Guide: Data Cleanup

The Data Cleanup Utility can eliminate duplicate records.

It is opened from the Program tab when only the Main Menu is displayed on screen.

The Data Cleanup Utility can be used for many types of data - including people.

Firstly let's take a simple example based on departments:

1. Someone has created a department pick-list entry with the name "Admin".
2. Someone else has created another with the name "Administration".
3. The correct name for the department is "Administration".
4. Some incidents have been recorded with the department specified as Admin.
5. Other incidents have been recorded with the department specified as Administration.
6. There may be other records too in which the Admin department is specified (e.g. corrective actions).
7. You set the Data Cleanup Utility to replace the Admin department with the Administration department in all the places it occurs (which will include incidents, corrective actions, etc) - and you set the option to delete Admin from the departments Pick-List (see picture).
8. After you click the Proceed button (and providing no warnings need to be displayed):
   1. in all the places where Admin was specified as the department, Administration will be specified instead,
   2. the Admin department will no longer exist in the Pick-Lists form.
   3. What has been deleted is the whole record of the Admin department (including it's name and, if recorded, it's code and it's link to a division).

Now let's take a look at using the Data Cleanup Utility for people:

1. You have a record in the People form for Fred Smith.
2. You have another record in the People form for Fred Smyth.
3. The correct name is Fred Smyth.
4. For each of these you may have recorded personal details, date of birth, next of kin, employment periods and a picture.
5. Some incidents have been recorded with the Affected Person specified as Fred Smith.
6. Other incidents have been recorded with the Affected Person specified as Fred Smyth.
7. There may be other records too in which Fred Smith occurs (e.g. as Supervisor, OHS Rep, etc)
8. Before using the Data Cleanup Utility you go to the People form and:
   1. find the record of Fred Smith,
   2. open the following dialogs and, in each case, either take a screenshot or write down the details (e.g. in Notepad or on paper):
      1. Personal Details dialog,
      2. DOB (date of birth) dialog,
      3. NOK (next of kin) dialog,
      4. Pic/Vid dialog,
   3. change the "Periods of Employment" section to datasheet view (right-click - then Change View on the popup menu), click the square in the top left corner of the datasheet (see picture), then copy (Ctrl+C) the highlighted employment period records,
   4. open MS Excel and paste the copied employment period records into a spreadsheet,
9. Set the Data Cleanup Utility to replace Fred Smith with Fred Smyth in all the places he occurs (which will include incidents, corrective actions, etc) - and set the option to delete Fred Smith (see picture).
10. After you click the Proceed button (and providing no warnings need to be displayed):
    1. in all the places where Fred Smith was specified (e.g. as Affected Person, Supervisor, OHS Rep, training attendee, etc), Fred Smyth will be specified instead,
    2. Fred Smith will no longer exist in the People form.
    3. What has been deleted for Fred Smith is:
       1. all data in the top half of the People form,
       2. personal details,
       3. date of birth,
       4. next of kin
       5. employment details (usually shown in the bottom half of the People form).
11. Find the record of Fred Smyth in the People form.
12. Check the personal details, date of birth, next of kin and employment details that you set aside from Fred Smith's record and decide what needs to be added or modified in Fred Smyth's record.

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