Data processing is the process of standardising, validating and enhancing information.  Intech offers a premium service of outsourced data processing.

Our premium service is based on the fact that no two jobs are identical. Every data processing job has a unique set of business characteristics.  By understanding these issues, a process is customised to fit the precise requirements of the particular business. This, coupled with the use of best practice software, guarantees an optimal outcome for your business.

We can process your data internally or at your premises.  Regardless as to where your data is processed, confidentiality is assured.

Data processing is typically used for data analysis and direct marketing. As explained below, processing tasks include standardisation, validation, barcoding (AMAS dpid allocation), matching, deduplication, database segmentation, merging and enhancement (appending additional information to existing data).

Standardisation is the process of taking data in any format and transforming it into a known standard format. This is a critical process which enables accurate reporting and further data processing.

In today's information age, too much low quality data is a far more common problem then insufficient data.  Validation, simply put, is the process of seperating the good from the bad. This is a vital step in increasing information accuracy and eliminating the high costs, such as wasted mailings, associated with invalid data.

Geographic coding (aka geocoding) is the process of identifying the physical location of an address relative to a geographic reference. This is achieved by assigning geographic (or spatial) codes (such as Longitude and Latitude or common use Geographic Area Definitions) to address records. Whilst geographic coding of address data has always been important to government administrations as well as emergency services and spatial data analysts for the effective fulfillment of their respective roles, most recently geographic coding has become commonly used by private sector organisations to improve the effectiveness of marketing activities and to optimise the efficiency of service delivery.

In October 1999, Australia Post introduced a barcode mailing system. Under the Address Matching Approval System (AMAS), Australia Post has approved Intech's Software to append a Delivery Point Identifier (DPID) to an address record. This dpid is then translated into a barcode.  The barcode can hold more than just dpid information. The barcode is often used to hold your customer id as well as the dpid. This allows for automated processing of return to sender mail.

Australia Post has introduced additional mailing discounts for customers who submit their mail lodgment with a barcode. By July 2002, barcoding will be a mandatory requirement for bulk mailing discounts.

• Reduced postal costs by increasing bulk mail discount
• Address validation
• Improved customer targeting
• Reduced returned mail
• Increased ability to report by household

Segmentation is the process of splitting your data into logical groups (referred to as segments). Each segment typically represents a target market. Each segment can then be marketed to in a customised manner.  Such segments may include Standard Industry Classifications (SIC), job title classification (ASCO), age, locality, average income, household demographics and many others.

Matching is the process of identifying records that relate to one another. We can identify and consolidate records through a unique statistical matching technique   which works even when there are no common keys. To find matches, a statistical matching algorithm is applied using a scoring system of weights and penalties. At the end of the matching process, we will have a list of records that are similar, and a rating as to how similar they are.

Deduplication is the process of identifying and removing multiple instances of the same information. Deduplication improves customer targeting by increasing the ability to segment your database, avoids wasted costs (such as duplicate mailings) associated with redundant information, increases database maintenance efficiencies and above all promotes a better customer relationship.

Take an example, of a duplicated customer record. The customer receives two items of every marketing material sent. The customer, saturated with duplicated information, asks that you no longer send them marketing information.  This fact is recorded against one of the duplicate customer records. The customer then continues to get marketing information as a result of the duplicate record.  At best, customer loyalty is lost.   This is one of many manifestations of the duplication problems.

Merging is the process of taking duplicate records and forming a single record.   The goal of this process is to remove duplicated information items and maximise the information related to this record. In doing so, careful decisions need to be made. 

For example, take a simple case of two duplicated records.  Record A has a correct phone number whilst record B has a correct fax number. Both records have slight deviations in the address data.  The process of identifying the correct information to maintain is handled in the merging process. This may include selecting information items based on customised business rules.

Information enhancement relates to the ability to add additional information onto existing records. For example, a list of name and address records may be enhanced by adding Statistical Local Areas (SLA) information as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.  This opens up the list to segmentation based on publicly available census data.