Merge Duplicate Records

Table of Contents

Merging duplicate company or name records can be performed in three areas: Reports, Search Results and Rollups. It can also be done via the PCR Capture extension.

  • Non-admin users must have the Allow Record Merging security permission enabled on their User Record in order to perform this operation.
  • When merging, you will select the Master record and one or more records to be merged into the Master record. Activity logs, attachments, and other items will be combined into the single record.
  • Merging completes any empty fields from the Master with data from the other records. Where the field exists in both records, the Master data will be retained.
  • An Activity with the type MERGEDUPE will be recorded and a “Record merged” text file containing a log of merge details will be saved in the Attachments for the completed record.

Please note that there is no Undo when merging records. Please verify your merge before executing.

Auditing Reports #

  1. Click Reports from the Main Menu
  2. Click Auditing Reports
  3. Select the icon for Duplicate Companies Report or Duplicate Names Report
  4. Select criteria to locate possible duplicate records. Please note that in selected criteria with more than one item, all of the selected criteria must match. This is especially important if one of the fields selected is empty this could cause inaccurate or missed duplicates within the system
  5. To generate a list of possible duplicate companies, you can search records based on:
    • Company Name, Phone Number
    • Company Name, City
    • Company Name, City, Phone Number
    • Company Name, Zip
    • Company Name
    • Phone Number
  6. To generate a list of possible duplicate names, you can search records based on:
    • First Name, Last Name, Cell Phone
    • First Name, Last Name, Home phone
    • First Name, Last Name, Work Phone
    • First Name, Last Name, City
    • First Name, Last Name, Company Name
    • First Name, Last Name, Email Address
    • First Name, Last Lame
    • Last Name, Email Address
    • Last Name, Cell Phone
    • Email Address
  7. Select a Rollup List if you would like to run this report for a specific list of records; if no Rollup list is selected it will duplicate check your entire database.
  8. Click the Search action icon at the top right to run the report, which will be displayed in a new tab. The count reflects the number of records with the same data as the selected duplicate checking criteria.
  9. Click Merge to view the records that are possible duplicates – Here you can click the record if you wish to view the details prior to merging.
  10. Review the records, if the records should be merged; click the Master check box for the record that you want to be the final record. The record you select as master should contain the most accurate/recent data.
  11. Click the Merge checkbox for each record that should be merged to the master record.
  12. Click the Merge button. A message will display to alert you that the other records will be deleted, resumes cannot be combined, and to verify that you have selected the proper merge criteria.
  13. Click OK to continue the merge process. A message will alert you when the merge process is finished.

Merge from Search #

PCR also provides the ability to merge duplicate records from the search results screen. For example, if you perform a quick search for a person and two or more Name records are returned who are the same person:

  1. From a Search Result screen, click the checkbox to the left of each record you want to merge.
  2. Click the Merge icon from the action dropdown menu.
  3. Review the records, if the records should be merged; click the Master check box for the record that will become the final record. The record you select as master should contain the most accurate data or most recent data in the fields.
  4. Click the Merge checkbox for each record that should be merged to the master record.
  5. Click the Merge button. A message will display to alert you that the other records will be deleted, resumes cannot be combined, and to verify that you have selected the proper merge criteria.
  6. Click OK to continue the merge process.

Merge from Rollup Lists #

Finally the last merge functionality allows users to merge Company and Name records from within a rollup list. This is incredibly useful when nicknames may have been used that would not be returned in a basic search, for instance; Bill/William, Liz/Elizabeth, etc.

  1. Select Rollup from the Main Toolbar
  2. Click on the number under the record type of any rollup list to access the records.
  3. Select the checkbox for two names that are alike and in need of being merged
  4. Click the Merge action icon from the dropdown on the right
  5. Review the records, if the records should be merged; click the Master check box for the record that will become the final record. The record you select as master should contain the most accurate data or most recent data in the fields.
  6. Click the Merge button. A message will display to alert you that the other records will be deleted, resumes cannot be combined, and to verify that you have selected the proper merge criteria
  7. Click OK to continue the merge process.

Once your records have been merged, an Attachment will be created under the new record highlighting any information that did not merge.

Merging Placed Name Records #

When merging a Name Record that has been placed with a Name record that does not have a placement, an additional option will appear: “Retain Company Association and Status value from non-master record”

This is useful for scenarios where the master record has updated information, but the other record has been placed. Checking the box keeps the person associated with the same Company for their current placement/assignment.