Salesforce to Zendesk Migration Project

Project Overview The client was running their customer support out of Salesforce Service Cloud but needed to migrate into Zendesk to take advantage of a more flexible support platform. Approximately 6,000 tickets had to be migrated while preserving history, attachments, and customer context. Unlike Exalate-based projects, this migration required a custom-built approach to extract, transform, and import data reliably.

Migrate 6,000+ Salesforce cases into Zendesk with full ticket history.

Map Salesforce case fields and custom objects to Zendesk ticket fields.

Preserve attachments, comments, and customer relationships.

Ensure continuity for open cases during the cutover window.

Build a custom ETL (Extract, Transform, Load) process without relying on third-party sync tools.

Validate migration accuracy and provide clear reconciliation reporting.

Minimize downtime and disruption for active support operations.

Performed a comprehensive audit of Salesforce case structures, including standard and custom fields.

Designed a field mapping schema to align Salesforce cases with Zendesk ticket objects.

Developed custom scripts to export Salesforce data, transform it into Zendesk-compatible formats, and load via the Zendesk API.

Handled large attachments and user associations through staged batches to prevent API throttling.

Conducted test migrations and reconciliations to ensure data integrity and consistency.

Executed a carefully timed cutover to move active cases with minimal downtime.

Migrated 6,042 Salesforce cases into Zendesk with full history, attachments, and field mappings intact.

Achieved >99.9% data accuracy confirmed through reconciliation checks.

Downtime during cutover was limited to under 1 hour, ensuring continuity of customer support.

Improved reporting and workflow efficiency post-migration by leveraging Zendesk’s automation and routing capabilities.

Delivered a repeatable migration framework for future Salesforce → Zendesk projects.