Overview
Every time a Client is created in your CRM, those Clients sneak into Parallax - and they're usually not obvious! This article will talk about why this is important to address, how to find them, and what to do.
Why is Client management important?
While different Integrations call Clients different things (Companies, etc.) they all follow this flow:
CRM Client > Parallax Client > Timesheet Client
For a smooth flow between your CRM into Parallax and back out to your Timesheets, all three need to be aligned under the same Client. If, for example, Parallax and your CRM are under Client 1 and your Timesheet is under Client 2, you won't be able to connect to Timesheet projects, even if the Clients share the same name and represent the same company.*
*Parallax Tip - Most Duplicate Clients will have identical Names
All Parallax Clients come from your CRM, and inherit changes you make there at every Sync. Since most CRMs will let you use the same Client name repeatedly, most Duplicate Clients were created accidentally using the same exact name.
How do I best avoid duplicate Clients?
The best way to avoid duplicate Clients is good Client hygiene in your CRM. All Clients you see in Parallax are imported from your CRM attached to a deal or through a sync - so avoidance is best. Here are some good tips/tricks to manage Clients within your CRM:
- Always check for a Customer/Client within your CRM before creating a new one (pictured above)
If a new Client is created in your CRM, it will be pulled into Parallax to create a new Parallax Client. - Don't wait until a Deal is won to add the customer/client in your CRM
Webhooks that pull in the Client for a Project do not fire when you move the Deal to a "Won" stage (or on any changes from the CRM once it is in Active Projects). You can always change the stage back to with a lesser probability (25%, 50%, etc.) to pull in a change to the Client - but it's best to avoid needing to do this, by having the customer/client added at the earliest stage you can. - Merge duplicate customers/clients within your CRM - but be careful!
If two Clients are unintentionally created within your CRM, most CRMs will allow you to merge them together - however, if you've already connected a project in your Timesheet through Parallax, you'll want to make sure that's the CRM Client you're saving.
Parallax won't detect any merges that you make in your CRM - so you'll want to let us know when you do that.
How do I know if I have duplicate Clients?
Unable to see the proper Client when connecting your Timesheet - Most Duplicate Clients aren't found until you try to connect a Timesheet!
A Client within your Timesheet can only be mapped to a single Parallax Client. If you already have Timesheet projects with a specific Client, it's mapped to that Client within Parallax, and won't be visible for Projects under a different Parallax Client (even if the name of the Parallax Client is similar or even identical).
You can't merge Projects with (what looks like) the same Client in Parallax - Parallax allows you to merge one Project within Parallax into another using the "+ Add Deal" button on the Integrations Page of the Project you want to keep - but only if the Projects are of the same Billing Model and the same Client. So, if...
-
- ...You're not seeing a Project on the list of available Projects to merge
- ...and you've made sure they are the same Billing Model (Time and Materials, Fixed Bid, etc)
This typically means the two projects were brought into Parallax from your CRM under different Clients.
The Client IDs visible in the Project Overview don't match - At the top of the Project Overview (and several other Project pages), you'll see the Client Name just above the Project Name. Hover over it and you can see the CRM and Timesheet IDs associated with the Client**. If those IDs are not identical when comparing Projects, it means those Projects are under separate, duplicate Clients.
**Parallax Tip - Client ID, not Project ID
A quick reminder, the IDs you'll see here belong to the Client, not the Project itself. This is why all Projects under one Client should show the same CRM and Timesheet IDs here.
What do I do if I have duplicate Clients?
The most important thing to do if you have duplicate Clients is to determine which is the correct Client.
You'll want to consider the following:
- Are there Projects with any Clients connected to Timesheets?
If a Client has already been mapped to Harvest by connecting a Timesheet, that's the Client you'll want to keep. Sometimes the names in Parallax and your Timesheet will be identical, but you may sometimes need to submit a ticket for help determining which is the correct. - Have any of these Clients already been merged in your CRM?
It's tempting to merge Clients within your CRM - and you will want to do that later to prevent them from coming back into Parallax - but it's best to wait until the after duplicate Clients are addressed within Parallax, to avoid merging the wrong Client. If you already merged Clients into one, that's the one you'll want to keep. - What was the intended Client name?
If there are no Projects connected to Harvest, then it's best to look at the client/customer name within your CRM to see which one fits best.
On Active Projects...
Active Projects can be changed directly just above the Project Name in Parallax, provided they are not In Progress and do not have attached Timesheets. For In Progress Projects, you'll want to move the Project to Awaiting Start Status, and disconnect Timesheets first.
On Pipeline Projects...
Pipeline Projects should always be fixed at using the CRM - but remember, just changing Client alone won't update Parallax***. You'll need to Save (and undo) a change to the Project Name or Budget, once the new Client is in place. Below, we've included screenshots of what this looks like in Hubspot.
***Important - Order of Operations matters!
Name/Budget changes need to be made after the Client is updated, otherwise the webhook won't pull it through.
If you have trouble doing this, you can submit a Ticket for help resolving these Clients. It's best if you can let us know:
- The Names of each Client within Parallax
- The ID within your CRM associated with each Client (usually the last group of numbers on the end of the URL in your CRM where the customer/client is found)
- Which Client you believe should be kept within Parallax
With that information, we can help consolidate the Clients and provide additional Support.