Migrate from Centerbase to Salesforce Sales Cloud

Centerbase clients map directly to Salesforce Accounts. Organization name, address, phone, and industry translate 1:1. Parent-client hierarchies in Centerbase map to Account.ParentId. Centerbase contacts associated with a client link to the Account via AccountId on the Contact record. We also preserve the original client ID as a custom field for reference and duplicate detection.

Centerbase matters translate to Salesforce Opportunities using the Matter Name as Opportunity Name, Matter Number preserved as a custom field (Matter_Number__c). Matter status (active/archived) maps to Opportunity.IsWon or a custom status field. Responsible attorney maps via email match to Salesforce OwnerId. If matter type needs scoping (litigation vs. transactional), RecordTypeId assignment requires pre-configuration.

Centerbase matter types (litigation, transactional, corporate, etc.) have no direct Salesforce equivalent. We recommend pre-creating Record Types on the Opportunity object — one per matter type — so that stage pick-lists, page layouts, and assignment rules can be scoped per matter type. Without Record Types, all matters land in one pipeline with mixed stage values.

Centerbase bills and invoices have no Salesforce CRM equivalent. We migrate invoice amounts, due dates, and LEDES billing codes as custom fields on the Opportunity record (e.g., Billed_Amount__c, Invoice_Date__c, LEDES_Code__c). Full legal billing (AR, trust, LEDES 1998B export) requires Salesforce Revenue Cloud or a third-party legal billing app post-migration.

Centerbase time entries carry hours, rates, billable flag, and description. Salesforce has no native attorney time-tracking object. We migrate time entries as a custom Time_Entry__c object with lookup to Opportunity, storing hours, rate, and billable status. Alternatively, billable hours migrate as custom fields on the Opportunity (Billable_Hours__c, Billable_Amount__c) for a lighter-weight mapping.

Centerbase expenses (disbursements tied to matters) map to custom fields on the Opportunity: Expense_Amount__c, Expense_Category__c, and Expense_Date__c. For firms with heavy expense volume, a custom Expense object with a lookup to Opportunity provides better reporting scalability. We recommend indexing the custom fields to improve list view performance when querying large datasets.

Centerbase contacts map directly to Salesforce Contacts. First name, last name, email, phone, job title, and address fields translate 1:1. Contacts without a primary client in Centerbase attach to a default placeholder Account or remain unassigned pending owner review. We also map the original contact ID to a custom field for future reconciliation.

Centerbase activities map to Salesforce Tasks (calls and emails) and Events (meetings). Original timestamps, activity type, and subject line are preserved. Parent record links (contact or matter) are resolved via email match and OpportunityId lookup during migration. All activity records retain the original creator's ID to maintain audit trails.

Centerbase documents attached to matters re-upload as Salesforce Files with ContentDocument and ContentVersion records linked to the Opportunity. File size limits (Salesforce default 25MB per file) are enforced during migration. Inline images in notes are downloaded and rehosted in Salesforce.

Centerbase custom fields on any object (client, matter, contact) require pre-creation in Salesforce as custom fields with __c suffix. Field type mapping is done before migration: text → Text(255), picklist → Picklist, date → Date, number → Number. Validation rules defined in Centerbase do not transfer and must be reviewed for re-creation in Salesforce validation rules.

Centerbase workflows, automated workflow triggers, and advanced automated workflow rules have no Salesforce equivalent at the data layer. Automation logic must be rebuilt in Salesforce Flow, Process Builder, or Apex triggers post-migration. We export your workflow definitions as a structured reference document for your Salesforce admin to use during the rebuild phase.

Centerbase users and attorneys are resolved by email match against Salesforce users. Unmatched attorneys are flagged before migration — either invite them to Salesforce first or reassign their records to a fallback owner. Role and permission sets defined in Centerbase do not transfer and must be reconfigured in Salesforce profiles.