Resolve Duplicate Options

The Resolve Duplicates feature in OPSCOM allows administrators to identify and merge duplicatesduplicate records by email, student number, staff numbernumber, and vehicle (plate)plate. inIts theprimary system. Thispurpose is crucialto for maintainingmaintain data accuracy, preventingprevent operational errors, and ensuringensure that enforcement and permit management processes are basedrely on clean, unique vehicle data. This article is intended for OPS-COM administrators responsible for system data maintenance and focuses specifically on resolving duplicatesvehicle byduplicates.

vehicle,

Setup however,and Configuration

This feature is a core administrative data maintenance tool and requires no specialized initial setup.

Admin Side: Administrators must have the conceptappropriate system permissions enabled to access the data maintenance tools and execute merges.

User Side: This feature is strictly a backend administrative tool and is not accessible to end-users on the sameportal.

for

Using otherthis dataFeature

types.

Administrators can use the following instructions to generate a list of duplicate vehicles, select the appropriate retention data, and merge the records.

Resolving Duplicates By Vehicle

1. Click on

   Hover over Tools, hoverand overselect Resolve Duplicates, then click By Vehicle.Vehicle.

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Using this Feature

OnSelect theyour Resolve Duplicates By Vehicle page, you will be presented with options to define the criteria for identifying potentialdesired duplicate vehicleidentification records.

Duplicate Identification Options

There are two choicesoption to generate a list of potential duplicates:duplicates.

Review the generated list carefully, paying close attention to vehicle descriptions and other details to confirm they are actual duplicates.

Click the Merge button next to the specific pair of duplicate records you wish to consolidate.

Select which specific data fields you wish to retain from the duplicate records in the merge function window.

Finalize the merge to permanently combine the records.

Available Actions and Buttons

• Strict DuplicateDuplicate:

  Purpose:Select Thisthis option generatesto generate a list of vehicles where all three primary unique identifiers (Plate, State/Province, and Plate Type) are identical. This is used for finding exact, unambiguous duplicates. Unique identifiers are:

  • Plate
  • State/Province
  • Plate Type

  Include Different Plate TypesTypes:

  Purpose:Select Thisthis option generatesto generate a list of vehicles where the Plate and State/Province are identical, but the Plate Type may differ.

  This

• Merge: Click this button next to a pair of duplicate entries to open the data retention window and begin the consolidation process.

The Include Different Plate Types option is particularlyhighly useful for identifying potential input errorserrors. whereFor example, if a vehicle might have beenwas entered twiceonce with the correct plate and province, but an incorrect or unspecified plate type was initially used.

Example: Ifand a vehiclesecond is a beige BMW sports car with plate ABC123, province Ontario, and an unspecified Plate Type, but there's another record for a beige BMW sports car with plate ABC123, province Ontario, and Plate Type Passenger, it is highly probable that these are the same vehicle enteredtime as a duplicate.passenger Comparingplate, thethis vehiclesearch descriptioncriteria (make,will model,flag color)them can help confirm such cases.

Resolving Duplicates

Once a list ofas potential duplicates is generated based on your chosen criteria:

1. Review the list carefully, paying close attention to vehicle descriptions and other details to confirm actual duplicates.
2. For each pair of duplicate records you wish to merge, click the Merge button provided next to the entries.
3. Clicking Merge will take you to the merge function window, whereso you can selectcompare whichthe informationmake, model, and color to retain from the duplicate records and then finalize the merge.

confirm.

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Best Practices &and Considerations

• CoreUnderstand Vehiclecore Identificationvehicle identification:: In OPSCOM,OPS-COM, vehicles are uniquely identified by three key pieces of information: License Plate,Plate, Province / State,State, and Plate TypeType.. All three details are essential for a vehicle to be considered unique within the systemsystem, (e.g.,as "ABC123"the exact same plate number could betheoretically exist as both a passenger plate and also a commercial plate in the same province,province.

  requiring the plate type for distinction).

• CarefulPerform Reviewcareful reviews before merging:: Always thoroughly review potential duplicates before merging.finalizing Merginga merge, as merging incorrect records can lead to permanent data loss or inaccuracies. Ensure you are selecting the most accurate and complete data fields to retain during the final step.

• CommonEstablish Reasonsregular fordata maintenance routines: Periodically run the Resolve Duplicates report to maintain a clean and accurate vehicle database.: BeThis awareis especially important after periods of commonhigh scenariosuser that lead to duplicates:

  • Mismatched vehicle information (e.g., slight variations in plate number or state entry).
  • Incorrectly entered plate numbersregistration or manual data entryentry. errors.
  • OrphanedDuplicate vehicles thatcan cause significant confusion, particularly when multiple drivers are not properly linked to a user profile.
  • Orphaned violations that should be associated with athe specificsame vehicle but are linked to a duplicate record.vehicle.

• ProactiveEncourage Dataproactive Entrydata (Prevention)entry:: The more information included when adding a vehicle to the system, the better. Providing additional details helpsbetter the system can recognize potential duplicatesduplicates. and reduces errors. In addition to the three key identifiers, itIt is highly recommended to include:always

  include
  • Vehiclethe Colour
  vehicle's
  • Vehiclecolor, Make
  make,
  • Vehiclemodel, Model
  and
  • Vehicle Year These details helpyear to clearly identify specific vehicles and ensurereduce they are properly recorded.errors.

• DataInvestigate Retentioncommon duplicate causes:: WhenBe merging,aware OPSCOMof typicallycommon allowsscenarios youthat lead to selectduplicates, whichsuch data fields from the duplicate records you wish to preserve. Ensure you retain the most accurate and complete information.

• Regular Maintenance: Periodically run the Resolve Duplicates report to maintain a clean and accurate vehicle database, especially after periods of high user registration oras manual data entry.entry Duplicatetypos, vehiclesslight variations in state entry, or orphaned violations. Identifying these root causes can causehelp significantyou confusion, especially when multiple drivers are associated with the same vehicle, impacting permit management and enforcement accuracy.
• User Training: If duplicate entries are a recurring issue, consider reviewingimprove user training orand refine data entry procedures to minimize future occurrences.