Meg Middaugh presented on maintaining contact and client database integrity in VisionCRM. She discussed four common problems with databases: duplicate clients/contacts, orphaned contacts, constantly changing data, and quality control taking too long. For each problem, practical solutions were provided, such as using match codes to identify duplicates, requiring fields to prevent orphans, automating monitoring of changes, and engaging users to distribute quality control workload. The key takeaways were to involve users, address pain points, maximize automation, and effectively distribute maintenance workload to maintain high quality data with minimal effort.

1. VI-219 Who Made This Mess?
Presented By:
Meg Middaugh, WilsonMiller, Inc.

2. Introduction
Meg Middaugh, Systems Analyst
megmiddaugh@wilsonmiller.com
• Degree in Computer Science
• 20+ years in Business Information Technology
• 10 years RFP/CRM/VisionCRM Experience
• Project Manager Vision 5.1 implementation
• Managing 6.1 Upgrade
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 2

3. Who is WilsonMiller?
• Multidisciplinary Professional Consulting Company for 50 years
• 300 employees located in Florida
• Top 200 Design Firm in the U.S.
• Land management, infrastructure, transportation, environmental for
public and private clients.
• IT Consulting services
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 3

4. Agenda: Maintaining Contact and
Client Database Integrity
• Background
• Vision and Corporate Culture
• Data Credibility and Usability
• Maintaining Database Integrity
• Eliminating the Mess: Problems and Solutions
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 4

5. Key Takeaways
• Understand How to Achieve Buy-in
• Prove Vision’s Value Outside of Marketing
• Innovative Solutions using Vision Data
• Significantly Reduce Four Administrative Headaches
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 5

6. The Mess & The Challenge
Maintain High Quality with Minimal Effort
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 6

7. Where It Starts – Corporate Culture
• Opportunity Tracking is a “Must” for Companies Focused on Business
Development
• Lead and Opportunity Info Centers Depend on Contact and Client Data
• Project Staff are a Significant Source for this Data
• The Vision Administration Management Headache: The Mess
Maintain High Quality with Minimal Effort
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 7

8. High Quality & Minimal Effort
• Create Info Center Marketing Champions.
• Learn How Users Want to Use the Data.
• Divide Up the Administration Load.
• Create Tools to Help.
• Make User Buy-in a Priority.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 8

9. User Buy-in:
Credibility & Usability are Key
1. Data Availability
– Ensure users can access their important data.
2. Data Reliability
– Is the data reasonably accurate?
3. Adequate Training
– Train everyone.
– Customize help.
– Recruit local experts.
4. Use the Information
– What clients are we pursuing?
– What are our potential projects and fees?
– List business development activities.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 9

10. 1. Data Availability & 2. Reliability
Provide a simple means for users to find information they need.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 10

11. 1. Data Availability & 2. Reliability
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 11

12. 3. Adequate Training &
Ongoing Support
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 12

13. 3. Adequate Training &
Ongoing Support
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 13

14. 4. Use the Information –
Project Managers Dashboard
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 14

15. 4. Use the Information –
Business Development Reports
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 15

16. Managing the Mess
Four Problems and Practical Solutions
Maintain High Quality with Minimal Effort
16

17. 1. Duplicate Clients and Contacts
• Problem: Identifying Duplicate/Near Duplicate Clients and Contacts
• Solution: Match Codes
– A user defined field(s) on the Clients and Contacts General tab.
– Contains an Alpha Numeric String of characters from a combination of fields.
– Scheduled workflow runs daily using a stored procedure to update the match
code field(s).
– A saved search finds the records with identical match codes.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 17

18. Contact Match Codes
• Contacts have three Match Codes
– Match Code1 = first few characters of Last Name, First Name, Company and
City
– Match Code2 = Soundex of first few characters Last Name, First Name,
Company and City
– Match Code3 = first few characters of Last Name, First Name and City
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 18

19. Contact Match Code1 Search
Records with Identical Match Code1 Contents
Helps identify duplicate records that aren’t necessarily identical .
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 19

20. Contact Match Code2 Search Results
Records with Identical Match Code2 Contents
Helps identify duplicate records resulting from typos or misspellings.
Helps identify duplicate records created because of typos or misspelling.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 20

21. Contact Match Code3 Results
Records with Identical Match Code3 Contents
Helps identify company name changes and contacts with new employers.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 21

22. 2. Orphaned Contacts
• Problem: Contacts with no Client Information
• Solution: Required Fields
– Opportunities require both a Client and a Contact.
– Clients and Contacts require a phone number.
• Successful Results
– Required fields work perfectly.
– Now there are no orphaned contacts, nor will any ever be created.
– No complaints from users about the required fields.
Required fields solved the problem and satisfied users.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 22

23. 2. Orphaned Contacts
• Related Problem: Client records with only a phone number.
• Solution: Information Detective
– Google the phone number and view the Google maps result.
– Search State Division of Corporations websites.
– Use Whitepages.com company name or reverse phone number lookup.
– Search LinkedIn.com for contact or company name.
– Opportunities associated with the Client?
– Who created the Client record?
• Search their Outlook Address Book.
• Ask Local Expert in their office for help.
The Internet is a rich source of client and contact information.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 23

24. 3. Constantly Changing Data
• Problem: Quality control for changing data
• Solution: Automated Monitoring
– User Defined Fields called “Record State” fields
• Status: End User Added; End User Modified; Verified; Questionable; Delete
• Date Changed
• Changed By
– Automated Reminders and Dashparts such as:
• Unverified Clients/Contacts new or changed last 30 days
• Contacts with missing information
• Clients Verified over Three Years Ago
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 24

25. Record State Fields
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26. 4. Quality Control Takes Too Long
• Problem: Vision Data Quality Control is Time Consuming
• Solution: Engage Users – Tom Sawyer Principle
– Event Report – Administrative staff
– Project Staff
– Local Experts
– Ecard bounces and out of office replies
– Part of the culture – the information cycle
Maintain High Quality With Minimal Effort
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 26

27. Engage Users in Quality Control
Return
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28. Engage Users in Quality Control
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 28

29. VisionCRM part of Corporate Culture
Employee &
Proj Info
Project Managers
Local Experts Vision Marketing
Corp Leadership
Edited
Info
It takes time to maintain high quality Info Center data.
However…
It takes longer to repeatedly workaround the limitations of inaccurate data.
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 29

30. Questions & Answers

31. Summary
• Part of the Corporate Culture– not a Marketing “thing”
• Training and Documentation
• Address User Pain Points
• Expect Project Staff to Update Data
• Manage Quality Control
• Maximize Automation
• Effectively Distribute the Maintenance Workload
• Consider Outsourcing Customization
Maintain High Quality with Minimal Effort
Copyright © 2010 Deltek, Inc. 31

32. Call to Action
• When You Return to Your Office Review your VisionCRM
Implementation with a Critical eye
• Make a Plan to Increase Vision’s Effectiveness
• Network with other Vision Administrators
• For Addition Information, stop by Insight Expo
• Contact me with questions
– Meg Middaugh, megmiddaugh@wilsonmiller.com