Method and system for cleaning data in a customer relationship management system

1. An apparatus for cleaning data in a customer relationship management system, the apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a plurality of instructions, which when executed, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a plurality of records;

compare the plurality of records to stored records in a database of a customer relationship management system, the plurality of records being stored in a datastore that is independent of the database of the customer relationship management system;

identify a record from the plurality of records based on the identified record having content in a first data field that matches content in a corresponding first data field in a stored record in the database of the customer relationship management system, the identified record further comprising content in a second data field that differs from content in a corresponding second data field in the stored record, the first and second fields of the identified record being different; and

update the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record in response to a determination to update the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record, the determination being made in response to either a user request or automatically based on a previously selected blank auto-fill default.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein identifying the record is based on a business entity associated with the stored record and the identified record, and wherein the identified record is associated with at least one of a contact, a lead, an opportunity, and an account.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the receipt of the selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record is based on displaying a comparison of the identified record and the stored record via a user interface and receiving a selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data in the identified record via the user interface in response to displaying the comparison.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein displaying the comparison is further based on receiving a request to display the comparison via the user interface, wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is in response to displaying a matching record alert via the user interface, wherein displaying the matching alert via the user interface comprises displaying an indicator whether any users previously responded to the matching record alert, and wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is based on a schedule for receiving the plurality of records from an on-demand system.

5. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions for cleaning data in a customer relationship management system, which instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a plurality of records;

compare the plurality of records to stored records in a database of a customer relationship management system, the plurality of records being stored in a datastore that is independent of the database of the customer relationship management system;

identify a record from the plurality of records based on the identified record having content in a first data field that matches content in a corresponding first data field in a stored record in the database of the customer relationship management system, the identified record further comprising content in a second data field that differs from content in a corresponding second data field in the stored record, the first and second fields of the identified record being different; and

update the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record in response to a determination to update the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record, the determination being made in response to either a user request or automatically based on a previously selected blank auto-fill default.

6. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein identifying the record is based on a business entity associated with the stored record and the identified record, and wherein the identified record is associated with at least one of a contact, a lead, an opportunity, and an account.

7. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 5 , wherein the receipt of the selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record is based on displaying a comparison of the identified record and the stored record via a user interface and receiving a selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data in the identified record via the user interface in response to displaying the comparison.

8. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 7 , wherein displaying the comparison is further based on receiving a request to display the comparison via the user interface, and wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is in response to displaying a matching record alert via the user interface, wherein displaying the matching alert via the user interface comprises displaying an indicator whether any users previously responded to the matching record alert, and wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is based on a schedule for receiving the plurality of records from an on-demand system.

9. A method for cleaning data in a customer relationship management system, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of records;

comparing the plurality of records to stored records in a database of a customer relationship management system, the plurality of records being stored in a datastore that is independent of the database of the customer relationship management system;

identifying a record from the plurality of records based on the identified record having content in a first data field that matches content in a corresponding first data field in a stored record in the database of the customer relationship management system, the identified record further comprising content in a second data field that differs from content in a corresponding second data field in the stored record, the first and second fields of the identified record being different; and

updating the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record in response to a determination to update the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record, the determination being made in response to either a user request or automatically based on a previously selected blank auto-fill default.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein identifying the record is based on a business entity associated with the stored record and the identified record, and wherein the identified record is associated with at least one of a contact, a lead, an opportunity, and an account.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the receipt of the selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record is based on displaying a comparison of the identified record and the stored record via a user interface and receiving a selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data in the identified record via the user interface in response to displaying the comparison.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein displaying the comparison is further based on receiving a request to display the comparison via the user interface, and wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is in response to displaying a matching record alert via the user interface, wherein displaying the matching alert via the user interface comprises displaying an indicator whether any users previously responded to the matching record alert, and wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is based on a schedule for receiving the plurality of records from an on-demand system.

13. A system for cleaning data in a customer relationship management system, the system comprising:

a processor-based application, which when executed on a computer, will cause the processor to:

receive a plurality of records;

compare the plurality of records to stored records in a database of a customer relationship management system, the plurality of records being stored in a datastore that is independent of the database of the customer relationship management system;

identify a record from the plurality of records based on the identified record having content in a first data field that matches content in a corresponding first data field in a stored record in the database of the customer relationship management system, the identified record further comprising content in a second data field that differs from content in a corresponding second data field in the stored record, the first and second fields of the identified record being different; and

update the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record in response to a determination to update the content in the second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record, the determination being made in response to either a user request or automatically based on a previously selected blank auto-fill default.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein identifying the record is based on a business entity associated with the stored record and the identified record, and wherein the identified record is associated with at least one of a contact, a lead, an opportunity, and an account.

15. The system of claim 13 , wherein the receipt of the selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data field in the identified record is based on displaying a comparison of the identified record and the stored record via a user interface and receiving a selection to update the content in the corresponding second data field in the stored record using the content in the second data in the identified record via the user interface in response to displaying the comparison.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein displaying the comparison is further based on receiving a request to display the comparison via the user interface, and wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is in response to displaying a matching record alert via the user interface, wherein displaying the matching alert via the user interface comprises displaying an indicator whether any users previously responded to the matching record alert, and wherein receiving the request to display the comparison is based on a schedule for receiving the plurality of records from an on-demand system.