ACT! to Salesforce Migration Challenges, Compliance, and Security: What Your Firm Must Know
Migrating from ACT! to Salesforce is a strategic move for organizations looking to improve efficiency, automation, scalability, and reporting. However, a successful migration requires more than simply exporting and importing data. Without proper planning, the process can create data inconsistencies, relationship issues, and compliance risks—especially for financial services, wealth management firms, and other regulated industries.
This guide explores the common challenges of ACT! to Salesforce migrations and the key compliance and security considerations you must address to protect your data, users, and organization. Whether you’re a small team upgrading systems or an enterprise executing a complex transition, these insights will help ensure a smooth, secure, and compliant migration.
7 Common Challenges in ACT! to Salesforce Migration (and How to Avoid Them)
Migrating from ACT!—a legacy CRM with unique data structures—to Salesforce’s modern cloud ecosystem can be transformative, but it also presents several pitfalls. Addressing these challenges early improves data quality, minimizes disruption, and ensures users are ready for the new platform.
1. Duplicate or Low-Quality Data
ACT! databases often contain duplicate contacts, outdated records, and inconsistently formatted fields. If not resolved before migration, these issues transfer directly into Salesforce, harming data integrity.
How to Avoid It:
- Run deduplication early using specialized tools or Excel.
- Standardize format types (phone, email, address).
- Clean out old or irrelevant records before export.
- Apply Salesforce duplicate rules after import.
SEO tip: Clean data ensures your Salesforce CRM becomes a powerful single source of truth—not a messy version of your ACT! database.
2. Incorrect Field and Object Mapping
ACT! and Salesforce organize data differently. Contacts, companies, notes, and activities often don’t map cleanly between the two systems.
How to Avoid It:
- Build a detailed ACT! → Salesforce mapping document.
- Identify one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many relationships.
- Run a small test import before migrating production data.
- Include subject-matter experts who understand your ACT! fields.
Pro tip: Proper mapping is the backbone of a successful migration.
3. Broken Record Relationships
In ACT!, relationships between contacts, companies, opportunities, and activities may be loosely structured. If these relationships aren’t preserved, Salesforce receives “orphaned” records that lose context.
How to Avoid It:
- Export data with unique IDs.
- Use VLOOKUP or ID mapping during transformation.
- Import Accounts first, then Contacts, then Activities and Notes.
- Test the hierarchy inside Salesforce before finalizing.
4. Activities, Notes, and Attachments Failing to Import
Complex ACT! fields—especially history items and attachments—don’t always translate cleanly into Salesforce Tasks, Events, or Files.
How to Avoid It:
- Convert activities into Salesforce-compatible formats.
- Use tools like Salesforce Data Loader for large imports.
- Validate attachment formats and file sizes.
- Store large documents via Salesforce Files or a connected DMS.
5. Over-Customizing Salesforce Too Early
Many firms try to fully customize Salesforce before migrating ACT! data. This increases the risk of validation rule conflicts, errors, and delayed timelines.
How to Avoid It:
- Create only essential fields and automation before migration.
- Disable validation rules during import.
- Adopt a “migration first, optimization second” approach.
6. Low User Adoption After Migration
Switching platforms is a major change—especially for teams that have used ACT! for years. Even the best migration fails without user adoption.
How to Avoid It:
- Provide early communication about the benefits of Salesforce.
- Offer role-based training sessions.
- Create dashboards that deliver immediate value to users.
- Build quick-reference guides and internal FAQ documents.
SEO takeaway: A successful ACT! to Salesforce migration is as much about users as it is about data.
7. Underestimating Time and Resource Requirements
ACT! systems vary widely in structure and completeness. Many firms underestimate the time needed for data cleansing, mapping, testing, and user training.
How to Avoid It:
- Build a realistic project timeline.
- Assign internal owners for data prep, testing, and training.
- Work with a migration partner if needed.
- Add buffer time for unexpected complexities.
Compliance & Security Considerations for ACT! to Salesforce Migration
Migrating sensitive customer information requires strict compliance, governance, and data protection. This is especially true for financial advisors, wealth managers, healthcare providers, and other regulated industries. Failure to plan properly can lead to regulatory violations, breaches, and reputational damage.
Below are the key compliance and security considerations your organization must address.
1. Aligning With Regulatory Frameworks
Your ACT! to Salesforce migration must follow all relevant data protection and industry regulations, including:
- SEC and FINRA communication and retention rules
- GDPR (for EU clients)
- CCPA and state-level privacy laws
- Corporate data governance policies
Best Practices:
- Understand what must be retained, what can be deleted, and what must be archived.
- Document consent and data-handling procedures.
- Maintain audit logs of data transformations and migrations.
2. Securing Data Transfers
Exporting and transferring data poses significant security risks if not handled correctly.
Best Practices:
- Encrypt data files at rest and in transit.
- Use secure transfer methods (SFTP, VPN, encrypted cloud).
- Restrict access to migration files to essential personnel only.
- Delete temporary files after verification.
3. Proper Salesforce Security Configuration
Salesforce offers robust security features—but only if properly configured.
Key areas include:
- Profiles, roles, and permission sets
- Field-level security (FLS)
- Data encryption (via Salesforce Shield, if needed)
- MFA for all users
- IP and session restrictions
Recommendation: Follow the principle of least privilege—grant users only the access required for their roles.
4. Communication and Recordkeeping Compliance
Financial services firms must ensure notes, communications, and activity histories remain compliant after migration.
Best Practices:
- Make sure imported activity timelines include dates and authors.
- Integrate Salesforce with compliant email/communication archiving tools.
- Ensure notes and attachments remain searchable for audits.
5. Data Retention and Archiving
Not all ACT! data belongs in Salesforce. Some should be archived securely.
Best Practices:
- Determine regulatory retention periods.
- Store archived ACT! data in encrypted, secure locations.
- Document where archives are stored for future audit readiness.
6. Post-Migration Compliance Review
After import, verify that Salesforce is fully aligned with compliance rules.
Checklist:
- Are all required records present and correct?
- Are record permissions accurate and secure?
- Do automations follow compliance standards?
- Is the migration fully documented for auditors?
7. Vendor and Tool Risk Management
If you use third-party migration tools or consultants:
- Ensure vendors meet your compliance standards.
- Request SOC 2 or ISO 27001 certification if handling sensitive data.
- Revoke vendor access immediately after project completion.
Final Thoughts: A Secure, Clean Migration Sets Salesforce Up for Success
Migrating from ACT! to Salesforce can dramatically improve your CRM capabilities—from automation and reporting to scalability and user experience. But the migration must be executed thoughtfully, with a strong focus on data quality, user adoption, compliance, and security.
By identifying common challenges early and following compliance best practices, your organization will transition smoothly and unlock the full power of Salesforce as your new CRM foundation.
