Top Reasons Why You Need to Perform CRM Backup to CSV or Excel

When a data loss does take place, businesses report losing an average of 2.36 TB of information and recovery can cost millions. Also, you can spend a lot of money on the legal or regulatory fees that are more stringent to the companies holding the citizen info. One of the best ways to protect customer data is to run CRM backup to CSV or Excel file. However, many business owners mistakenly believe SaaS platforms don’t require backups or create them automatically, while others fail to set up the appropriate backups for on-premise solutions. So, let’s look at the importance of setting up the CRM backups, find out how to avoid penalties and satisfy customers’ preferences.

Why Do You Need Data Protection for CRM?

The vital factors causing data loss in the SaaS world are not very different from the ones in the on-premise industry. Some companies believe that once they have transferred the information to SaaS provider, they are completely free from liability. It is not exactly true since data protection is shared responsibility even for organisations that use the cloud. Even though the protection against data corruption or loss due to infrastructure or operational failure is the responsibility of the service provider, the responsibility for data protection due to application usage by the company resides with the customer.

There is a wide range of robust CRM systems in the market that protects against infrastructure and operational failures effortlessly. Yet, no system in the world is perfect, and clients can lose data due to the different instances:

• Deleted data by accident. It is one of the most common reasons for data loss and corruption. You can remove the information accidentally without realizing it is too late to recover.
• Data load and sync problems. It is often the necessity to upload or sync large amounts of data into your CRM platform. The uploads can cause the issues that make the data insistent that leads to data loss.
• Highly customisable solutions. A number of platforms obtain a wide range of customisation options which means a lot of scopes for administrators to run custom code. In case the code is not tested properly, a rogue application can create an unexpected situation of data corruption.
• Insider pitfalls. A disgruntled insider could perform a mass deletion of information, which the company might not notice until the data cannot be recovered. 
• Unplanned sandbox refresh. Sometimes the sandbox refreshes can occur that results in the data loss. Since sandboxes are primarily used for test/dev purposes, such unexpected updates lead not only to info corruption but also to months’ worth of lost work hours.

In addition to recovering from the information loss or corruption, CRM backup to CSV, Excel or cloud could be used in the variety of other ways. Since Salesforce is a leading platform on the CRM market, let’s take the solution for an example and discover how the backup can be used for other purposes:

• Comply with regulations. Most rules require the organisational information to be protected and retained for a stipulated time. Failing to adhere the administrative legislative can attract the legal complications.
• Archive data to reduce volume. Since Salesforce solution limits storage usage based on the number of user licenses, if the company is storage constrained, the admins require to delete old records in order to create the new items. In the absence of CRM backup to CSV, Excel or cloud, it is challenging to decide what information should be deleted and what shouldn’t be touched.
• Replicate to the database. Salesforce includes some restrictions to the number of reports that can be run in the business in a stipulated period of time, the companies often prefer to move information to an alternative database to get an opportunity to run more reports. Backed-up data could be restored to the on-premise database that can be exploited for data warehouse and business intelligence.
• Obtain various point-in-time data copies. Having multiple checkpoints of information helps both production and sandbox standpoints so that they can be compared to eхplore the anomaly and prepare a fallback plan.  

As you can see, a need for CRM data protection is essential in your business strategy. It reinforces the fact that backing up CRM information is not an option but a requirement for your business. The old proverb says: “A stitch in time saves nine.”

CRM Backup to CSV, Excel or Cloud: Best Practices

Once you have added the customer information to your CRM platform, it is recommended to sort out your backup plan to avoid losing the critical records and the time spent entering it. Consider the following suggestions on your CRM backup plan rolling out:

1. Multiple backup locations. Keep your CRM backups in the several locations and spread throughout the country or world. In this case, if the natural disaster occurs in one area, your backups will be safe and secure in another. With this configuration, it may take longer to create all of your backups or get your systems up and running when you need to restore a remote backup, but you’ll be thankful to have access to your data at that moment.

3. Test your backups. Your backup solution, but how it will help you in the disaster situation? Try to create a regular testing a regular testing schedule for your backups to confirm the backups are saved, the right information is contained within the backup and the restore capabilities work in the right way. In this case, you will not only assure the quality of your backup but also improve your experience running the backups that will simplify going through the process during the stressful situation.
4. Schedule the backups. Have you ever thought to set up the CRM backup to CSV, Excel or cloud and then forget to create another for a year or so? The issue with it is when you need a backup, you might find out the only one you have is outdated. Some of CRM platforms offer a possibility to run the automated backups to prevent these problems. In this case, you can be confident to have a fresh backup.

Recap

So when choosing SaaS CRM software, consider features like scalability, integration with other tools, customization options, user interface, and pricing models to find a solution that meets the unique needs and goals of your business. It is obvious that no one wants to deal with CRM data loss or corruption, but obtaining a solid backup plan makes it a bump in the road instead of disaster.

So, don’t wait until it’s too late, use the above-mentioned information and run your CRM backup to CSV, Excel or cloud today.

Note, in case you want to import your CRM, take advantage of automated migration service Trujay and transfer the records to the desired solution hassle-free and save. Try a free demo right now!