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Generating an Account Custom ID

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Andy Smith
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Objective

This article introduces a method for creating a custom ID value when creating/updating a Comma Separated Value (CSV) file that will be used to create new Account records in Outreach.  It also outlines key points to be considered to ensure each new Account has a unique referencable ID regardless of how many colleagues are creating accounts using the "Bulk Create" feature.

Applies To

  • Outreach Users

Notes

  • When creating new Account records by using a CSV file with the "Bulk Create" feature having a unique "Account Custom ID" field can help when tracking down incorrect references from other record types.
  • Ensure each Account has a unique "Account Custom ID" if you intend to create new Prospects using a CSV import as it will be used to identify the correct account association.
  • It is recommended that an organization documents how a unique "Account Custom ID" should be defined for use by all colleagues allowed to perform CSV imports.
  • The information provided below provides an example of how to make use of an approach that is compatible with Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets if your source of data does not provide its own unique reference.

Procedure

  1. Contact your local Outreach Administrator to find out about the agreed "Account Custom ID" process, it should define the structure of the ID to be used.  For simplicity, we will assume it will consist of a prefix, a separator and a CSV local count value. 

    For example, "PREFIX" + "_" + "1" where "PREFIX" may consist of today's date, your initials and the CSV file number for today ("20231024AS1"), the "_" is used to separate the prefix from the numeric value and "1" is the first data row in the CSV file resulting in the value "20231024AS1_1".
  2. In the CSV file create a new column and provide a meaningful label.  For example, "Account Custom ID".
  3. Place your cursor into the first data cell and note the column and row values.  If you place the column at the beginning it will be column "A" and the first data cell will be in row "2" (as row 1 will contain your column titles).  This will make the data cell "A2".
  4. Edit the data cell and enter the following where "TEXT" is your defined prefix and separator, the "ROW(A2) - 1" part will generate a number based on the row count - 1 to allow for the header information to be in row 1:
    =CONCATENATE("TEXT", ROW(A2) - 1)
  5. Select the data cell and copy it.
  6. Select all cells in the column below your initial data cell (for example, select cells A3 to A10) and perform paste. This will copy the cell definition and create a new value for each data cell that you selected.
  7. Save the file and it is now ready for use with "Bulk Create".

Additional Information

When performing CSV imports on a regular basis we recommend keeping a register of what files have been created and by whom.  This will help prevent duplicate import files from being created resulting in multiple records for the same account where each has a different custom ID.

If you also make use of the "Bulk Create" feature to perform bulk updates to existing Accounts within Outreach ensure you preserve the originally generated custom ID.

 

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