There are of various kinds of answers depending on what we mean exactly when we talk about benefits. In some scenarios the benefit is the chance of achieving a specific activity in a realistic way, i.e. according to an efficient and tested procedure. Thinking of validating an address database manually is totally unrealistic, because precisely the manual approach is by its nature a harbinger of errors, with obvious consequences in terms of quality. In many cases, therefore, the validator is the only choice to rely on for perfectly performed work. Then there are validation requirements for addresses that, thanks to advanced software, are resolved faster, optimising resources and costs (the benefits mentioned above).
In the following paragraphs we have grouped some examples of benefits divided by type, certain of offering a cross-section of an increasingly widespread and necessary tool.
BENEFITS OF A VALIDATOR TO OPTIMISE DATA
The first and most obvious benefit concerns data optimisation, a goal guaranteed by a plurality of steps performed by the validator when the addresses are entered in the program. These passages include, among others:
- Address correction → the address is cleared of any typing errors such as typos, double words, superfluous punctuation and everything that needs to be cleaned up.
- Address update → if the conditions exist, the address is updated in relation to its obsolete fields (area code, province, etc.).
- Address completion → the address, if incomplete, is completed with any missing data, so as to ensure full correspondence between available information and requested information.
- Grouping of identical addresses → in massive (batch) validations, redundant or overlapping addresses are recognised and grouped accordingly to eliminate duplicates (deduplication).
BENEFITS OF A VALIDATOR TO SAVE TIME
Another fundamental benefit linked to the use of an address validator is the reduction of the timing. A validator reduces the working times to the extent that not only does it perform a multiplicity of calculations in a very short time, but it also allows data remediation remotely, typically online from the company PC or even from a tablet or smartphone. For example during a business trip, in meetings or doing other work, the validator performs its tasks quickly and accurately, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. This is true both for the programs made available online, and even more so for the validators integrated in particular environments (e-commerce, portals, websites, management systems, etc.) via API or plug-in. In the case of an in-house validator, control over functionality is such as to allow maximum flexibility and freedom in configuring the analysed data.
BENEFITS OF A VALIDATOR TO REDUCE WASTE
Optimising the amount of data and simultaneously reducing the work time entails an immediate and significant reduction in waste. Here too, it is worth giving some concrete examples of what we mean when we talk about waste. This allows us to fully understand which and how many cases arise in every business context.
- Less waste on deliveries: using validated addresses means having advantages in delivery and transport (and even before that, logistics), with the certainty of completing the shipment of the goods, without returns and without delays. This results in a substantial saving of time and costs that are due to the collection of the shipped products and the management of a new shipment, without counting customer satisfaction and benefits from the point of view of the image (brand identity).
- Less waste in marketing: the promotion can be conducted in many ways, according to generic or specific logic (within a limited area). Sending brochures, flyers and advertising material in a city has high costs, and every investment involves more or less substantial waste in relation to the accuracy of the addresses and consequently to their quality. Thanks to a validator we have more accurate territorial marketing campaigns, with better performance in terms of cost saving.
- Less waste in customer service: the success of customer care depends largely on the knowledge of the customers, and knowledge of the customers depends in turn on profiling. This is an achievable goal thanks to the assignment of specific information to each user from the moment of purchase and in the after-sales and guarantee protection phase. Even here the waste due to incorrect profiling is evident and can grow over the years due to missed shipments, delays and negative reviews. Avoiding these hitches should be the goal of every modern business.
BENEFITS FROM A VALIDATOR IN GEOLOCATION
A last-generation postal address validator is not limited to address optimisation. Among the most advanced functions, launched from time to time by the software user, we recall data geocoding or georeferencing. It is essentially an enormous benefit for those who have to report the exact position of the addresses on the map, or on the contrary extrapolate from one or more addresses the geographical coordinates (longitude and latitude) and then use them in various ways according to the chosen strategies. The location of the addresses can accelerate the search for a recipient by the courier, refine the statistics around a segment of users, facilitate decision-making processes related to a marketing activity in the area… Resolving advantages that would be lost without a validator.
BENEFITS OF A VALIDATOR IN ADDRESS FORMATTING
In the same way as for geolocation, for the format of the postal addresses we can rely on a cutting-edge validator to manage the conversion of the data in the output model. Why? Because every country has its own reference postal system, and each postal system requires a unique address format. This format is configured as a set of fields positioned in a certain order and written according to precise rules. The output format must be decided upstream, before the validation launch. To do this you need to rely on an updated validator, which allows you to select the format based on the target country. Like any other operation, formatting can also be performed on individual addresses or entire databases (batch mode). To get a taste of the potential of an address validator, we recommend taking advantage of the free demo of our Egon software: the registration does not imply any constraint or download but allows you to test the program and understand what benefits can be obtained without intermediaries and without costs. Try it now and discover the difference between a rough validation and a professional validation.
