# Actioning overview

Kernel combines the [account risk](https://github.com/generatemomentum/documentation/blob/main/legacy/configuration/account-risk.md) score and comprehensive data analysis of each account to produce exactly one cleaning action per account:

<table><thead><tr><th width="200">Action</th><th>Definition</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Delete</td><td>The account is out of business or the website is not working, is not an absorbed subsidiary, and is not actively owned. It is generally safe to delete.</td></tr><tr><td>Merge</td><td>The account has a duplicate, is not the primary record, and is part of a valid duplicate group.</td></tr><tr><td>Associate</td><td>The account has an identified parent in the CRM that it should be linked to.</td></tr><tr><td>Associate (missing parent)</td><td>The account has an identified parent that is not yet in the CRM. Kernel will create the parent and link the accounts.</td></tr></tbody></table>

{% hint style="info" %}
All actions are configurable by the user, so the exact definition will depend on each user's individual setup.
{% endhint %}

### Recommended order

It is recommended to proceed with actions in the following order, moving from non-destructive to destructive:

1. **Associate / Associate (missing parent)** — non-destructive, easily reversed
2. **Delete** — removes dead accounts, respects risk thresholds
3. **Merge** — consolidates duplicates into the primary record

For a detailed phased rollout approach, see [Managing actions](https://github.com/generatemomentum/documentation/blob/main/legacy/deployment/managing-actions.md).

### Requirements

Before you can use the Kernel platform to execute recommended actions, you must have concluded the configuration of your business logic within the prior tabs in the platform. The actionable tabs will automatically unlock once configuration has been completed.

*Note: when reviewing data, the user should reconfigure the logic as needed to ensure satisfaction with the logic application.*

In addition, to use the Kernel platform, you must have the Kernel Salesforce package installed and the appropriate permissions provided, as below:

{% hint style="warning" %}
Account merges and deletions require more extensive permissions:

* **Delete on Account.**
* **Modify All** on Account (recommended) - bypasses record ownership and sharing restrictions.
* **View and Edit** on related objects (e.g. Contacts, Opportunities, Cases) - required to re-parent child records during merge.
* **Modify All Data** (optional) - only if merging across restrictive sharing models or record owners.
  {% endhint %}

<figure><img src="https://1215786129-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FvRYB7XIKCnmUi9oCEQGV%2Fuploads%2FC2P3YQSuyQVDPPVOZdjg%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=75111b28-44df-47ed-9c41-d5e5536c24b3" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### Identity viewer

Resolving which real-world company a CRM account represents is one of the most complex steps in the cleaning process. The **identity viewer** in the Kernel app gives you direct visibility into this process. For each account, you can inspect what Kernel has resolved the identity to and the reasoning behind it — helping you verify the match before taking any action.

For full details, see [Resolving identity](https://github.com/generatemomentum/documentation/blob/main/legacy/actioning/resolving-identity.md).

### Rerun risk score

After making configuration changes, you can rerun the risk score calculation directly from the Kernel app. This allows you to see how updated settings affect each account's risk profile before actioning.

### Recalculate

After making configuration changes, you can trigger a recalculation of merge, associate, and delete recommendations directly from the app. This rebuilds the full set of groups based on your updated logic. Note that recalculating deletes all existing groups and recreates them — this process can take a few minutes.