® Angela Lawson Manager, Address Technology, USPS ® Magical Efficiency: The Address Management System National Postal Forum April 1 – 4, 2012

® Keep in mind...  Please complete the Workshop Evaluation Form and return it to the room monitor on your way out.  Please scan your Expo Badge at the monitor table at the front door.  General Sessions and Workshops are being audio recorded and will be available on CD. Place your order with Audio Print International on the Workshop room level. Share the Forum with your staff and colleagues with these audio CDs!  If you are interested in the technology and services introduced in the workshops, be sure to check the Exhibit Hall for the companies that support these programs.  Please remember to turn off your cell phone or other electronic devices during the workshop.

® Topics  Origin of a ZIP Code ™  ZIP Code Classifications and Attributes  Origin of Street Addresses  Address Management System (AMS) Contents  AMS Internal Usage  AMS Products  Summary

® Origin of a 5-Digit ZIP Code™  Zone Improvement Plan (ZIP ™ ) Code was introduced in 1963  USPS ® creates, assigns, manages, and owns ZIP Codes  Assignment of ZIP Codes is an internal USPS process for the enhanced efficiency of processing and delivery of mail  ZIP Codes are not intended to establish community identity; however, incorporated city names may be added to the database as mailing names

® ZIP + 4 ® Code 203 MAIN ST HOUSTON TX To automate the sorting of mail and to take the ZIP Code™ system to the next level…  The ZIP + 4 code was created in the late ‘70s and officially implemented in 1983  Four digits were appended to the existing 5-digit number

® ZIP Code™ Classifications and Attributes  ZIP Codes may define a geographical area, a set of P.O. Boxes, a firm, or a military group  Preferred Last Line (PLL)  Congressional district  County  Seasonal indicator  Post Office finance number Alaska 995–998 Hawaii 967–968 Puerto Rico 006–009

® Complete and correct elements that comply with USPS Publication 28, Postal Addressing Standards Allows the automated sortation of a mailpiece to:  Be delivered to intended delivery point  Complete delivery without requiring the use of Delivery Force Knowledge ™ A USPS ® Quality Mailing Address Contains:

® Origin of Addresses  The USPS ® does not assign physical addresses.  USPS assigns: AMS alternates Rural Route and Box Numbers P.O. Box™ addresses

® Origin of Addresses Street Addresses are assigned by local addressing authorities:  Municipality  County  Parish  Housing developer (with approval of local addressing authority)  E911 Coordinator  Utility companies

® Origin of Addresses The Postal Service ™ acts as a consultant to local planning authorities during address assignment to:  Avoid address conflicts  Ensure no duplicate addresses  Ensure timely 911 address conversions  Obtain official addresses in a timely manner  Ensure assignments follow USPS ® addressing standards

® Origin of Addresses  Address Management System (AMS) database includes Mailing addresses i.e., does not contain addresses where delivery is NOT made by USPS, such as gated communities, multi- building campuses  Addresses come to the AMS database from: USPS ® Carriers – Delivery Force Knowledge™ County Project – local addressing authority New construction data Change of Address (COA) Customers – calls, letters, s, agents

® Address Management System Contents The USPS ® Address Management System (AMS) database currently contains:  million “Active” deliveries million “Possible” deliveries  275,000 delivery routes (Non-PO Box)  42,000 ZIP Codes  37,000 facilities nationwide  8 terabytes of address information data

® 1.1 million new addresses created in FY11 America is Growing!

® Address Management System Contents  ZIP Code™ - attributes exist at the ZIP + 4 ® and Delivery Point level that override the ZIP Code  Preferred Last Line (PLL) and Urbanization  Carrier Route (CRID) Type  Route Type  Delivery Mode  Delivery Type  Record Type  Line of Travel  Vacancy Indicator  Throwback  Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS)  Carrier Route Change Effective Date  Drop Count  Base or Alternate  Alias  Government Building  Firm/Building Name

® Address Management System Contents The USPS ® AMS database does NOT contain:  Longitude/Latitude coordinates  Names of residential customers  Demographics not associated with mail delivery

® AMS Internal Usage Mail Processing Operations

® Mail Delivery AMS Internal Usage

® Products for Major Mailers and End Customers including… AMS External Usage

® a) Except as specifically provided by subsection (b) or other law, no officer or employee of the Postal Service ™ shall make available to the public by any means or for any purpose any mailing or other list of names or addresses (past or present) of postal patrons or other persons. b)The Postal Service shall provide to the Secretary of Commerce for use by the Bureau of the Census such address information, address-related information, and point of postal delivery information, including postal delivery codes… 39 USC § 412 – Nondisclosure of names or addresses

® Address Lookup Tool AMS External Usage

® USPS ® “AIS” Customer Products

® AMS Application Programming Interface (API)  Provides a tool to standardize addresses  Software and data to provide: ZIP + 4 ® coding DPV ® LACS Link® Suite Link®

® DPV ® Product  Confirms the existence of a deliverable address  Confirms basic information about the address Identifies a Commercial Mail Receiving Agency (CMRA) Vacant and No-Stat Indicator Is 251 High St in ZIP Code™ a valid address?

® DSF 2® Product Includes all indicators from DPV ® plus:  Additional Flags Business Drop Throwback Seasonal LACS  Drop Counts  Delivery Type  Line of Travel information

® LACS Link® Product  Provides municipality-introduced address changes  Includes USPS ® converted P.O. Boxes  Includes building secondary information changed by building management  Updating addresses using LACS Link data ensures deliverability and prevents UAA mail

® Suite Link® Product  Improves address assignments to business addresses by adding known secondary (suite) numbers  Provided a business name and an associated ZIP + 4 ® coded address that matches to a high-rise default, Suite Link will return the appropriate suite number when available

® Summary  A quality address is essential to: USPS ® Operations and Delivery Major mailers and end customers  USPS creates, assigns, maintains and owns ZIP Codes  Local addressing authorities create and maintain street addresses  AMS database is comprised of mailing addresses and associated data elements  AMS Products must comply with Title 39, Section 412

® For More Information ribbs.usps.gov Customer Care

® Tuesday The Fundamentals of Great Address Quality Ed Wanta / Wanda Senne – Period 10, 7:45 am – 8:45 am Diving Deep into NCOA Link® and ACS™ Lisa West / Stephanie Miracle – Period 11, 9:00 am – 10:00 am Monday Magical Efficiency: The Address Management System Angela Lawson – Period 5, 10:00 am – 11:00 am Understanding How The Change-Of-Address Process Works Jim Wilson – Period 6, 11:15 am – 12:15 pm Speaker Schedule

® Thank You!