Multiple CRM sync to one Marketo Instance

[Monica_Koran]

We have a Marketo instance in which we originally built a custom api sync to pass data into Marketo 6yrs ago.  Our client has decided to transition to salesforce in in the next couple months.  A majority of our data will be passed via the SFDC/Marketo Sync.  However, we do still need to retrieve some data from our orginal CRM.  

Can we connect SFDC and a CRM to Marketo?

Are there any recommendations to on what we can match on? (ex. email address, custom ID, salesforce ID etc.)

[SanfordWhiteman · Accepted solution]

A couple of months is aggressive if they're just starting to think about how the 3-way sync will work.

And it's not that it can't work: though nobody would aim for this kind of setup given a choice, there's nothing technically unsupported about it. The Marketo db still looks like a Marketo db to both API consumers. Of course (to name just one danger zone) if the custom integration mass-updates Marketo, then those updates flow to SFDC, potentially causing stress on API limits. On the other hand, this isn't explicitly a problem if it's what you want.

As for a dedupe key, I'd have to know more -- a lot more -- about how this custom integ'n works now. If it uses Lead ID, why wouldn't it continue to do so? Does it attempt to use a custom field as a compound key? Perhaps most important: is there a technical person coordinating this effort with both sides? This isn't something a non-developer-friendly person can shepherd through.

[Josh_Hill13]

Agreed.

Need a very clear process chart and an understanding of which fields map, can be overwritten, etc. There are several dozen threads on this site about this kind of situation. I believe there is even a presentation in the past couple of years on how to manage it.

CRM > Marketo > SFDC