On July 1, 1996, the U.S. Post
Office is introduced its first rate reclassification since 1879. This move was long
overdue and makes presorting much easier than before, but the qualifications are much more
difficult to meet. To get a better overview of Postal Presorting, see our recent article entitled "Reducing Postage Costs."
Address correction is the first step in postal presorting. Address correction involves identifying the different portions of an address block and correcting all elements possible. This also involves appending the +4 digits to the ZIP Code and adding the delivery point codes for the ZIP Code. Optionally, it can also add the carrier route for the address being corrected. Address correction software is available for all platforms, from PCs to mainframes. In most cases, the address data is updated quarterly, and monthly updates are becoming more common.
Datatech is one the largest producers of address correction software, and the latest versions are always available from EAG. Products for minicomputers and mainframes are licensed by the size of the database and are quoted on an individual basis.
Address correction only corrects the specified address. It does not correct who or what resides at that address. Address verification follows a person or entity as they move through services such as National Change of Address (NCOA) services.
Once your addresses have been corrected, presorting is the next step in the process. This could be grouping all mail on the same carrier route together, or sorting the mail as far as "Carrier Walk Sequence," or actually sorting the mail to the correct order of the mail carrier’s route. The simplest presort is just sorting in ZIP Code order from the lowest ZIP codes to the highest. Each of these sorting methods carry different discounts from the base postage rate of $.34 per piece. The larger discounts are given to presorts such as Carrier Route or Walk Sequence since these presorts save the Post Office a significant amount of work; those savings are passed through to you.
Again, Group 1 is one of the largest producers of presorting software and has versions available for all platforms. The PC presorting product is called ProSort and sells for $995. Mini and mainframe versions are quoted by mail volume.
List maintenance involves cleaning your data by removing duplicates, merging multiple databases, and flagging different types of addresses (such as competitors). This is an area that is often overlooked but can have huge rewards. If you do a 10,000 piece mailing and are able to remove 1,000 names as duplicates, that saves you over $250 in postage alone. You also save on production of 1,000 mailing packages that can easily cost one or two dollars each.
List maintenance is not an easy task unless you have the correct tools to perform the operations easily and efficiently. EAG has several tools to do the job and is always available to maintain your lists. Contact us if you have any questions.
Back to main page.Fill out our on-line form if you have questions or comments.
Copyright © 2005 Enterprise Automation Group. All rights reserved. AccuMagic is a pending
trademark of the Enterprise Automation Group. All other products are trademarks or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.
Last modified
April 04, 2005