An international nonprofit organization was struggling with the unwieldy number of contacts in its database. It specifically possessed 3,569,188 separate contacts. The initial analysis revealed that 33,742 of these entries were duplicate contacts.
The Organization’s Problem
This nonprofit needed a way to efficiently delete its duplicate contact data. The goal was to streamline the organization’s contact database and improve the integrity of its data set. But combing through millions of contacts manually would be a complicated, time-consuming process.
The nonprofit group decided to consult Astreca’s experts. With their help, the organization was able to successfully deploy the Bulk Merge app. Bulk Merge leveraged advanced algorithms to detect duplicates and flag them for removal. Data technicians then carefully combed through the flagged entries before they were permanently deleted.
Duplicate contacts present a serious challenge for just about every large organization. This particular nonprofit group had noticed that duplicate contacts were leading to errors in communication, inefficient business practices, and an overall negative experience for both employees and clientele.
In fact, the very outreach efforts that the nonprofit relied on were negatively impacted by this data problem. Consequently, the process of detecting and merging duplicate contacts became a necessity.
The nonprofit had such a vast contact database, numbering in the millions, that properly detecting and merging the contact information required specialized expertise. One of the primary concerns was maintaining the integrity of the database.
In order to create unique, accurate records for every contact, the organization needed to make sure that only true duplicates were merged and that no important contact information was lost in the process. With such a large data set, the only acceptable solution was to use a scalable automated process, namely the Bulk Merge app.
After using the app, experts carefully reviewed the results to ensure that the process had maintained maximum data integrity. This type of review is best done by data technicians who are familiar with the way the Bulk Merge app functions.
By bringing in the expertise of an outside consulting firm, the nonprofit was able to satisfactorily handle all of its business challenges.
The process of using the Bulk Merge app for managing duplicate contacts has to be tailored to an organization’s unique starting place. This means the best way to handle technical challenges differs from one client to the next. The specialized attention to detail that’s required was one of the key reasons that the nonprofit felt compelled to seek out Astreca’s expertise.
Common technical challenges related to contact data deduplication include:
All of these issues need to be considered and adequately addressed before an organization can be confident in its contact management solution.
Astreca’s data technicians were able to craft a plan that uniquely fit the nonprofit’s needs. According to the client, the Bulk Merge app saved countless man-hours as the organization switched its data management system over to Salesforce. The solution was cost-effective and accommodated the client’s related records and unique sandbox testing environments.
The first stage of testing resulted in some missing elements in the organization’s data. Astreca’s experts communicated clearly with the company and were able to craft a new plan that accounted for all of the missing pieces.
In the end, the nonprofit’s duplicate detection and merger process was a complete success. There was a significant reduction in duplicate contact entries. Specifically, 33,742 duplicates were detected within the data and subsequently deleted.
This led to an overall improvement in the organization’s data quality and a more efficient system for managing contacts. The contact database is now less confusing for employees to navigate. Most importantly, it ensures that the right people are getting the information they need.
According to the client’s review, Astreca’s experts were straightforward communicators who took the organization’s needs into account at every step in the process. They were able to produce the condensed contact data set within the promised time frame at a reasonable, well-defined cost.
The decision to use the Bulk Merge app was the right one for this large nonprofit organization. It saved the organization from the headache of manually managing the process on its own. With proper support throughout the entire process, the nonprofit now has a contact database that’s ideally suited to the organization’s needs.
If you’re interested in more information, please contact us at astrecateam@astreca.com.
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