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The ROI ofGreat Address Quality

National Postal ForumMarch 16 – 19, 2014

Edward Wanta – Product Information SpecialistUnited States Postal Service®

Paula Stoskopf – Director of Industry AffairsFairrington Transportation

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Overview What is a quality address How address validation tools can help Address validation scenarios Keeping up with your customers

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Great Addressing Is Important!A quality address helps: 

Acquire customers Retain existing customers Increase response rate Keep postage costs in check

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Address Validation is one of the key components to your mailing process

Addresses that do not validate are at risk of non-delivery

Databases go “stale” over time without continually updating the information

There are many reasons an addresscan fail. You need to ensure they are:• Complete• Correct• Current

Why Address Validation Matters

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Can You Recognize a Bad Address?

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Can You Recognize A Bad Address?

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Physical Address UAA

Missing Apt or Ste Number

Incorrect Number

Incorrect Recipient

Missing Number

Missing RR or Box Number

Incorrect Street Name

ACME PRODUCTS4759 WESTERN STNEW YORK NY 10022-5279

CARL SHULER1414 LAKE ST APT CHICAGO IL 60614-1905

CARL SHULER1914 LAKE ST APT 3ACHICAGO IL 60614-1910

CARL BROWN1414 LAKE ST APTCHICAGO IL 60614-1910

CARL SHULER LAKE ST APT 3ACHICAGO IL 60614-1910

CARL SHULERPO BOX CHICAGO IL 60614-1910

398

226

134

56 48 47

Mill

ions

of P

iece

s CARL SHULER1414 LARK ST APT 3ACHICAGO IL 60614-1910

Common Address Quality ProblemsM

illio

ns o

f Pie

ces

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Total Address Quality

Update

Standardize

Validate

CASS Certified™

LACSLink® / DPV®

SuiteLink®

AEC / AECII®

NCOALink®

ANKLink®

ACSTM

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Update

Standardize

Validate

CASS Certified™

LACSLink® / DPV®

SuiteLink®

AEC / AECII®

NCOALink®

ANKLink®

ACSTM

Products to Use to Achieve Quality Addressing

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What is a Quality Address?A quality address is defined when:All necessary elements are complete and correct…

Pre-directionalPrimary address numberStreet name Street suffix Post-directional

Secondary identifierSecondary numberCity State ZIP + 4® code

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What Is A Standardized Address?Address elements are printed on envelopes in standard format: Format all lines of the address with a uniform left margin Uppercase letters are preferred on all lines of the address

block Fully spell out or abbreviate words using USPS® standard

abbreviations• www.usps.com• ribbs.usps.gov

Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards

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Address Standardization Does Help

There are many CASS Certified™ tools; each is unique with different strengths

Evaluate what’s available and choose which best fits your needs

CASS Vendor List available on:• https://ribbs.usps.gov/files/vendors/#index.txt

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Update

Standardize

Validate

CASS Certified™

LACSLink® / DPV®

SuiteLink®

AEC / AECII®

NCOALink®

ANKLink®

ACSTM

Products to Use to Achieve Quality Addressing

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SomeCommon Scenarios . . .

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LACSLink® Product Provides a database of municipality-introduced address

changes The data is provided by USPS® through the LACSLink

product • Conversions come into the database from Postal

carriers and municipalities Updating the addresses using LACSLink data ensures

deliverability and prevents further UAA mail

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It reassigns rural addresses to a more friendly format that is more easily accessible by emergency services

Example:RR 2 Box 317Beaver Falls, PA

Becomes . . .1444 Halas LnBeaver Falls, PA 15010-6929

Scenario: LACSLink® Conversion

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Scenario: LACSLink® ConversionLACS also provides updated rural addresses when they expand an address range - usually because they have run out of numbers - and reassigns addresses within that area.

Example:47785 Forman RdPolson, MT 59860

Becomes . . .412634 Forman RdPolson, MT 59860-

8368

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DPV® Product Confirms the existence

of a delivery point in AMS

Identifies a commercial mail receiving agency

Improves address assignments

Helps to reduce UAA

Is 249 High St in ZIP Code™ 94301 a valid address? Yes or No

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Scenario: Precise Match With Valid DPV®CASS™ Return Code 31A precise match is ideal

Be aware that there are multiple scenarios that have a return code of 31, not all ideal

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This occurs when the address is within a valid ZIP + 4® range BUT the street number doesn’t exist

Precise CASS match with invalid DPV cause return code 31, Address Exists fails

Scenario: Precise Match With Invalid DPV®CASS™ Return Code 31

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Scenario: Non Deliverable Address,ALSO – CASS™ Return Code 31

In cases where there is a known address in the system, but no mail is acceptedExample: a warehouse with no mail receptacle

Just because it shows up on the internet doesn’t mean it’s a deliverable address.

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Scenario: Multiple Match, Insufficient Information, Return Code 22

This scenario occurs when there are address elements missing (such as Street versus Avenue)

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Scenario: No Address Found Return Code 21 This scenario occurs when the address is not found

and there is no city/state/ZIP Code™ match A CASS™ engine will try to match, but match may

not be correct

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SuiteLink® Product Improves address assignments

to business addresses by adding known secondary (suite) numbers

Provided a business name and an associated ZIP + 4® coded address matches to a high-rise default, the SuiteLink process will return the appropriate suite number when available

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Scenario: Default Match Return Code 32Address requires additional information for a precise match

Notice the Suite column. Data is not contiguous

in high rises.

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AEC & AECII® Service AEC provides a crucial “last resort”

approach to stubborn addresses• USPS® service to help correct

addresses that CASS Certified™ software cannot fix

AECII expands AEC processing• Leverages Delivery Force

Knowledge™ for addressesthat AEC cannot correct

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AEC Processing Flow

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Update

Standardize

Validate

CASS Certified™

LACSLink® / DPV®

SuiteLink®

AEC / AECII®

NCOALink®

ANKLink®

ACSTM

Products to Use to Achieve Quality Addressing

35.9 million (11.7%)US residents moved between 2012 and 2013* Renters more mobile – 24.9% 18 – 34’s move most often Other demographic factors Average American moved 11.7

times (2011 Census)

*U S Ce nsus Bu reau – N ov 2013 P ress Re l ea se

On the Move!

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Move Update describes the process of matching a mailer’s address records with customer-filed Change-of-Address orders received and maintained by the Postal Service™

Move Update = Fewer Forwarded and Returned Mailpieces

Keeping Up with the Movers

Move Update Requirement Who must comply with Move Update rules?

• First-Class Mail® or Standard Mail® claiming Presort or Automation discounts

How often?• Addresses updated using an approved method within

95 days prior to the mailing date Are there exceptions?

• Exceptional or an alternative address format are not required to meet Move Update (mail is not forwarded) Or Current Resident Postal Customer

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Mailing with passing score of 70% (tolerance 30%) or higher will pass verification

Mailing with score below 70% will fail verification if there are also more than 5 pieces with COAs not updated

Only failed pieces above tolerance pay assessment• If 40% of COAs not-updated • Assessment applied to 10% (= 40 - 30) of mailing

Assessment = $0.07 per piece at acceptance• Both First-Class Mail® and Standard Mail®

[Failed COAS

Total COAs

- 30 %

]x 7¢ x (pieces in mailing)

Move Update Scoring

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Mailing Size: 100,000 PostagePostage 5-Digit Auto ($0.242) $24,200

Assessment for failed percent above tolerance $0.07 per piece

40% of COAs not updated Pieces assessed:10,000 (10% = 40 – 30 tolerance)

Assessment: 10,000 x $0.07 = $700 + $24,200 = $24,900

80% of COAs not updated Pieces assessed:50,000 (50% = 80 – 30 tolerance)

Assessment: 50,000 x $0.07 = $3,500 + $24,200 = $27,700

Move Update Cost Breakdown

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Prior to Mailing• NCOALink® • NCOALink® MPE (Mail Processing Equipment)

From Mailing Process• Ancillary Service Endorsements• ACS™

Alternative Move Update Methods• 99% Accurate• Legal Restraint

Move Update Methods

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NCOALink® NCOALink® MPE (Mail Processing Equipment)

Prior to Mailing

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A pre-mailing Move Update method leveraging USPS® provided data

Data delivery from USPS to certified licensees Three levels of usage for certified licensees:

• End User Mailer (18 months of data updated monthly)

• Limited Service Provider (18 months of data updated weekly)

• Full Service Provider (48 months of data updated weekly)

NCOALink® Service

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USPS® Change of Address Database

• Entirely separate from the Address Management System (AMS) database

• NCOALink® requires software• Contains personal names and

business names• Addresses with “no forward

on file” are excluded from the database

NCOALink® - How does it work?

Update

PAULA STOSKOPF

1029 AMBER LN

WEBSTER NY 14580-1129

PAULA STOSKOPFN258 VALLEY RDLA CROSSE WI 54601-2935

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A valuable add-on to NCOALink® Limited Service Providers and End User Mailers

Provides an indicator that a move may have occurred in months 19 through 48• Does not contain the actual new address

Allows for more value out of move update processing• Only the flagged addresses need to be sent to a

48-month NCOALink Full Service Provider

ANKLink® Service

NCOALink® MPE

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The use of NCOALink data on multiline optical character readers (MLOCR) to update and spray change-of-address information on mailpieces prior to submission to the USPS®

Can also be used on delivery point barcode sorters to identify, sort, and remove undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail prior to submission to the USPS.

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Ancillary Service Endorsements ACS™

From Mailing Process

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Ancillary Service Endorsements can be used as a stand-alone method of meeting the Move Update standard• Hardcopy• Electronic

Ancillary Service Endorsements

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Address Service Requested Return Service Requested Change Service Requested Forwarding Service Requested Electronic Service Requested

Ancillary Service Endorsements

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ACS is a post-mailing address correction service that allows mailers to receive change-of-address (COA) information and other reasons for non-delivery electronically

ACS is available for use with all classes of mail Can and in most cases must be combined with

Ancillary Service Endorsements, such as Address Service Requested Change Service Requested Return Service Requested

ACS™ Service

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Benefits• Reduce manual address costs• Reduce labor-intensive address change functions by

eliminating returned mail• Choose when to receive fulfillment of time-sensitive

information on a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule• Retrieve address change information electronically

via a secure Internet site• Receive notifications that relate specifically to their

address files• Receive the electronic notices sooner than manual

notices would have been received

ACS™ Service

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Mailers have three distinct versions of the ACS service• Traditional ACS • OneCode ACS® • Full-Service ACS

ACS™ Service

Participant CodeOptional Keyline

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First-Class• 99% Accurate• Legal Restraint

Alternative Move Update Methods

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CASS™ Report 3553 • DPV®

• LACSLink®

• Total ZIP + 4® Coding CASS Summary Report AEC Summary Reports NCOALink® Summary Report

Documentation From List Vendor

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Update

Standardize

Validate

CASS Certified™

LACSLink® / DPV®

SuiteLink®

AEC / AECII®

NCOALink®

ANKLink®

ACSTM

Fundamentals ofGreat Address Quality

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2

Did the address DPV Confirm?

Y/N

7 Apply ACSTM to mail piece (post mailing process)

3Send badaddresses

to AEC/AEC II®

Mail8

Update address list withnew ACS information

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Bad addressfixed/ZIP + 4® coded?

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5Suppress bad

addresses frommailing list

Code address via CASS CertifiedTM address matching

software with DPV® and LACSLink®

1

6 Update movers (NCOALink)(pre mailing process)

NO

NOYES

YES

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The quality of your address data directly affects the deliverability of your mail!

USPS® provides an extensive suite of Address Quality products and services; check out ribbs.usps.gov.

USPS is committed to continuous address hygiene improvements to enhance the value of mail.

Small efforts can bring big results!

Summary

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DPV® – Identify inaccurate or incomplete addresses

LACS – Locatable Address Conversion System. Automated process of obtaining new address when the address has been changed by the local planning authority or building management

SuiteLink® – Improves address assignments to business addresses by adding known secondary (suite) numbers

AEC – Address Element Correction. Corrects and standardizes address elements on the worst addresses not resolved by CASS™

NCOA – National Change of Address. Aids mailers in identifying address changes before mail enters the mail stream

ANK – Attempted Not Known. For NCOALink® limited service providers and end user mailers. ANKLink® is an enhancement to the existing 18 month NCOALink product. ANKLink provides an additional 30 months of COA information.

ACS™ – Cost effective means of obtaining accurate change of address information

UAA – Undeliverable As Addressed

Glossary

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Thank You!

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MondayNCOALink® vs. ACS™ – Which is the Best?

Lisa West / Michael Tate – National Harbor 11 – Period 7, 11am – 12:00 pm

Managing UAA Mail from All AspectsJim Wilson / Bob Schimek – National Harbor 11 – Period 8, 1:30 – 2:30 pm

TuesdayKeeping it Simple: ACS™ Services – It’s All in the Service Type ID

Lisa West – Maryland A – Period 12, 11 – 12 pm

Your Software is Talking, Are You Listening?Angela Lawson / Chris Lien – Chesapeake 3 – Period 13, 1:30 – 2:30 pm

Colleges & Universities – Addressing: Issues & OpportunitiesJim Wilson / Richard Boudrero – Chesapeake 6 – Period 14, 2:45 – 3:45 pm

SundayThe ROI of Great Address Quality

Ed Wanta / Paula Stoskopf – Chesapeake 6 – Period 2, 10:15 – 11:15 am

USPS® Co-Presentations Schedule