Business users in external systems throughout the enterprise may need to check if customer records already exist. By using the Find Similar web services (for both REST and SOAP), the business can search for existing similar records and prevent duplicates from being created at the point of entry.
For information on configuration, refer to the Find Similar Web Services topic of the Matching, Linking, and Merging documentation here.
Considerations
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The Find Similar call employs the matching functionality to produce the potential duplicate results returned in the response. For this reason, certain aspects of the solution must be appropriately paired for the call to function.
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The matching configuration may need to be altered to support the Find Similar call including creating additional Match Codes and Match Algorithms. It is important to examine the current matching landscape to determine if alterations are needed.
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The match algorithm being used to create and manage golden records may not be the best algorithm for the Find Similar call. Consider if external system's business needs align with the business needs of the existing governing match algorithm.
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Determine if a person or a machine will make the decision when reviewing potential duplicates and create an appropriate match algorithm:
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If a person (such as a Customer Service Representative) in an external system asks customers confirming questions about the data that is found, a looser match algorithm may be desired.
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If a machine makes the decision, there is no need for a looser match algorithm because the decision is made solely on the score.
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