De-Duplication & Merge/Purge Data Solutionsmicrozip de-duplication

Your database is one of your most valuable assets.

Duplicates in a database can occur for a variety of reasons including:

  • Data being input into the database from several touch points
  • Merging of multiple databases
  • Duplicate data that is input with variations from the original (such as the same contact with a new address)

Duplicate records in your database can cause a variety of problems:

  • Duplicate materials sent can make you look wasteful or uncoordinated in the recipients mind
  • Measured results of your campaigns become inaccurate and distorted
  • Multiple different messages sent at the same time will confuse the customer
  • The problem is compounded when you have transactional data like purchases or donations that are linked to the donor or customer.

By applying one or several of our "merge/purge" database hygiene solutions, we are able to remove duplicates from your database. Ideally done on a regular basis, the technology ensures a healthy database.

Providing database solutions for over 30 years, we have developed custom software exclusive to MicroZip Data that ensures the highest quality of data de-duplication. In addition to using these tools, we use our proven systems which include a series of detailed questions and correction steps to be taken in a specific sequence to provide a customized solution for you. 

Our proprietary matchcode technology allows us to find duplicates at the company, address or individual person level. With every database cleanup service we provide, we will discuss the necessary steps with you to provide the customized solution that is right for your organization. Your database is too important to take shortcuts. Let us show you how to successfully de-dupe your database.

Asking the Right Questions

Depending on the circumstances, sometimes you may want to reach all persons in a household or company and sometimes only one. This would be one of the questions we discuss with you prior to starting the process of de-duplications of your database.

Here is one example to demonstrate how different the application would be:

Target is 1 record per person.
In other words, multiples at same address is OK as long as person is unique
de-dupliation screen1
but
de-dupliation screen2

Target is 1 record per address
Multiple people at same address not allowed, one will be deleted

de-dupliation screen3

Doing the Right Things in the Right Order

If your database contains both names and addresses, the data cannot just be de-duplicated, but an address correction and the National Change of Address service needs to be applied first.

Let’s use an example to demonstrate why this is important: Imagine you have a person in your list who has moved frequently and is now in your database at 3 different addresses (this person will show up in your database as 3 separate records). If we were to just run a de-duplication sequence, these duplicates would not be found. If you sent a letter to them, the 2 letters addressed to the old addresses would most likely not reach the person, (or even worse, if the person has mail-forwarding, duplicate letters would reach him or her). However, by applying address correction and the National Change of Address service, the old addresses will be updated to the person’s current address and the de-duplication software is now able to detect that the 3 records are indeed one and the same person and remove the 2 duplications, leaving only 1 correct record of our sample person in your database.