Overview

Ensuring that the account and contact records in Marketscape CRM have minimal duplications is essential for accurate reporting. With so many potential data sources; integrations (EHR), Referral Source Database, and users creating new accounts and contacts, there are bound to be duplications of data. 

Here are some best practices and tips on merging accounts and contacts in Marketscape CRM:

Always merge records with an end result in mind

When merging records ensures that the data mirrors real life and has the most up to date information. If you are in doubt of what field(s) are correct and should be left visible, confirm first then resume the merge. 

Only be concerned with the fields you edit when selecting which field to display

Fields like name, address, phone number, NPI, owners, etc. are important and should be reviewed carefully to select which record will remain "visible". Fields such as ID, source are not important. Fields highlighted in green will be displayed in the merged record.

when records are merged a new sync ID (system record ID) will be created so don't be concerned about which ID remains visible in the system. 

When in doubt during the merge process, Stop!

Un-merging merged accounts/contacts cannot be done in the system, so always ensure that you are confident that a merge is the best option. Using a Parent Account may be a better alternative to a merge depending on the situation. 

Always start with merging Accounts, then Contacts

When Accounts are merged in Marketscape CRM all of the referrals, contacts, events, and owners will roll up to one record. So merging accounts first will make duplicate contacts easier to identify and the correct account is already associated. 

Merging is always a better alternative to deleting a duplicate record

Simply deleting a duplicate record could remove any pertinent history that cannot be retrieved. Merging will be the best option to pare down the data clutter while still maintaining historical records and notes. 

Merging can be done under Account/Contact tools or under bulk actions in a Account/Contact view

Using the merge tool (at the bottom of the Account or Contact tab) is the easiest way to comb the data for duplicates. Instructions on how to search and merge accounts and contacts can be found in the Product Feature Guides. Up to 4 records can be merged at once in either location in the platform. 

Do several "sweeps" to identify duplicate records

There are several fields to check for potential duplicate records and searching on different fields can give you varying results.

the merge tool will be checking for exact matches in the system so only searching on name may miss some duplicates (example: ABC Hospital may have a duplicate spelled ABC Hosp). 

For accounts it is ideal to start by doing a sweep on Account with the same name and address 1. 

For contacts it is ideal to start by doing a sweep on NPI.

Merging doesn't delete records, they are just hidden

When you make the selection to keep a particular field visible on the record, the other information still remains in the system but just isn't visible. You can still search on the data in the system and pull up the merged record. 

Check your work

Once a merge has been done, there will be a green bar that confirms that the records were successfully merged. There is a link to view the merged record. It is ideal to ensure the newly merged record had consolidated the data as you were expecting.