This issue arises because a direct row-by-row comparison in a one-to-many relationship produces multiple results per attendee, often showing “Mismatch” even when a valid match exists in one of the related records. To achieve a single, accurate result per attendee, the data must first be consolidated.
The recommended approach is to use Column Blocks in a Multi-Step Report to bring related records into a single row, followed by a Calculation Step to evaluate all values together.
Start with the Attendee as the base step and retrieve fields like Contact ID and Attendee Email. Then add the related Alternate Channels step, link it using Contact ID, and enable “Show this report’s records in column blocks,” configuring multiple blocks (e.g., 5) so that all related emails appear as separate columns in the same row.
Next, use a Calculation Step to compare the Attendee Email against all Alternate Channel email columns using OR (||) logic, for example:
{!Attendee.Attendee Email} == {!Alternate Channels 1.Alternate Channel Email} ||
{!Attendee.Attendee Email} == {!Alternate Channels 2.Alternate Channel Email} ||
{!Attendee.Attendee Email} == {!Alternate Channels 3.Alternate Channel Email} ||
{!Attendee.Attendee Email} == {!Alternate Channels 4.Alternate Channel Email} ||
{!Attendee.Attendee Email} == {!Alternate Channels 5.Alternate Channel Email}
? 'Match' : 'Mismatch'
This ensures that if the email exists in any related record, the result is “Match”; otherwise, it returns “Mismatch.” For example, Marina would return “Match” if her email exists in any Alternate Channel record, while Ben would return “Mismatch” if no match is found.
This approach guarantees one clear result per attendee and can be reused for other fields like Name, Address, or Phone by applying the same logic.