I am a relatively new user, but I'm trying to extend out database with information that we've collected in the past that was never entered into our system- but the importing (tab delimited format) appears to be creating duplicates, in spite of the settings in the Admin "Duplicate records" area.

FTR: This is Maximizer Enterprise 9

My preliminary question is does the duplicate checking apply to importing records as well as manual entry? (or, for that matter, the "Import from VCF" or "Import from XML or MDI" options, which I'd like to start using)? Or, more to the point, how should it be set up to allow me to dump lists that I've gathered, but notify me of potential duplicates?

Currently I have it set up the following way in the "Duplicate Address Book Checking" section of the Administrator:

Check for dups when adding AddBook entries IS SELECTED

Duplicate Check List #1.
Fields to Match:
1st: Full Name/Company Name
2nd: Phone
3rd: None

Allow Partial Match IS DESELECTED

Dups may be entered by ALL USERS

My Explanation:
I would like to CHECK for duplicates, and MERGE them when they exist, as our gather lists *may* contain more complete information for an address book entry that exists, and I'd like the opportunity to merge the information together.

If a company name and an individual name is the same, I consider it the same person, and would like to compare the entries, but in some cases, I've created dummy entries that match exactly on the Full Name and Company Name, as well as Phone, and the duplicate record is still created.

Can anyone help? I'd like to more completely understand the "Allow Partial Match" option, as well - Is it correct that when it is DESELECTed, with my current setup, an imported record that has the same FullName (Contact) or Company (Comp/Indiv) will be created as a new record, as long as it doesn't match on the Phone as well? (This doesn't see to be the way it's behaving, and what's prompting my query)

Thanks, in advance.

;-D

>does the duplicate checking [setting in the Administrator module] apply
>to importing records as well as manual entry?

As far as I know, no. Those settings only apply to address book entries that are manually entered.

For information on importing, look here.

In that document note item 5 which says:

"5. Specify how you want duplicate records handled. Your options include: Do Not Check for Duplicates, Combine Companies with Same Name or Reject Duplicate Records. ..."

We (CABC) have an import and deduplication tool for Maximizer which will do what you describe.

It can compare records using a keyfield (including UDFs) or can match records by comparing the company name and address fields using 'fuzzy' probability based logic.

More details and a trial version can be found on our website

Regards
CABC