Being one of the first ever to use DemandTools, I’ve been asked countless times where to start with this amazing suite of data management functionality. Below are my tips for using it to quickly prove how easy it is to get high quality data, once you have the right tools.
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Find some dupes.
DUPLICATES! We all have ‘em, we all hate ‘em, and the havoc they wreak creates a ripple effect. From inaccurate reports to increasing costs and reputational damage, their destruction knows no bounds. Duplicate management strategy is a critical and foundational element for having trustworthy data that keeps Salesforce users happy and supports attaining business goals.
The Single Table Dedupe module has everything you need to locate duplicates and retain the right field values based on your data’s structure and purpose. Because Single Table Dedupe lets you match as many or as few fields as you need, a good method for seeing which of the 23 matching algorithms works best for your data is to look at their definitions, and run some tests matching on different field combinations.
The Lead Conversion module takes deduplication a step further by cross-comparing Leads against existing Contacts and Accounts. Best practice is to dedupe the Lead, Account, and Contact tables prior to running a cross table comparison, but it doesn’t hurt to run a couple Lead to Contact/Account scenarios to get a look at what duplicates are currently out there.
Keeping these three main objects aligned and duplicate-free ensures each customer and prospect is nurtured accordingly. Your marketing team will thank you.
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Try DupeBlocker.
Don’t just find and merge dupes—prevent them. Duplicate prevention is key in a complete duplicate management approach and a great start to data quality automation. Some Salesforce Managers shy away from duplicate prevention because they worry about the impact it could have on their end users. Will it interrupt their workflow? Will the identified duplicates be accurate? Should we really be blocking all duplicate records?
DupeBlocker can alleviate the stress and analysis-paralysis caused by these questions. With options to report, block, and auto-merge or convert identified dupes, you are still in control of your end user’s experience and your data flow. A smart place to start with DupeBlocker is reporting duplicates. This is an easy way to vet the duplicates identified by the scenarios you activate without affecting your Salesforce users. Once you have scenarios reporting accurate dupes, you can change it from reporting to actively blocking or auto-merging them. Plus, an integration with DemandTools lets you quickly merge the duplicates reported by DupeBlocker en masse.
Imagine it…To no longer worry that Leads are duplicated and being worked by multiple reps. To no longer work a Lead just to find out they’re an existing customer. To know you always have a complete view of every customer and prospect…This is a sales team dream.
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Standardize your data.
Standardization is not just about making data look good. Much like duplicates, unstandardized data causes myriad problems starting with incomplete reports resulting in inaccurate planning and end in ineffective strategy. Standardization, while it sounds so simple, is not a “nice to have” quality about your data, it’s an absolute must.
The MassImpact module of DemandTools is a standardization (and light-weight analytics) powerhouse. Field value standardization can be done with user-defined values or out-of-the-box and customer formulas. For some quick wins with MassImpact, start by using the pre-configured formulas to standardize your State, Country, and Phone fields on any object with these field types. Standardization is also a great data quality factor to automate to free up your time and make sure it’s never overlooked.
Standardization goes a long way, and the benefits are felt company-wide. When the executive team starts to see consistency in the data being reported and is able to obtain reports faster because the data is easier to query, they’ll find out it’s you they have to thank.
Frankly, DemandTools can do A LOT, and this just scratches the surface. To learn more, visit our online user community.