When products from two sources are linked under one internal identifier, the link must survive a check of the attributes that make a SKU distinct.
Demonstration case. The pair shown below illustrates a recurring audit problem. It is not presented as a disclosed client result.
Two catalogs and existing internal_id links
Critical product-attribute agreement
Confirmed, doubtful and rejected links
Situation
A master-data table connects items from different retailers or catalog versions. Some links were built from title similarity and require evidence-based validation.
Illustrative candidate pair
| Source | Product title |
|---|---|
| Retailer A | Milk VKUSNOTEEVO pasteur. Special 3.2% jug 930g |
| Retailer B | VKUSNOTEEVO Milk UHT 3.2% 950g carton |
The brand, broad product type and fat percentage appear aligned. The processing method, pack size and packaging do not.
Attribute-level validation
| Attribute | Retailer A | Retailer B | Decision signal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand | Vkusnoteevo | Vkusnoteevo | Agrees |
| Category | Milk | Milk | Agrees |
| Fat content | 3.2% | 3.2% | Agrees |
| Processing | Pasteurized | UHT | Conflict |
| Pack size | 930 g | 950 g | Conflict |
| Packaging | Jug | Carton | Conflict |
Verdict on the illustrative pair
The link is not confirmed: several critical attributes contradict identity. It should be separated or moved to manual validation under the client’s matching rules.
Audit workflow
- Parse each linked title into comparable attributes.
- Normalize harmless representation differences such as unit notation or abbreviation.
- Detect semantic conflicts in type, size, pack, variant, composition or technology.
- Assign each link a status: confirmed, requires review or erroneous.
- Rank systematic causes of false matching and recommend tighter controls.
Deliverables
- Excel audit of each existing pair with status and explanation.
- Highlighted conflict attributes supporting each rejection or review flag.
- Summary of confirmed, doubtful and erroneous links.
- Recommendations for conservative matching rules and regression checks.
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Send two product catalogs and the current internal_id mapping. Indicuma will identify attribute conflicts and suspicious product matches.
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