Introduction
As the volumes of data that companies are dealing with increases every year, it is becoming increasingly harder for organizations to identify duplicates and maintain a high level of data hygiene. Although native Salesforce deduplication tools are limited, there are some excellent Salesforce duplication management applications available to help fix and prevent duplicate entries. DataGroomr and Cloudingo are two of the most popular deduplication tools business trust to help them with their data quality problems, but these products are radically different.
Table of contents:
- Cloudingo vs DataGroomr Overview
- Installation and Onboarding
- User Interface
- Duplicate Identification
- Merge Processing
- API Integration
- Verification
- Cloudingo vs. DataGroomr Pricing
- Conclusion
Cloudingo vs DataGroomr Overview
In this blog, we compare Cloudingo and DataGroomr, both available on Salesforce AppExchange. Cloudingo was developed by Symphonic Source, which released its flagship product in 2012. DataGroomr, started in 2018, released its platform in March 2020.
Both solutions are SaaS-based, but there are many differences in how they approach deduplication and other data hygiene challenges:
| Cloudingo | DataGroomr | |
|---|---|---|
| Installation | Must install Cloudingo Agent in Salesforce | No installation or configuration required |
| User interface | Classic UI | Modern intuitive UI |
| Duplicate identification | Classic matching rules | AI-based machine learning and classic matching rules |
| Merge process | Multiple merge options and classic merge rules | Multiple merge options and advanced merge rules |
| Undo/restore merge | Requires external cloud storage configuration | No external storage or configuration required |
| API Integration | Webservice, Marketo, Callback | Webhooks, Handlers, Ingestion API |
| Verification | Mailing address only | Email, phone number and mailing address |
| Pricing | Plans start at $2,500 | Plans start at $1,195 |
Installation and Onboarding
DataGroomr and Cloudingo are built using a similar SaaS-based architecture, but how they access and interact with Salesforce is very different. Cloudingo requires the installation of an “Agent” in Salesforce. Setup and configuration must be done by trained administrators. Once installed, options are available to configure user access and data indexing.
DataGroomr does not require installation. Users can instantly access the app by logging directly into DataGroomr with their Salesforce credentials or from AppExchange, in which case the app is available as a tab in Salesforce.
User Interface
Cloudingo uses a classic user interface based on standard controls such as drop-down fields, check boxes and radio buttons. While the interface is functional, reviewers have commented that it lacks the ease of use found in more modern systems.
DataGroomr’s user interface is based on modern design principals and controls with intuitive navigation and a responsive interface. It includes rich functionality such as drag-and-drop and instant notifications that speed up routine tasks.
Duplicate Identification
This is where the two products diverge even more. Cloudingo creates “Filters” using traditional matching rules, requiring the user to select fields and specify matching methods. Customers are advised to set up multiple filters, with high and low confidence matches, for each duplicate variation. This can lead to a large number of filters that need to be reviewed and maintained.
Label: Cloudingo requires configuration of matching settings field-by-field.
DataGroomr takes a very different approach by understanding that there are strong patterns in how users identify duplicates in Salesforce. Using very large datasets, DataGroomr data scientists developed sophisticated machine learning models that identify duplicates with a high level of precision and recall. When a user logs into DataGroomr, these models automatically scan and identify duplicate records – without any need for manual configuration. In addition to the pre-trained models, DataGroomr allows power users who want more control to create their own machine learning models by simply specifying relevant fields and providing examples of duplicates to teach the artificial intelligence to detect data patterns and generate duplicate detection algorithms.
Merge Processing
As we all know, duplicates will find their way into any environment and every Salesforce administrator, user and stakeholder wants to eliminate them. Both Cloudingo and DataGroomr merge records and overcome the limitations that exist in native Salesforce duplicate management.
- Manual Merge
Users can review duplicate records side-by-side and initiate a merge in both products, and both provide an ability to control which values are kept. DataGroomr’s modern interface is more intuitive when selecting the surviving (master) records, editing individual fields and more.
- Mass Merge/Quick Merge
DataGroomr users can perform a bulk merge based on match confidence level. Cloudingo can only select multiple groups or all groups within a filter.
- Merge Jobs
Both products offer automation to run merges based on a schedule. DataGroomr users can also select a minimum match confidence.
Another differentiator is how Merge Rules are created and maintained. Cloudingo uses a traditional interface with many selectable options that can become confusing if you are not an expert.
DataGroomr uses a modern drag-and-drop designer that simplifies rule creation and preview to visualize how the rules will work with actual data.
For even more control, create your own merging rules with DataGroomr’s intuitive drag-and-drop editor.
Undo/Restore Merge
One major feature that distinguishes both Cloudingo and DataGroomr from other vendors is the ability to revert merges back to their original state – but DataGroomr is the new industry leader in providing a range of capabilities in reversing mergers. Also, DataGroomr does not store data outside of your Salesforce org, while Cloudingo does.
DataGroomr’s Undo restores merged records from the Salesforce recycle bin (with data available for 15 days) and recreates related object relationships. Rollback is a more robust restore operation than Undo, and data is available for up to 1 year after the merge operation. Neither option requires any user configuration.
Cloudingo’s Restore feature is somewhat more complicated to configure. Customers will need to decide whether they want to store backups in Cloudingo cloud storage or their own. Merges can be restored from Cloudingo storage for 45 days and theoretically indefinitely from customer storage (although this is impractical after long durations).
API Integration
Although there are some differences in approach, both Cloudingo and DataGroomr offer a comprehensive set of APIs. Both companies offer an API solution for preventing duplicate data during data loads into Salesforce, a key feature for many customers. However, Cloudingo’s API checks individual records (up 200 at a time) and uses their filters and indexes to identify duplicates; while DataGroomr processes large number of records in one API call and leverages its machine learning models for duplicate detection.
Both solutions include notification API, called Callback in Cloudingo and Webhooks in DataGroomr. Cloudingo includes integration with Marketo, covering specific Marketo integration scenarios, while DataGroomr includes Handlers API allowing users to override standard merging behavior and replace it with custom processing.
Verification
Cloudingo offers mailing address verification which is limited to United States addresses. To verify an address, users need to purchase tokens that are part of the data services add-on.
DataGroomr verifies email addresses, phone numbers and worldwide mailing addresses, and all paid plans come pre-loaded with free monthly credits. For bulk verifications and additional credits, users can purchase credit packages.
Cloudingo Pricing vs. DataGroomr Pricing
Cloudingo offers three tiered annual subscriptions – Standard, Professional and Enterprise – each with increasing levels of functionality and specified number of included users. Final cost is based on the selected tier plus the number of records over 300,000. For some essential features like exports, Cloudingo requires purchasing add-ons.
DataGroomr offers a similar three-tiered subscription model. DataGroomr’s pricing methodology is fully transparent and designed to support organizations as they grow. A clear feature matrix and helpful pricing calculator are available on DataGroomr’s pricing page. There is no need to work with a salesperson to evaluate feature and cost options. Prospective customers can quickly and easily calculate their annual cost by selecting their preferred functional tier, the number of records that they wish to analyze, and the number of DataGroomr users. Each tier includes 100,000 records and one user, which can be expanded as needed.
Conclusion
DataGroomr built a modern Salesforce duplication management solution because we saw that the existing options were difficult to implement, use and maintain. Customers of these legacy applications complain about the time required to properly install and configure them – all before seeing any tangible benefit. – as well as antiquated user experiences.
DataGroomr designed its app to be easy and intuitive to use. It requires no installation and finds duplicates right away, without complex configuration; so you can see its impact right from the start. Customers appreciate DataGroomr’s clean, modern, appealing user experience.
Want to see how DataGroomr can solve your data quality woes? Give it a test drive or request a demo to see DataGroomr in action and understand even better how the most modern approach delivers the best results.
