New SFDC Object for GDPR : Individual

[Dana_Nemec]

Has anyone looked into the functionality/Marketo integration potential of the new SFDC Object they are calling "Individual"?

Reference article:  https://medium.com/@Q9ELEMENTS/gdpr-compliance-and-salesforce-individual-object-...

Our company is trying to decide if we add new fields and process steps in SFDC to sync with the new fields we added in Marketo (Opt in date, Opt in source, etc)

Or if we could use this new object in SFDC.

Any thoughts on this yet?

Thanks!

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Dana,

I am pretty surprised that none had asked the question yet

I have. For the moment, this object is ignored by Marketo. I have not even been able to map it as a custom object, probably because the SFDC API version Marketo connector is using does not render it. This means you will not been able to read it from Marketo, and even less update it.

Vote here:

I would recommend that, with regards to GDPR, Marketo be your source of trust rather than SFDC. and this is because the activity log provides you with information such as IP addresses on form fill out and cannot be tempered with.

-Greg

[Veronica_Holme4]

Honestly at the moment I have to advise people using Salesforce and Marketo not to go down the road of the Individuals object. But it's quickly not cutting it. It has to be supported, and soon. But it definitely isn't right now.

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Veronica,

We have been investigating the Individual object form strictly a SFDC perspective and for the moment it's added value is almost zero. It cannot be populated even from a SFDC web-to-lead form and it has no impact whatsoever.

It's an interesting step towards the unicity of the person, which is one of SFDC bigger weakness with regards to Marketing*, but for the moment, it's really limited and SFDC doc about it simply says that it will evolve in the future. The only way it seems you can make use of it is if you are using Pardot. I am not even sure that SFDC API enables you to access it...

-Greg

* Remember the lead object conception is dated back the the end of the 90's and was created in a time where a lead was converted into an opportunity or deleted, never recycled, and in which the first and last touche campaign were usually the same (which is why SFDC standard attribution model is last touch).

[Veronica_Holme4]

I wasn't aware Pardot could use it, which is interesting information.

The real issue I'm having with it is that it is encouraging a whole wave of Salesforce consultants to now bring out keeping deliberate duplicates in Salesforce and uniting them through the "Individuals" object (which Marketo can't see) as a legitimate strategy, even though most of Salesforce's own processes, including Process Builder, won't even be able to access the object on first release. Over the next year or so though I think we're going to find a lot of businesses moving to a model that Marketo will struggle to support, because we all know how fun managing deliberate duplicates is in Marketo if you are doing any inbound marketing through forms... Best case future state is we are able to configure the Marketo sync to only look at the individuals object, not the lead or contact, if businesses go down this road. The sync has needed extra levels of flexibility for a looooong time.

[Grégoire_Miche2]

Hi Veronica,

Fully agreed on this. The big technical issue behind it is that Marketo only supports a very old version of the SFDC API (which also explains lots of limitations in other areas of the sync).

The way SFDC upgrade their API is that new objects are usually supported only with the newer versions of the API and never back ported to older versions.

So, in order for Marketo to support that new "individual" object, it would mean that 1/ SFDC releases a API version that supports it and 2/ that Marketo embraces that new version.

On another note, it would be a significant improvement for SFDC to move to a data model that enforces the unicity of the person (or individual) as they name it. Their model on this point has been created almost 20 years ago (really) and never evolved since, thus becoming quite unadapted to modern marketing and forcing marketers to many contortions to maintain a 360° vision of a person.

The sync has needed extra levels of flexibility for a looooong time.

I suppose you have read this: Marketo / salesforce integration needs a serious overhaul, don't you "sync"?​

-Greg

[Veronica_Holme4]

Ha, yes, I've read that post, liked it, wish I could marry it. As usual a very fine summary of all the pain many of us with the sync are going through.