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chrisforcechrisforce 

Force.com as a differencing engine...

Ok community... Sink your teeth into this one!

Overview:

Company A needs to get data to Company C, but Company C's information system doesn't like the data that comes out of Company A's information system. On top of that, Company A's data changes all the time and Company C needs to get an updated version of this data once a week. In most cases, Company C only wants the data that has changed. Also, Company A doesn't always have all of the data that Company C requires to make it's systems and processes work properly. And neither company has the technical resources to make the data transfer work for both of them.

Enter Company B

Company A sends it's data to Company B who in turn gets it in shape to be sent to Company C.

There are 75+ ways a record at Company A can change. Any one or any combo of these changes needs to result in a particular action or multiple actions being taken with that record.

So Company A sends an initial export file to Company B to get things started. Then a week later, Company A sends the same export file to Company B, only this time it contains all of the changes that have occurred to the data over the last week.

Company B analyzes each record to look for changes between the initial record and the new record. Based on the findings, Company B will do several things to the records.

It could:
- Modify the data in the record , adding to it or taking away from it.
- Add the record to a report
- Take the record off of a report
- Reference an older version of the same record to get data from it to use somehow
- Do some calculations
- Etc Etc...

Company B is doing all of these things to each record on behalf of Company A because Company B knows very well how Company C likes to get its data. Once Company B has finished getting Company A's data in the right shape for Company C, it packages it all up in a file that Company C can use to import into it's information system without any problems. Company B also sends along some reports to let Company C know what changed with the data.


Now for the big question!

Can this application be created on the force.com platform using the declarative tool set and minor coding? And can this application be used and maintained by relatively non technical personnel?

Thanks for reading

Chris
shillyershillyer

Hi Chris,

I only mention this because you say that the staff is pretty non-technical. Have you taken a look at the integration partners on the AppExchange?

http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange/category_list.jsp?NavCode__c=a0130000006P6IoAAK-93

There are a number of partners that have web and hardware based tools that can schedule syncs between Salesforce orgs. All the user would need to do is know how to map what fields to what and when this should occur. I know the partners would be happy to spend some time understanding your specific situation.

Hope that helps,

Sati