Ever felt like the data you are buying from some vendors performs like a vehicle made of lead at a drag race? Sometimes we do too, that is why we go the extra mile to ensure our Resident, Consumer and Auto direct marketing lists are the cleanest they possibly can be before you get to see them.

To give you some idea of how intense our data hygiene processes are let’s lift the hood and see what goes on. First and foremost we start with the best data we can acquire; you know the old rule, “Garbage In, Garbage Out.” Once we receive the raw data, it is run through several processes on a monthly basis to sift out the good stuff and discard the bad. These steps include, NCOA, CASS, Name Normalization, Merge/Purge, Deceased Removal and DMA Do-Not-Call/Mail flagging. Below is a glimpse of what each of these processes does.

NCOA – This process ensures we have the most current address available for each recipient on our file. On average 2% of the public moves any given month.

CASS – This process ensures that each recipient’s address is in line with the US Postal Service. The address is then checked for deliverability and assigned a Delivery Point Validation (DPV) code. Those records that do not code as deliverable are removed from the system.

Name Normalization – We then pass each record through a stringent name normalization process to ensure each name is spelled correctly. This process is always being fine-tuned as we discover new spellings of common names like, Allyx for Alex as an example. The variety of names is almost infinite, so our job is never done!

Merge/Purge – This process ensures we do not have duplicate data in our files when we are updating a file. This helps to cut down the cost of doing direct mail by removing duplicates. The trick is identifying duplicates when something minor may have changed from one update to the next. There are many tricks to this process.

Deceased Removal – As you know this process touches a chord with everyone. No one wants to receive direct mail offers to their departed loved ones. We have over 2 million records in-house and purchase 15 million plus records from the DMA to use as a filter against our direct marketing lists, we believe our processes are some of the best in the industry as we use quite a few sources monthly.

DMA Do-Not-Call/Mail – Lastly, we flag records of those individuals that have asked to be suppressed from direct mail campaigns. All phone numbers have been screened against all national and local databases to ensure compliance with federal and local laws. We collect our own Do Not Mail data from our several thousand customers, and we also use national files.

As you can see, we take our data hygiene very seriously. What this allows us to do is provide the best deliverability to our mail customers in the industry, so good in fact that we guarantee it at 94% deliverable, the highest percentage you can get anywhere.

Randy Kienzle
VP Data Processing
Compact Information Systems