Summary
The Merge Clients feature allows advisers to consolidate duplicate or redundant client profiles in Timeline.
It ensures all data from the merged profiles, including scenarios, plans, and details, are preserved.
Alerts help identify unmergeable clients and provide guidance on resolving issues.
Description
Managing client profiles efficiently is essential for financial advisors, especially when dealing with complex data in Timeline. Over time, duplicate or redundant client profiles can clutter your client list, leading to inefficiencies and potential inaccuracies. The Merge Clients feature addresses this by providing a streamlined way to consolidate client profiles into a single, accurate record.
Key Features of the Merge Clients Tool
Data Consolidation
When merging two or more client profiles, all associated data—such as plans, historical information, and attached notes—are combined. This ensures no critical information is lost.
Undo Option
If a mistake is identified after merging, contact Timeline so we can undo the merge, restoring the original profiles.
How to Use the Merge Clients Feature
Select Profiles to Merge
Navigate to the client list, click on the client, and navigate to the three actions dot Merge. Select the profiles you want to merge.
Confirm and Merge
After confirming the client duplicate, confirm the merge. Timeline will consolidate all selected profiles into a single client record.
Alerts and Unmergeable Clients
When merging client profiles, there are specific scenarios where the process cannot proceed due to conflicts in the data. These are flagged with alerts to help users identify and resolve the underlying issues. Below are the key conflict types and their corresponding error messages:
Conflicting External Provider References
When it occurs: This error arises when two clients have different identification numbers for the same external provider. For example, if one client profile references
"Transact: 1234567"and the other"Transact: 7654321", the system cannot merge them without losing critical data.Error Message: "The clients you're trying to merge have different identification for the same external provider. Learn more about this here."
Conflicting Client User Access
When it occurs: This happens when both clients have distinct login credentials (e.g., for a client portal or planning dashboard). For instance, merging would require deciding which credentials to keep, which is not feasible without client input.
Error Message: "The clients you’re trying to merge have different types of access assigned to them. Learn more about this here."
Conflicting Household/Partner Relations
When it occurs: If one client is part of a household as a main profile and the other as a spouse (or vice versa), merging them can create cyclic relationships (e.g., making someone both a main profile and a spouse).
Error Message: "The clients you're trying to merge are part of household setups that conflict with each other. Try to merge mains with mains and/or make the offending client single before merging. Learn more about this here."
Conclusion
The Merge Clients feature enhances the efficiency and accuracy of managing client profiles in Timeline Planning. By consolidating redundant data, resolving conflicts, and ensuring transparency, this tool simplifies workflows and ensures advisors can focus on delivering value to their clients.