Custom object property normalization (picklist mapping from free text)

Outcome. A free-text field on a custom object that different people or import sources fill in inconsistently gets mapped to a small, standard set of categories automatically, the same lookup-table pattern used for standard-object fields in data-quality-014, applied here to a custom object.

Workflow map Enrollment, branches and actions at a glance data-quality-049

flowchart TD
    A[Equipment type (raw) known or changed] --> B[Custom code: normalize and look up mapping table]
    B --> C{Match found?}
    C -->|yes| D[Set Equipment category]
    C -->|no| E[Category: Other - needs mapping]
    E --> F[Add to unmapped review list]

When to use it, when not to

• UseUse it whenever a custom object carries a free-text field that really only has a handful of meaningful values underneath the inconsistent spelling, a raw equipment-type field variously entered as laptop, Laptop computer, LAPTOPS, all meaning the same category.
• UseUse it once you have reviewed a real sample of the raw values and built a mapping table that covers the actual variants in your data, not a guessed list.
• SkipDo not use it if the free-text field genuinely needs open-ended detail beyond a small category set. Forcing every raw value into a narrow picklist loses information some reports may still need; keep the raw field alongside the categorized one rather than replacing it.
• SkipDo not use it on a custom object where records are created faster than someone reviews new unmapped raw values appearing. An unmaintained mapping table just accumulates a growing unmapped bucket nobody looks at.