Deduplication
Deduplication is the process of identifying and merging duplicate records that refer to the same entity or person.
Allocator relevance: Prevents fragmented profiles, duplicated outreach, and inaccurate coverage and completeness metrics.
Expanded Definition
Duplicates occur when entities appear under spelling variants, subsidiaries, holding companies, geographic offices, or outdated names. For allocator datasets, duplicates are especially common due to evolving family office structures and inconsistent public naming.
Deduplication is not just “removing duplicates”—it is resolving identity while preserving evidence trails and avoiding incorrect merges.
How It Works in Practice
Systems use matching rules and entity resolution techniques to cluster likely duplicates, then merge or link them with confidence and audit trails. Strong deduplication preserves historical aliases and ensures that merged profiles retain the best available verified fields.
Decision Authority and Governance
Governance defines merge thresholds, manual review requirements for high-stakes entities, and how to handle conflicts between sources. Poor governance can create catastrophic errors by merging distinct entities.
Common Misconceptions
- Deduplication is purely a one-time cleanup.
- More aggressive merging always improves quality.
- Deduplication is the same as entity resolution.
Key Takeaways
- Deduplication improves usability and reduces reputational risk.
- Accuracy and audit trails matter more than “clean counts.”
- Pair with entity resolution and source confidence.