FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What duplicate customer records are, how MaxDup finds them, and how you stay in control.
What is a duplicate customer record?
It’s the same customer stored more than once, often with small differences: a nickname in one system, a typo in another, an old address in a third. Each record looks legitimate, but together they split one customer’s history and inflate your customer counts.
What is data deduplication, or merge/purge?
Merge/purge is the process of comparing records, identifying the ones that belong to the same person, household or company, and consolidating them. MaxDup does this across files and systems so you end up with one trusted record per customer.
How does MaxDup find duplicates that aren't exact matches?
It uses fuzzy logic to catch records that are close but not identical, such as duplicates created by data-entry mistakes, and it standardizes addresses internally before comparing them so formatting differences don’t hide a match. See how matching works.
Does MaxDup merge records automatically?
No. MaxDup identifies likely duplicates using configurable matching rules, and your team reviews every suggested match. Nothing changes without your approval, and every decision is documented.
What is a survivor record?
When records are confirmed as the same customer, MaxDup consolidates the data from all of them into a single record, the survivor, so the complete history lives in one place.
What can MaxDup match on?
Individual names, company names (processed at the same time as individual names), household and residential addresses, and other fields such as phone numbers, area codes and Social Security numbers.
What's the difference between individual, household and company matching?
Individual matching finds the same person entered more than once. Household matching groups different people at the same residence, which is useful for one-per-household mailings. Company matching finds the same business under different spellings or contacts.
Does MaxDup standardize addresses?
Yes. Addresses are standardized internally before matching, using Anchor Software’s CASS™-certified address logic, which increases the chance of finding a valid match.
What platforms does MaxDup run on?
Windows, Linux, UNIX and z/OS mainframe, so you can clean customer data where it already lives.
What reports does MaxDup produce?
A cross-reference report that shows which records matched which, for verification and response analysis, and PDF reports with graphs, logos and colored text through ReportWriter.
Do I need to be a data expert to use it?
No. MaxDup is designed so less experienced users can get the same merge/purge results as data professionals, with minimal training.
How can I see MaxDup with my own data?
Request a demo. We’ll walk through how MaxDup finds duplicates in data like yours and how your team would review and approve matches.
See what your customer data is really telling you.
Schedule a personalized MaxDup demonstration and see how one trusted customer record can improve every decision your business makes.