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Dynamics 365 Community / Forums / Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights,... / Merging of duplicate C...
Customer experience | Sales, Customer Insights,...
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Merging of duplicate Contact and Account Records

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Posted on by Rilsina16 147

Hi,

I have a few duplicate records of Account and Contact which i need to merge.

I am planning to use the OOB Merge functionality in CRM, however i have a few queries:

1) I have more than 2 duplicates, so i will have to perform multiple merge for a single Account\ Contact, will this lead to any data loss.

2) Will the merge disrupt any records or trigger any plugins or workflows of the child records of Accounts or Contacts.

3)Has anyone come across any exceptions or issues post merge

I am looking for a proactive well defined approach or automated method that will ensure Merge is accurately done.

Thanks in advance

  • Suggested answer
    SaiRT14 Profile Picture
    SaiRT14 126 on at
    Merging of duplicate Contact and Account Records
    Here are my answers:
     

    1) I have more than 2 duplicates, so i will have to perform multiple merge for a single Account\ Contact, will this lead to any data loss.

    Answer: The merge feature in Dynamics 365 lets you combine records without losing important data. But if you need to merge more than two duplicates, you’ll need to be careful about which record you choose as the "master." This master record is the one that keeps its data, while the others are combined into it.

     

    2) Will the merge disrupt any records or trigger any plugins or workflows of the child records of Accounts or Contacts.

    Answer: Yes, merging can trigger plugins and workflows—these are automatic processes that happen when records are updated. Merging updates the master record, which could set off these processes.

     

    3)Has anyone come across any exceptions or issues post merge

    Answer: Some common issues after merging include:

    • Data Issues: Sometimes, not all data transfers correctly, especially with custom fields or special relationships between records.
    • Ownership Changes: The ownership of related records, like Contacts linked to an Account, might change unexpectedly after a merge.
    • Workflow or Plugin Problems: As mentioned, merges can trigger processes that might not behave as expected if they’re not properly managed.
     
  • Suggested answer
    Inogic Profile Picture
    Inogic 438 on at
    Merging of duplicate Contact and Account Records
    Hi Rilsina,

    Managing duplicate records can indeed be a challenge, especially when it comes to performing multiple merges for a single Account or Contact. Here’s some insight into your queries:
    1. Multiple Merges and Data Loss: Repeated OOB merges can lead to data loss if not managed carefully, so review and verify the fields retained in each merge.
     
    1. Impact on Child Records and Workflows: OOB merges might trigger workflows or plugins for related records, so test in a non-production environment to anticipate disruptions.
     
    1. Post-Merge Exceptions or Issues: Post-merge issues like data conflicts or errors can occur, especially in complex scenarios with multiple duplicates.

    For a more robust and proactive approach, consider using DeDupeD by Inogic. This app offers advanced deduplication capabilities that go beyond the basic OOB tools. Here’s why it might be a good fit for your needs:
     
    1. Advanced Detection: DeDupeD offers sophisticated matching algorithms that detect duplicates across all entities, including custom ones, providing more precise and flexible detection than OOB rules.
     
    1. Prevention: The app prevents new duplicates by providing real-time notifications and prevention options during data entry, enhancing data integrity.
     
    1. Merge Multiple Records: DeDupeD allows merging up to 10 duplicates at once, letting you choose a master record and consolidate data from all subordinate records, minimizing information loss.
     
    1. Mass Merge: For historical data, DeDupeD's Windows-based tool can detect and merge up to N number of records in bulk, making it ideal for handling large datasets efficiently.

    There is much more to DeDupeD’s amazing features.

    If you are interested in trying the app for your data deduplication needs, then you can get it for a 15-day free trial from our website or Microsoft AppSource.
     
    Thanks,
    Sam
  • Suggested answer
    Yao Du Profile Picture
    Yao Du on at
    RE: Merging of duplicate Contact and Account Records

    1)When you perform the multiple merges, all the attributes will show up with the content

    pastedimage1585121715651v3.png

    Also, you can choose 'Select all fields with data. If both records have data in the same field, the master record field is selected' to avoid any data loss.

    pastedimage1585120903466v2.png

    2)

    • For the record, after clicking the refresh button and finding the record that you just merged. One of the duplicates will say “inactive” and the child records/relationship will be moved to the active one. You can delete the inactive one.
    • For workflow and plugin, Each workflow or plugin has a trigger condition, the workflow or plugin will be fired once the condition is satisfied.
      For example, there is one workflow that is triggering the update of all contacts. Once we merged two contacts, the workflow will be triggered if any attributes in the contact have been updated.

    3) There a issue I experienced is one of the contacts has been added to a marketing list twice. When I try to merge this contact, I got an error 'cannot merge it successfully'. The workaround is simple. Find the marketing list and remove the contact from it. Merge function should work after that.

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