--- id: CON-CRM-DQ-003 name: Merge Plan feature: FEAT-CRM-DQ-03 product_area: crm module: data-quality revision: 1 status: draft product_intent: confirmed implementation_evidence: observed source_sha: services-crm: a8d1364f1dd44b723bb5f9acba12f983e9ec8d69 react-console: baf6dae382d6f41dce976c7f848667ccc37e076f definition: >- A merge plan describes the participants, survivor, value decisions and related changes proposed for one contact or organization merge. owned_by: MOD-CRM-DQ synonyms: - merge workspace - merge preview not_to_be_confused_with: - >- Distinguish this from the merge itself, which is the execution of an approved plan and its permanent record - 'Distinguish this from a possible duplicate, which only says two records look alike' facets: - name: Participants and survivor meaning: The plan identifies each participating record and the identity chosen to remain. used_for: Comparing contributions and preserving the appropriate identity. - name: Survivor recommendation meaning: 'An explained ranking favors login, integration, inbound references and finally age.' used_for: Suggesting a survivor without overriding administrator selection. - name: Questions and answers meaning: 'Conflicts expose available values, recommendations and attributed answers.' used_for: Settling incompatible information before execution. - name: Automatic combinations meaning: Compatible information combines automatically according to the preview. used_for: Making noninteractive outcomes visible before confirmation. - name: Related-record actions meaning: Actions summarize references and application participation beyond the main record. used_for: Preventing unnoticed movement or stranded relationships. - name: Blockers and warnings meaning: Refusals stop unsafe execution while warnings describe significant consequences. used_for: Identifying required remediation and review concerns. - name: Values not kept meaning: The preview lists information absent from the planned survivor and explains why. used_for: Supporting an informed acknowledgement of losses. - name: Approval binding meaning: The last reviewed material preview includes related identities and versions. used_for: Preventing execution of changes nobody reviewed. - name: Plan status and expiry meaning: 'Working status and seven-day expiry distinguish readiness, execution and abandonment.' used_for: Managing whether an administrator can continue or execute. relationships: - to: CON-CRM-DQ-001 statement: 'Reviewed suggestions commonly start planning, but any selected records of one type can participate.' provenance: documented source: 'services-crm:docs/merging/README.md#What this is for' - to: CON-CRM-DQ-004 statement: 'Execution creates a merge attempt, and failure restores the working plan with its decisions.' provenance: test source: >- services-crm:modules/merges/tests/integration/services/merges/merge-settlement.integration.spec.js#returns the plan to the status it had before it was executed, rather than leaving it executing - to: CON-CRM-ENT-001 statement: 'Contact plans compare identity, details, communication choices and affiliations.' provenance: observed source: 'services-crm:modules/merges/services/planning/contact-merge-model.ts' - to: CON-CRM-ENT-002 statement: 'Organization plans compare identity, domains, hierarchy and owned contact details.' provenance: observed source: 'services-crm:modules/merges/services/planning/organization-merge-model.ts' - to: CON-CRM-ENT-003 statement: >- Planning combines equivalent employment stays and describes affiliation movements for absorbed organizations. provenance: observed source: 'services-crm:modules/merges/services/planning/affiliation-combination.ts' lifecycle: - state: needs decisions meaning: A required conflict has no answer. how_it_changes: 'Answering it can establish readiness, while refreshing may introduce another question.' - state: ready meaning: All required choices are settled and no blocker remains. how_it_changes: 'Confirmation starts work, while changed data can remove readiness.' - state: blocked meaning: A condition prevents safe execution. how_it_changes: Resolving the cause and refreshing can return the plan to review or readiness. - state: executing meaning: A merge attempt is queued or running. how_it_changes: Success settles the plan as executed and failure restores its earlier standing. - state: executed meaning: The requested merge has completed. how_it_changes: The plan remains settled and its outcome is retained by the merge. - state: expired meaning: The open plan has passed its abandonment deadline. how_it_changes: Further work requires a new plan. acted_on_by: - CAP-CRM-DQ-012 - CAP-CRM-DQ-013 - CAP-CRM-DQ-014 - CAP-CRM-DQ-015 - CAP-CRM-DQ-016 visible_to: - ACT-CRM-009 evidence: - repository: services-crm source_sha: a8d1364f1dd44b723bb5f9acba12f983e9ec8d69 paths: - docs/merging/README.md - docs/merging/experience/README.md - modules/merges/services/planning/affiliation-combination.ts - modules/merges/services/planning/contact-merge-model.ts - modules/merges/services/planning/organization-merge-model.ts - modules/merges/tests/integration/services/merges/merge-settlement.integration.spec.js note: >- Static examination uses the cited records and implementation anchors; repository tests are not executed by this corpus check. supersedes: [] intent_sources: - 'services-crm:docs/merging/README.md#Status' - 'services-crm:docs/merging/experience/README.md#Status' --- # Merge Plan ## What It Is A merge plan is the administrator's working preview of combining several records into one. It gathers two to ten contacts or organizations, identifies the survivor and shows what the resulting record would contain. The plan exists before execution and gives staff a place to resolve differences without changing the underlying records. It can start from duplicate review, a record page or a manual selection. The preview considers all participants together. It can recognize a value shared by several records, apply a collection limit across them and describe related work that must move. This gives a more complete view than deciding a succession of pairwise merges. It distinguishes proposed choices, automatic combinations and blockers so that a person can inspect the entire consequence before asking for execution. ## What It Is Not The plan is neither a completed merge nor a permanent account of changed records. Its preview can change as records or answers change. An abandoned open plan expires. Nor does the plan establish that its participants are duplicates: staff can plan manually selected records, and they remain responsible for that identity judgment. ## How It Is Used Administrators inspect the participant summaries and the recommended survivor, then decide whether that identity should remain. They answer questions about incompatible values, review automatic results and inspect the information that will be discarded. Related-record actions explain consequences beyond the main record, including another application's participant changes. Confirmation follows review of the complete preview. A plan has its own address so staff can return to unfinished work. Changes require the stored version previously read. When another administrator updates the plan, an outdated decision is refused rather than replacing that work. Reading an open plan may itself refresh the stored preview. A chosen source value that changes remains attached to its record but requires renewed confirmation. ## Its Facets **Participants and survivor** identify the records being combined and the one retaining identity. Summaries describe their dates, status, type and related information. **Survivor recommendation** ranks login, integration, reference and age signals, explains the result and leaves the administrator free to choose differently. **Questions and answers** capture choices among values already present, including clearing an optional field. Their attribution records who made each decision. **Automatic combinations** expose results that do not need a choice, such as restricted consent or equivalent details. **Related-record actions** describe what moves, combines or remains unchanged across CRM and other applications. **Blockers and warnings** distinguish conditions that prevent execution from cautions that deserve attention. **Discarded values** make omissions visible and explain their cause. **Approval binding** connects execution to the participants and related-row identities and versions in the last reviewed preview. **Status and expiry** distinguish work needing answers, readiness, blocking, execution and abandonment. ## How It Relates Possible duplicates provide a common reason to start planning. Entities supplies the contacts, organizations and affiliations compared by the planner. Each application owns the functions describing and applying its related changes. An approved plan produces an execution attempt; failure preserves the plan's decisions so it can be reviewed and attempted again. ## What It Could Become The product should settle whether shared administrator editing is the intended collaboration model. It should also resolve deletion of old working copies, since expiry currently closes plans without removing their retained personal values. A console list of unfinished plans would make handover and recovery easier. Strong approval binding remains the foundation for any later scheduling or collaboration features.