Configuring the Account Hierarchy Policy in Salesforce

Field Creation

The fields that are required for implementation will depend on the data provider and the exceptions required.

For example, D&B provides 3 levels of parents:

• Parent

• Domestic Parent

• Ultimate Parent

Zoominfo only provides the Parent and Ultimate Parent.

Parent Override

A checkbox field. When this box is ticked, the policy will not change the current parent. This includes scenarios where the parent field is to remain null.

Primary Parent Key

This formula field determines the appropriate parent ID for a record, considering exceptions and an override option. In most cases, it will use the parent ID provided by the third-party data source (Parent DUNS). However, if the “Override” checkbox is selected, the field will instead use the DUNS number of the current parent. This allows for flexibility when the standard parent assignment needs to be adjusted. Additionally, if a record has no parent, the field will display “Do not parent” to prevent potential key-matching issues. This approach ensures that the parent ID is accurately reflected based on various scenarios and user choices.

Primary Child Key

Points to the third-party data provider's company ID. In D&B this would be the DUNS number.

Secondary Parent Key

The same logic used in the primary parent key should be used here. The only difference is that it points to the third-party data provider's domestic parent ID. In D&B this would be the Domestic Parent DUNS number.

Secondary Child Key

Points to the third-party data provider's company ID. In D&B this would be the DUNS number

Tertiary Parent Key

The same logic used in the primary parent key should be used here. The only difference is that it points to the third-party data provider's ultimate parent ID. In D&B this would be the Ultimate Parent DUNS number.

Tertiary Child Key

Points to the third-party data provider's company ID. In D&B this would be the DUNS number.

Information:

Secondary and tertiary keys are not required as they are backup to not finding a parent with the primary keys. For example, if the third-party data provider is ZoomInfo, then only primary and secondary keys will be used as they do not have a domestic parent ID.

Flow

This Salesforce Flow automatically updates the Account Hierarchy whenever changes are made to an Account record. It is designed to react specifically to updates from a third-party data provider, using fields like the parent ID to trigger the flow and initiate the necessary changes to the account hierarchy. Additionally, the flow considers a custom domain key, ensuring that any modifications to this key also trigger an update. This flow acts as a listener, monitoring specific fields and a custom key on the Account object. When it detects changes from the third-party provider or in the custom domain key, it activates the Account Hierarchy Policy to ensure the relationships between accounts are accurately maintained and reflect the most current information.

Calling into the flow requires that an Apex Action is added to the flow. When adding the Action, search for Policy Handler.

After adding the action, it should be configured as below. InputVal1, 2, and 3 should be the prior values of the child keys. This allows the policy to find all the relevant corporate family members and rebuild the hierarchy from scratch.

Configuring Custom Metadata

The Account Hierarchy Policy will also stamp a value (1, 2, or 3) in a field of choice. This field identifies which link was used. For example, if the parent was used, then a 1 would be stamped into the field. If the Ultimate parent was found, then a 3 would be stamped. Below are the instructions for configuring the field.

1. Go to Setup in Salesforce and search for Custom Metadata in the quick find.

2. Find the Custom Metadata record called Fullcast Policy Setting and select Manage Records.

3. Find the field Account Hierarchy Link Field Name and select edit.

4. In the Field Value box enter the API name of the field where the link number will be stamped when the hierarchy policy runs.

Sample Field Examples

Configuring the Account Family Policy

Place the appropriate keys in order of priority in each of the dropdowns. If a simulation needs to be run, select the simulation checkbox and select the fields in which the policy is to stamp the parent and ultimate parent.