Data terminology

Data processing services

PAF (Postcode Address File):

Address improvement

De-dupe:

Standard or multiple filesremoves duplicate records

Mailsort/Walksort:

Processing for postal discounts

Add extra information to file:

Apply pack codes, campaign codes etc

Suppression services

Royal Mail NCOA:

Supply a new forwarding address

Mortascreen:

Deceased suppression

Bereavement Register / Deceased Register:

Deceased suppression

Royal Mail NCOA:

Gone-away

Royal Mail USS:

Gone-away

REaD GAS:

Gone-away

NSF (National Suppression File [DMA]:

Gone-away

MPS (Mailing Preference Service):

Opt-out of ‘cold’ mailings

New address files

NCOA Relocate:

The Royal Mail’s National Change of Address (NCOA) can be used to establish the new addresses of people who have moved

reConnect Gone-aways:

A new file of relocation data compiled by Equifax as a by-product of credit referencing processes using unique sources of internal data in conjunction with external reference files

GAS Reactive:

Relocation file to provide new addresses for Gone Away Suppression file matches

Deceased Files

The Bereavement Register (TBR):

Captures 80% + of all deceased records from data volunteered by relatives/next of kin

Mortascreen:

A multi-sourced file of certified and uncertified deaths

Universal Suppression Service (USS):

Consists of a Royal Mail file of postal returns with deceased and gone away data

disConnect Deceased

A new file of deceased data compiled by Equifax as a by-product of credit referencing processes using unique sources of internal data in conjunction with external reference files

MPS Deceased:

Person level deceased records found in the MPS data

Goneaway Files

The Gone Away Suppression (GAS) file:

Provides gone away data gathered exclusively from 473 local authorities on people who have ‘moved out’

NCOA Suppress:

The Royal Mail’s National Change of Address (NCOA) file can be used to suppress notified gone aways

National Suppression File (NSF):

An industry ‘consortia’ file which integrated gone aways from a variety of sources

disConnect Gone aways:

A new file of gone away data compiled a by-product of credit referencing processes using unique sources of internal data in conjunction with external reference files

Purity

A source of gone-away data derived from the comparative analysis of product warranties, product registrations, lifestyle questionnaires and magazine subscriptions in conjunction with external reference files

Universal Suppression Service:

(USS) Gone Aways consists of a Royal Mail file of postal returns

SubTraction:

Goneaways complied from Transactis consortium members

Preference Files

Mailing Preference Service (MPS):

The DMA suppression list of ‘do not mail’ requests

Telephone Preference Service (TPS):

A DMA register of 3.5m individuals who object to receiving unsolicited telephone calls. 

Baby MPS

A register of the names and addresses of parents who have requested not to receive baby related products and services following the death of a child. This is a mandatory suppression file for DMA members

Does your data need enhancement to ensure perfect addressing?

Have your database reviewed, we can advise suggestions and improvements. Your data is the most important aspect of your mailing. Targeting the correct people with a perfectly addressed mailing piece is vitally important.

Perhaps your data could be improved, but is it a necessary or cost effective outlay?

In any event, we will report back to you about the condition of your databank when we undertake a mailing for you, quickly correcting any errors we spot.

Our capabilities include: PAF validation, file de-duplication, multi-file merge/purge and various forms of data enhancement. And if tech-talk leaves you bemused, we explain everything we do in easy-to-understand, jargon-free language. Best of all, the expertise and speed of our IT operatives keeps your cost to the minimum.

Some of the services we offer are:

Quality Check:

When we receive your data we will review it to ensure that it is suitable to be used for mailing. We often re-set mailing data, if it can be improved. We have bespoke in house written software that will check the validity of the addresses and postcodes and make alterations to bring them up-to-date, where required. Precise addressing is an important ingredient of successful mailings — and we want your mailings to be successful!

Enhancement:

If your data needs enhancement to ensure perfect addressing, we are the data processing services experts. From separating “full-name-in-one-cell” and creating salutations to reformatting layouts and case-changing text, we pride ourselves on this type of attention to detail.

Deduplication:

Essential good practice when mailing. Nobody likes to receive the same mailing twice — such a waste of money as well. Our de-duplication software can automatically detect duplicates within your data — no matter how many records you have. Another one of the advanced direct mail data processing services we offer.

Mailsort:

Mailsort is the method of posting pre-sorted mail. Our data processing software will sort your mail as per the postal operators requirements. There are various priority and economy services depending on speed and cost requirements.

Merging:

If you have more than one database by merging the two (or more) we can add them together . We would create a reference field and label them for example mailing list cus5tomer and mailing list prospect. Typically we would deduplicate the list then to remove identical records

Suppression:

Suppression can be used where you do not want to mail a certain group of people. For example if you were mailing customers and did not want to mail prospects we can check that there are no prospects on your mailing list electronically. This can also be used for gone away’s, competitors and deceased contacts.