How can you protect and maintain the hygiene and reliability of your Eloqua database when it’s connected to multiple data entry points in a constantly evolving universe?
Cleanse – Normalize – Enrich – Repeat
Oracle Eloqua supports these data management processes through different functionalities. On the one hand, you can define your data processing rules using a Contact Washing Machine. Alternatively, you can build a custom program connected to different Data Tools.
One of my favorite Data Tools is the Eloqua Lookup Table because it helps me define a mapping between different data types (GUIDs, numerical, text, etc.), which can later be coupled with an update rule and integrated into a data processing program.
However, maintaining Lookup Tables manually is not always a luxury we can afford, especially in an ever-changing environment. Follow these steps to build a dynamic data import for your Lookup Table:
Step 1. Create a lookup table placeholder, with no entries.
Step 2. Upload Lookup Table Entries
Step 3. Select the Data Source
Sidenote!
The Data Sources are available under Settings > Integration > Inbound tab.
Microsoft Excel (.xls/.xlsx - 97 to 2010) or Delimited files (tab, pipe, semi-colon) are used for one-time uploads. Still, you can define your own Data Sources, either connected to a Remote File over SFTP or as a Data Source with External Call connected to your CRM system.
If a Data Source with External Call is what you need, please note that Eloqua doesn’t display Lookup Tables as a separate option. The Lookup Table falls under the Data Card category.
By default, Eloqua will force you to select a Custom Data Object. You can use a test CDO as a temporary option, to finalize the configuration of the external call. Once configured, this specific Data Source with External Call will become available in the Lookup Table Upload Wizard.
Step 4. Upload and Preview data
Step 5. Map the fields accordingly
Step 6. Check the Summary
Double-check the configuration of the upload.
To turn this from a one-time to an always-on upload, check the “Schedule automatic data imports using these settings” option from the “After uploading” section.
This additional configuration will generate an Auto Synch which can be configured based on any business needs. It can later be found under the Settings option (gear icon) > Integration > Inbound > Management > Auto Synch.
Final thoughts
Populating your Eloqua Lookup Tables dynamically is definitely an important step in building an automated process for maintaining a clean database. And with a solid foundation of data, anything can be achieved.
If you're interested in finding out more about the impact of healthy data practices on marketing automation success, we recommend reading our customer case study. Don't hesitate to contact us with any question!
