Matching Rules
Define matching rules to group, deduplicate, and validate records before they are synced to production in PTC Orbit.
The matching rules in PTC Orbit are a set of configurable criteria used to group and deduplicate records before they are synced to production. Here’s how they work:
• Definition & Purpose: Matching rules are defined to process data from external systems, ensuring that only complete and reliable data enters PTC Orbit. They specify how records are grouped, potential duplicates, which fields are compared, and what logic determines a match.
• Criteria: The rules use criteria, such as exact match on specific fields, to group records in the staging area. Only string fields currently support the substring method, and the main match method is Exact Match. These criteria are mandatory for rule creation.
• Survivorship: Each group of matched records uses survivorship rules to determine which record’s values are retained in the unified record. The default is Most Trusted, but this can be customized. A Base Record can be selected as the default within each group.
• Pass Rule: This defines which records can bypass manual review and be directly synced to PTC Orbit, based on the matching and survivorship logic.
• Execution: When a matching rule is activated or changed, the system triggers background processes to:
◦ Clean up previous groupings.
◦ Group records according to the new criteria.
◦ Generate unified records.
◦ Assign records for manual review if needed.
◦ Log the execution for traceability.
• Manual Review Assignment: If records require manual review, the rules can specify which users, roles, or groups are responsible for reviewing specific records.
In summary, matching rules in PTC Orbit automate the identification and grouping of duplicate or related records, define how to select the best data from each group, and streamline the process of syncing only clean, unified data to production.
Use Cases
Matching rules bring significant value across a range of data management scenarios:
• Duplicate Prevention: A global manufacturer imports asset records from three regional ERP systems. Matching rules group records with similar serial numbers and prevent duplicate entries from reaching PTC Orbit production data.
• Data Standardization: Product codes entered in different formats (for example, PRD-1001 vs. prd1001) are aligned to a single standard format through matching logic, ensuring consistent reporting.
• Improved Decision-Making: Service teams pull reports and receive a single, unified record of each asset instead of multiple partial versions, resulting in more reliable insights for planning and budgeting.
• Operational Efficiency: Instead of manually reviewing thousands of incoming records, automated survivorship logic selects the most trusted values, saving both time and effort for data stewards.
• Governance and Compliance: Company policy requires only validated assets to flow into service campaigns. Matching rules enforce this by ensuring only clean, compliant data is synced into production systems.
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