De-duplication

Duplicate records can be introduced into lists in a number of ways with the most common being poor data capture software, agent error during capture process or when data is merged from a number of different sources

The Impacts

The impacts of having duplicate records include:

• adverse effect on reputation and brand. increased costs for the printing of the mail piece.
• increased costs for the fulfilment of the mailing campaign. increase postage costs.
• increased administration costs due to handling returns.

The Solution

Our bespoke software utilises complex pattern matching algorithms to compare fields within address records identifying possible duplicates.

Our software uses a combination of exact and fuzzy matching search techniques to ensure that as many possible duplicates are identified and removed.

Our de-duplication process is customisable to match the requirements of your contact strategy to ensure that where duplicates exist, that the correct records are removed. This can involve identifying duplicates against the following criteria.

• exact contacts details and exact address details
• similar looking contacts at exact same address
• exact contact at similar looking address
• different contacts at exact same address
• similar looking contacts at similar looking addresses

Once duplicates have been removed, we can use the cleansed list as part of your mailing, or return for your own use.

Either way, once your data has been de-duped, it is important to consider what you intend to do with your cleansed list. Unless you also update your source database, then you will be in the same position the next time you need to use your data.

Your IT provider should be able assist with this, but if not our IT department will be able to advise and assist with both the export and the import from and back to your database.

Other Considerations

It is impossible to be certain that duplicates exist where the same contact resides at different locations e.g. Andrew Smith listed at 2 addresses. Is this the same person or 2 different people? One way to help determine this is to check whether Andrew Smith is listed in the NCOA database as moving from 1 address to the other.