Data Sync Bridge

Keep records synchronized between two or more systems. Handles create/update/delete propagation with conflict resolution. Essential for multi-system environments.

BPMN 2.0

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Visual Flow

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When to Use This Pattern

Use a data sync bridge when:

The same data exists in two or more systems (CRM + ERP, HR system + AD, etc.)
Changes in one system must be reflected in the other(s)
You can't replace either system with a single source of truth
Manual data entry across systems causes errors and delays

Important

Bidirectional sync is significantly more complex than one-way sync. Start with one-way unless you truly need changes flowing both directions.

How It Works

One-Way Sync (Simpler)

Source System  →  Detect Change  →  Transform  →  Target System
(Salesforce)      (trigger/poll)    (map fields)   (SharePoint)

Bidirectional Sync (Complex)

System A  ←→  Change Detection  ←→  Conflict Resolution  ←→  System B
              (both directions)      (who wins?)

Implementation Guide

Step 1: Map the Data Model

Source Field (Salesforce)	Target Field (SharePoint)	Transform
Account.Name	Company Title	Direct copy
Account.Phone	Phone Number	Format: +1 (xxx) xxx-xxxx
Account.Industry	Industry Dropdown	Map picklist values
Account.AnnualRevenue	Revenue	Convert USD string to number
Account.LastModifiedDate	Last Synced	Store for conflict detection

Step 2: Choose a Change Detection Strategy

Strategy	Pros	Cons
Event-driven (webhooks, triggers)	Real-time, efficient	Requires webhook support
Polling (check every N minutes)	Works with any system	Delay, more API calls
Change log (query audit logs)	Catches all changes	Not all systems expose logs
Timestamp comparison (last modified > last sync)	Simple to implement	Clock skew issues

Step 3: Handle Create / Update / Delete

For each detected change:

Change Type	Action in Target
New record	Create record with mapped fields
Updated record	Find matching record by sync ID, update changed fields only
Deleted record	Soft-delete (flag as inactive) or hard-delete based on policy
No match found	Log orphan warning, create new if appropriate

Step 4: Resolve Conflicts (Bidirectional Only)

When both systems change the same record:

Strategy	Rule	Best For
Last write wins	Most recent timestamp wins	Non-critical data
Source of truth	Designated system always wins	One system is authoritative
Field-level merge	Take each field from its most recent update	Complex but accurate
Human review	Flag conflict for manual resolution	Critical data

Step 5: Maintain a Sync Log

Track every sync operation:

Field	Purpose
Sync ID	Unique identifier for the sync pair
Source record ID	ID in source system
Target record ID	ID in target system
Last sync timestamp	When the records were last synced
Sync status	Success, failed, conflict
Error details	If failed, what went wrong

Tips & Best Practices

Warning

A common cause of sync failures is infinite loops: System A changes → syncs to B → B's change triggers sync back to A → repeat. Always mark synced changes so they're ignored on the return trip.

Use a sync marker field. Add a "SyncedBy" or "LastSyncSource" field to both systems. When your workflow updates a record, set this field to "workflow". When detecting changes, ignore records where SyncedBy = "workflow".
Start with one-way. Get one-way sync working reliably before attempting bidirectional.
Batch your syncs. Instead of syncing one record at a time, collect changes and sync in batches every 5-15 minutes. This is more efficient and easier to monitor.
Plan for backfill. You'll need an initial sync to populate the target system with all existing source records. Build this as a separate, one-time workflow.

Related patterns

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API Polling with Change Detection

Periodically check an external system for changes and trigger workflows when new or updated records are detected. The reliable alternative when webhooks aren't available.

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Event-Driven Webhook Handler

Receive real-time events from external systems via webhooks, validate them, and trigger the appropriate workflow response. The foundation of reactive automation.