Yes, it is true! Duplicate data is a problem while using salesforce.
We all know that organizations use CRM applications to make life easier for everyone working there. Salesforce is one of the best data storing applications used to increase productivity and efficiency.
This is true only when the information is stored correctly. To maintain the quality of data within the CRM the duplication needs to be removed.
This is where you find out that your data is in bad shape, to make it good for the organization you need to manage duplicate records. If you look into organizational data and find out it’s being repeated while working as a salesperson, this is sure that you will get frustrated.
Researchers show that duplicates are a big problem, about 83% of companies face this challenge of inaccuracy in data storage in cross-channel marketing.
So, how will you remove this redundancy? The process to eliminate excessive copies of records is known as data deduplication. Salesforce duplicate management is the solution to this problem.
WHY USING SALESFORCE DUPLICATE MANAGEMENT?
Duplicate Management is a functionality provided by Salesforce that looks into the concept of ensuring the accuracy of recorded information.
How will you identify if a record is duplicate? Every organization has different kinds of record duplicity. For example, accounts of two different organizations with the same name is a duplicate record, however, two contacts with the same name may not be a duplicate.
Salesforce gives you tools that work together to manage duplicates and track your progress in eliminating duplicates. This tool helps you detect and remove duplicate records with the combination of both rules Matching rules and Duplicate rules.
This concept is further divided into 2 parts, namely, Matching Rules and Duplicate Rules.
Matching Rules: allows the user to identify duplicate records. This consists of any combination of fields of user’s choice such as First Name + Last + Email Address. This comes with one for each standard object rules, one for leads, one for contacts, one for business accounts.
Duplicate Rules: this rule will come into action as soon as someone tries to create a duplicate record. The user is informed with an alert that they are trying to create a duplicate record or they are altogether blocked from editing the record. Therefore, this rule finds out what happens if a duplicate record is found using the matching rule. If you already have duplicate records then you should use a third element called Duplicate job.
Duplicate Job: Duplicate job is only available with unlimited edition This feature is brilliant in preventing any dupes happening in future, the Jobs functionality will track down the existing duplicate records in the org. The individual matching rules created will be worked and checked and put into a Duplicate Record Set. This set becomes groups of two or more records that meet the criteria and rule. The Record Sets will help further to run through it for “Compare and Merge.”
Steps to Deduplicating your Salesforce Org Data
This process of data Deduplicating has 5 different phases:
PHASE 1: Identification and Selection of Data.
The first phase is how to identify the data that will be deduplicated. This phase will help you analyze your data to find out where deduplication is happening. You will find out how this will impact your business, on that basis you will decide which strategy will be best for your business needs.
Then the selection process is used to find out a subset of data from a larger set that is expected to contain duplicated records. This selection criteria consist of checking on similar attributes (for e.g last name, first name, zip code) or records created within a specific time frame such as the last 30 days.
How To Focus on Data Requirements:
#1 Make a list of all the data objects while dividing it into two, standard or customized objects. Identify if you want to collect duplicates within-
-object (contact), across-objects (with leads) or both.
#2 Finding duplicate records on the basis of values of fields, for example,
if using contacts the fields are ‘First Name’, ‘Last Name’, ‘Email Address’ and ‘Account Name’.
#3 Using Matching Algorithms, which are 3 types, namely-
Exact, ‘SPTEC Inc’ matching with ‘SPTEC Inc’
Partial, ‘SPTEC’ matching with ‘SPTEC Inc’
Fuzzy, ‘SPTEK Inc’ matching with ‘SPTEC INC’
This can also be used for domain names, telephone numbers,etc.
#4 List can be checked for ignored words, for example, if using accounts, ignore words added to the list are Plc, llc, inc, corp, group, etc.
PHASE 2: Pre-Processing.
The second phase comes after you have identified data, the selected data is then further cleaned and transformed into the format that can prepare it for deduplication.
The data cleansing involves, removing invalid/duplicate records, correcting the data information or filling the missing information.
The pre-processing involves converting data into format that can pre-prepare it, for example,
-converting all dates into the standard format – mm/dd/yyy;
-removing punctuations – stripping, commas, periods;
-converting casing – all text into lowercase;
-replacing blank cells – into null values;
-and handling missing values.
Basically, pre-processing involves handling and identifying data for further deduplication.
How to focus on data during the second phase?
You need to find out by answering these following questions.
#1 What do I need?
-prevention; cleanup; or both
#2 What do I prefer?
-all-in-one solution; or multiple tools
#3 If this process needs to be automated?
#4 What will be the access process for people using it, mergers or not?
#5 How much budget is needed? What methods to create records, is this compliance, or has legal issues, such as GDPR?
PHASE 3: Tool Selection.
The third phase of data deduplication is, transformation of data. The data matching tools are used to compare and identify the potential duplicate records. This process of deduplication requires you to create a “master record”, so you can have a view of a customer if they are updated in real-time.
You can use various deduplicating tools or ways to deduplicate data in your salesforce deduplication, such as:
# Data Dedupe Feature: this will scan your org data and provides you the option to merge it into a new record.
# Third-party Deduplication Tool: selecting them on AppExchange, such as DemandTools and Cloudingo.
The Salesforce Duplicate Management, also allows you to do a quick search on keyword ‘duplicates’ in the apps for all the major apps. You can also look into offers that are of a free version or a trial version. Once you have checked on the website and listed your needs, now it’s important to select the best out of the list.
The AppExchange will provide information for testing in the trial session, so it’s good to find 2 or 3 solutions from that. Just ask your queries before paying for the app. Let your vendor know if the app has met your expectations. Call the support team to tell them how useful it is!
PHASE 4: Implementation.
Once you have selected the best tools of your choice from your list. The next step is to configure your matching and look for the results without automating your tool yet. Only switch to automatic merging version only if you know how to handle optimal settings of the app.
It is very important to note that when merging duplicate records, you shouldn’t be doing it without testing and following strict matching and merging rules.
PHASE 5: Maintenance.
Data cleansing is not just a one-time action to fix duplicates. It requires prevention, and scheduling to clean-up the essential data for keeping your salesforce squeaky clean.
In the Salesforce environment, every organization will be regularly adding new records, that comprises objects, fields and entry methods. We need to make sure frequent updates and respective records are efficiently modified with the results that should reflect with accuracy.
The deduplication tools must be able to schedule automatic runs for regular checks for cleaning and removing duplicates from your org.
To Take It Away:
Salesforce is a basic data deduplication solution that allows altering and blocking of duplicate records at the time of creation. This process provides many solutions whether needed for faster processing, cross object matching, other objects or by automation to save or block data. The first step is to list what you need, the second step is to match your list to the solutions in the AppExchange, the third and last step is to test drive one or two apps before paying. Install Duplicate Check App from the AppExchange with a trial request.
These five phases of data deduplication process ensure to help your salesforce org run effortlessly and proficiently. To get accurate data with fewer duplicates will bring insights into the customer base, faster decision making, accountability, and ultimate business performance.
Your Salesforce org needs to reap good results from the time invested in deduplicating your data. This pays dividends in the long run, without any delays!
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