Want to look at how data has changed over time? Simply enable history mode, a Fivetran feature that data analysts can turn on for specific tables to analyze historical data. The feature achieves Type 2 Slowly Changing Dimensions (Type 2 SCD), meaning a new timestamped row is added for every change made to a column.

We launched history mode for Salesforce in May and have been delighted with the response. Our customers have consistently commented on how easy it is to turn the feature on and begin conducting analysis using historical data.

How Fivetran customers use history mode

Here are some of the history mode use cases our customers have shared with us.

Retain history of systems of record

Data can be accidentally overwritten, so it's important to keep a record of the states of entities over time. With history mode, you’re no longer at risk of being blind to data changes and can quickly and easily attain historical analysis.

Track account growth over time

A Fivetran customer uses history to track changes to subscription plans and usage over time. Without history mode it would be impossible to know whether an account is growing or reducing usage. Our own internal Fivetran analysts use history mode for a similar reason: to track changes to platform usage over time.

Understand the history of bookings and cancellations

A customer in the travel industry uses Salesforce to track its bookings. Before utilizing history, the business had no record of an original booking if it was canceled. This gap in data became apparent during the onset of COVID, when many people were canceling travel plans. Now, the business has a full history of bookings and cancellations. The BI manager at the company shares:

History mode was the defining reason we went with Fivetran. I’ve spent ten years designing data warehouses, so it was something I felt really strongly about for our business. To have this turnkey solution for a historical data set is just phenomenal.

Analyze the impact of a subscription change

If features are added or SKUs are changed, the business can directly observe revenue changes.

Track customer success, alliances and other employee influence on revenue

A customer uses history to track the effect of its customer success team on upsells. The company offers a baseline solution for free and tracks the impact that the employees have on subscription and feature upsells.

Ready to learn more?

We have a number of resources available to learn more about history mode:

• Watch the recording of our Getting Started With Salesforce History Mode webinar
• Review our history mode documentation
• Learn how Fivetran history mode compares to alternative solutions
• Use our free 14-day trial to sync your Salesforce data, enable history mode and get a sense of the impact on monthly active rows for your use case

If you have an interesting history mode use case you’d like to share with us, please drop us a line at sales@fivetran.com. We would love to hear from you!