As the Postal Service pursues increasing levels of automation to control cost and improve services, the importance of address quality also increases. The Postal Service is aggressively working to ensure that the National Address Database and the National Change of Address Database are accurate and up-to-date. In partnership with licensed and certified vendors of directory services and supporting software, the Postal Service must also support the mailing community in ensuring the accuracy of its mailing lists and postal code generation software.

a. Move Update Implementation

The Move Update requirement specifies that addresses used to obtain all First-Class Mail presorted and automation discount rates must be updated within 185 days (six months) prior to the date of mailing by a Postal Service-approved method. Approved processes include:

1. National Change of Address Linkage System

The National Change of Address Linkage System (NCOALink) option is available only through companies licensed by the Postal Service to offer this service. The mailer's computerized list is matched with official Postal Service customer-provided permanent COA orders received from individuals, families, and businesses. In 2004 the Postal Service implemented a new NCOALink technology which provides a more secure method of matching NCOA records. In 2004 238 billion address records were processed by NCOA vendors.

2. Address Change Service

Address Change Service (ACS) provides electronic Change of Address (COA) information or reason for nondelivery to participating customers. Each electronic notification costs $0.20; the hard-copy rate is $0.70. However, since ACS fails to catch all eligible mailpieces, participation in the ACS does not completely eliminate the provision of manual address correction notifications. In 2004 243.6 million ACS transactions were processed.

3. FASTforward

FASTforward is a licensed computer system containing FASTforward name and address matching software and the COA database. FASTforward technology may be used in one of two ways:

Multiline Optical Character Reader (MLOCR) — the MLOCR allows licensed users to comply with the Move Update requirement as they actually process mail, provided that the mail is automation-compatible. As mail is run through the MLOCR, the system automatically checks names and addresses against a national Postal Service database that contains only permanent COA records from the past 13 months. In 2004, 4.7 billion records were processed by FASTforward MLOCR.

Mailing List Correction — this service allows FASTforward licensees to update computer-based name and address mailing lists electronically prior to the creation of the mailpiece. In 2004, 33.7 billion records were processed through FASTforward list correction.

4. Alternative Methods

An alternative method is used when none of the above methods apply and is administered by Address Management.

List Already Accurate — Mailer Move Update Process Certification, more commonly known as the 99 Percent Test, requires that a mailer provide 100 percent of an electronic version of an address list to the Postal Service to be matched against Change of Address information. Files tested may only contain 1 percent or fewer address changes.

Legal Restraint — This exception is available for mailers who document that they are legally restrained from using COA information from sources other than directly from their customers.

b. 100 Percent Database Quality

By pursuing an aggressive policy of ongoing quality reviews and by developing technological and procedural improvements to ensure better communication between delivery and field AMS sites, Address Management is making progress toward the goal of providing a 100 percent accurate Address Management System (AMS) database. AMS now provides more timely delivery point address information for use in all automated mail processing, barcoding, and sorting operations. It also is the source of all address information products required by the commercial industry in preparation of automation compatible mailings.

In 2000 the Postal Service initiated the National AMS Street Review Program, moving responsibility for AMS data quality measurements from the areas to Headquarters and ensuring that the measurements are applied evenly across the nation. The team reviewed routes in 41 districts in 2004.