ADDRESS CHECKING 101 PART 2 – Getting it right to get it delivered

Address problems come in two categories. Last time, we talked about when the address is wrong, incurring address correction fees or worse, non-delivered, returned or even lost orders. No one is a fan of any of these. This time we look at another terrific benefit of address checking on your shipping system – determining whether an address is a residential or commercial delivery. Address checking at the shipping station checks the real, final shipping address, including the commercial or residential status. This is definitely important when you are checking for the best carrier and service to ship a package. In some cases, there is an additional cost for residential delivery service that could make a difference in the carrier you choose for a package.

Of course, you could use the post office (no residential surcharge) for every package or you could always ship with the carrier’s residential service regardless of destination. But you already know neither of these may be ideal for every package. Solving this problem by using address verification that also checks the commercial or residential address classification puts you ahead of the game. Another clear benefit is that, when you check the address at the shipping station, you are sure to catch possible mistakes for the exact address that you are shipping to. After all, who wants pages of unexpected residential delivery fees on their carrier bill?

What effect does this have on the shipping process? Here is how this works in our CPS shipping software. The Address Verification Module (AVM) for CPS uses a US Postal Service CASS certified database and: 1) checks if the residential/commercial choice is correct; 2) enables correct price rating between residential and commercial services; 3) makes sure the address exists; 4) checks if the address exists but is missing some key information such as suite number, apartment number, etc.; and 5) standardizes the address to match the USPS CASS certified database.

When the shipping system operator ships a package, the AVM first verifies the address data. Next, according to the way the AVM is setup, it notifies the shipper about any problems. Notification choices range from the AVM showing everything it’s doing to the fully automatic method in which it never interrupts the shipping process, making all of its changes automatically. These choices make address checking flexible enough for every shipping operation. Some address correction programs cost thousands. For CPS, it's just $199.99 to add this great capability.

Look for features to help with these situations in your shipping system. Our CPS shipping software has great tools to determine the best way to ship in all of these situations. Put these features to work for you in 2011 and your shipping system will put the savings on your bottom line. For more information about CPS and the AVM, visit www.HarveySoft.com.