Scenario A
Block duplicate creates and ownerless leads before bulk history cleanses.
CRM data quality comes from intake rules and ownership, not one-off cleansing. Dupes, empty stages, and zombie leads need a weekly rhythm.
Scenario B
Dedupe rules must be explainable: tax ID, phone, email, name similarity.
Scenario C
Every new field needs an archive policy or forms only grow.
| Decision lens | Common trap or cost | Safer cut |
|---|---|---|
| Block intake | Stop dupes/ownerless | Immediate effect |
| Explainable dedupe | Tax ID/phone/email | Fewer bad merges |
| Weekly rhythm | Dirty data in standup | Keeps improving |
Governance is an ops habit, not a one-off project Put scenarios into the contract annex—better for acceptance than module names alone.
Clean all history?
Quarantine inactive leads; manually confirm merges on active accounts. Full wipes injure good records.
Who may merge accounts?
Rep requests, ops/manager approves, system audits.
Poor marketing lead quality?
Validation plus reject loops; channels must be measurable and cuttable.
Need MDM?
Worth it with high volume and many systems; for single CRM, harden rules first.