Salesforce AI for Better Data Management: Automating Data Cleansing and Duplication
Tags: saleforce, ai, datascience, analytics
Published: 2024-03-28 11:26:39

Did you know that Salesforce Einstein processes over [1 trillion transactions](https://hutte.io/trails/salesforce-statistics/)? It leverages AI, machine learning, and data analytics to give you a game-changing advantage. 
Salesforce AI is redefining the approach to data management by automating the intricate tasks of data cleansing and duplication. Organizations that adopt this technology witness enhanced data quality and operational efficiency, making informed decisions faster and with greater confidence.
This article explores integrating AI technologies within Professional Automation Systems (PAS) to tackle common data management challenges. Manual processes are tedious and prone to errors, and duplicate records complicate decision-making. Salesforce AI promises streamlined and more accurate data handling.
Challenges in Identifying and Resolving Duplicate Records Manually 

Among the leading stumbling blocks in manually identifying duplicate records is the volume of data. Organizations produce and accumulate huge amounts of data daily, making it difficult to identify duplicates.

The problem grows in the sense that it is still manual; people do not have the facility to detect duplicates with precision, especially if they are spread across diverse bases or systems.

Another challenge is inconsistent data entry. Record creation or updating is bound to human errors, such as misspelling words, formatting differences, or missing details. 

All these obstacles prevent reconciling duplicate records. Identifying these deviations is a time-consuming and error-prone manual process. This may lead to the loss of genuine records and the retention of the wrong ones. It is also difficult to resolve manually because it involves protecting data and privacy. 

**10 Steps to Use AI-Driven Insights for Identifying Duplicate Records in Salesforce**

The following ten steps will help you use Einstein AI to identify duplicate records:

- **Enable and Configure Einstein AI**: 

Salesforce's AI capabilities are powered by Einstein AI. Developers need to enable Einstein AI in their Salesforce environment. This may involve configuring specific Einstein AI features relevant to data management and duplicate detection, such as Einstein Data Insights. Read [here](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.generative_ai_enable.htm&language=en_US&release=248.12.0&type=5) how to enable it.
- **Set Up Data Models:** Define and set up your data models in Salesforce. This involves identifying which objects (like contacts, leads, or custom objects) are prone to duplication and understanding the important structure and fields for your business processes.
- **Implement Data Quality Rules**: Salesforce's data management tools implement data quality rules. These rules can include criteria for identifying potential duplicates, such as matching email addresses, phone numbers, or custom field values that should be unique.
- **Leverage Einstein Duplicate Management:** Salesforce offers Einstein Duplicate Management tools that can be customized to detect and manage duplicates based on your data quality rules. Configure the Duplicate and Matching Rules to use AI-driven insights to identify potential duplicates. Read [this guide](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sf.managing_duplicates_overview.htm&language=en_US&release=248.12.0&type=5) to help you get started.
Custom AI Models: For more complex scenarios, developers can build custom AI models using Apex or Einstein Platform Services. These models can be trained on your Salesforce data to recognize duplicates based on patterns that may not be evident through standard matching rules.
- **Integrate External AI Tools**: If necessary, Salesforce can be integrated with external AI and machine learning platforms to enhance duplicate detection capabilities. This can be done through Salesforce's APIs, allowing for ingesting insights generated by external AI models.
- **Review and Act on Insights:** Once duplicates are identified, use Salesforce's reporting and dashboard tools to review the AI-generated insights. Develop workflows or use Salesforce's automation tools to manage these duplicates, such as merging records or flagging them for manual review.
- **Continuously Train and Improve:** AI models benefit from continuous training. Review the performance of your AI-driven duplicate detection processes regularly and adjust your models and rules as necessary to improve accuracy and efficiency.
- **Maintain Data Hygiene:** Use AI insights to maintain overall data hygiene beyond identifying duplicates. This can include identifying incomplete records or patterns indicating data quality issues.
- **Educate and Empower Users:** Finally, ensure that end-users and administrators know the importance of data quality and how to handle duplicates. Provide training on using the tools and reports available to manage duplicates effectively.
Automating Data Cleansing with Salesforce AI
Automating data cleansing with Salesforce AI involves a structured approach to ensure your data remains clean, accurate, and useful for your business operations. 

Here’s how you can implement this using actionable steps:
Setting Up Data Quality Rules
- **Define Your Data Standards:** Start by defining clear standards for your data. This includes formats for phone numbers, email addresses, date formats, and any custom fields specific to your business.
Identify Key Fields for Quality Checks: Determine which fields are critical for your operations and should be prioritized for data cleansing. Common fields include customer contact information, lead details, and account records.
- **Use Validation Rules:** Implement validation rules in Salesforce to ensure data entered into the system meets your predefined standards. This can include rules for mandatory fields, unique fields, and format validations.
Leverage Formula Fields: Use formula fields to check data consistency and accuracy across related records.
Using Pre-built AI Models
- **Explore Available Models: **Salesforce Einstein offers a range of pre-built AI models tailored for common business needs. Explore the models available in Einstein Prediction Builder and Einstein Data Insights.
- **Activate Einstein Data Insights:** Use Einstein Data Insights to automatically analyze your data and get suggestions for data quality improvements. This can help identify trends, outliers, and anomalies in your data.
Implement Einstein Prediction Builder: Leverage Einstein Prediction Builder to create predictions based on your data quality criteria. For example, predict which records might have missing or incorrect information.
Creating Custom AI Models for Specific Needs
- **Define Custom Model Criteria:** If your data cleansing needs go beyond what's offered by pre-built models, identify the specific criteria for your custom model. This could be related to industry-specific data validation or complex data relationships.
- **Collect and Prepare Data:** Gather historical data representing clean and problematic records. Clean and segment this data into training and test sets.
- **Build and Train Your Model:** Use tools like Salesforce [Einstein Platform Services](https://www.salesforce.com/products/platform/) or external AI platforms to build and train your model. Focus on the specific features (fields) most indicative of data quality issues.
Test and Deploy: Test your model with the test data set and adjust it based on performance. Once satisfied, deploy the model into your Salesforce environment.
Vonage's Transformation with Salesforce AI: A Beacon for Efficient Data Management

Vonage, a global leader in cloud communications, embarked on a mission to overcome challenges posed by siloed datasets and manual processes resulting from a series of acquisitions. The company's strategic pivot towards Salesforce Customer 360 underscored its commitment to unifying and automating data management to foster growth and enhance efficiency.

- **Centralized Communication Hub:** Using Slack as a digital headquarters, Vonage significantly improved information dissemination among team members, reducing the time to collect and verify data from days to minutes. This automation of communication workflows enabled rapid customer service and enhanced productivity.

- **Seamless Data Integration:** Vonage's implementation of [MuleSoft](https://www.rapidionline.com/blog/top-salesforce-integration-tools) was a game-changer, allowing it to bridge disparate data systems with a unique identifier. This integration facilitated a unified view of customer data across teams, setting the stage for deeper customer relationships and improved cross-selling opportunities.

- **Efficiency in Sales Operations:** Vonage harnessed the power of Sales Cloud to streamline its quoting process, slashing the time from four days to mere minutes. This minimized human error and empowered sales agents with rapid access to product information, significantly boosting sales efficiency.

- **Data Visualization and Decision Making:** The deployment of Tableau enabled Vonage to achieve a 360-degree view of its customers by visualizing data across business units on a single dashboard. This strategic move enhanced executive decision-making and provided clear insights into sales operations, driving informed go-to-market strategies.

- **Partnership for the Future:** Vonage's collaboration with Salesforce Professional Services and its utilization of the Premier Success Plan illustrates a forward-thinking approach to leveraging technology for business growth. This partnership underscores the importance of expert guidance and tailored solutions in realizing technological aspirations.

Vonage's journey with Salesforce AI vividly illustrates how automation and intelligent data management can propel a company toward unprecedented operational efficiency and customer-centric growth. It is an inspiring success story for organizations looking to navigate the complexities of digital transformation in the telecommunications industry and beyond.

Read more about this [case study](https://www.salesforce.com/resources/customer-stories/vonage-telecommunications-automation/) on Salesforce’s customer stories. 



**Final Thoughts**
A conclusion is the final part or section of any writing or discourse. It sums up the whole discussion and gives closure to the reader. Be it an essay, research paper, or even a speech—the conclusion is that last attempt to leave a lasting impact and ensure a satisfying end.

Essentially, the conclusion summarizes the main points or arguments in the body of the work; in other words, it reminds the reader of the key ideas and restates the overall message underlined in the whole writing. Finally, the outline of the main points and their importance in the topic of discussion will be restated, making everything distinct from the meaning of the paper to the reader.

In addition to summarizing and providing a personal perspective, a good conclusion also offers closure to the reader. The conclusion is meant to sum up any loose ends or questions that may have arisen during the writing. This may be achieved by offering solutions, pointing out the need for further research, or giving a call to action. A sense of completion is given as the conclusion reaches out to the reader, letting the reader know what the writer wanted to get across to him.

The article is written by [Gia Radnai ](https://www.linkedin.com/in/gia-radnai-a7402b21b/)