Marking a record as a duplicate flags it as a duplicate of another record and indicates that it can be merged with that other record.
The duplicate record can be accessed by performing a search. Search criteria such as name and date of birth are processed to return a list of all matching person and/or prospect records. The system automatically links the duplicate record to the master record and displays a snapshot of both records. This allows the user to compare the information that exists on both files.
The reason for marking the duplicate record is then recorded, e.g., input error, misuse of identity.
Once the record has been marked as a duplicate, no modifications can be made to it and it will not be used in future processing. However, if the duplicate record is already used by existing processing, for example, if payments are currently issued to the duplicate participant; these financial transactions will continue to be processed. The case owner is notified automatically each time a payment or communication is issued to a duplicate participant.
A record that has been marked as a duplicate can be merged immediately or at a later date.