How frequently should we resolve our possible duplicates?
We suggest that you check for possible duplicates daily and resolve them immediately. Do not let them build up.
What are the most common reasons why a duplicate record may not get caught by the duplicate matching process? A record(s) has:
- Misspellings (i.e., A name is misspelled)
- Typos (e.g., A phone number has only five digits, a zip code has only 4 digits)
- Different names (e.g., Nickname vs. First Name)
- Inverted data (e.g., The first name is entered into the Last Name field and the last name is entered into the First Name field)
- Incorrect ID(s)
- Phone numbers in different formats
- Data entered into the wrong field
If the birth date, address, and/or email address in two records match, is it always a duplicate?
Not necessarily. Any time the Birth Date, Address, and/or Email Address fields match, make sure to review the First Name field. The records may not be duplicates. They could be twin or sibling records.
When merging two records, can we select which 1:1 value (i.e. birth date) to keep when the 1:1 values are different?
When merging two records, you are NOT currently able to select which 1:1 value to keep. As a result, it’s sometimes better to delete one of the records and manually enter the specific information you want to keep into the existing record.