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Using the Record Merge Utility

← Records
If the appropriate privileges have been given, then the Record Merge utility can be used to find and merge duplicate records. Currently, only Name and Address records can be merged.

CAUTION: The process of merging records is destructive. When the merge process is completed, records are deleted permanently. Examine each record carefully before finalizing the merge.

TIP: It is recommended to have users search for existing records before adding a new record to minimize the creation of duplicate records.

Viewing duplicate records

When looking for duplicate Name records, the software uses the following criteria:
  • Matching Social Security number
  • Matching driver license number and issuing state
  • Matching driver license number (without state)
  • Matching first name, last name, and date of birth
When looking for duplicate Address records, the software uses the following criteria:
  • Matching address, city, and state
To view duplicate records:
  1. From the Administration dashboard or the Utilities menu, select Record Merge to open the Record Merge screen.
  2. In the Module field, select the type of records to view.
  3. Click Find Duplicates. Sets of duplicate records are displayed. If no duplicate records are found, then the following message is displayed: No sets of potential duplicate records found. Any ignored results are displayed below. To understand ignored record sets, see the section “Ignoring Record Sets” below.

Merging records

To merge a set of duplicate records:
  1. From the list of duplicate record sets, click the set to merge. The Resolve Duplicates screen opens and displays the first two records in the set. Information from each record is displayed for comparison. By default, the primary record is the record listed first in the set, but once a record is selected to be kept, it becomes the primary record.The other records in the set are considered duplicates.

    NOTE: To cancel the merge at any time, click Cancel. The Cancel Merge Process dialog box opens, asking for confirmation of the cancellation. To cancel the merge and return to the Record Merge screen, click Cancel Merge. To continue the merge, click Return to Merge.

    TIP: To skip merging the current duplicate record, click the Skip button. The next duplicate in the set is displayed. If the set contains no more records, then the Record Merge screen opens. Skipped records are included in the results the next time a search for duplicate records is performed, unless the skipped results are ignored. See the section, “Ignoring Record Sets” below.

  2. In the Select Primary area, select the record to keep. The record that is not being kept is grayed out, and is deleted when the merge is completed.

    NOTE: For Address records that have pins on the map, the pin location is tied to each record. Therefore, when the record to keep is selected, the pin location is also selected.

  3. In the Select One area, select the value to keep for each of the displayed fields. For example, eye color or ZIP code. By default, values from the record to keep are automatically selected. Only one value from each field can be retained. If the field for a record is blank, then a message stating so is displayed. If neither value should be kept, then select the None option.
  4. In the Select Multiple area, select the values to keep for each of the displayed fields. By default, only fields with values in both records are displayed. To display additional fields with values in only one record, select the Detailed check box. Multiple values from the fields can be retained. If the field for a record is blank, then a message stating so is displayed. If neither value should be kept, then select the None option.

    NOTE: If a field contains identical values for both records, then the fields are not displayed and the value is retained, regardless of which record is selected as the record to keep.

  5. When finished, click Continue. One of the following occurs:
    — If the set contains more records, then the next duplicate is displayed. Repeat steps 2-4 for each duplicate in the set.
    — If the set contains no more records, then the Confirm Merge screen opens and displays the final record to be kept.
  6. To merge the records, click Merge Records. The Record Merge screen opens, with a message in the upper-right corner stating that the records have been merged.
  7. For Name records, information about the merge can be viewed. Open the retained record, and then expand the Comments section to view the information.

Using the Quick Merge feature

If desired, the Quick Merge feature can be used to merge records without user input. Sets of records can only be quick merged if all of the contents of the set are identical.

To quick merge a set of records.
  1. From the list of duplicates, select the check box for the set, and then select Actions > Quick Merge Selected. The Confirm Quick Merge dialog box opens, asking for confirmation of the quick merge.
  2. To continue the merge, click Submit. Otherwise, click Cancel. The software performs the quick merge, and displays the results of the merge on the Record Merge screen.

Ignoring record sets

Occasionally, the search criteria used by the software might find record sets that are not duplicates. For example, two individuals are both named Jason Smith and have the same birthdate, but one is black, and the other is white. If your agency determines that a record set is not a duplicate, then the software can be instructed to ignore that set in future searches for duplicates.

To ignore a record set:
  1. From the list of duplicates, select the check box for the set, and then select Actions > Ignore Selected. The record set is removed from the list of duplicate records.
  2. To view ignored record sets, click Show Ignored Results. The list of ignored results is displayed, and the Show Ignored Results button is changed to the Hide Ignored Results button.
  3. To restore an ignored record set, select the check box for the set, and then select Actions > Restore Selected. The record set is moved to the list of duplicate records.
  4. To hide the ignored record sets, click Hide Ignored Results. The list of ignored record sets is hidden.

Manually merging records

If desired, the record merge process can be completed with a manually selected set of records. For example, your agency knows that two records are duplicates, but the software cannot detect that the records need to be merged.

To manually merge records:
  1. Open the first record to be merged.
  2. Select Actions > Select Duplicate. One of the following occurs:
    — If Name records are being merged, then the Search By Key dialog box opens. Enter the record number of the second record to merge, or use the drop-down list. Click Merge Records. The Resolve Duplicates screen opens.

    TIP: If needed, open a second browser window and search for the record. Return to the original window, and then enter the record number.

    — If Address records are being merged, then the Address Search screen opens. Search for the second record to merge. See the article “Searching for Records.” Select the record. The Resolve Duplicates screen opens.
  3. Complete the record merge process. See the section “Merging Records” above. Once the process is complete, the Record Merge screen opens. If a merge is canceled, then the Record Merge screen opens. 

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