Archive for the 'Move Update' Category

The true cost of poor address quality

Published on June 9, 2010 in Address Quality, Move Update and PBBI Solutions. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

Over the past few months, the interest in address quality has risen dramatically.

Perhaps the new USPS Move Update penalties that took effect this past January caused some mailers to start looking into what it costs when an address is incorrect.  In speaking with print and mail managers over the past few months, we have heard that higher postal costs represent only a fraction of the total. Here are some of the ways organizations categorize this added expense: 

  • Higher Postal Expenses:  lost discounts, new seven-cent per-piece penalty, USPS postal inspections, possible fines.
  • Return Mail Processing: reprint and remail expenses, remail postage, manual handling, one-off address corrections.
  • Unnecessary Operational Costs: inbound status calls, collections and reinstatements, missed compliance notifications, regulatory fines.
  • Dissatisfaction and Lost Opportunity: communication delays, poor customer experiences, attrition and cancellations, costly acquisition, missed sales.

Because these expenses are incurred throughout an organization, costs can be difficult to quantify.  To make it easy, Pitney Bowes Business Insight offers a no-cost Enterprise Address Management assessment that can help you determine what percent of your mail file contains errors.  If you are interested, drop me a line at Cynthia.Williams@pb.com.

Why is address quality so important?

Published on March 29, 2010 in Address Quality, Innovation, Intelligent Mail, Move Update, PBBI Solutions and Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: .

Mailers often think of address quality in postal terms, such as coding, compliance and discounts.

But postal scrutiny, customer expectations and rising corporate demands have raised the stakes on address quality, and the cost of incorrect and incomplete addresses has never been greater. Today, every facet of business relies on accurate, up-to-date addresses.

Marketers rely on address quality for targeting, segmentation, acquisition and cross sell – areas that can have a significant impact on company revenue. Data quality affects how businesses manage risks, plan for the future and comply with regulatory requirements. And in terms of company finances, billing, remittance and collections are all in play.

But here are the facts: over 23% of addresses contain an error. When high-volume mailers only deal with data quality as part of postal processing, envelopes get corrected and underlying address quality problems only intensify.  That’s why so many businesses are switching their focus to a more end-to-end approach—Enterprise Address Management.

This automated, closed-loop approach connects address owners with customers, postal records and real-time data, so organizations can cleanse, validate and update addresses—at the source.  A new white paper provides insights on what Enterprise Address Management can mean for your organization.  Take a moment and learn how you can update the address, keep the customer and avoid unnecessary costs.

The Day has Arrived……

Published on December 1, 2009 in Address Quality, Intelligent Mail and Move Update. 1 Comment

Cynthia Williams

Postal customers are now receiving the IMb Full Service incentives – and while the discounts for using full service IMb may not be truly a driver for many – there are other benefits and free ACS has to be towards the top since ACS is free to Intelligent Mail Full Service users if they use OneCode ACS.

 One may question why any Mailers would not want to use the free ACS service within Intelligent Mail. While most Mailers may see some benefit from the free ACS service, some types of Mailers will benefit more than others.

 Periodicals Mailers, for example, are probably the primary beneficiaries of this free service because address corrections are required of them by the USPS, this is not optional. Thus, taking advantage of Intelligent Mail Full Service and the free ACS is a very beneficial service for them. Similarly, any Mailers who have consistently used ACS service in the past will benefit by the fact that they can now receive this service for free when in the past there was a cost involved. In fact, any Mailers who were previously using a post-mailing address correction method will probably find this new service attractive. It may even provide a new revenue stream for Mailers who mail for multiple clients and have the tools which allow them to manage these address changes for their clients. If they can charge for this management service while getting the corrections for free, this may prove to be lucrative.

 On the other hand, Mailers who use highly accurate mailing lists, prefer pre-mail address corrections or use primarily rental lists may not see as much benefit from this free ACS service. For example, photo finishing companies usually receive their mailing addresses fresh each time from their customers whenever they submit an order for photo processing. Since they do not maintain any address databases, and their addresses are unlikely to be old and outdated, ACS service would not be as attractive for them.

 Many Mailers prefer to obtain their address corrections pre-mailing, such as with NCOALink. For these Mailers, they may see some benefit from receiving post-mailing corrections that the NCOA processing may have missed due to the time gap between the processing and the actual mailing. However, it might be tough to get a positive ROI on any systems implemented to incorporate these changes. Other Mailers may lack the tools to incorporate the returned data from the ACS process into their databases.

 In conclusion, Move Update will certainly help the Postal Service better manage the volume of undeliverable-as-addressed mail. The USPS offers various options for participating in the Move Update program, and OneCode ACS is the most advanced post-mailing system that offers fast, reliable and accurate services to Mailers for updating addresses. It lets you participate in the Intelligent Mail Full Service which will unquestionably help everyone in the Postal industry move ahead and automate their operations. Intelligent Mail Full Service is the way the Postal Service will require Mailers to process mailings in the future and OneCode ACS will help Mailers get ready and be automated.

Who cares about seven cents?

Published on October 22, 2009 in Address Quality, Move Update, PBBI Solutions and Postal Pricing. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

News that the USPS will begin assessing fees in January 2010 on mailers who fail the new address quality audits has left mail operation heads scrambling to make sure they are in compliance with all Move Update requirements.

After all, the cost of non-compliance – up to seven cents per piece on a portion of your mailing – can easily bust your budget, especially at a time when everyone is looking for ways to reduce expenses.

Details on the latest USPS effort to curtail Undeliverable-as-Addressed Mail can be found in our earlier post and white paper, The Truth About Move Update. This white paper outlines how samples will be audited and the calculations by which fees will be assessed when mailers exceed the 30% error-rate threshold. Today, however, we want to discuss why it’s important not only that you comply – but also how you comply.

After all, if the goal were simply to save seven cents… you could save that and more simply by not sending the mail altogether. But you can’t – because the communications you send have a purpose. They help you connect with customers and prospects, collect revenues, meet government regulations and sell products.

While that may sound like motherhood and apply pie, we were surprised to hear about a mailer who decided to outsource move update compliance to a third-party because he felt it was the simplest, easiest way to save seven cents. The USPS was happy because addresses were updated and the piece was delivered. But at the end of the day – the information about those customer moves never makes its way back to the company. 

Month after month, bad records are corrected, but the company fails to recognize new opportunities associated with these moves. They fail to target offers correctly because their data is wrong. Eventually, when the customer’s “change of address” notice expires, they simply lose touch altogether.

This can occur when you don’t receive the new address information, but the same poor result can occur when you have the data and don’t update your records. You see – getting and using the data about a customer’s move is worth far more than seven cents.

But we understand that it needs to be simple and easy, too.  That’s why so many mailers are excited about our new VeriMoveTM Access solution.  It’s an “on demand” offering which means there are no software agreements.  No changes to your underlying systems.  And no need to acquire and pay for the USPS® NCOALink® license normally associated with on-site updates.  Your addresses get updated and you get to keep the new data.

If you’re interested about closing the loop, you’ll also want to learn more about ways you can automate the cumbersome, manual process of correcting customer addresses—turning the codes generated from NCOA and ACS into actionable information.

It’s a cost-effective way to keep track of customer moves.  And yeah, it can help you save that seven cents, too.  If you need to see a demo, let us know.

Waiting for Godot?

Published on October 13, 2009 in Address Quality, Intelligent Mail, Move Update and PBBI Solutions. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I had the opportunity to attend an industry conference last week (Mailing Systems Technology) and wanted to take the opportunity to share some thoughts with you.

Albeit this was a small conference relative to others (National Postal Forum/Mailcom), two topics became central points of discussion: address quality/move update and the Intelligent Mail barcode. 

What struck me as odd is the continued delay(s) by our industry to address a strategy, much less adopt one; it certainly left me pondering, are we “Waiting for Godot”?

Fortunately, the speakers at the sessions I attended took the time to address both issues,  as we (Pitney Bowes Business Insight) continue to do ourselves, but we can only “collectively” do so much.

 Change is coming, and while change is never fun, it is not an option.

I urge you act now if you haven’t already done so, inquire about our options such as MAIL360™ as a Intelligent Mail barcode solution, Verimove™/Verimove Access™ for move update and Spectrum™ for data quality; the option to be the “early bird that get’s the worm” is running out.

All the best for a great week!

The Impact of Returned Mail

Published on September 23, 2009 in Move Update and USPS Compliance. 0 Comments

This month, we interview Mike Cooper from Pitney Bowes Business Insight.  Over the past year, Mike has met with organizations across the country, gaining first-hand insights on how returned mail can impact bottom line results.

Who should be concerned about return mail?  It’s a problem that affects every organization. In the US, 2.5% of First-Class Mail is returned every month.  In Canada, it can be as high as 4% – 5%.  And we’re talking about important customer communications, such as bills and checks.

It touches so many customers, why do these problems linger? Most organizations we visit have traditionally looked at return mail from the perspective of the mail room.  Mail is returned, corrected, resent.  People calculate what it cost to resend mail then just assume it’s a necessary cost of doing business.  They assume that the mail room costs are the only impact. 

But the impact goes beyond the mail room? Absolutely. The bulk of the costs associated with returned mail are incurred outside the mailroom. The fact that returned mail impacts so many departments, though, can make it difficult to quantify.  Five percent of incoming cash could be delayed for a month or longer, which has a huge impact on borrowing and cash flow.  Call centers will spend $5 to $20 contacting customers by phone to follow-up on bills and checks that were never received.  We’ve even uncovered insurance companies that were losing customers worth $500 sales because they simply lost contact with them.  And these are just a few examples. 

Given that it might take 40 days or more for the physical piece to actually be returned, it’s a reoccurring problem, too.  In many companies we’ve studied, nearly half of the returned mail had already been returned at least once before – but unless you make process changes, you just can’t deal with the problem in a timely manner.  In a large organization, the total cost or returned mail can quickly reach the mid-seven figures.

How can a company like Pitney Bowes Business Insight help? With our expertise, we can investigate the problem of returned mail across departments and identify what improvements could provide the quickest financial gain for our clients.  There are ways to shorten cycle times and reduce handling costs.  These steps will lower the incidence of returned mail overall.  After an investigation, we know enough to make specific process recommendations; and under our new business model, we will make those changes and guarantee our results.

What are some areas where improvements can be made? First, you want to eliminate the physical handling of returned mail.  It’s slow, expensive and prone to error – so you need to understand which functions could be handled electronically.  Secondly, the USPS offers a number of technologies that help organizations identify problems and deal with them sooner, and we help our clients leverage processes and technologies more effectively.

What advice would you give mailer today? In many companies, the sheer size and scope of the returned mail problem can be daunting – and some use that as an excuse to avoid taking action.  In actuality, given the budget pressures that everyone faces these days, the size and scope of this opportunity should be the reason why it should become a high priority initiative.  Some companies have literally saved millions by addressing this head on.

If you are interested in learning more about how you can overcome the problems and costs associated with returned mail, contact your PBBI representative.

Address updates in the cloud

Published on September 22, 2009 in Move Update, PBBI Solutions and USPS Compliance. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

On Demand and Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings have become more prevalent because users don’t need to deal with installation, deployment and maintenance.  These affordable, pay-as-you-go models provide global accessibility and broad functionality.

Given the heightened focus around USPS Move Update compliance, it should not surprise you to learn that we now offer a hosted version of our popular Pitney Bowes Business Insight address update solutions. 

The VeriMoveTM Access Move Update® Service helps you capture move updates in real time, so you can step up to USPS regulations, avoid costly penalties and better connect with your customers and prospects.  Unlike upload or email services, the VeriMoveTM Access desktop client handles all network processing tasks and provides active job status information.  Just set up your job, submit your jobs and obtain the updated lists you need to automate change-of-address processing, maximize postage discounts and contact customers.

As noted here previously, the USPS will implement a new process on January 4, 2010 to determine whether or not additional postage is required on all presorted First-Class and Standard Class mailings.   If you’re looking for cost-efficient ways to comply with USPS regulations, we now offer a free trial version of VeriMove AccessTM.  Contact me at Cynthia.Williams@pb.com and we’ll be happy to set that up for your organization.

Mailers prepare for January 4, 2010 – with much at stake today.

Published on September 11, 2009 in Move Update and USPS Compliance. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

As the new Global Portfolio Director for Communications Intelligence, I am continuously impressed by the way you, our customers, juggle corporate demands with the communication needs of customers and prospects. Having joined Pitney Bowes Business Insight from the industry, I can certainly relate!

On top of that, together we must also support a broad range of USPS initiatives designed to improve the overall flow of mail. Recently, postal officials announced their long-awaited plan on how they will be dealing with move update compliance.

Undeliverable mail costs the US Postal Service over $1.6 Billion a year, and mailers who contribute to this problem will soon be expected to pick up more of the tab.

Postal officials have implemented a new Performance Based Verification system to monitor compliance with the Move Update standards that took effect back in November 2008.  The verification processes utilizes the PostalOne! and MERLIN systems to evaluate whether mailers have updated and changed addresses according to postal rules.

I wanted to take the opportunity to call your attention to January 4, 2010, the date on which this approach will be used at the point of mail acceptance to determine whether additional postage is required. Mailers who wish to avoid these unexpected costs must be able to certify that their mail was prepared using an approved Move Update method-but the time to act is now.  (To learn more about solutions, tips, webinars and resources, visit our move verification page.)

You should also read the new PBBI white paper-The Truth About Move Update- which recaps the new standards, details the penalties you may expect, and provides insights into the impact that effective address change management can have on your organization.  When you download this paper today, you can learn about best-in-class solutions and the next steps necessary to ensure there are no surprises down the road. 

At Pitney Bowes Business Insight, my team and I will be here to provide the up-to-date news, practical tips and strategies, and cost-effective technologies you need to meet the demands of your company, customers and postal compliance.  I am glad to be the newest addition to the team and look forward to meeting and serving you in the months ahead.

Are you in compliance?

Published on September 8, 2009 in Move Update. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Earlier this summer, our own David Robinson talked about an increase in activity among USPS Postal Inspectors – especially as it related to Move Update non-compliance.

Apparently, the heat is still on.  This month’s issue of Mailing System Technology features an article on the same topic.  If you are contacted by a postal inspector, you should treat this inquiry seriously. As postal inspectors are federal law enforcement agents, you should contact you corporate counsel immediately. The potential financial exposure for a national mailer could easily be in the millions.  If you have anything to add on this, we would love to hear from you.

Postal inspectors targeting business mailers

Published on August 24, 2009 in Address Quality, Move Update and USPS Compliance. 0 Comments Tags: , , , .

At our user’s conference in June, a number of mailers mentioned that they had recently been contacted by USPS postal inspectors. The topic of these conversations quickly turned to compliance, and agents wanted to review how these companies met USPS move update and address quality requirements.

This initiative was also described in a new white paper from Venable, one of the top business law firms in the U.S.  Venable reports that the Postal Service is looking to collect more postage on mail that has already been delivered by identifying violations of Move Update requirements. In certain cases, investigators “seek evidence that the mailer entered improper mailings knowingly or intentionally,” actions that could trigger a costly claim under the False Claims Act. 

Some mailers welcome this action. After all, if you are going through the effort to comply with USPS requirements while others are taking the discounts without doing all of the work, what’s fair is fair.

Other mailers are concerned.  Even if there is no malicious intent, some companies simply do not do a great job with move update compliance-and a postal audit could result in penalties.

All mailers should be prepared.  Your company could be targeted for an inspection simply because you receive returned mail (which narrows it down to everyone).  First of all, you need to make sure your mail processing teams understand the USPS requirements.  Secondly, that you adhere to these requirements on every mailing-and document your processes.  And, just as important, that you take steps to close the loop and update records once you’ve been advised of an address change.  (To learn more, feel free to contact your Pitney Bowes representative.)

If you are contacted by a postal inspector, you should treat this inquiry seriously.  As postal inspectors are federal law enforcement agents, you should contact you corporate counsel immediately.  The potential financial exposure for a national mailer could easily be in the millions.