Return Mail Data Matching for Address Correction Workflow
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Solution Overview
Problem
When individuals move without updating their address, mail sent to the old address cannot be delivered, leading to undeliverable mail that wastes network bandwidth, processing resources, and memory, and results in missed promotions and credit score decreases for recipients.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses optical character recognition (OCR) and encoded data processing to extract information from undeliverable mail images, matches this data with a data stream, and checks multiple address correction databases to update recipient addresses, allowing for efficient processing and printing of corrected labels or encoded addresses.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If senders and redistribution facilities search for and attempt to compile updated recipient addresses, then updated address information may be obtained, but network bandwidth, computer processing resources, and memory are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by capturing images of undeliverable mail and extracting recipient information before attempting to search for updated addresses. This allows the system to have the recipient information ready when address search attempts are made, reducing the need for repeated searches and resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates digital copies of undeliverable mail through image capture and stores them in a database. These copies can be processed repeatedly to extract recipient information without needing to physically handle or re-search for the original mail pieces, conserving network bandwidth and processing resources.
2Reliability
If multiple searches are conducted to find updated addresses, then address updates may be achieved, but processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts recipient information from undeliverable mail images in advance and stores it in a database. When address updates are needed, this pre-extracted information is readily available, eliminating the need for repeated information gathering and reducing search time while maintaining accuracy through systematic database queries.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary database that stores both the captured mail images and extracted recipient information. This intermediary structure allows efficient matching and retrieval operations, reducing the time needed for multiple searches while maintaining reliable address update accuracy through systematic data organization.
3Loss of information
If undeliverable mail is returned and processed, then address corrections can be identified, but network bandwidth and memory are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates digital copies of undeliverable mail through image capture and stores them in a database. This eliminates the need to physically transport and handle returned mail pieces, significantly reducing network bandwidth consumption while preserving all mailing error information for analysis and address correction identification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces physical mail handling and manual address correction processes with automated image capture, OCR extraction, and database processing. This substitution eliminates the need for physical mail returns and manual intervention, reducing network bandwidth and memory consumption while efficiently identifying address corrections.
Data Source
AI summary
In an embodiment, an apparatus comprises one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause: receiving a digital image of a particular item of mail and storing the digital image; causing data to be extracted from the digital image using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) or by processing encoded data; based on the extracted data, matching the particular item of mail to particular mailing data from the data stream; determining, based, at least in part, on the extracted data and the particular mailing data, one or more actions to take with respect to the particular item of mail and, in response, causing performance of the one or more actions.