® TOTAL ADDRESS QUALITY & CASS ™ CYCLE “L” Ed WantaBaltimore PCC Address ManagementJune 1, 2007.

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TOTAL ADDRESS QUALITYTOTAL ADDRESS QUALITY&&

CASSCASS™™ CYCLE “L” CYCLE “L”

Ed Wanta Baltimore PCC Address Management June 1, 2007

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WHAT IS CASS

CASS is a certification process designed in cooperation with the mailing industry to improve the accuracy of postal codes that appear on mailpieces presented at the automation discount rate

The CASS™ software certification program provides hardware and software developers, service bureaus, and commercial mailers a common measure by which to test the quality of address matching software

Through the years the USPS has managed the CASS requirements to improve the address quality of automation workshare mailpieces

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HISTORY OF CASS

USPS began workshare discounts for mailers in 1983 CASS is introduced in the late 80’s as a way to enable

mailers to participate in workshare discounts for automation compatible mail

CASS™ requirements continue to be modified to meet USPS® requirements

● Mailing requirements

● Improve standardization

● High rise

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DEFINING AN ADDRESS

An Address Is Defined By Webster As:

“… directions for delivery on the outside of an object (as a letter or package) …”

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DEFINING AN ADDRESS

A quality address is defined by USPS as:

“A quality address contains complete and correct elements that comply with USPS® Address Management System standards and allow automated sortation to the intended delivery point for delivery to the specified recipient without requiring the use of Delivery Force Knowledge™ to complete.”

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USPS GOALS

Reduce UAA by 50% by 2010

Increase DPS percentage to 95%

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COST STUDY ON UNDELIVERABLE AS ADDRESSED MAIL

Major challenges to Address Quality still exist

Move-related UAA appears to be the big contributor

But, physical address accuracy is still a major issue

The results so far support our address quality strategies

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Old address

New Address

Forward21.3¢ / pc.

1.985 Billion pieces$421.9 Million

Return51.3¢ / pc.

1.60 Billion pieces$822.5 Million

Address Accuracy StudyAddress Accuracy Study

Waste4.4¢ / pc.

6.136 Billion pieces$269.8 Million

x

PRC LR-L-61 for R-2006-1 Rate Case (Christiansen UAA Study –Table 3.1)

9.724 Billion pieces$1.856 Billion

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Common Address Quality Problems

PHYSICAL ADDRESS UAA

Missing Apt or Ste Number

Incorrect Number

Incorrect Recipient

Missing Number

Missing RR or Box Number

Incorrect Street Name

ACME PRODUCTS4759 WESTERN STNEW YORK NY 10022-5279

CARL SHULER1414 LAKE ST APT CHICAGO IL 60614-1905

CARL SHULER1914 LAKE ST APT 3ACHICAGO IL 60614-1910

CARL BROWN1414 LAKE ST APTCHICAGO IL 60614-1910

CARL SHULER LAKE ST APT 3ACHICAGO IL 60614-1910

CARL SHULERPO BOX CHICAGO IL 60614-1910

398

226

134

56 48 47

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of

Pie

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CARL SHULER1414 LARK ST APT 3ACHICAGO IL 60614-1910

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CASS Certified™ Software

TOTAL ADDRESS QUALITY

StandardizeStandardize

AEC / AECII™

DPV™

LACSLink™

ACS™

ANKLink™

NCOALink™

ValidateValidate

UpdateUpdate

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CASS™ REQUIREMENTS TODAY

CASS Certified™ software standardizes the address record

● All necessary elements present and correct

● Address elements correctly placed

● Fully spelled or abbreviated data elements (using USPS® standard abbreviations)

Verifies that an address falls into an existing ZIP+4® range to qualify for automation discount rates

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CASS™ CYCLE K EXAMPLE TODAY

328 CAITLIN DROAKLAND TN 38060

Existing ZIP+4® range is 300-399 (E&O)+4 range = 100 addressesActual address in the +4 range =

A mailer today can mail 100 pieces to unique address in this ZIP+4 at an automation discount rate and 94 of them will need to be handled manually by the carrier, 6 will DPS process

- 4299

6

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CASS™ CYCLE “L”

CASS Cycle “L” will be required for automation discounts beginning August 1, 2007

LACSLink™ processing is a requirement under CASS Cycle “L”

DPV™ processing is a requirement under CASS Cycle “L”

● Validation to primary number

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LACSLink™ PRODUCT

LACSLink is an Address Quality tool to update addresses changed due to local community address conversions

Approximately 400,000 addresses changed each year since 1994

Nearly 40% of rural route/box addresses used by mailers cannot be delivery point validated!

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DPV™ PRODUCT

DPV works in conjunction with current CASS Certified™ address matching products to validate addresses

DPV provides a “YES / NO” response to an inquiry

DPV does not correct missing or incorrect address components

DPV allows a user to confirm the validity of address information - right down to apartment and suite number

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COMMUNICATION ON CASS™ CYCLE L

CASS Department Messaging

Presentations

External Articles

USPS® Articles

Industry BLOG Sites

RIBBS CASS Web Site

Bizzotto / Bravo Letter To Mailers

®WHEN SHOULD MAILERS BEGIN TO PREPARE?

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PREPARATION FOR CASS™ CYCLE L

USPS is working closely with vendors to minimize impacts of Cycle L implementation

Reviewing existing reporting requirements to ensure vendors/mailers operational success

International distribution of LACSLink and DPV is not authorized

MTAC #112 tasked with a collaborative effort to allow for a smooth transition on August 1, 2007

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PREPARATION FOR CASS CYCLE L

Mailers should: Anticipate ~2% reduction in automation rate

eligibility Process current list NOW!

● DPV™

● LACSLink™

Work with your current vendors who may have additional address hygiene tools that can improve address lists

Process no record addresses through AEC/AEC II™

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CASS CertifiedCASS Certified™™ Software Software

LACSLACSLink™Link™

DPVDPV™™

AEC / AEC IIAEC / AEC II™™

NCOANCOALink™Link™

ANKANKLink™Link™

ACS™ACS™

StandardizeStandardize

ValidateValidate

UpdateUpdate

TOTAL ADDRESS QUALITY

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.usps.com/ncscwww.usps.com/ncsc www.ribbs.usps.govwww.ribbs.usps.gov

Customer SupportCustomer Support

1-800-238-31501-800-238-3150