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Improving Salesforce data quality cannot be achieved with a project. It is not a one-time activity with a beginning and an end. It is more of a mindset or a culture that needs to be actively nourished over time. As well-known tech executive Donato Diorio has said: “Without a systematic way to start and keep data clean, bad data will happen.”
In other words, ensuring the creation of high quality Salesforce data needs a plan, which is led by committed Admins with authority and the right tools, executed every day going forward. It also needs the buy-in from the platform’s users that enter and use the platform’s data. With people, processes, and tools aligned, new data creation can be vastly improved.
But what about the existing data? Fixing bad data already in Salesforce can be achieved with a large project-type mentality, often at an expensive price point. And for some businesses, the additional high costs may be worth it, but it increases the overall investment in Salesforce and lowers early ROI.
However, there is another option. Adapt the new culture and plan designed for better data creation to also include existing data cleansing. If Salesforce users are already following new processes and taking advantage of new tools, then extend that empowerment. As they work on the platform with new data creation, they will encounter the existing data.
If they are using a tool like the Data Quality Helper app from Passage Technology, then the same warnings and notifications established by Admins about new records will also be applied to existing records. As these records are identified through the normal course of work, alerted users can use the same interface to turn bad old records into cleaner improved records. In addition to the warning messages appearing when viewing/editing old data, a home page component may be used to identify a list of all old records containing invalid data.
Piggybacking on the new culture established for new data creation doesn’t require a completely separate, parallel structure for improving existing data quality. No additional investments and learning curves are needed. Improving all data quality follows one unified, comprehensive effort.
That effort targets incomplete, invalid, and duplicate records, whether they are:
Based on the criteria determined by the Salesforce Admin, flexible and customized enhanced data validation rules can run before or after a save, also preventing or allowing a save. Then, users are alerted about potential duplicate records and are empowered to fix them, by merging and improving existing records on the spot. In addition, Dupe sensitivity matching is flexible and can be adjusted by the Admin.
Warnings customized by Admins, for content, style and presentation, are attached to all affected records with rule violations. Unresolved notifications continue to be attached to the records—they don’t disappear until the data is improved per Admin-established rules and methods. Users may also ignore warnings if the user deems the data they input is valid (after the warning is displayed and the setting is Admin-configured to allow ignoring warnings). In addition, a Lightning Web Component can be set up to provide an org-wide view of all identified data problems.
More and more, businesses are using artificial intelligence (AI), sometimes within Salesforce with Einstein. This increases the stakes for high quality data. So it makes sense to use a 100-percent-native Salesforce app such as Data Quality Helper from Passage Technology. It’s easy-to-use with clicks not code, and delivers greater Admin power and flexibility than many other solutions or Salesforce’s default features. The free app can be downloaded at the Salesforce AppExchange.
Admins' duties are streamlined and freed up for more important initiatives than fixing existing data. The users, who own and manage the data, benefit from these guidelines and become more productive. Higher quality data can help transform the business, elevating it to new heights.
The problems caused by existing data with poor quality hurt the entire business and its people, creating a deeper and deeper hole. As time passes, it becomes more difficult to address. How much longer are you willing to let this situation accelerate? Act now to make the needed changes.
Learn more about Data Quality Helper or schedule a demo/consult today.
Upgrade to Data Quality Helper Premium Edition for unlimited enhanced data validation rules, unlimited duplicate resolution rules, and priority support, plus all of the features in the Free Edition.
