Adam answers the question of whether there is a decline in data hygiene, noting that the reality is mixed and depends on organizational focus. The situation regarding address data maintenance is characterized by the following:
Factors Contributing to Data Quality Declines
Some organizations prioritize only the minimum data maintenance required for postage discounts, looking for ways to cut costs by eliminating processes.
An industry-wide loss of experienced personnel, combined with new, less-experienced staff taking over roles, has led to a lack of understanding regarding necessary data processes.
Processes are sometimes maintained with a “if it doesn’t blow up, it works” mentality, failing to identify underlying issues.
Siloed operations cause departments to prioritize local cost savings, which often results in higher overall costs for the entire company.
Best Practices and Positive Outcomes
Some mailers constantly monitor and evaluate their address quality, allowing them to adapt to new tools and improve operations.
These proactive organizations successfully lower their Undeliverable as Addressed (UAA) rates despite industry challenges.
For these companies, meeting postage discount requirements is an afterthought, as their high-quality standards far exceed the minimum necessary requirements.
Recommendations for Improvement
Businesses should leverage the additional codes and address characteristic information already present in their required processing tools, as these provide value beyond basic mail operations.
Full-service mailers are encouraged to utilize free Full-Service Address Correction Service (ACS) data.
Currently, less than half of the mail volume eligible for free ACS data actually utilizes it; all eligible mailers should take advantage of this to improve data quality and business operations.
