What is Removing Duplicates?

Removing Duplicates (or Deduping) in the context of data quality is where an organisation looks to identify and then remove instances where there is more than one record of a single person. With large scales of data, this will often be done using tools that find and merge duplicate records in an existing database and prevent new ones from entering it based on similarities in specific fields.

Why is it important to remove duplicate records from my data?

Businesses collect data through multiple channels including online, face to face or in call centres. As customers engage through various different touch points they will often enter their details more than once. This, in turn, leads to organisations holding more than one record of someone – possibly with conflicting information.

Identifying and removing or merging these duplicate records from your database is a key part of forming an effective Single Customer View (SCV). The main benefits of creating an SCV are:

• You will develop one, complete version of the truth of your customer base allowing you to base strategic decisions on accurate data.
• Time and money are saved by not sending identical communications multiple times to the same person.
• Targeted marketing becomes more accurate as you don’t miss any touchpoints each of your contacts have had.