well as to execute various other tasks, similar to workflows. Once the Marketo will stop syncing old value, Apex Triggers will fail to trigger any action afterwards.

Also, when the new values will be added to the fields over the existing values by backfill processes, will cause apex triggers to trigger actions based on new values and will not perform as expected.

AppExchange Apps

AppExchange app will also function erroneously once the new valued will be synced by the backfill processes and will not be able to perform, as desired based on the older values or will not perform as they had performed earlier.

Formula Fields

Similar to Marketo’s formula fields, Salesforce formula fields also use multiple fields and mix those fields to create new value for the value of formula fields. As the creation of the value of formula field depends on other fields, values of fields affected by Marketo and Salesforce sync changes might fail to return inaccurate field value.

Also, if the mapping of those affected fields gets changed and when the formula field will refer to those fields, the formula field will perform calculation based on the outdated data and will return an outdated formula field value. However, if the formula field will refer to new fields, then the field will retrieve data from those fields that are not backfilled. However, as soon as backfill processes will complete and all the data will be updated successfully, the formula fields will start performing accurately.

Reports

Salesforce reporting tool sources data from various locations. Similar to the formula fields, when reports source data from those fields affected by the Marketo changes, the reporting tool will fail to produce accurate data as well. Once the syncing process will get stopped, Salesforce reports will not be able to demonstrate updated data. As the reports will retrieve data from new fields, the reports will display two different set of data.

The first set of data will appear when the backfill process is continuing and the field values are not updated. Thus, reports will not be able to show updated data. Later, as the backfill process has successfully completed updating process, the fields from which reports source data will be updated and reports will display accurate results based on the updated field values. Thus, you can avoid the issue of wrong reports and field values as all the fields will be updated with the new value by backfill process. Users will receive a confirmation notification from Marketo once the backfill process is finished stating the updating process is complete users can perform actions on updated set of data.

Do you find these tips and solutions helpful or do you need professional Marketo assistance in your Marketo and Salesforce integration projects? Just talk to our Marketo certified experts at (408) 502 6765 or connect us via Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to get informed of all latest trends, updates, and tips on Marketo platforms.