Using Black Diamond Automated Bulk Sync

Overview

The Black Diamond Automated Bulk Sync capability allows technical teams to synchronize large volumes of records from Practifi to Black Diamond without manual intervention. This backend automation feature is specifically designed for scenarios requiring high-volume data transfers, such as onboarding new advisory teams, migrating client books of business, or establishing scheduled synchronization routines. This article explains how the automated bulk sync works, when to use it, and how to implement it through Apex code or Salesforce Flow automation.

Please note: This feature is intended for technical users with Salesforce development experience, including administrators who build custom automation and implementation partners managing data migrations. If you need assistance implementing automated bulk sync, please contact your Client Success Manager or the Practifi Support Team.

• Understanding Automated Bulk Sync
• When to Use Automated Bulk Sync
• How Automated Bulk Sync Works
• Implementing Bulk Sync with Apex
• Invoking the Flow from Other Salesforce Flows
• Using the Flow in Batch or Scheduled Operations
• Monitoring Sync Operations
• Limitations and Considerations

Understanding Automated Bulk Sync

Automated bulk sync extends your Black Diamond integration capabilities beyond the standard user-initiated sync process. While the standard Send to Black Diamond flow requires users to manually sync records one at a time through the Practifi interface, automated bulk sync operates entirely in the background and can be triggered programmatically to process hundreds of records without user intervention.

This automation is built on the same trusted integration logic that powers the standard Black Diamond sync, ensuring consistent data mapping, record creation, and External System Item management. The key difference is the removal of all screen components, allowing the sync process to be invoked from automations like triggers, asynchronous jobs, or custom services.

What automated bulk sync accomplishes:

• Creates or updates records in Black Diamond using your existing integration configuration
• Generates External System Item records to track the relationship between Practifi and Black Diamond records
• Stores Black Diamond IDs automatically for future reference and updates
• Processes records individually to respect Black Diamond API constraints
• Operates silently in the background without requiring user interaction

When to Use Automated Bulk Sync

Automated bulk sync is valuable when your firm needs to synchronize large numbers of records efficiently without manual effort. Understanding when to use this capability versus the standard sync interface helps you choose the right approach for each situation.

Ideal use cases for automated bulk sync:

Large-scale onboarding and migrations: When bringing new advisory teams into your firm or migrating client books of business, you often need to sync hundreds of client records to Black Diamond. Automated bulk sync lets you process these records programmatically, saving hours of manual work and ensuring consistent execution across all records.

Scheduled synchronization routines: Some firms need to sync records to Black Diamond on a regular schedule, such as nightly synchronization of new clients or weekly updates to account information. Automated bulk sync integrates with Salesforce scheduled jobs to run these synchronizations automatically.

Custom workflow integration: When your firm has built custom automation workflows that create or update records, automated bulk sync can be incorporated directly into those workflows. For example, after a custom approval process completes, you can automatically sync the approved records to Black Diamond without requiring users to take additional action.

When to use the standard sync interface instead:

• Individual record synchronization initiated by users during normal workflow
• Ad hoc synchronization where users need immediate visual confirmation
• Situations where users need to review records before synchronization
• Small-volume synchronization (fewer than 10 records)

Please note: Automated bulk sync requires technical expertise to implement. Users without Salesforce development experience should work with their technical team or implementation partner to set up bulk synchronization routines.

How Automated Bulk Sync Works

Understanding the technical mechanics of automated bulk sync helps you implement it effectively and troubleshoot any issues that arise. The automated bulk sync capability is delivered as a screenless, auto-launched Salesforce Flow that your custom automation invokes programmatically.

Flow architecture:

Flow type: Auto-launched (screenless) flow with no user interface components

API name: The flow interview class is Flow.Interview.practifi.Practifi_Integration_Black_Diamond_Send_Client_Auto

Package location: The flow is packaged with the Black Diamond integration to access the same backend Apex logic used by the standard Send to Black Diamond flow

Input variables:

Variable Name	Description
recordId (required)	The 18-character Salesforce record ID of the record to sync to Black Diamond. The flow processes one record per invocation.

Processing behavior:

When you invoke the automated bulk sync flow, it executes the following sequence for each record:

1. Retrieves the specified record from Practifi using the provided recordId.
2. Applies your configured Black Diamond integration data mapping to prepare the record for synchronization.
3. Creates or updates the corresponding record in Black Diamond through the API.
4. Creates an External System Item record in Practifi to track the relationship between the Practifi record and the Black Diamond record.
5. Stores the Black Diamond ID in the External System Item object for future reference and updates.
6. Completes processing without generating any on-screen confirmation, as this is a background operation.

Please note: The automated bulk sync flow uses identical business logic to the standard Send to Black Diamond flow, ensuring consistent data mapping, record creation behavior, and External System Item handling. Only the user interface components have been removed to support automation.

Implementing Bulk Sync with Apex

Apex provides the most flexible approach for implementing automated bulk sync, allowing you to build custom synchronization logic, integrate with scheduled jobs, or incorporate sync operations into existing custom code. This section demonstrates how to invoke the automated bulk sync flow from Apex code.

Basic Apex invocation pattern:

To sync a single record, use the following Apex code pattern:

Map<String, Object> inputs = new Map<String, Object>{
    'recordId' => '001Bo00000Yk1ViIAJ'
};

Flow.Interview.practifi.Practifi_Integration_Black_Diamond_Send_Client_Auto flow =
    new Flow.Interview.practifi.Practifi_Integration_Black_Diamond_Send_Client_Auto(inputs);

flow.start();

Key implementation details:

• Replace the example recordId value (001Bo00000Yk1ViIAJ) with the actual 18-character Salesforce ID of the record you want to sync
• The map key must be exactly recordId (case-sensitive) to match the flow's input variable name
• The flow.start() method executes the sync operation immediately
• This pattern can be used inside triggers, asynchronous jobs, scheduled Apex classes, or custom services

For bulk operations, loop over a collection of record IDs and invoke the flow once per record.

Invoking the Flow from Other Salesforce Flows

The screenless flow can be called from other flows:

1. In your orchestrating flow, add an element to call another flow (e.g., Subflow).
2. Select the screenless Send to Black Diamond flow.
3. Map an appropriate record ID to the recordId input variable.

For bulk operations:

1. Use a Loop element to iterate over a collection of records.
2. Call the screenless flow once per record within that loop.

Please note: The Black Diamond API does not support bulk operations. Automation must call the flow individually for each record.

Using the Flow in Batch or Scheduled Operations

The screenless flow supports batch-style or scheduled jobs by:

• Querying the set of records that need syncing
• Iterating through that set
• Invoking the flow per record, as shown in the Apex example

Examples:

• Scheduled Apex or asynchronous processes that regularly sync records to Black Diamond
• One-off migration scripts processing large backlogs of records

Ensure your batch or asynchronous processes respect Salesforce governor limits and Black Diamond API constraints.

Monitoring Sync Operations

Because automated bulk sync operates entirely in the background without user interface components, monitoring the success or failure of sync operations requires a different approach than the standard sync interface. Understanding how to verify sync status and investigate issues is essential for maintaining reliable integration workflows.

Primary monitoring tool - External System Item:

The External System Item object serves as your primary source of truth for sync status. Every successful synchronization creates or updates an External System Item record that connects the Practifi record to its corresponding Black Diamond record. Use this object to monitor sync operations by examining the following key indicators:

• Confirm whether Black Diamond records were successfully created/updated
• Identify records with Black Diamond IDs (successful syncs)
• Identify records without Black Diamond IDs or with error details (potential failures) 

Recommended monitoring practices:

• Query or report on the External System Item to verify sync status
• Use your existing Salesforce monitoring and logging practices to review integration-related errors
• Investigate failed or partially processed records

Records without Black Diamond IDs or with error details may require investigation and reprocessing. 

Limitations and Considerations

Understanding the limitations and constraints of automated bulk sync helps you design effective implementation strategies and set appropriate expectations for sync performance.

Individual record processing:

The Black Diamond API does not support bulk operations, meaning each record must be synchronized individually through a separate API call. While automated bulk sync can process hundreds of records without manual intervention, it cannot send multiple records in a single transaction. Design your automation to invoke the sync flow once per record, using loops or iterative patterns to process collections.

No user interface feedback:

All automated bulk sync operations occur entirely in the background with no on-screen prompts, confirmations, progress indicators, or error dialogs. This design enables automation but requires technical users to rely on External System Item data and Salesforce logs for verification. Implement appropriate monitoring and alerting to detect and promptly address sync failures.

Identical business logic to standard sync:

The automated bulk sync uses the exact same data mapping, record-creation logic, and External System Item handling as the standard Send to Black Diamond flow. The only difference is the removal of screen components. This ensures consistent behavior between manual and automated synchronization, but means that any configuration or data quality issues affecting the standard flow will also affect automated bulk sync.

Please note: Automated bulk sync is a powerful capability that requires careful implementation and ongoing monitoring. Organizations without in-house Salesforce development expertise should work with their implementation partner or Client Success Manager to design appropriate automation strategies and establish monitoring practices.