Transcript Software and Database Management

Software and Database
Management
Presented By:
Michael Lloyd
UNC Wilmington
March 31, 2008
How to Select Mailing Software
• The objective when purchasing mailing
software is to save time by eliminating
preparation through automatically sorting
mail and producing all proper marking and
postal reports, and to save money by
obtaining the lowest allowable postage
rates that only mailing software can
achieve.
What should Mailing Software Do ?
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Eliminates manual work for you!
Automate Addresses for Discounts
Certified your Address Lists
“Cleanses” Address Lists
Barcode Mailing
Eliminates Duplicates
Prepare required mail reports
SAVE YOU MONEY
What I need to Know?
• Many software products promise to
help you achieve your goals.
• They all seem similar, at least based
on an overview of their product
literature.
• Their prices vary, and sometimes
greatly.
How much should it cost?
• That's a key question for
most new users, and it's
more complicated than
the software's "sticker
price" might suggest.
• Mailing software is typically available as
a subscription for a specified period,
usually annually.
• This is because mail preparation
requirements are constantly changing to
meet the requirements of the United
States Postal Service.
• To keep up with those changing
requirements, mailing software
developers must continually modify the
software.
Weighting the Cost?
• Some mailing software
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vendors offer different
mailing programs to support
different levels of need,
usually classified as low end
and high end.
The low-end (also low-cost)
programs can minimize your
investment risk, allowing
you to get your feet wet
without full immersion.
• But you should make sure the transition
from the low end to high end is simple
and straight forward and without penalty.
• In some cases, that transition is
equivalent to changing software vendors
because there is no commonality between
the low-cost and high-cost offerings
Stability
• Stability of the Software —There are a lot
of programs in this industry that frustrate
users with glitches, crashing and erratic
behavior.
• You won't read about this in the product
literature. Research the product with
those whom current utilize the product.
Subscription for Software
• Subscription costs for subsequent
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years are typically substantially
lower than first-year costs. That
makes the original selection of the
right software for you, all the more
important.
You surely want to avoid paying
that first year premium again,
simply because your first software
choice did not meet, or could not
grow with, your needs.
Software and Data Topics
Reports and Terminology
 Standardization
 Address correction
 Merge/purge processing
 Presorting
 Custom printing options
 Exporting and Importing
 Database management
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CASS stands for Coding
Accuracy Support System
• CASS certified software cleans up, corrects, and
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standardizes a mailing list.
It will add missing ZIP+4 zip codes, Carrier Route codes,
Delivery Point Numbers, Line of Travel information as
well as correct any invalid address, city, state, or zip
code information.
It will also put the address into the post office
recommend standard format such as using the two letter
abbreviation for state names.
CASS software has nothing to do with sorting a mailing
list or printing the mailing labels. That is done by PAVE
certified software.
PAVE stands for Presort Accuracy
Validation and Evaluation
• PAVE certified software is bulk mail presort
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software that has been tested and certified by
the post office for accuracy in doing different
types of sorts and producing various types of
postal documents.
Presort software sorts your mailing list according
to all of the rules and regulations of the post
office and produces, among other things, the
barcoded mailing labels, barcoded tray and sack
tags, Qualification Reports, Postage Statements,
and Setup Reports
What is DPV and LACSLink
• DPV stands for Delivery Point Validation.
This is a method by which a specific
address is validated.
• In the general CASS processing an
address is considered valid as long as it
falls within the range of addresses listed in
the CASS database.
Delivery Point Bar Code
• For instance, the CASS database may give the range of
valid addresses for Main Street in zip code 77002 as
being from 1000 to 1090.
• If you have an address in your mailing list of 1020 Main
Street 77002, then the general CASS processing will
consider this a valid address and assign it a Delivery
Point Number even though there is a possibility that no
such address really exists.
• DPV will double check that Delivery Point Number
against another database to verify that 1020 Main Street
77002 is actually a valid address. If so, the CASS
matching stands. If not, the address is not considered a
CASS match and return a code to let you know why the
address was not matched
What is eLOT ?
• eLOT stands for enhanced Line of Travel.
• eLOT Product was developed to give mailers the
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ability to sort their mailings in approximate
carrier-casing sequence
eLOT data is only used when doing NonAutomation (ECR Basic Carrier Route sorting)
ECR mail can be for either Letter or Non-Letter
(Flat) sized pieces and is sorted not only by the
Carrier Route number but also by the eLOT
number which puts the mail more or less into
the same order that the Postal Carrier travels
when delivering the mail.
What Reports will be Needed?
• Cass Form
• Pave Form
• Mail Sort list
• USPS Qualification Form
• Summary Information
• Job Summary
Good Quality Software Allows User To?
– Import Data
– Correct Address
– Find Duplicates
– Sort Mailing
– Export Data
– Print Reports
– Print Labels
Import Data
Sample Formatted Address List
TITLE
BUSINESS
Human Resources Director
Human Resources Director
Sandestin Beach Hilton
City Of Destin
Beverly Health & Rehabilitation
Asi
Flamingo CafΘ
Pelican Beach Resort
Hooters Corporate Office
Abbott Resorts
Abbott Resorts
Happy Stores, Inc.
Destin Log
Jim Bell, Inc.
Innovative Floor Coverings
Human Resources Director
Human Resources Director
Human Resources Director
Office Manager
Human Resources Director
Human Resources Director
Administration
South Walton Utility Company
Sverdrup Technology
Sentel Corporation
Oak Hill Elementary School
Embry-riddle Aeronautical University
Army & Air Force Base Exchange
46th Lg/cc
Lamar Advertising
Fwb Medical Center
Applied Technology School
Ocean City Elementary School
Wright Elementary School
Benton House
Rivendell
ADDRESS
3825 Indigo Cir
4000 S Sandestin Blvd
4200 Two Trees Rd
195 Mattie M Kelly Blvd
35008 Emerald Coast Pkwy
414 Harbor Blvd
1002 Highway 98 E
983 Airport Rd
1209 Airport Rd
35000 Emerald Coast Pkwy
319 Mountain Dr
1225 Airport Rd
922 Highway 98 E
1 Industrial Park Rd
609 Bayou Dr
79 Scenic Gulf Dr
308 W D Ave
PO Box 1837
101 Chinquapin Dr
PO Box 1553
309 W Van Matre Ave
107 N Barrancas Ave
223 Green Acres Rd
1000 Mar Walt Dr
1976 Lewis Turner Blvd
720 Essex Rd
305 Lang Rd
2000 Principal Ln
1015 Mar Walt Dr
UNIT
Ste 7
Suite 1
Suite 112
Suite 201
CITY
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Destin
Eglin Afb
Eglin Afb
Eglin Afb
Eglin Afb
Eglin Afb
Eglin Afb
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
Fort Walton Beach
STATE
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
FL
ZIP
32541
32550
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32541
32550
32550
32542
32542
32542
32542
32542
32542
32547
32547
32547
32547
32547
32547
32547
Address Correction
• Standardize an
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address, it give you
back a complete form
of that address.
At the same time it
should code for postal
automation.
Merge/Purge and Duplicate
Detection Software
• Tool for finding and removing duplicates.
• Search and match on many identifying
information such as:
 personal
name
address
 company name
 account number etc
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• Ability to work with multiple lists at one
time as well as suppression list options.
Presorting Mailing
• Sorting mail
and preparing it
in container so
that it can be
transported
though the
postal system.
Export data
• To transport data
for use with
media types (cd,
flash, zip, variable
data for example)
Printing Label and Tags
• You should be design files
• Use templates
• Order to print
• Design toolbox
• Customization of labels
• Easy set up
Merlin - Mailing Evaluation
Readability
Lookup Instrument: VERIFIES
• Presort Mail Makeup
• Weight / Piece Count
• Barcode Readability
• Tray Label Accuracy / Paperwork
• Meter ID and Date / Permit Imprint
• Address / Barcode Accuracy
• Endorsements & Rate Markings
• Mail Piece Dimensions
List Maintenance Features
Delete record
 Modify Selected
Records
 Filtering of records
 List Back Up
 Create Subsists
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define indexes.
 Identify
duplicates
 Prints reports of
duplicate records.
 Hide and Unhide
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Popular Mailing Software
AccuMail
ArcList
Bulk Mailer 5 Pro &Standard
MailRoom Toolkit
Mail Manager
PostalSoft Professional Suite
PostalSoft Business Edition
PostalSoft DeskTop Mailer
ProSort
SmartAddresser 2020