2013 National Postal ForumSan Francisco, California

Christine J. Erna- Pitney Bowes

Tom Lorge – Medical Marketing Service

Industry Challenge – Address Quality◦ Why?

What are the causes of Poor Address Quality?◦ What are some actionable take aways?

What tools are available?◦ Standardize – Validate - Update

Summary

Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) MailReturn mail volume is not decreasing, even though mail volume is decreasing◦ USPS® 2011/2012:◦ Mail Volume: 168/160 Billion◦ UAA Volume: 7.02/6.76 Billion

(4.18%/4.23%)◦ UAA Cost: $1.315 / $1.318 Billion

Mailing Industry:◦ Postage: 2% required to cover cost of

Returns◦ Business: $7+ Billion Costs*

$20+ Billion Business Impact◦ Top UAA Reasons:◦ 75.8% Move-Related◦ 12.5% Address-Related

What Can You Do:◦ Implement a comprehensive Address

Quality◦ Strategy◦ Use ALL applicable addressing products &◦ services◦ Track your mail channel’s R.O.I.

* Based on DMA per piece cost estimates

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

New York1.1 million new

addresses in 2011

41 million Americans move

every year

151.8 million total addresses

Why Does It Matter?

What Are You Doing Now?

What Should You Be Doing?

Where to get Help to Succeed?

Four Basic Address Quality Questions

100,000 addressesIn just 90 days…

4.5% (4,500) will move and need COA processing 2% (2,000) will likely be UAA due to a foreign or “no

forwarding” moves Total: 6,500 pieces may never reach their intended

audience Mailing list will deteriorate 3%

300 Million+ Individuals 170 Million+ Households 50,000 lists - Segmented Hundreds of selections

The USPS® Address Management System (AMS) database currently contains:

151.8 million “Active” deliveries 183.5 million “Possible” deliveries 275,000 delivery routes (Non-PO Box) 42,000 ZIP Codes 37,000 facilities nationwide 8 terabytes of address information data

StandardizeStandardize

ValidateValidate

UpdateUpdateFundamentals of Great Address Quality

Get It Clean Correct and Standardize addresses◦ Analyze and Correct addresses that do not match USPS data◦ Complete, Correct, and Current addresses

Keep It Clean Continually maintain addresses using USPS certified

software◦ Continually review, analyze, and improve the quality of

addresses Keep It Current Establish a confidence level for the delivery of each address◦ Enable the mailer to determine if the mail piece will get

delivered and decide if the mail piece should be printed

The CASS certification process is designed in cooperation with the mailing industry to improve the accuracy of postal codes, i.e., 5-digit ZIP®, ZIP + 4®, delivery point (DPCs), and carrier route codes that appear on mailpieces.

USPS® certified benchmark Sets minimum performance standards for commercial ZIP + 4®

address matching software Developers must pass USPS test for CASS certification Address matching software attempts to match addresses

against range- based records on USPS ZIP + 4 file Pre-Mailing process

Data Entry of Names & Addresses Name formats Physical addresses – using CASS Move Update – using NCOA

At Point of Entry! 

Data Entry• Data Entry accounts for 20-40% of data quality

problems• Need to cover ALL sources of data entry and

updatesData Entry – Reverse ZIP Lookup

Dat

abas

eD

ata

Ent

ry

New Customer

Customer Changes

Ask For Customer

ZIP

Generate City & State From CASS

Type Street

Validate Street &

Abbrevia tions From CASS

Type Primary Address

Ask for Secondary Address

Customer Database

At Data Capture◦ Ideal spot for best address quality◦ Capture street number, directional, street name,

city, state, ZIP www.USPS.Com Integrated into front-end data capture/validation tool

After Data Capture◦ Leverage software (CASS) to correct and add Correct spelling for street, city Add directional Confirm delivery address State abbreviation Full Zip code

Data Capture

STANDARDIZED ADDRESSING is one of the most important elements on a mailpiece.◦ Left-justified◦ Standard abbreviations

Proper Spacing◦ Proper Spacing Between:◦ Characters Words Lines◦ MLOCR require 2 points Lines Spacing

MY CUSTOMER 12345 MAIN DR STE 110ANYWHERE USA 12345-6789

SINGLE SPACE

1 SP 2 SP

LEFT JUSTIFIED

Lettering

Upper Case

Block Style

Not Bold

Not Italics

No Punctuation

Standardized Addressing

ABC

ABCAbc

A.B.C.

• RUN-ON 145SOUTHMILLS ST

• EXTRA DIGITS/CHARACTERS 10000 EUCLID AVE

• PRE-DIRECTIONALS 17 SO WATT CT

• SUFFIX ABBREVIATION 492 JACKSON BL

• MISPLACED SECONDARY 47 A CEDAR RD

• ALPHA/NUMERICS 5!7 M0SS ST

NON-ADDRESS DATA #JAN00 000 CA#1508 LT 52 INFORMATION / ATTN MR J BROWNRECIPIENT CENTRAL LIBRARYDELIVERY ADDRESS 3915 E CHAIN BRIDGE RDCITY, STATE, ZIP CODE FAIRFAX VA 22030-3999

PRSRT STDU.S.POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO 1ANYTOWN US

Address Format

JANE DOE301 SPYGLASS DRPO BOX 1EUGENE OR 97440-0001

JOHN DOEPO BOX 1301 SPYGLASS DREUGENE OR 97401-2092

ZIP Codes must match the addresswhere mail will be delivered

3915 E CHAIN BRIDGE RD N STE 111

Directional Post Directional

Secondary UnitDesignators

Street Name

Number

Street Suffix

DPV ◦ Confirms the existence of a deliverable address◦ Confirms basic information about the address◦ Identifies a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA)◦ Vacant and No-Stat Indicator

LACSLink◦ Provides municipality-introduced address changes◦ Includes USPS® converted P.O. Boxes◦ Includes building secondary information changed by building

management◦ Updating addresses using LACSLink data ensures deliverability

and prevents UAA mail

Validate Address Data

Validation solutions exist for troublesome addresses as well. Virtually every mail list is plagued with addresses that seem irresolvable. AEC enables you to submit your "bad" addresses for resolution through the Postal Service using enhanced computer logic.

AEC Service◦ AEC provides a crucial “last resort” approach to

stubborn addresses◦ USPS® service to help correct addresses that CASS

Certified™ software cannot fix

AECII® Service expands AEC processing

◦ Leverages Delivery Force knowledge™ foraddresses that AEC cannot correct

◦ Identify addresses that do not exist.

AEC/AECII Calculator

ENDORSEMENT FIRST CLASS STANDARD MAILADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED Forwarding and Return New notice provided

Forward or Return –No charge to FwdAddress Correction fee

Forward or Return – No charge to FwdAddr Corr or Wgt Fee

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED No Forwarding, only Return New address or UAA reason

No Charge First Class Mail price

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED No Forwarding or Return New address or UAA reason

Address Correction fee Address Correction fee

FORWARDING SERVICE REQUESTED Forwarding and Return New address only with Return

No Charge Forward no chargeReturn Weighted fee

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED Service type code in IMb determines

General rules. Services and prices vary by class

NCOALink is an address correction service provided to mailers through companies licensed by the Postal Service™

Computer software purchased, leased, or developed by the licensee is used to access the NCOALink

database

30

Pre-mailing Move Update method Data delivery from USPS® to certified licensees Stored in a secure format using Secure Hash

Algorithm Three types of certified licensees:◦ Full Service Provider

(48 months, updated weekly)◦ Limited Service Provider

(18 months, updated weekly)◦ End User Mailer

(18 months, updated monthly)

Updated change-of-address information for the entire country is provided on a regular basis to the licensee by the Postal Service™ through the NCOALink

database. The licensees match mailing lists submitted to them

by mailers on tape, disk or by upload against the information contained in the NCOALink database.

If a match is made, NCOALink can correct the address before it is printed.

What is ANKLink™?

ANKLink™ is an enhancement to the existing 18-month NCOALink® product. The existing 18-month NCOALink™ product provides change-of-address information for moves that have occurred in the past 18 months. ANKLink™will enable NCOALink® Limited Service Provider and End User Mailer licensees to optionally acquire an additional 30 months of change-of-address information. The ANKLink™ data will not return the new address, but will inform mailers of customer moves that have occurred in months 19-48, along with the move effective date.

What are the benefits of using ANKLink™?

ANKLink™ will allow mailers to make informed decisions regarding a specific customer. If the data indicates the customer has moved, the mailer may choose to suppress the customer from the list. Otherwise the mailer could attempt to determine the actual new address by seeking the services of an NCOALink® Full Service Provider licensee. ANKLink™

has the potential to reduce the production of UAA (Undeliverable as Addressed) mail, which reduces production, preparation and postage costs.

ANKLink™

ACS™ service provides address change information electronically for forwarded mail, giving you another opportunity to maintain up-to-date addresses for customers who have moved.

Keeping current addresses on file is essential to reaching your valued customers. Now you can stay on top of the constant changes to your address data by utilizing the update products and services available.

#BWNFXZT #P123456789 2572X 7 # JOHN E SMITH916 N 5TH ST APT 3SPRINGFIELD IL 62702-5288

Post-mailing service provided by the USPS®

Internal PARS database used Participants include an identification code on

the mailpieces◦ Traditional (printed participant code as shown left)◦ OneCode ACS® or Full Service (IMb™ as shown on right)

JOHN E SMITH916 N 5TH ST APT 3SPRINGFIELD IL 62702-5288

• Variations in how NCOALink® and ACS™ respond for same name and address input determined by:• Data contents in product• Move Type, Move Effective Date, etc.• Matching logic used• Carrier engagement

• Best practice for identifying change of address combines use of NCOALink and ACS

ACS™ - NCOALink®

PARS/ACS 18 months of data Permanent and

Temporary COAs Court Order Protected

Individuals (COPI) Records requiring

carrier decision Do Not Intercept (DNI) ZIP + 4® coded and

uncoded records

NCOALink

18 or 48 months Permanent COAs only Excludes:

COPI recordsRecords flagged as DNIOld addresses that don’t

ZIP + 4 Code New addresses that don’t

ZIP + 4/DPV® code included but new address is not returned

Deliver critical communications to: the Right person

at the Right locationat the Right time

AddressQuality

Is Essential!

ResourcesUSPS – Address Quality

https://www.usps.com/business/address‐quality‐services.htm

USPS – Addressing

https://ribbs.usps.gov/index.cfm?page=addressing

Publication 28 – USPS Addressing StandardsPick up a copy at the USPS Booth or download from

https://www.usps.com/business/address‐management‐pubs.htm?

USPS – National Customer Support Center (NCSC)

For additional information on Address Management products and services, email us at incsc@usps.gov.

(800) 238-3150NATIONAL CUSTOMER SUPPORT CENTER

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE225 N. HUMPHREYS BLVD STE 501

MEMPHIS TN 38188-1001

For more information:

Questions and Answers

Christine J. Erna MDP, AQSEngagement Manager Enterprise Postal ConsultingPitney Bowes Management Services603.974.1169Christine.erna@pb.com

Tom LorgeDirector of Circulation Management 

Medical Marketing Service 630‐477‐1564

t‐lorge@mmslists.com