Settle the disagreement before preparing an import
Before a Florida AC company moves customer spreadsheets into software, it needs to decide which values the team can trust. The customer list may show one service address while dispatch uses another. A job can say “complete” while a separate sheet still lists an ordered part. Copying the newest row over the older one can hide the real meaning.
This review happens before formatting an import file. Its output is a decision log: which records belong together, which values are supported, what remains uncertain and who must resolve it. Keep original files unchanged so each decision remains traceable.
Match people and properties before comparing fields
Consider a fictional AC company in Stuart. Its customer sheet contains Alex Morgan under account C-104. Dispatch has another Alex Morgan under C-287. Both names are plausible; matching them by name alone would risk joining different customers.
The coordinator compares existing account references, service properties and appropriately verified contact information. A shared address or email can also represent several people or properties. When the relationship is unclear, keep the records separate and ask the responsible employee to verify it.
For C-104, the coordinator confirms which dispatch rows belong to the account. Only then does the team compare field values. Normalizing spelling or phone formatting can expose possible matches, but it does not establish identity.
Build a conflict log with source evidence
Give each disputed value a source file, sheet and row reference, recorded date and reviewer. A file saved yesterday may contain last year's information. Record when the underlying fact was checked, not just the export date.
The following entries are fictional. “Keep” means the stated evidence supports a value for this purpose; “review” means the question remains open.
| Conflict and source | Decision | Evidence and owner |
|---|---|---|
| C-104 service-address apartment/suite number: Customer sheet row 18 says 2; Dispatch row 42 says 12 | Keep 12 for the current request | Coordinator confirmed the request with the customer; retain that dated reference |
| Contact number: Customer row 18 lists a mobile; Dispatch row 42 lists an office line | Review contact purpose; do not discard either yet | Office owner verifies the appropriate contact and preferred channel |
| U-03 serial: Equipment row 9 says AX41; Visit row 27 says AX14 | Review before selecting an identifier | Technician reviewer checks the unit's dated nameplate evidence |
| Work state: Dispatch row 42 says complete; Parts row 6 says awaiting supply | Keep separate assessment and repair states | Service lead verifies completed assessment and the still-open repair |
Keep a reason alongside each accepted value. A second employee should be able to follow the evidence without repeating the whole investigation. Use the equipment record guide when a serial conflict could involve a replacement rather than a typing mistake.
Preserve open work and financial meaning
For C-104, the completed assessment does not close the repair awaiting a part. Carry forward the approved scope, supply dependency, next customer update and responsible person in the agreed working records. If a field cannot represent both states, document that limitation before transferring it.
Amounts need the same care. Suppose the fictional invoice register shows $600 billed and the payment sheet shows $200 applied to that invoice. After the bookkeeper confirms the match and that no other payments or adjustments apply, $400 remains. The values describe different measures; choosing either as the universal “amount” would lose information.
Keep invoice references, payment applications and review timing distinct. This example is not accounting revenue, profit or bank settlement. The responsible bookkeeper resolves financial discrepancies; a spreadsheet cleanup should not invent balancing entries or change an accepted customer obligation.
Accept decisions with a short reviewer checklist
Before marking a reviewed record ready, confirm:
- Identity is supported beyond a matching name.
- Each selected value has a source and a reason.
- Historical work still describes what happened on its original date.
- Open commitments retain their status, owner and next action.
- Unresolved fields are flagged with an owner and review date; guessing has not filled the blanks.
Keep affected fields or records out of the transfer until their handling is agreed. Record the reviewer's decision and date. A lower unresolved count is useful only when evidence closed the questions.
Bring the reviewed example to an IKOK walkthrough
Use IKOK's connected customer and service workflow to demonstrate how the supported destination records represent C-104, its property, equipment and open repair. Confirm transfer scope, assistance and cost separately. This conflict log is a team review method, not an automatic IKOK reconciliation feature.
Once the decisions are accepted, use the software migration checklist for supported import analysis, record verification and cutover. Arrive at that stage with defensible values and visible exceptions, rather than a tidier spreadsheet that has lost the customer's unfinished work.
