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(Linking external (ERP) Orders to Accounts) Best way to interlink these two objects?
We integrate some data from our ERP over to Salesforce for better visibilty and reporting of our customers. I'm bringing over the order lines from the ERP database nightly using Jitterbit. However I don't have a solid data association between the Account objects and the Orders yet. We bring over the Account Number of the ERP system into the Orders object; and we have the ERP Account number 'stamped' on the Salesforce Accounts that we've done business with; but presently there isn't any hard linkage between these two objects.
I'm wondering what type of relationship would suffice here. Looking through the various types (Lookup, Master-Detail, Hierarchical) none of them are a match for what I'm after. I don't want this to have to be user driven; I'd rather it associated itself to the other record if there was a match. In my previous experience you can't assoicate two records in Salesforce based on an external key. All associations must be done with SFIDs for things... is that the case? And if so, any recommendations on how to associate this data with the minimal amount of overhead?
I'm wondering what type of relationship would suffice here. Looking through the various types (Lookup, Master-Detail, Hierarchical) none of them are a match for what I'm after. I don't want this to have to be user driven; I'd rather it associated itself to the other record if there was a match. In my previous experience you can't assoicate two records in Salesforce based on an external key. All associations must be done with SFIDs for things... is that the case? And if so, any recommendations on how to associate this data with the minimal amount of overhead?
All Answers
Salesforce has an Account for each location in which this customer does business; and if we've processed an order with them then they also have a field that has an ERP account number on them. There might be a dozen accounts in Salesforce with that same (ERP) account number just like there are a dozen 'Ship-To's in the ERP software.
The Account Level Data of the ERP system is 'merged' onto the SF Account if it has a matching ERP Account ID. There are specific fields that pertain to the ERP system data that are used for this merger.
The Orders data is brought into SF using Jitterbit on a nightly basis and has the ERP Account numbers on them. The Accounts have the same ERP Account ID number on them. The ERP Account IDs are unique to the ERP system, but not the Salesforce system.
And with this all explained I'm already seeing the problem. If there are multiple Accounts in Salesforce that have the same ERP Account ID, then how to do we pick which one of these we should use? We used to bring over the ERP Accounts as their own record type, and we can resort back to doing that if it'll solve this problem.
Let's say that that wasn't an issue here. We do have lingering "Master" Account Record Types that were part of the old batches that brought those into Salesforce. If I was just working with those high-level accounts, what would I need to do in Apex or Maps, as you are suggesting?
Are you trying to bring data from the Account object into the Order object? If not, I know you mentioned that you would like to associate them in some way. I guess I am just curious as to what type of association you are looking for? You can create a look up field on the Order object and have it automatically linked to the correct Account record upon creation. It wouldn't require user intervention. Would something like what I mention fulfill your requirement?
Would it be possible to do what you're suggesting using Apex or Maps if the Account ERP IDs were the same as others BUT they had a specific Record Type and that (ERP Account ID + Record Type) created a unique pair?
Example:
Account Record Types: Regular and Master