Sun Match Engine Business Names Data Type Configuration

Processing business name fields involves parsing, normalizing, and phonetically encoding certain fields prior to matching. The following topics describe the configuration files that define business name processing logic and provide instructions for modifying the Match Field file for processing business names.

• Sun Match Engine Business Name Matching Overview

• Sun Match Engine Match Configuration for Business Names

• Sun Match Engine Standardization Configuration for Business Names

• Modifying Sun Match Engine Business Name Configuration Files

• Configuring the Matching Service for Business Names (Repository)

Sun Match Engine Business Name Matching Overview

Matching on the business name data type includes standardizing and matching on free-form business name fields. You can implement business name standardization and matching on its own or within a master index application designed to process person information. For example, standardizing business name fields allows you to include these fields as search criteria, even though matching might not be performed against these fields.

The Sun Match Engine can create standardized and phonetic values for business names. Several configuration files are designed specifically to handle business names to define additional logic for the standardization and phonetic encoding process. These include reference files, a patterns file, and key type files. The Sun Match Engine can match on any field as long as the match type for the field is defined in the match configuration file (matchConfigFile.cfg). The business name standardization files are common to all national domains, so no domain-specific configuration is required.

For more information about the fields involved in business name standardization and matching, see Sun Match Engine Business Name Processing Fields.

Sun Match Engine Business Name Processing Fields

When matching on free-form business names, not all fields in a record need to be processed by the Sun Match Engine. The match engine only needs to process fields that must be parsed, normalized, or phonetically converted, and the fields against which matching is performed. These fields are defined in the Match Field file, and processing logic for each field is defined in the standardization and matching configuration files.

Business Name Match String Fields

The match string processed by the Sun Match Engine is defined by the match fields specified in the Match Field file. If you specify a “BusinessName” match type for any field in the wizard, most of the parsed business name fields are automatically added to the match string in the Match Field file, including the name, organization type, association type, sector, industry, and URL. You can remove any of these fields from the match string.

The match engine can process any combination of fields you specify for matching. By default, the match configuration file (matchConfigFile.cfg) includes rows specifically for matching on the fields that are parsed from the business name fields. The file also defines several generic match types. You can use any of the existing rows for matching or you can add rows for the fields you want to match.

Business Name Standardized Fields

The Sun Match Engine expects that business name data will be provided in a free-form text field containing several components that must be parsed. The match engine is designed to parse these components, and to normalize and phonetically encode the business name. You can specify additional fields for phonetic encoding.

If you specify the “BusinessName” match type for any field in the wizard, a standardization structure for that field is defined in the Match Field file. The fields defined as the target fields are listed in the next section, Business Name Object Structure.

Business Name Object Structure

For the default configuration of the business name data type, the address fields specified for standardization are parsed into several additional fields, one of which is also normalized. If you specify the appropriate match type in the wizard, the following fields are automatically added to the object structure and database creation script.

• field_name_Name

• field_name_NamePhon

• field_name_OrgType

• field_name_AssocType

• field_name_Industry

• field_name_Sector

• field_name_Alias

• field_name_Url

  where field_name is the name of the field for which you specified business name matching. For example, if you specify the BusinessName match type for the Company field, the fields automatically added to the structure include Company_Name, Company_NamePhon, Company_OrgType, and so on.

You can add these fields manually if you do not specify a match type in the wizard.

Sun Match Engine Match Configuration for Business Names

The default match configuration file, matchConfigFile.cfg, defines several match types for the kinds of business name data typically included in the match string. You can customize the existing match types or create new match types for the data being processed. The following match types are typical for matching on business names.

In addition, you can use any of these generic match types for matching on business names.

This file appears under the Match Engine node of the master index project. For more information about the comparison functions used for each match type and how the weights are tuned, see Customizing the Match Configuration and Match Configuration Comparison Functions for Sun Match Engine (Repository).

Sun Match Engine Standardization Configuration for Business Names

Several configuration files are used to define business name processing logic for the Sun Match Engine. You can customize any of the configuration files described in this section to fit your data processing and standardization requirements. These files appear under the Standardization Engine node of the master index project.

The following topics described each file used for business name standardization:

• The Business Constants File (bizConstants.cfg)

• The Adjectives Key Type File (bizAdjectivesTypeKeys.dat)

• The Alias Key Type File (bizAliasTypeKeys.dat)

• The Association Key Type File (bizAssociationTypeKeys.dat)

• The General Terms Reference File (bizBusinessGeneralTerms.dat)

• The City or State Key Type File (bizCityorStateTypeKeys.dat)

• The Business Former Name Reference File (bizCompanyFormerNames.dat)

• The Merged Business Name Category File (bizCompanyMergerNames.dat)

• The Primary Business Name Reference File (bizCompanyPrimaryNames.dat)

• The Connector Tokens Reference File (bizConnectorTokens.dat)

• The Country Key Type File (bizCountryTypeKeys.dat)

• The Industry Sector Reference File (bizIndustryCategoryCode.dat)

• The Industry Key Type File (bizIndustryTypeKeys.dat)

• The Organization Key Type File (bizOrganizationTypeKeys.dat)

• The Business Patterns File (bizPatterns.dat)

• The Special Characters Reference File (bizRemoveSpecChars.dat)

The Business Constants File (bizConstants.cfg)

The business constants file defines certain information about the standardization files used for processing business data, primarily the number of lines contained in each file. The number of lines specified must be equal to or greater than the number of lines actually contained in each file.

Table 22 lists and describes each parameter in the constants file. The files referenced by these parameters are described on the following pages.

The Adjectives Key Type File (bizAdjectivesTypeKeys.dat)

The adjectives key type file defines adjectives commonly found in business names so the Sun Match Engine can recognize and process these values as a part of the business name. This file contains one column with a list of commonly used adjectives, such as General, Financial, Central, and so on.

You can modify or add entries in this file as needed. Following is an excerpt from the bizAdjectivesTypeKeys.dat file.

DIGITAL
DIRECTED
DIVERSIFIED
EDUCATIONAL
ELECTROCHEMICAL
ENGINEERED
EVOLUTIONARY
EXTENDED
FACTUAL
FEDERAL

The Alias Key Type File (bizAliasTypeKeys.dat)

The alias key type file lists business name acronyms and abbreviations along with their standardized names so the Sun Match Engine can recognize and process these values correctly. You can add entries to the alias key type file using the following syntax.

alias standardized-name

Table 23 describes the columns in the bizAliasTypeKeys.dat file.

Following is an excerpt from the bizAliasTypeKeys.dat file.

BBH                 BARTLE BOGLE HEGARTY
BBH                 BROWN BROTHERS HARRIMAN
IBM                 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE
IDS                 INCOMES DATA SERVICES
IDS                 INSURANCE DATA SERVICES
IDS                 THE INTEGRATED DECISION SUPPORT GROUP
IDS                 THE INTERNET DATABASE SERVICE
CAL-TECH            CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

The Association Key Type File (bizAssociationTypeKeys.dat)

The association key type file lists business association types along with their standardized names so the Sun Match Engine can recognize and process these values correctly. You can add entries to the association key type file using the following syntax.

association-type standardized-type

Table 24 describes the columns in the bizAssociationTypeKeys.dat file.

Following is an excerpt from the bizAssociationTypeKeys.dat file.

ASSOCIATES          0
BANCORP             0
BANCORPORATION      BANCORP
COMPANIES           0
GP                  GROUP
GROUP               0
PARTNERS            0

The General Terms Reference File (bizBusinessGeneralTerms.dat)

The general terms reference file lists terms commonly used in business names. This file is used to identify terms that indicate a business, such as bank, supply, factory, and so on, so the Sun Match Engine can recognize and process the business name.

This file contains one column that lists common terms in the business names you process. You can add entries as needed. Below is an excerpt from the bizBusinessGeneralTerms.dat file.

BUILDING
CITY
CONSUMER
EAST
EYE
FACTORY
LATIN
NORTH
SOUTH

The City or State Key Type File (bizCityorStateTypeKeys.dat)

The city or state key type file lists various cities and states that might be used in business names. It also classifies each entry as a city (CT) or state (ST) and indicates the country in which the city or state is located. This enables the Sun Match Engine to recognize and process these values correctly. You can add entries to the city or state key type file using the following syntax.

city-or-state type country

Table 25 describes the columns in the bizCityorStateTypeKeys.dat file.

Following is an excerpt from the bizCityorStateTypeKeys.dat file.

ADELAIDE                 CT   AU
ALABAMA                  ST   US
ALASKA                   ST   US
ALGIERS                  CT   DZ
AMSTERDAM                CT   NL
ARIZONA                  ST   US
ARKANSAS                 ST   US
ASUNCION                 CT   PY
ATHENS                   CT   GR

The Business Former Name Reference File (bizCompanyFormerNames.dat)

The business former name reference file provides a list of common company names along with names by which the companies were formerly known so the Sun Match Engine can recognize a business when a record processing a record containing a previous business name. You can add entries to the business former name table using the following syntax.

former-name current-name

Table 26 describes each column in the bizCompanyFormerNames.dat file.

Below is an excerpt from the bizCompanyFormerNames.dat file.

HELLENIC BOTTLING                       COCA-COLA HBC
INTERNATIONAL PRODUCTS                  THE TERLATO WINE
ORGANIC FOOD PRODUCTS                   SPECTRUM ORGANIC PRODUCTS
SUTTER HOME WINERY                      TRINCHERO FAMILY ESTATES

The Merged Business Name Category File (bizCompanyMergerNames.dat)

The merged business name category file provides a list of companies whose name changed because of a merger along with the name of the company after the merge. It also classifies the business names into industry sectors and sub-sectors. This enables the Sun Match Engine to recognize the current company name and determine the sector of the business. You can add entries to the business merger name file using the following syntax.

former-name/merged-name sector-code

Table 27 describes each column in the bizCompanyMergerNames.dat file.

Below is an excerpt from the bizCompanyMergerNames.dat file.

DUKE/FLUOR DANIEL                                 20005
FAULTLESS STARCH/BON AMI                          09004
FIND/SVP                                          10013
FIRST WAVE/NEWPARK SHIPBUILDING                   27005
GUNDLE/SLT                                        19020
HMG/COURTLAND                                     23004
J BROWN/LMC                                       10014
KORN/FERRY                                        10020
LINSCO/PRIVATE LEDGER                             14005

The Primary Business Name Reference File (bizCompanyPrimaryNames.dat)

The primary business name reference file provides a list of companies by their primary name. It also classifies the business names into industry sectors and sub-sectors. This enables the Sun Match Engine to determine the correct value of the sector field when parsing the business name. You can add entries to the primary business name file using the following syntax.

primary-name sector-code

Table 28 describes the columns in the bizCompanyPrimaryNames.dat file.

Below is an excerpt from the bizCompanyPrimaryNames.dat file.

BROTHER INTERNATIONAL                             12006
BRYSTOL-MYERS SQUIBB                              11005
BURLINGTON COAT FACTORY                           24003
BURLINGTON NORTHERN SANTA FE                      27005
BV SOLUTIONS                                      06012
CABLEVISION                                       26001
CABOT                                             04006
CADENCE                                           06010
CAMPBELL                                          22006
CAPITAL BLUE CROSS                                17001

The Connector Tokens Reference File (bizConnectorTokens.dat)

The connector tokens reference file defines common values (typically conjunctions) that connect words in business names. For example, in the business name “Nursery of Venice”, “of” is a connector token. This helps the Sun Match Engine recognize and process the full name of a business by indicating that the token connects two parts of the full name.

This file contains one column that lists the connector tokens in the business names you process. You can add entries as needed. Below is an excerpt from the bizConnectorTokens.dat file.

AN
DE
DES
DOS
LA
LAS
LE
OF
THE

The Country Key Type File (bizCountryTypeKeys.dat)

The country key type file lists countries and continents, along with their abbreviations and assigned nationalities. For continents, the abbreviation is “CON” to separate them from countries. This enables the Sun Match Engine to recognize and process these values as countries or continents. You can add entries to the country key type file using the following syntax.

country abbreviation nationality

Table 29 describes the columns in the bizCountryTypeKeys.dat file.

Following is an excerpt from the bizCountryTypeKeys.dat file.

AMERICA                       CON  AMERICAN
AFRICA                        CON  AFRICAN
EUROPE                        CON  EUROPEAN
ASIA                          CON  ASIAN
AFGHANISTAN                   AF   AFGHAN
ALBANIA                       AL   ALBANIAN
ALGERIA                       DZ   ALGERIAN

The Industry Sector Reference File (bizIndustryCategoryCode.dat)

The industry sector reference file lists and groups various industry sectors and sub-sectors, and includes an identification code for each type so the Sun Match Engine can identify and process the industry sectors for different businesses. You can add entries to the industry sector reference file using the following syntax.

sector-code industry-sector

Table 30 describes each column in the bizIndustryCategoryCode.dat file.

Following is an excerpt from the bizIndustryCategoryCode.dat file.

02006         Automotive & Transport Equipment - Recreational Vehicles
02007         Automotive & Transport Equipment - Shipbuilding & Related Services
02008         Automotive & Transport Equipment - Trucks, Buses & Other Vehicles
03001         Banking - Banking
04001         Chemicals - Agricultural Chemicals
04002         Chemicals - Basic & Intermediate Chemicals & Petrochemicals
04003         Chemicals - Diversified Chemicals
04004         Chemicals - Paints, Coatings & Other Finishing Products
04005         Chemicals - Plastics & Fibers
04006         Chemicals - Specialty Chemicals
05001         Computer Hardware - Computer Peripherals
05002         Computer Hardware - Data Storage Devices
05003         Computer Hardware - Diversified Computer Products

The Industry Key Type File (bizIndustryTypeKeys.dat)

The industry key type file is used to standardize the value of the Industry field into common industries to which businesses belong so the Sun Match Engine can recognize and process the industry types for different businesses. You can add entries to the industry key type file using the following syntax.

industry-type standardized-form sectors

Table 31 describes each column in the bizIndustryTypeKeys.dat file.

Below is an excerpt from the bizIndustryTypeKeys.dat file.

TECH                TECHNOLOGY          05001-05007
TECHNOLOGIES        TECHNOLOGY          05001-05007
TECHNOLOGY          0                   05001-05007
TECHSYSTEMS         0                   05001-05007
TELE PHONE          TELEPHONE           16005
TELE PHONES         TELEPHONES          16005
TELEVISION          TV                  11013  21014
TELECOM             0                   16005  26006  26009  26010
TELECOMM            TELECOMMUNICATION   16005  26006  26008
TELECOMMUNICATION   0                   16005  26006  26008

The Organization Key Type File (bizOrganizationTypeKeys.dat)

The organization key type file is used to standardize the value of the Organization field into common organizations to which businesses belong. This helps the Sun Match Engine recognize and process the organization types for different businesses. You can add entries to the organization key type file using the following syntax.

original-type standardized-form

Table 32 describes each column in the bizOrganizationTypeKeys.dat file.

Below is an excerpt from the bizOrganizationTypeKeys.dat file.

INC                 INCORPORATED
INCORPORATED        0
KG                  0
KK                  0
LIMITED             0
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP 0
LLC                 0
LLP                 0
LP                  LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
LTD                 LIMITED

The Business Patterns File (bizPatterns.dat)

The business patterns file defines multiple formats expected from the business name input fields along with the standardized output of each format. The patterns and output appear in two-row pairs in this file, as shown below.

4 PNT AST SEP-GLC ORT
PNT AST DEL ORT

The first line describes the input pattern and the second describes the output pattern using tokens to denote each component. The supported tokens are described in Business Name Tokens. A number at the beginning of the first line indicates the number of components in the given business name format. You can modify this file using the following syntax.

length input-pattern
output-pattern

Table 33 lists and describes the syntax components.

Below is an excerpt from the bizPatterns.dat file.

4 PNT AST SEP-GLC ORT
PNT AST DEL ORT

4 NFG AJT SEP-GLC ORT
PNT PNT DEL ORT

4 NF AJT SEP-GLC ORT
PNT PNT DEL ORT

4 CST IDT NF ORT
PNT PNT PNT ORT

4 PNT AJT SEP-GLC ORT
PNT PNT DEL ORT

Business Name Tokens

The business patterns file uses tokens to denote different components in a business name, such as the primary name, alias type key, URL, and so on. The file uses one set of tokens for input fields and another set for output fields. The tokens indicate the type key files to use to determine the appropriate values for each output field. You can use only the predefined tokens to represent business name components; the Sun Match Engine does not recognize custom tokens.

Table 34 lists and describes each input token; Table 35 lists and describes each output token.

Table 35 lists and describes each output token.

The Special Characters Reference File (bizRemoveSpecChars.dat)

The special characters reference file lists certain characters that should be removed from a business name prior to processing the field, which typically include punctuation marks such as exclamation points, parenthesis, and so on. This enables the Sun Match Engine to recognize the business name.

This file contains one column that lists the characters to be removed from the business names you process. You can add entries as needed. Below is an excerpt from the bizRemoveSpecChars.dat file.

[
]
{
}
<
>
/
?

Modifying Sun Match Engine Business Name Configuration Files

To customize the Sun Match Engine configuration files for processing business names, you can modify any of the business name standardization files using the text editor provided in NetBeans. Before modifying the match configuration file, review the information provided in Sun Match Engine Matching Configuration and Match Configuration Comparison Functions for Sun Match Engine (Repository). Make sure a thorough data analysis has been performed to determine the best fields for matching, and the best comparison functions to use for each field.

Updating most standardization files is a straightforward process. Make sure to follow the syntax guidelines provided in Sun Match Engine Standardization Configuration for Business Names. If you add rows to any standardization files, make sure to modify the corresponding parameter in the business constants file (bizConstants.cfg). Before making any changes to the patterns file, make sure you understand the tokens used to represent business name field components.

For information about the standardization files you can modify, see Sun Match Engine Standardization Configuration for Business Names.

Configuring the Matching Service for Business Names (Repository)

To ensure correct processing of business names, you must customize the Matching Service. This includes modifying the Match Field file to support the fields on which you want to match, to standardize the appropriate fields, and to specify the Sun Match Engine as the match and standardization engine (by default, the Sun Match Engine is already specified so this does not need to be changed). Perform the following tasks to configure the Matching Service.

• Configuring the Standardization Structure for Business Names (Repository)

• Configuring the Match String for Business Names (Repository)

When configuring the Matching Service, keep in mind the information presented in Configuring the Master Index Matching Service (Repository).

Configuring the Standardization Structure for Business Names (Repository)

The standardization structure is configured in the StandardizationConfig section of the Match Field file, which is described in detail in Match Field Configuration (Repository) in Understanding Sun Master Index Configuration Options (Repository). To configure the required fields for standardization and phonetic encoding, modify the standardization and phonetic encoding structures. The following sections provide additional guidelines and samples specific to standardizing business names.

In the default configuration, the rules defined for the business data type assume that all input fields must be parsed as well as normalized. Thus, there is no need to configure fields only for normalization.

Business Name Standardization Structures

For business name fields, the source fields in the standardization structure must include the fields predefined for parsing and normalization. This includes any fields containing business name information, which are parsed into the business name fields listed in Business Name Object Structure (excluding the phonetic business name field). The target fields can include any of these parsed fields. Follow the instructions under Defining Master Index Standardization Rules (Repository) in Configuring Sun Master Indexes (Repository) to define fields for normalization. For the standardization-type element, enter BusinessName (for more information, see Sun Match Engine Match and Standardization Types). For a list of field IDs to use in the standardized-object-field-id element, see Table 3.

A sample standardization structure for business name data is shown below. This structure parses a business name field into the standard business name fields. Note that there is no domain selector specified, which would normally default to the United States domain; however, since business names are not domain dependent, it is irrelevant here.

<free-form-texts-to-standardize>
   <group standardization-type="BusinessName">
      <unstandardized-source-fields>
         <unstandardized-source-field-name>Company.Name    
         </unstandardized-source-field-name>
      </unstandardized-source-fields>
      <standardization-targets>
         <target-mapping>
            <standardized-object-field-id>PrimaryName
            </standardized-object-field-id>
            <standardized-target-field-name>Company.Name_Name
            </standardized-target-field-name>
         </target-mapping>
         <target-mapping>
            <standardized-object-field-id>OrgTypekeyword
            </standardized-object-field-id>
            <standardized-target-field-name>Company.Name_OrgType
            </standardized-target-field-name>
         </target-mapping>
         <target-mapping>
            <standardized-object-field-id>AssocTypeKeyword
            </standardized-object-field-id>
            <standardized-target-field-name>Company.Name_AssocType
            </standardized-target-field-name>
         </target-mapping>
         <target-mapping>
            <standardized-object-field-id>IndustrySectorList
            </standardized-object-field-id>
            <standardized-target-field-name>Company.Name_Sector
            </standardized-target-field-name>
         </target-mapping>
         <target-mapping>
            <standardized-object-field-id>IndustryTypeKeyword
            </standardized-object-field-id>
            <standardized-target-field-name>Company.Name_Industry
            </standardized-target-field-name>
         </target-mapping>
         <target-mapping>
            <standardized-object-field-id>AliasList
            </standardized-object-field-id>
            <standardized-target-field-name>Company.Name_Alias
            </standardized-target-field-name>
         </target-mapping>
         <target-mapping>
            <standardized-object-field-id>Url
            </standardized-object-field-id>
            <standardized-target-field-name>Company.Name_URL
            </standardized-target-field-name>
         </target-mapping>
      </standardization-targets>
   </group>
</free-form-texts-to-standardize>

Business Name Phonetic Encoding

When you match on business name fields, the name field should be specified for phonetic conversion (by default, the wizard defines this for you). Follow the instructions under Defining Phonetic Encoding for the Master Index (Repository) in Configuring Sun Master Indexes (Repository) to define fields for phonetic encoding.

A sample of the phoneticize-fields element is shown below. This sample only converts the business name. You can define additional fields for phonetic encoding.

<phoneticize-fields>
   <phoneticize-field>
      <unphoneticized-source-field-name>Company.Name_Name
      </unphoneticized-source-field-name>
      <phoneticized-target-field-name>Company.Name_NamePhon
      </phoneticized-target-field-name>
      <encoding-type>NYSIIS</encoding-type>
   </phoneticize-field>
</phoneticize-fields>

Configuring the Match String for Business Names (Repository)

For matching on business name fields, make sure the match string you specify in the MatchingConfig section of the Match Field file contains all or a subset of the fields that contain the standardized data (the unparsed business names are typically too inconsistent for matching). You can include additional fields for matching if required.

To configure the match string, follow the instructions under Defining the Master Index Match String (Repository) in Configuring Sun Master Indexes (Repository). For the Sun Match Engine, each data type has a different match type (specified by the match-type element). The PrimaryName, OrgTypeKeyword, AssocTypeKeyword, IndustrySectorList, IndustryTypeKeyword, and Url match types are specific to business name matching. You can specify any of the other match types defined in the match configuration file, as well. For more information, see Sun Match Engine Match and Standardization Types.

A sample match string for business name matching is shown below. This sample matches on the company name, the organization type, and the sector.

<match-system-object>
   <object-name>Company/object-name>
   <match-columns>
      <match-column>
         <column-name>Enterprise.SystemSBR.Company.Name_PrimaryName
         </column-name>
         <match-type>PrimaryName</match-type>
      </match-column>
      <match-column>
         <column-name>Enterprise.SystemSBR.Company.Name_OrgType
         </column-name>
         <match-type>OrgTypeKeyword</match-type>
      </match-column>
      <match-column>
         <column-name>Enterprise.SystemSBR.Company.Name_Sector
         </column-name>
         <match-type>IndustryTypeKeyword</match-type>
      </match-column>
   </match-columns>
</match-system-object>