What to change
Establish the unique reporting key before appending files. Depending on the export, that key may include the period, page, event and selected dimensions. Ask the analyst to preserve source filenames and compare overlapping rows before deciding whether they are duplicates or separate observations. A fixed fictional fixture with known overlap provides a useful acceptance test and avoids exposing production records while the merge logic is corrected.
A worked example
Illustrative example
Illustrative test: Two fictional exports share one known row; the combined report counts it once.
How to check the result
The result is reproducible and preserves an explanation for every removed overlap.
A mistake to avoid
Dropping rows based on identical totals alone can remove valid separate observations.
Your action checklist
Use these checks to prepare a discussion with your team or supplier. Tick a check when you have recorded the decision or evidence, rather than when a feature has simply been promised.
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Further reading
These primary sources provide additional context for the project decisions above.
Related decisions
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