Classic to Lightning: Unlocking the Benefits of Salesforce’s Next-Gen UI

Salesforce Service Cloud CRM

A powerful CRM platform like Salesforce has become an absolute necessity for businesses to thrive in an essentially hostile and fiercely competitive marketplace. This Cloud-based solution has emerged as a savior for organizations all around the world to transform their workflows and deliver an enhanced customer experience. It mainly comes in two different editions or versions namely, Salesforce Classic and Salesforce Lightning.

Table of Contents

Salesforce Classic is the first and older version, on the contrary, Salesforce Lightning is the most recent and advanced version that includes various innovative functionalities that aren’t present in ‘Classic.’ The older version now appears obsolete for several reasons including outdated user interface (UI), emphasis on text, absence of high-quality graphics, and vast amounts of empty space.

Salesforce Lightning Experience (LEX) is a leap ahead of its previous version with a more advanced and intuitive component-based framework, which is one of the major reasons why Salesforce phased out Classic. Salesforce Classic to Lightning migration, therefore, becomes a necessity for businesses looking to accelerate their digital transformation initiatives.

Supercharge Business With Salesforce Lightning Experience

Migrating to Lightning, the next-generation user interface and development platform of Salesforce offers numerous compelling benefits to organizations. Some of these are listed here:

  • Modern and Intuitive User Interface

Compared to Classic Salesforce, Lightning provides an updated, modernized, and responsive user interface that offers a more visually appealing and streamlined experience. It incorporates features such as customizable dashboards, interactive charts, and drag-and-drop functionality, making it easier for users to navigate, collaborate, and complete tasks. The LEX interface not only got better but is also dynamic and flexible.

  • Mobile-optimized Design

Designed with mobile devices in mind, Lightning Experience offers a responsive and optimized experience across different screen sizes including desktops, tablets, and mobiles. This feature allows users to access and interact with Salesforce data and leverage tools seamlessly on their mobile devices, enabling them to stay productive while on the go.

  • Lightning AppExchange

The Salesforce AppExchange is a dedicated marketplace that offers a plethora of Lightning-ready apps and components; thereby extending the functionality of the Lightning platform. Opting for Salesforce Lightning migration enables enterprises to leverage the growing ecosystem of Lightning-compatible apps to enhance and make the most of their Salesforce implementations with additional features and integrations.

  • Seamless Integration with Salesforce Lightning Platform

Migrating to the modern version opens multiple opportunities for businesses to leverage the broader capabilities of the Salesforce Lightning Platform. You can leverage tools and functionalities including Lightning App Builder, Lightning Flow, and Lightning Data Service to build custom applications, automate business processes, and integrate with external systems. Lightning App Builder also helps you reduce or eliminate costs on custom application development and lets business users (non-developers) build their applications.

  • High Degree of Customization and Greater Flexibility

In contrast to the Classic Salesforce UI, Lightning provides a more flexible and customizable platform. It includes features such as Lightning Flow and Lightning Components Framework. Organizations can leverage these exceptional tools to create tailored and dynamic user interfaces, automate complex business processes, streamline workflows, and build custom Lightning components to meet their specific business requirements.

  • Improved Reporting and Predictive Analytics

Salesforce Lightning Experience provides improved reporting and analytics capabilities such as customizable dashboards, enhanced report charts, and real-time data visualization with Salesforce AI-Einstein Analytics. These features empower users to gain granular insights into their data and make better choices and informed decisions more effectively.

  • Maximized Productivity and Efficiency

One of the main aims of businesses is to maximize their productivity and efficiency. Addressing the same, Salesforce Lightning introduces a range of productivity-enhancing features and tools that can help users work more efficiently. These include customizable page layouts, charts, dashboards, Kanban View boards, Lightning App Builder, and improved list views. This platform also offers Lightning Experience-specific features like Einstein Analytics, which provides advanced analytics and data visualization capabilities to facilitate informed decision-making.

  • Future-proofing and Support

As a customer-centric organization, Salesforce strives to elevate the experience for its users. Salesforce releases new features and innovations at regular intervals to meet unique needs and cater to the demands of its clients. By migrating to Lightning, organizations ensure that they stay aligned with Salesforce’s product roadmap and future enhancements, receiving continued support and access to new features and functionalities.

Summing Up

While migrating to Lightning offers numerous benefits, organizations should carefully plan and consider factors like user adoption, data migration, and customization needs to ensure a smooth transition. It is advised to engage in Salesforce migration services as professionals help them in performing a thorough evaluation of business-specific requirements and assess their readiness before embarking on the migration journey. This way, the transition becomes smoother and hassle-free with minimal business disruption and downtime.

FAQ

Q: What is the “Classic to Lightning” transition in Salesforce?

A: The “Classic to Lightning” transition refers to migrating from Salesforce’s classic user interface (UI) to its next-generation UI called “Lightning Experience.” It involves adopting a more modern and intuitive interface that enhances user productivity, provides better customization options, and offers advanced features to improve overall user experience.

Q: What are the key benefits of transitioning from Classic to Lightning?

A: Transitioning from Classic to Lightning offers several benefits, including:

1. Enhanced User Experience: Lightning Experience provides a more intuitive and visually appealing interface, streamlining navigation and improving user engagement.
2. Productivity Boost: Lightning offers customizable dashboards, improved search functionality, and automation tools that help users work more efficiently.
3. Mobile-First Approach: Lightning is optimized for mobile devices, enabling users to access and update Salesforce data.
4. Customization Capabilities: Lightning allows for easier customization through drag-and-drop components, making it simpler to tailor the UI to specific business needs.
5. Advanced Analytics: Lightning offers enhanced reporting and analytics tools, providing deeper insights into sales, marketing, and customer data.

Q: Is transitioning to Lightning a complex process?

A: While transitioning to Lightning may require planning and effort, Salesforce provides tools and resources to facilitate a smooth migration. A successful transition involves evaluating your existing processes, customizations, and integrations and designing a migration plan considering user training, data migration, and any required adjustments to ensure a seamless switch.

Q: How does the “Classic to Lightning” transition impact existing customizations?

A: Customizations in the classic UI will need to be evaluated and, in some cases, recreated or adapted for the Lightning Experience. Salesforce offers tools to help assess the impact of the transition on your customizations and guides on migrating them to Lightning components. The goal is to retain or enhance the functionality while leveraging the new capabilities of Lightning.

Q: What considerations should businesses keep in mind when planning the transition?

A: Businesses planning to transition from Classic to Lightning should consider the following:

1. User Training: Provide comprehensive training to users to ensure a smooth transition and maximize the new UI’s benefits.
2. Data Migration: Plan for migrating data seamlessly to the new interface, ensuring data integrity and accuracy.
3. Integration Testing: Test third-party integrations and custom apps to ensure they work seamlessly with the Lightning Experience.
4. Change Management: Communicate the benefits of the transition to users and involve them in the process to build support and ease adoption.
5. Partner Support: If needed, engage Salesforce consultants or partners specializing in lightning migrations to effectively guide you through the process.

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Alok Khandelwal

Alok Khandelwal

Alok heads Damco’s Salesforce Practice and has over a decade of rich experience in setting up practice teams, designing enterprise scale products/ solutions, and sustained business growth of Business Units. Alok is a seasoned IT professional with a proven track record of successfully starting and driving several Salesforce partners programs and technology teams to deliver value across the Salesforce ecosystem.