Account Matching Setup

Account matching automatically detects matching accounts and groups these accounts together. The Account Matching Setup form stores default settings for Collect! to use when matching accounts. These settings determine how Collect! looks for matches and what it does if it finds them.

Account Matching Setup Window

Account matching handles two basic conditions - first, when new accounts are entered, and second, when existing accounts are grouped together arbitrarily.

When entering new accounts, Collect! checks for matching entries such as name, or social security number. When you exit from a field after typing something, Collect! checks if there's another account with a matching or close value. If there is, it displays a list and lets you choose one.

When adding accounts to an existing group, the current settings in the Account Matching Setup window are set on added accounts. When creating new group, the current settings are set on all accounts.

Accessing Account Matching Setup

The Account Matching Setup window may be accessed in multiple ways. Provided your User Level provides the software access, you can use one of the following ways to get to the Account Matching Setup.

1. Using the menu bar at the top of your screen, click "System\ Preferences\ Plans and Reference Tables\Account Matching Setup".

2. From the Main Menu, click the " System Administration" button on the left of the window, then click "Setup and Configuration" button. This will take you to the same menu options as above. Click "Plans and Reference Tables\Account Matching Criteria" to complete the navigation to the same destination as in #1 above.

Options

This section contains account matching options. The selections are explained below.

Enable Account Matching

This switch turns on the account matching feature. When you turn the switch off, account matching is disabled.

Disable Account Matching

You can enable or disable account matching using the 'Enable account matching' check box.

Prompt Before Cascading Changes

Turn ON the Prompt before Cascading Changes switch with a check mark to receive a prompt to verify before copying data.

It is important to switch this ON if you have any doubts about the data you may be copying.

Prevent Cascade When Closed

Switch this ON with a check mark to prevent cascading of data to group members where the account has a Closed Mode. Collect! will still show matching records if the account is closed, but it will not cascade any data or changes to closed accounts. This switch is in the Group Member Setup form as well.

Cascade Phone Deletions

Switch this ON with a check mark to cascade phone deletions. With this switch ON, you can delete a phone number for one group member and Collect! will delete the number from the other group members, as well.

Any phone number deleted by this process will be logged to the Debtor's Notes.

Prompt On Phone Deletes

Switch this ON with a check mark to alert the user before cascading phone deletions.

If this switch is ON, the user will be warned only when a phone number is about to be lost due to a blank cascading across the group. This prompt will only occur once per set of group members. If the user selects NO, blanks will not cascade across, otherwise they will.

Any phone number deleted by this process will be logged to the Debtor's Notes.

This switch is visible only when "Cascade phone deletions" is switched ON.

Check And Prompt On Near Matches

Check and Prompt on Near Matches controls which fields are automatically checked for matching debtors as you enter information. You will be prompted when near matches are found. The settings are explained below.

Match Name

Enabling this switch invokes an attempt to try to match newly entered or newly edited accounts based on information in the Name field.

Match Contact

Enabling this switch invokes an attempt to try to match newly entered or newly edited accounts based on information in the Contact field.

Match Phones

Enabling this switch invokes an attempt to try to match newly entered or newly edited accounts based on information in any of the phone fields.

Match SSN

Enabling this switch invokes an attempt to try to match newly entered or newly edited accounts based on information in the SSN field.

Match DOB

Enabling this switch invokes an attempt to try to match newly entered or newly edited accounts based on information in the DOB field.

Match DL

Enabling this switch invokes an attempt to try to match newly entered or newly edited accounts based on information in the DL field.

Copy When Creating

The Copy When Creating New Records controls whether or not you will copy a particular field's information FROM the EXISTING account TO the NEW account being entered. This will save you time, should the information be identical.

Data in the new debtor will be overwritten by the data in the matching existing account. If you do not want to risk losing possibly newer information or previously unknown trace leads if a prior demographic is unknown on existing accounts, then DO NOT use this feature.

The options below control which fields you have overwrite ability FROM and EXISTING account TO a NEW account being entered:

Copy Name

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in the Name field to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Copy Contact

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in the Contact field to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Copy Phones

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in all phone fields to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Copy SSN

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in the SSN field to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Copy DOB

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in the DOB field to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Copy DL

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in the DL field to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Copy Address

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in the address fields to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Copy POE

When this switch is ON, the process will copy the information in the POE field to a newly entered account from the original account, if there is a match.

Cascade Data To Other

The Cascade Data to Other Group Members controls how the accounts in a group are synchronized with respect to shared fields when an update takes place on ONE account in the group.

We recommend caution with this feature: it does overwrite information in the target fields once an update has been initiated on any account in the group.

A popular switch pairing is the use of Cascade along with the Options switch to "Prevent cascade when closed".

Each group member has its own cascade settings located inside the Group Tab, Group Member Setup. It is possible to fine-tune the settings ad hoc on a per group basis if the need arises.

Additionally, you can modify the settings to be different on select members within a group such that some group members remain independent and/or unaffected by updates.

The choices to control cascading data are explained below:

Cascade Name

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered into the Name field across all matching accounts.

Cascade Contact

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered into the Contact field across all matching accounts.

Cascade Phones

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered into any phone fields across all matching accounts.

If you want to cascade deleting phone numbers, you must switch ON "Cascade phone deletions."

Cascade SSN

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered in the SSN field across all matching accounts.

Cascade DOB

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered into the DOB field across all matching accounts.

Cascade DL

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered in the DL field across all matching accounts.

Cascade Address

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered in the address fields across all matching accounts.

Cascade POE

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade any edits entered in the POE field across all matching accounts.

Cascade Worked

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade the Worked Date of an account across all matching accounts.

The Worked Date on grouped accounts is always kept up-to-date on all group members, and is shown in red if someone worked the account already today. In this way, you can be sure you won't be calling the same account in one day.

Cascade Status

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade changes of the Status Code of an account across all matching accounts.

If your site uses statuses such as PIF, SIF, DIS etc., you may wish to leave this switch OFF to prevent an accidental sweep of a status code that was meant for a single account inside the group.

Cascade Notes

When this switch is ON, the feature will cascade notes to other members in the established group, provided the 'Cascade notes' switch is also activated within the Group Tab of the individual debtor accounts.

Visit the Collect! Member Center for a utility report to assist with mass updating of the "Cascade notes" and "Share notes" switches in pre-existing groups. Choose the drop-down menu Add-Ons, then the category "Utility Reports and Snippets" from the body of the page. If you are logged into the Member Center, the zip called "Group Notes - Cascading and Share Notes Tab". The zip file contains a writeback report that will optimize your ability to activate the new fields which became available in CV11.6.2.9. To utilize the report, import the .rpt file into your system and follow the directions which come with the report zip file.

Cascade notes may be further controlled for each individual site by the 'Prevent cascade when closed' and 'Prompt before cascading changes' switches in the Options area of the Account Matching Setup window.

Advanced Match Conditions

This section is where you define the criteria that will be used to determine which fields in combination of Boolean AND/OR conditions will be used to decision whether a new account entering the system will be deemed a match to one or more accounts currently existing in your database. Criteria for the match conditions are chosen from the pick lists on the fields. Press F1 for additional details when your cursor is within this input entry area.

Commit

Select this button to commit your changes. In progress.

OK

Selecting this button will save any data you have entered and return you to the previous form.

Cancel

Select this button to ignore any changes you may have made and then return to the previous form.

Help

Select this for help on the Account Matching Setup window and links to related auto-grouping topics.

See Also

- Matching Accounts
- Using Account Matching
- How To Setup Account Matching