If you’ve been working with Salesforce Industries (back in the day, we called it Vlocity), you already know how powerful OmniStudio is. It’s hard to beat OmniScripts and FlexCards when you need to build dynamic UIs fast. But lately, we’ve all been staring down the barrel of a major architectural shift: the transition from the old Custom Data Model (the Managed Package) to the native Standard Data Model (Standard Runtime).
Let’s be honest. Nobody wants to do a “big bang” migration. Ripping out and replacing every single OmniScript, FlexCard, Integration Procedure, and Data Mapper all at once is just asking for a broken org and a massive headache.
Thankfully, Salesforce realized this and gave us a lifeline: the OmniStudio Hybrid Approach.
If you are dreading the migration, here’s a breakdown of what the Hybrid approach actually is, why it’s a lifesaver, and how you actually use it day-to-day.
What Actually is the Hybrid Approach?
In simple terms, the Hybrid approach lets the old managed package runtime and the new standard runtime hang out in the same Salesforce org without breaking each other.
Instead of forcing you to migrate everything before you can use the new standard tools, you get to do a phased rollout. You can leave your complex, mission-critical legacy components chugging along in the managed package designer, while your developers start building new features using the standard designer.
Why You Should Care
- You migrate when you want to: There is no massive cutover weekend where everyone holds their breath. You move components over piece by piece as time and budget allow.
- It keeps the business running: By leaving your legacy stuff alone, you aren’t risking your live business processes just to upgrade the underlying architecture.
- You can use the new shiny stuff now: You don’t have to wait until your technical debt is fully cleared to start using standard runtime capabilities for new projects.
How to Actually Build Hybrid Components
When you are in an org that has the Hybrid model turned on, the system doesn’t just guess what you want to do. You have to explicitly tell Salesforce which designer Standard or Managed Package you want to use for a specific component.
It’s actually pretty straightforward. According to the official documentation (and my own trial and error), it all comes down to a single checkbox: Managed Using Standard Designer.
Here is how you do it:
- Go to the App Launcher: Log in, hit the App Launcher, and pull up whatever you’re building (e.g., Omnistudio Flexcards, Omnistudio Omniscripts, etc.).
- Start a New Component: Click to create a new component. In the setup box that pops up, look for a checkbox that says Managed Using Standard Designer.
- Check the Box: Select it. This is the magic step. By checking this box, you are telling the org, “Hey, build this one using the native standard designer, not the old managed package.”
- Keep Track of Your Stuff: When you go back to your list views, you’ll want to see at a glance what is old and what is new. Find your component in the list view and look for the Managed Using Standard Designer column. If it’s checked, you’re good to go.
How to migrate managed package components to standard runtime components in Hybrid enabled sandbox
- Use the Omnistudio Migration Assistant tool: Use this tool in another environment to convert the managed package components to the standard runtime components.
- Push the converted components to Hybrid enabled sandbox : Once you the components converted push them to the hybrid enabled sandbox via SFDX.
- Validate and deploy : Validate the components in the hybrid enabled sandbox and test if its compatible with the other core components as well as managed package components in the org. Once validated, push them along the pipeline.
The Takeaway
The OmniStudio Hybrid approach is honestly one of the better architectural decisions Salesforce has made for developers working in the Industries space. Being able to run both data models side-by-side takes the panic out of the migration.
If your org is still heavy on the managed package, make it a rule for your dev team starting today: every new build needs to have that Managed Using Standard Designer box checked and migrate the existing one using Omnistudio Migration tool in a phased manner. It’s the easiest way to start chipping away at the migration without breaking a sweat.
