Data Scrubbing Solutions

Like just about everything else in life data gets dirty if you don't clean it occasionally. And in our experience, the more you use it, the more it needs to be cleaned. Data Scrubbing, or Data Quality improvement, is a general term that applies to many different solutions. These can include filling in missing data or standardizing data so others can use it more easily. It also includes ensuring your data is current and verifying it is valid. PacificEast can help you with all of these standard data scrubbing needs. Since each component of a contact record has different data scrubbing needs and options we've described them separately below. However, PacificEast can combine all of the scrubbing methods described here to form a holistic data cleansing system specific to your data's particular challenges.

data scrubbing solutions

Names
Most systems that search for instances of a particular name only use or need the actual surname or given name. Titles (like Mr, Mrs and Dr), generational suffixes (like Jr, Sr, III) and honoraries (like PhD, DDS, MD) often get in the way of finding a match because many search system require some kind of match on all the elements of the query. Therefore, removing these parts of a name can, at times, provide better results. But what if the name and these parts are glued together through a data entry error? Do you need to manually verify and change each name?

For problems like this PacificEast has developed a series of different name cleaners that work differently depending on where a subsequent search will be directed. The most common name cleaner we use, the NCOA Name Cleaner, is a pre-cleaner for any file undergoing NCOA processing. Another common name cleaner is our name splitter that divides combined names into surname and given name.

Addresses
Address data is, by far, the most easy to degrade as well the most difficult to clean. This can be seen by the number and variety of address cleaning tools on the market. The challenge is that address standards vary so widely from one community to the next that a person entering an address for another part of the country may attempt to "correct" the address using their own local standard but inadvertently corrupt the address instead. Some address cleaners, like our DataMAX product, correct that syntactical damage. Other address cleaners make more significant changes. For example, the USPS's LACS^Link product converts rural route addresses to a more standard street address equivalent. Common change-of-address systems, like NCOA, PCOA and CCOA will automatically change the address used to a new, forwarding address.

Phone Numbers (LIA, DNC)
Even simple 10-digit telephone numbers need to be cleaned once in a while. Data Entry errors can swap digits making them unusable. They can, of course, also be disconnected and re-assigned to another person or business. And even if you have the correct number, you may not legally be able to dial it for particular purposes. Additionally, what kind of number is it? Is it a business, is it a consumer, is it a cell phone or a landline? Have you ever glanced at your phone, seen an out of state number and wondered exactly where the call was coming from? The answer to these phone quality issues is to use products like Line Identification Append (LIA) and Do Not Call (DNC).

Other Data Scrubbing Systems (Deceased Scrub, Merge/Purge)
Other scrubbing systems don't look at just one element but verify the usability or validity of the whole record or help clean up whole records or files.

Deceased Scrub notes or removes records where the individual described by the record is believed to be deceased
Merge/Purge compares two files and eliminates duplicates between them based on a configurable combination of fields that defines a unique key

Full Line of Data Scrubbing Products:

DataMAX cleans, parses and standardized US address data according to USPS standards. DataMAX also performs delivery-point-verification (DPV) to ensure the address is not just syntactically correct, but is also an actual, deliverable address
Deceased Scrub notes or removes records where the individual described by the record is believed to be deceased
Do Not Call checks telephone numbers against a set of national registries of numbers on various do-not-call lists. All remaining numbers can be called for general marketing purposes
DSF² supplies additional delivery information for direct mailers and also applies USPS LACS^Link modifications, delivery sequence coding and delivery type. This product is a must for any direct mailers
LIA checks the validity of a phone number in the US and Canada. Also assigns an indicator of whether the associated phone is a landline or wireless number
Merge/Purge compares two files and eliminates duplicates between them based on a configurable combination of fields that defines a unique key
NCOA Name Cleaner prepares names for processing through a national change of address process
NCOA/CCOA - The nationally certified Change Of Address utilities for the US and Canada, respectively. These detect and return a forwarding address when one was supplied by the addressee
PCOA - A proprietary change of address utility that detects moves not in the relevant official COA system like NCOA or CCOA