Got a Duplicate Data Problem? Data Quality Helper is the Solution

Recently, we launched a new app, Data Quality Helper. It gives Admins and users much more functionality than the default Salesforce data quality tools. As mentioned in our recent blog post, data validation rules and warning messages are now more customizable—something the Salesforce Community has wanted for quite some time.

But that’s only half of the story.

Data Quality Helper also has enhanced data duplication resolution that exceeds default Salesforce functionality. Once again, Admins and users are more empowered than ever before. This is an important development, given that Salesforce estimates that many databases have 25% duplicate records (report: “Ensuring Data is of High Quality”). This can be a big drag on a business’s productivity.

Creating a Process for Duplicate Resolution

Generally speaking, there are three steps to duplicate data resolution.

1. Find the potential duplicates
2. Compare data on the multiple records
3. Merge records, if needed

Data Quality Helper gives wide latitude to Admins in creating duplicate rules according to the needs of their organizations. Duplicate matching sensitivity is adjustable. You can set the matching criteria from 25% to 100% exact match for any Object. Some Objects may be more prone to variation or abbreviation by users, so a lower sensitivity percentage may be needed to find duplicates. For others, it may make sense to have a high matching percentage. It’s up to the Admin. We’ve collected a few duplicate rule use cases as examples, but there are many more customizable cases that might meet the needs of your business.

After setup, the app uses a notification system to alert users of these potential duplicates. These people are closest to the data and are best positioned to evaluate the identified records. If the records are not actually duplicates, the user can mark them as non-duplicates, removing them from the notification system.

However, if they are duplicates, action should be taken. The app gives users a wide range of options for choosing how to merge the data into one corrected record. This ensures the most complete and correct records—higher data quality going forward.

Taking Advantage of Enhanced Data Validation Rules

In addition to duplicate resolution, Data Quality Helper offers customizable validation rules functionality. This is a game changer for elevating data quality. Admins can set criteria for any Object and the conditions for displaying warnings and resolving the issues—before or after save, prevent or allow save, or allow users to ignore warnings.

We’ve listed a few examples of use cases for flexible data validation rules, but they potentially are too numerous to count them all. Maybe you want to ensure certain information is included on a record? Or maybe you want to improve the company’s time-off process (see screenshot below)?  Every business is different with its own unique validation needs. This app was designed with that in mind.

And as with duplicate functionality, all of the rules apply to existing content and newly created/updated content. So Data Quality Helper is constantly watching over all of your valuable data.

Assessing Organizational-Wide Data Quality

So while the app aids day-to-day data creation and management with enhanced duplicate resolution and validation for individual records, it also helps by doing an org-wide evaluation of data quality. All of the unresolved warnings associated with the individual records may be viewed on a list view for quick reference of all identified data issues across the data set. This list can also be filtered into just the records owned by the current Salesforce user.

Each of the identified records is easily accessed through the list view. Actions can be taken to resolve duplicate or validation issues. This helps you elevate data quality now and in the future if new issues arise and are unresolved.

High quality data are the table stakes for a highly performing business, especially one who invests in using the Salesforce platform. Each day or week the problem of poor data quality goes unaddressed, the negative impacts compound, eating away at productivity, profits, and morale. Get started today with Data Quality Helper.