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Gainsight Inc.

Configure Preference Order for Data Sources

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This article explains how admins can configure and set up the preference order for Data Sources to create a single, comprehensive record.

Overview

The Preference Order for Data Source section allows admins to add and prioritize multiple sources and ingest data into Company or Person objects to create a single comprehensive record. The Standard and Custom objects are selected as sources for identifying the company records. Admins can also prioritze the data at field level to select the winning record.

Data sources can be added for both the Company and the Person individually. To add preferences for data sources, navigate to Administration > Unification. The Unification page appears.

Unification Landing page.jpg

Company Data Source

With the ability to ingest data from multiple sources, the admin can use unification to add and prioritize data sources from where the data needs to be ingested.

Note: ​​The company object is automatically included in the project, and its attribute mapping is also created by default. This helps admins identify duplicates as per the definition in Define Company duplicates.

To add a new data source:

  1. Click Company in the Preference Order for Data Source. The Add and Prioritize Sources page appears.

    Add Source.jpg
  2. Select one of the following options to load the data:
    • Multiple sources: To add different sources and arrange their preference order.
    • Same source: To select which records to retain if the data ingested is from the  existing source

Multiple Sources

The Multiple Sources option allows you to add various sources to load data into the Company using Unification.

To add data sources:

  1. Click Add New Source. The Add Data Source slide-out panel appears.
  2. From the Select the object dropdown, select the source.

    Add data Source.jpg
  3. In the Object Settings section, select either of the following options:
    1. Primary: If the data being ingested is from the primary source.
      1. (Optional) Switch on the toggle Create new Company Records if a new Company record needs to be created from this source.
      2. Select if the source has only Company data or both Company and Relationship data.
      3. Proceed to Field Mapping. 

        Primary data source.jpg
    2. Related: If the data being ingested is from a secondary source.
      • From the Pick the Primary Source Object dropdown, select the primary source associated with the Related data source. This can be a Standard or Custom source.

        Related data source.jpg
         
  4. Field Mapping: Map attributes based on Company and Relationship Objects.
    1. Company Object Attribute:
      1. Hover over Add Field and select Add select new fields. The Select Fields slide-out panel appears
      2. Select the Source fields to be added.
      3. Click Select.
      4. From the Target dropdown, select the target field to be mapped.
        Target fields-Company.jpg
    2. Relationship Object Attribute: Repeat the steps above to map fields in the Relationship object attribute.
  5. Click Add Object to add this source.

Repeat the steps above to add various sources for loading data into the Company records. The Multiple Source tab now lists all the sources added, ready to be ranked according to their preference.

To rank the sources, hover over the three-vertical-dots menu next to each source and drag them to rearrange as per the ranking.

Move sources.jpg

Sync Sources

After the company project setup is complete, the Sync Source option allows you to retrieve the latest data from staging objects to Record Groups in Gainsight, initiating the unification process for that source.

To sync the sources:

  1. Under the Action column, click Sync. The Synchronize Company confirmation window appears.
  2. To complete the process, click Sync.

Sync Company data.jpg

Field Level Preference

After adding the sources to load data, the next step is to configure field-level settings for each source from Field Level Preference.

The Field Level Preference page displays the list of all the fields that are added from the sources selected in the above section.

To add new fields:

  1. From the Field Level Preference page, click Add Fields.
  2. Select a Company or Relationship Field. The Select Fields slide-out panel appears.
  3. Select the fields to be added. Click Select.

Select fields.jpg

For the fields added, if a particular field is linked to multiple sources, you can select the preference for each of these fields from which data needs to be ingested.

To edit preference:

  1. Click Edit Preference next to the field whose sources need to be prioritized. The Source Preference Order dialog box appears. Re-order the source as required.
    Edit preference.jpg

In case duplicate records are found, you can select the following options for the record to be considered as the winning record:

  • Oldest
  • Most Recent
  • Null Value

Note: Toggle the Auto Promote option to automatically update the data when it changes in the preferred source.

winning records.jpg

Same Source

When ingesting data from the Same Source, you can set the criteria for maintaining the records.

To set the criteria:

  1. From the Which record to retain dropdown, select either of these options:
    • Oldest
    • Most Recent
    • Most Complete Record
  2. From the From all fields write dropdown, select either of these options:
    • Winning records values or best match
    • Winning record values or null
  3. Click Save.

Same Source.jpg

Person Data Source

Unification allows you to select data sources from where the data needs to be ingested.

Note: ​​Person object is added by default to the project and the mapping of attributes of the company object is also created by default.

To add a new data source:

  1. In the Preference Order for Data Source, click Person. The Add and Prioritize Sources page appears.

    Person data Source.jpg
  2. Select one of the following options to load the data.
    • Multiple sources: To add different sources and arrange their preference order.
    • Same source: To select which records to retain if the data ingested is from the same source.

Multiple Sources

The Multiple Sources option allows you to add various sources to load data into the Person using Unification.

To add data sources:

  1. Click Add New Source. The Add Data Source slide-out panel appears.

    Add data source.jpg
  2. From the Select the object dropdown, select the source to add.

    Select Data Source.jpg
  3. In the Object Settings section, select either of the following options:
    1. Person Only: If the data being ingested contains only Person data.
    2. Company / Relationship Person: If the source contains Company or Relationship data.
      1. From the Select the Company Source Object, select the company source.
      2. (Optional) Turn ON the Has Relationship toggle if the data has Relationship information.

        Object Settings.jpg
        IMPORTANT:
        • For ingestion and creation of Person records from Customer Communities (CC) and Customer Education (CE), turn on the toggle Create new Person records from this source automatically.
        • This configuration is default set with the toggle off for Customer Communities (CC) / Customer Education (CE) integration as soon as one-click integration is done.

          Unification data source settings, allowing automatic creation of new person records and mapping of attributes for company and person objects.
  4. Field Mappings: Map attributes based on Person, Company, and Relationship Object.
    1. Person Object Attribute:
      1. Hover over Add Field and select Add select new fields. The Select Fields slide-out panel appears.
      2. Select the Source fields to be added.
      3. Click Select.
      4. From the Target dropdown, select the target field to be mapped.
        Person Attribute.jpg
    2. Company Person Object Attribute:
      1. Hover over Add Field and select Add select new fields. The Select Fields slide-out panel appears.
      2. Select the Source fields to be added.
      3. Click Select.
      4. From the Target dropdown, select the field to be mapped to.
        Company Person Object.jpg
    3. Relationship Object Attribute: Repeat the steps above to map fields in the Relationship object attribute.
      Note: Relationship Object attribute is available only when the Has Relationship toggle is turned on.
  5. Click Add Object to add this source.

Repeat the above steps to add various sources to load data from and into the Person records. The Multiple Source tab now lists all the sources added, ready to be ranked by preference.

To rank the sources, hover over the three-vertical-dots menu next to each source and drag them to re-order as per the ranking.

Sync Sources

After the person project setup is complete, use the Sync Source option to retrieve the latest data from staging objects to Record Groups in Gainsight, initiating the unification process for that source.

To sync the sources:

  1. Under the Action column, click Sync. The Synchronize Person confirmation window appears.
  2. To complete the process, click Sync.

Sync Sources.jpg

Field Level Preference

After adding the sources to load data,  you must configure field-level settings for each source from Field Level Preference.

The Field Level Preference page displays the list of all the fields that are added from the sources selected in the above section.

Add fields from the selected data sources from any of the following options:

  • Add Person Fields
  • Add Company Person Fields
  • Add Relationship Person Fields

To add new fields:

  1. From the Field Level Preference page, click Add Fields.
  2. Select a Person, Company Person, or Relationship Person Field. The Select Fields slide-out panel appears.
  3. Select the fields to be added. Click Select.

Filed Level Prefernce.jpg

Same Source

When ingesting data from the same source, you must set the criteria for maintaining the records.

To set the criteria:

  1. From the Which record to retain dropdown, select either of these options:
    • Oldest
    • Most Recent
    • Most Complete Record
  2. From the From all fields write dropdown, select either of these options:
    • Winning records values or best match
    • Winning record values or null
  3. Click Save.

Same Source.jpg

Additional Resources