Thinking about syncing Salesforce with Scoreboardbuzz? You’re probably tired of manual CSV exports, out-of-date reports, and all the duct tape holding your sales and analytics together. Good news: it’s totally doable to get these two talking, but there are a few real-world pitfalls to watch out for. This guide is for admins, ops folks, and anyone who wants Salesforce data flowing into Scoreboardbuzz — and back out again — without losing their mind (or their Saturday).
Let’s dive in.
Why bother integrating Salesforce and Scoreboardbuzz?
You probably already know why, but here’s the quick version:
- No more double data entry.
- Real-time (or at least timely) dashboards in Scoreboardbuzz.
- Fewer headaches when sales wants to slice and dice data.
- Less risk of mistakes, especially as your team grows.
But let’s be honest: integrations sound easier than they are. Sometimes the “seamless” part is pure marketing. This walkthrough is about making it work, not just making it look good in a demo.
What you’ll need before you start
Don’t skip this — nothing’s worse than getting halfway through and realizing you’re missing a login or some obscure API token.
- Salesforce admin access (so you can install and configure apps)
- Scoreboardbuzz admin access (for connecting external data sources)
- A clear idea of what data you want to sync (leads, contacts, opportunities, custom objects, etc.)
- A testing sandbox (seriously, don’t test on your live Salesforce if you can help it)
- Patience, and maybe a coffee
Pro tip: If you’re not sure what data should sync, talk with the people who use both tools day to day. Don’t just guess.
Step 1: Map out your data flow and sync needs
Before you touch any settings, get clear on:
- Which Salesforce objects do you need in Scoreboardbuzz?
- Standard stuff like Contacts, Accounts, Opportunities?
- Custom fields or objects?
- How often do you need data to sync?
- Real-time? Hourly? Daily?
- One-way or two-way?
- Do you just want to see Salesforce data in Scoreboardbuzz, or also update Salesforce with data from Scoreboardbuzz?
- Who owns the integration?
- Who’ll fix things when they break? (Because things do break.)
Write this down. It sounds obvious, but skipping this step is how you end up with a spaghetti mess and angry emails.
Step 2: Connect Scoreboardbuzz to Salesforce
Scoreboardbuzz (at least as of mid-2024) offers a direct Salesforce integration for syncing data. Here’s how to get it working:
- Log in to Scoreboardbuzz as an admin.
- Go to the “Integrations” or “Data Sources” section.
- Select “Salesforce.”
- Click “Connect.” You’ll be redirected to Salesforce.
- Log in to Salesforce using an account with admin rights (or at least enough rights to read the objects you need).
- Authorize the connection when prompted. Scoreboardbuzz will ask for various permissions. If you see a long list, don’t panic — most analytics tools need broad read access. Be careful with “write” permissions; only grant what you need.
Watch out for:
- If your org uses Salesforce’s custom login URLs or has strict IP restrictions, you might hit roadblocks here. Get your IT/security folks involved early if you’re unsure.
- If you use Salesforce’s “sandbox” environment for testing, make sure you’re connecting to the right instance.
Step 3: Choose which Salesforce data to sync
Once connected, Scoreboardbuzz will let you pick and choose what data to bring in.
- Standard objects: You’ll typically see Accounts, Contacts, Opportunities, Leads.
- Custom fields/objects: You’ll need to manually select these, and not all integrations handle them equally well. If you rely on custom stuff, test it out — don’t just assume it will work.
Tips: - Less is more. Only sync what you actually need in Scoreboardbuzz. The more you sync, the slower (and messier) things can get. - Watch out for field mismatches. Salesforce is famously customizable, but Scoreboardbuzz might expect certain field types or names. - If you see confusing field names like “Custom__c”, that’s just Salesforce’s way of marking custom fields.
Step 4: Set your sync schedule and rules
Now for the nuts and bolts:
- Choose your sync frequency.
- Real-time sync is tempting, but it can slow things down and eat up API limits. For most teams, hourly or daily syncs are plenty.
- Set filters.
- Only want to sync active accounts? Or leads with a certain status? Use filters to avoid pulling in junk data.
- Decide on directionality.
- Most Scoreboardbuzz setups are one-way (Salesforce → Scoreboardbuzz), but if you must write back to Salesforce, triple-check permissions and run tests. It’s easy to accidentally overwrite good data with bad.
Heads up:
Salesforce has strict API call limits — especially on lower-tier plans. If you’re syncing loads of data, you might hit those ceilings fast. Monitor your API usage after go-live.
Step 5: Test your integration (don’t skip this)
- Start with a small data set.
Sync just a handful of records first. Make sure they land in Scoreboardbuzz as expected. - Check field mappings.
Are fields showing up in the right places? Any weird formatting issues? - Try updates.
Change a record in Salesforce. Does it update in Scoreboardbuzz on the next sync? - Look for errors.
Most platforms log sync errors somewhere — check for warnings about permissions, missing fields, or API limits.
What to ignore:
Don’t get caught up tweaking dashboards until you’re sure the raw data is flowing correctly. Pretty reports are pointless if the data’s wrong.
Step 6: Set up monitoring and alerts
Integrations break. It’s not a matter of “if,” but “when.” Set up:
- Alerts for failed syncs.
Make sure at least one real person gets notified if the sync stops working. - Regular spot checks.
Every week or so, sanity-check key data in Scoreboardbuzz against Salesforce. - Document who owns fixing issues.
If you’re the admin, don’t let yourself be the only one who understands how it works.
Pro tip:
Build a “runbook” — just a Google doc with steps for reconnecting, common errors, and who to call in IT. Your future self will thank you.
Step 7: Roll out to your team (the right way)
- Communicate what’s changed.
Let users know what data will be in Scoreboardbuzz, what won’t, and how often it updates. - Train users on new dashboards or processes.
Don’t assume folks will just “figure it out.” Even small changes can trip people up. - Gather feedback.
The first week or two is when you’ll catch weird edge cases or missing data.
What works — and what to watch out for
What works well: - Getting standard Salesforce objects synced over to Scoreboardbuzz is usually straightforward. - Scoreboardbuzz’s built-in integration handles most needs without extra middleware or custom code. - Having a single source of truth for sales data makes reports way less painful.
Common pain points: - Custom fields or objects can require manual mapping, which gets fiddly fast. - API limits in Salesforce are real — don’t ignore them. - Two-way syncs (writing back to Salesforce) are risky and often not worth the trouble unless you really need them.
Ignore the hype: - No integration is truly “set it and forget it.” Even the best ones need babysitting. - Avoid syncing “everything just in case.” You’ll just create noise and slow things down.
Wrapping up: Keep it simple and iterate
Don’t try to make everything perfect on day one. Get the basics working — core fields, key reports — and build from there. Tweak as you go, and don’t be afraid to cut fields or objects that aren’t adding value. The whole point is to make life easier, not to create another system to babysit.
If you hit a wall, reach out to both Salesforce and Scoreboardbuzz support (they’ve seen it all). Above all, remember: the best integrations make themselves invisible. If nobody’s complaining, you did it right.