When managing product records between Unleashed and Prospect CRM, SKU changes can lead to synchronization issues and duplicate records. This article explains why these issues occur and provides steps to resolve them.
Impact of SKU Changes on synchronisation
In Prospect CRM, each product is identified by its SKU, which serves as the primary key. When a product’s SKU is changed in Unleashed, Prospect CRM treats the updated SKU as a new product. The original product record is marked as obsolete, and a new product record is created for the updated SKU. As a result:
Historical sales transactions remain tied to the old, obsolete product record.
Transactions do not appear under the new SKU, causing the two systems to appear misaligned.
This behaviour ensures data integrity but can create confusion when reviewing sales data across systems.
Resolve duplicate records in Prospect CRM
SKU changes in Unleashed can also result in duplicate product records in Prospect CRM. To address this issue, follow these steps:
Open a product report in Prospect CRM, such as the "All Products" report.
Use filters to locate the duplicate product records. You can filter by product code, name, or other identifiers.
Select the duplicate record and use the Bulk Actions feature to delete it from the CRM.
This process ensures that only the correct product record remains active, maintaining a clean and accurate product database.
Best Practices for Maintaining Alignment
To minimize synchronization issues and duplicate records:
Avoid frequent SKU changes in Unleashed unless absolutely necessary.
Regularly review product records in Prospect CRM to identify and resolve duplicates.
Communicate SKU changes to all relevant team members to ensure consistent data management.
By understanding the impact of SKU changes and following these best practices, you can maintain better alignment between Prospect CRM and Unleashed.