Data Philosophies Ongoing Program to Find Lost Alumni

1
Data Philosophies Ongoing Program to Find Lost
Alumni

• 2007 Harris Connect User Conference

August 12-15, 2007 Roger Nelsen, Director of
Alumni Records Information Systems UNC General
Alumni Association
2
Return to Sender! No such Number!

• An option for handling a returned mail piece.

3
A Quality Address Is Defined by the USPS As

• A Quality Address Contains Complete and Correct
  Elements that Comply with USPS Address
  Management System Standards and Allows Automated
  Sortation to the Intended Delivery Point for
  Delivery To the Specified Recipient Without
  Requiring the Use of Delivery Force Knowledge to
  Complete.

4
Our goal preventing return to sender or the
infamous Lost status

• Practice good address hygiene
• Standardize
• Validate
• Update

5
Standardization

• A Standardized Address Is Defined As
• All necessary elements correct and complete

• Primary address number
• Pre-directional
• Street name
• Street suffix
• Post-directional

• Secondary identifier
• Secondary number
• City
• State
• ZIP 4 Code

6
Standardization

• Benefits of standardized addressing
• Reduces undeliverable as address (UAA) mail
• Enhances processing and delivery of mail
• Enhanced merge/purge operations
• Improved aesthetic presentation on mail
• Increases customer perception of your quality
• Cost reduction through improved efficiencies
• Increase deliverability

7
Standardization/Validation

• Use CASS Certified software enabled with DPV
  and LACSLink to standardize the address
  information before storing (UNC uses Group 1 for
  CASS certification.)
• Standardize street name information
• Standardize city name
• Assign correct ZIP 4 code with
• Validate your address is deliverable

8
Standardization/Validation

• Definitions
• CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System)
• LACS (Locatable Address Conversion System,
  available only through NCOA licensees)
• DPV (Delivery Point Validation)

9
Validation

• DPV works in conjunction with existing CASS
  Certified address matching products to validate
  accuracy of Street and Apt/Ste numbers
• DPV use required effective August 1st 2007
• Must validate accuracy of primary street address
  to obtain a ZIP 4 code assignment
• Use DPV to collect complete addresses at
  point-of-capture or to identify inaccurate or
  incomplete addresses in your mailing list
• Front-end verification

10
Validation/Update

• Front-end verification (UNC vendor choice QAS,
  contact Taymour Bassiri, 888-322-6201
• The look and feel of a solicitation piece is
  crucial including the address
• Have confidence in the look of your communication
• Formatting to your standards
• No misspellings, know where there are apartments
• Save money
• Addresses, postage, material and printing costs,
  data entry
• Produce and maintain quality records for your
  school
• Never enter another invalid or undeliverable
  address

11
Validation/Update

• National Change of Address (NCOA) UNC has not
  selected a vendor . . . yet.
• USPS controlled service
• Compiled data from change of address cards
• Database maintains changes for 48 months
• Provides 5-6 movers on average
• Appends 4 and standardizes address data
• Recommended to use every 6 months or before large
  mailings

12
Update

• ACS (Address Change Service)
• Post-mailing service provided by National
  Customer Support Center (NCSC)
• Participants include an identification code on
  the mail piece and receive the change-of-address
  directly from the USPS
• Available electronically via download, media, and
  hardcopy

13
Update

• ACS (Address Change Service)
• Provides electronic COA notices for mailpieces
  undeliverable due to customer move
• Mailers apply a participant code and an optional
  keyline to mailpiece
• Requires use of ancillary service endorsement
• Using ACS can reduce costs associated with manual
  returns manual keying of data
• Electronic notifications provided for .21
• Centralized billing

14
Update
Current ACS offerings for many mail types
15
Update
ACS Single Intelligent Barcode available now
for 1st class, Available this fall for standard
mail.
16
USPS Helpful sources of Information
www.usps.gov ribbs.usps.gov USPS Rapid Reply
Bulletin Board Service USPS Account Manager -
Most schools in Higher Education have one
assigned. Postal Facts - 14 of the population
moves each- 45 million address changes per
year- When fuel costs increase one penny, USPS
costs increase 8 million
17
When they become lost . . . what can be done?

• You have options!

18
Options for finding the lost

• E-mail
• Telephone (home, business, cell)
• IM
• Google and other search engines and web sites
• A vendor specializing in finding lost alumni
• Such as, Harris Connect, Alumni Finder, BCI, etc.