Salesforce Data Archiving vs. Deletion

When a global e-com leader approached us at DataArchiva, they were at a crossroads: should they archive their vast volumes of Salesforce data or delete them based on relevance? Either way, they could have saved storage space in Salesforce! For them, the decision weighed heavily on the growing data management concerns and data retention policies. They sought clarity, and we provided it. They went with conditional archiving with DataArchiva to preserve compliance data from the growth objects, avoiding deletion risks.

This scenario isn’t unique—many organizations are facing the same dilemma.

Studies show that 70% of businesses struggle with data management inefficiencies, which directly impact their ROI. Additionally, 80% of high-growth enterprises prioritize data security and compliance where data archiving plays a significant role. In this blog, we’ll dive into the nuances of choosing between data archiving and deletion in Salesforce, discussing the advantages of each approach, the potential risks, and how to make the best decision for your business.

The Power of Archiving Over Deletion

Deleting data might seem like a quick fix for storage issues, but it comes with significant risks, particularly concerning compliance and future audits. On the other hand, archiving ensures that valuable data remains accessible, secure, and compliant with industry regulations. It reduces the risk of accidental data loss and supports ongoing analytics, forecasting, and reporting needs.

For enterprises, especially those leveraging Salesforce, data archiving is not just about freeing up space; it’s about safeguarding historical records that could be vital for future decision-making. With DataArchiva, the archiving process is seamless, allowing businesses to store historical data in cost-effective external platforms like Azure or AWS while retaining full access within Salesforce.

Compare Salesforce Data Archiving and Deletion priorities in the table below:

Aspect

Data Deletion

Data Archiving

Purpose

Permanently removes data to free up storage and eliminate liability.

Data Availability

Data is completely erased and cannot be retrieved.

Data is preserved and can be accessed when needed, though it’s not active in the primary system.

Risk Management

Eliminates data, reducing the risk of breaches but may lose important historical records.

Minimizes storage in active systems, reducing risk but retaining data for compliance or reference.

Cost Efficiency

Saves on storage costs by eliminating data but may lose valuable information.

Lower costs compared to maintaining data in primary storage, especially with external cloud options.

Regulatory Compliance

Ensures compliance by removing outdated or unnecessary data.

Helps meet compliance requirements for data retention, e.g., for legal or regulatory purposes.

Scalability

Not applicable—data is deleted, and no further management is required

Highly scalable—new data can be archived continually without affecting system performance.

Performance Impact

Improves system performance by reducing the data load.

Frees up primary system resources, improving performance, while still keeping older data accessible.

Data Security

Once deleted, data cannot be compromised, but accidental deletion poses risks.

Archived data is often encrypted and stored in secure, offsite locations, reducing access but protecting against breaches.

Legal & Compliance Needs

May cause issues if data is deleted prematurely, violating retention policies.

Retains data for the required period to comply with legal or regulatory requirements (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA).

DataArchiva has archived data for over a hundred customers, to save 250+ TB of data storage, expanding Salesforce’s capacity. Ready to explore the benefits of archiving over deletion? Contact DataArchiva today!

The Complexities of Data Deletion in Salesforce

Salesforce provides native applications such as Data Export, Data Loader, Mass Delete, and other apps to cope with data growth challenges. However, data deletion is a process that demands meticulous attention. Complex object relationships within Salesforce can lead to issues like missing child records or broken object links, potentially disrupting data integrity across your organization. The deletion of interrelated objects can also result in cascading data loss, which may not be immediately apparent but could have long-term consequences.

Given these risks, deletion should only be performed when necessary, and with extreme caution. Every step must be monitored to ensure only the intended data is removed and the system remains functional and compliant with organizational needs.

If you are relying on an annual spring clean for your Salesforce storage data, you cannot blame sluggish returns on your Salesforce investment. With data volumes doubling every two years, system performance can deteriorate rapidly. For example, just a few minutes of Salesforce downtime can lead to significant revenue loss—up to $8,000 per minute for some businesses. Implementing automation, such as scheduled archives, is crucial for regularly managing and optimizing your data. DataArchiva simplifies Salesforce data management, ensuring your sales reps can focus on their work without being hindered by slow record loads or getting stressed about missed opportunities.

Explaining When & Whys to Archive & Delete Data in Salesforce

The decision to archive or delete data in Salesforce hinges on the specific needs of your enterprise. Here’s a quick guide on best practices of Salesforce data archiving:

Aspect

Data Deletion

Data Archiving

Purpose

Preserve data for future reference or compliance.

Permanently remove data from the system.

Data Retention

Data is retained and can be restored if needed.

Data is permanently removed and cannot be restored.

Impact on Storage

Frees up active storage space while keeping data available.

Frees up storage space by permanently removing data.

Access

Archived data remains accessible but not in daily use.

Deleted data is no longer accessible.

Compliance

Supports compliance requirements for data retention.

May be used to comply with data deletion policies.

Cost Implications

May incur costs related to storage and management.

Reduces storage costs as data is permanently removed.

Need help to decide between archive or deletion? Reach out to our experts at DataArchiva for a personalized consultation at [email protected]

DataArchiva: Your Trusted Partner in Archiving Salesforce Data

DataArchiva takes the complexity out of Salesforce data archiving, providing a smooth, secure, and compliant solution. With our platform, you can confidently archive your Salesforce data to a cloud-native BigObjects storage or leverage external clouds like GCP, Heroku, or Azure, ensuring endless storage options without compromising data integrity or security. The following are the top reasons to retain records data as archives if you cannot delete it from Salesforce.

Unlimited Storage Flexibility: DataArchiva offers scalable storage solutions that grow with your needs. It seamlessly integrates with external clouds and provides customers endless access to their databases to retain Salesforce data as archives.
Comprehensive Archiving Capabilities: Archive any Salesforce object—custom, standard, third-party app data, or integrated system data—ensuring a complete solution for data management.
Targeted Archives: Targeted archives or policy-based archives are where you can only configure your growth objects with data archive for archives so that you do not have to delete data when it grows.
Secure Data Movement: Prevents any external platform exposure keeping your Salesforce archive safe when you are moving data outside Salesforce
Data Purging Options: DataArchiva allows users to permanently delete archived data from the system upon any user request to meet compliance requirements
Archived Data Visibility: Prevents data from getting cold by enabling archived data view & restore options, right from Salesforce.

Whether you are in manufacturing, finance, healthcare, or any other industry, DataArchiva makes data archiving hassle-free, enabling you to focus on business growth, so that you do not have to worry about running out of data storage limits in Salesforce.

Want to try DataArchiva in Salesforce for free? Get your free trial now!

Conclusion

Deciding between Salesforce data archiving and deletion is crucial for effective data management. As tempting as deletion may seem, archiving offers a more strategic approach, preserving valuable data and ensuring compliance without compromising system performance. DataArchiva is a powerful archiving solution for Salesforce, enabling seamless integration, unlimited storage, and comprehensive data management. To learn about data archiving strategies for Salesforce, watch us explain how industries have evolved with the data management capabilities of DataArchiva beyond archival.

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