When Duplicate Checking has been configured in Enterprise, the application will check for duplicate accounts and contacts when creating new accounts and contacts. On the occasions when duplicate accounts or contacts are still entered, it is best practice to merge the two accounts or contacts.
If you find multiple accounts or contacts which need to be merged into one, they must be merged one at a time. The merge functionality is a one-to-one merge, not a many-to-one.
Existing duplicate accounts and contacts can be identified using the Potential Duplicate Account tab on the Edit Account or Edit Contact window. From this window, any accounts which have been positively identified by a user as a duplicate account can be merged with the account/contact they are related to.
Users should proceed with caution when merging accounts or contacts as, once the accounts or contacts have been merged, it cannot be undone. Merging accounts or contacts should only be carried out by someone who is familiar with the account and contact information, and who fully understands the implications of the merge process.
Merging accounts takes time, depending on the volume of records associated with the Merge From account. It is important to leave the Merge Accounts window open until the merge process has been fully completed.
For more information about system configuration for duplicate checking, see Configure Duplicate Checking for Accounts and Contacts.
In this article:
Check for duplicates when adding Accounts/Contacts
Duplicate criteria when adding new Accounts
When adding a new account, the Possible Duplicates window displays if the new account meets one of the following criteria:
- Account name matches between the new and existing account.
- Email field matches between the new and existing account.
Duplicate criteria when adding new Contacts
When adding a new contact, the Possible Duplicates window displays if the new contact meets one of the following criteria:
- First name, last name, and company name fields all match between the new and existing contact.
- First name, last name, and postal code fields all match between the new and existing contact.
- Email field matches between the new and existing contact.
Options in the Possible Duplicates window
The Possible Duplicates window will prompt you to choose from the following options:
- Keep: choose this option to keep the new record you have entered and save it as its own account or contact.
- Select: choose this option to cancel adding a new account/contact, and instead edit the appropriate existing account or contact. Selecting an existing account or contact opens the Edit Account or Edit Contact screen so you can add any new or changed information.
Identify duplicates when reviewing Accounts/Contacts
It is Enterprise best practice to routinely audit your accounts and contact to ensure CRM records are kept updated. The Potential Duplicates tab can be used during the review process to identify any accounts or contacts which have similar names.
If the Potential Duplicates tab is not visible on your Edit Account or Edit Contact window, you or your System Administrator may need to add this to your layout.
Merge duplicate Accounts/Contacts
Once an account or contact has been identified as a duplicate, you can merge the accounts. See Account/Contact Merge Technical Details for more information of about the technical details of the merging process.
To merge two accounts or contacts:
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Navigate to the Accounts or Contacts page for the appropriate designation. For example, Accounts - Event Sales, Accounts - Registration, Contacts - Supplier, and so on.
- On the Accounts or Contacts page, find the account or contact that needs to be merged.
- Right-click and select Tools > Merge Accounts. The Merge Accounts window opens.
The account or contact selected as the Merge Into account record will remain on the Accounts page and the Merge From account's statuses will be made inactive (the account will be archived).
- In the Merge From Account section, ensure the account or contact you would like to inactivate is selected. If it is not the correct account or contact, click Cancel and start again.
- In the Merge Into Account section, select the account or contact you would like to keep active.
- Click OK. A request for confirmation that you would like to merge the accounts will show.
- Click OK. A red warning will show, stating that the merge processing time will depend on the volume of data that exists on the Merge From account/contact.
Once the merge is successfully completed, the Merge Into account/contact will be updated with any relevant information form the Merge From account/contact, and the Merge From account/contact will be archived (all statuses set to inactive). Archived accounts and contacts can be viewed and edited on the Orphaned Accounts page.
Audit Log Entry and Account Note
For security and auditing purposes, a successful account/contact merge will result in an entry being added to the Audit Log, and a note being added to the Merge Into account or contact. If an audit log entry is not created, you may need to activate the Account Merge record type on the Audit Log Configuration page. See Audit Log Tracking for more information.
Account/Contact Merge Security
Allow Merge Accounts Access
This Access Privilege is used to regulate which users can use the Merge Account feature on all the Account Master displays. Any user assigned to this privilege will be able to access the Merge Account feature while those users not assigned to the privilege will not be able to access the feature. If no users at all are assigned to this access privilege, it is considered inactive, and NO users have access to the Merge Account feature.