Duplicate records are one of the most common customer data quality problems in CRM systems.
Removing them is only part of the solution. A sustainable Dynamics 365 deduplication strategy needs to identify existing duplicates, determine which records belong together, consolidate information safely and reduce the likelihood of the same problems returning.
A duplicate occurs when two or more CRM records represent the same real-world person, company or other entity.
Some duplicates are obvious:
ABC Ltd
ABC Ltd
Others are more difficult:
ABC Limited
A.B.C. Ltd
Or two Contact records may use different email addresses and telephone formats but still belong to the same person.
This is why effective deduplication needs more than a simple search for exact values.
Dynamics 365 duplicates can originate through several routes:
As a Dynamics environment grows, even a relatively small duplication rate can produce a significant number of unnecessary records.
Duplicates fragment the customer picture.
One Account might contain sales activity while another contains contact information. A third record might contain service history.
Different teams can therefore believe they are working with the complete customer when they are actually viewing only part of the relationship.
Duplicates can contribute to:
First, establish which records potentially refer to the same entity.
Effective matching may need to consider several attributes, such as company name, email address, postal address, phone number or other identifying information.
Not every match should be treated equally.
Exact matches may provide high confidence, while fuzzy similarities need different rules and thresholds.
The objective is to identify genuine duplicates without incorrectly combining separate customers.
When duplicates are confirmed, decide which information should be retained.
The best master record may not simply be the oldest or newest record. Relevant information can be distributed across several duplicates.
Bring the correct information and associated history together according to defined business rules.
Large-scale deduplication should include appropriate review and exception handling, particularly where matches are ambiguous.
This is the part organisations often overlook.
If 50,000 duplicates are removed but the underlying creation process remains unchanged, duplicates will gradually return.
Prevention can include:
A strong deduplication programme therefore combines correction with prevention.
DQ for Dynamics provides capabilities for both preventing and resolving Dynamics 365 data quality problems.
Capture can help improve information as it enters the CRM, while Consolidate can identify, match and bring duplicate customer information together.
This allows organisations to address the historical duplicate problem while also working to reduce the rate at which new duplicates are created.
The goal should not simply be to achieve the smallest possible record count.
The objective is to create a more accurate representation of customers.
Successful deduplication should give employees greater confidence that when they open a customer record, they can see the information needed to understand and work with that customer.
That forms the foundation for a trusted Single Customer View.
