converting lead duplicates items - how do I stop this from happening?

[swestin]

We have Sugar 5.1. Windows XP, The issue is that when I convert a lead into a contact, account and opportunity, it duplicates every item associated with lead, instead of just relating them to the new contact, account and opportunity. So if I have a call scheduled and held for a lead, then I convert that lead, Sugar creates 3 new calls, and then I have four calls appearing on my calendar. Is there any setting that I can change that will relate the items to the created contact, account, opportunity instead of duplicating the items?

[eggsurplus]

There isn't due to the data structure. For instance, for calls it holds the relationship to a lead right in the call record (parent_type, parent_id). If you were to related it to an account instead it would lose the relationship to the lead. This is probably why they just duplicate the activity/history.

[swestin]

Then is their any way to make it relate to just the account, even if it loses the relationship with the lead? After I convert a lead I have little use for it and record future activities by relating them to the account and contact.

[eggsurplus]

I just had this discussion yesterday with our sales folks. You could data-wise do that. However, the activity that took place during the lead process was related to them becoming a customer (in our case...). Thus, that history should remain there for historical purposes. It also keeps the account clean once they are handed off to support and to sales for add-on opportunities (which would remain outside of the account and in the opp in most cases). The activity in our case for an account should only before for that which is after they have become a customer.

You can alter the modules\Leads\ConvertLead.php file to change the activities to be under accounts if you'd like. You'd have to iterate through the Lead activity and set the parent_id to the account id and the parent_type to Accounts and save() for each. If you were to do that make sure to comment out the code that copies the activities over.