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Post Office data gets mapped

mapIT has built a geospatial layer which is SAPO (South African Post Office) compliant. This data layer includes over 900 postal code areas and also incorporates over 2 400 post office sites with post boxes for South Africa.

SAPO utilises this information to help over 17 000 employees in the collection, sorting and delivery of letters and parcels for over 1.5 billion mail pieces which are processed every year and furthermore this data helps them to manage over 2,400 postal outlets throughout the country.

Businesses can now benefit from this SAPO compliant geospatial layer in order to ensure they capture accurate customer address data and engage with existing clients to update their records. mapIT can provide this data as an overlay onto the enriched, quality TomTom Map Data which is then available as an import into existing systems or offered as a web-based Address Validation Tool which can be embedded into any website or behind a firewall for call centre purposes.

For businesses that are required by the credit act to communicate to policy holders, many of whom are based in rural areas, and where the only way of communication is via post, it is critical that they have the correct post code information in their databases.

By validating against mapIT’s spatial layer, businesses sending bulk mail are able to save on costs by managing their delivery return rate percentage through accurate address information.

Consumers are now also able to benefit from this spatial layer as the insurance industry groups policy holders by postal codes, therefore in order to charge correct premiums they are required to ensure the correct postal code is assigned per customer to determine the correct premium to be paid.

From a system that was first introduced in 1973 to facilitate automated mail sorting and standardized letters, this postal code layer from mapIT, which is SAPO compliant, now has enhanced benefits for both businesses and consumers.

Pierre Rossouw, National Automation Engineer for the SA Post Office and architect of the eLAND postal coding system, says: ‚”The new mapIT location functionality can provide users of addresses and postcode data with more accurate capability, bringing higher quality location intelligence for a range of research and analysis requirements. These range from lifestyle typing of areas for marketing research to specific location identification, and can be used to assist emergency services to locate a fixed place such as a house or for mobile location requirements for satellite navigation‚”.

Rossouw continued ‚”The simpler and more compliant the design, the better. Being compliant with the postcode system is, of course, hugely beneficial to data providers and data users, as well as service providers such as the postal service.‚”

To view a demo on how mapIT’s Address Validation Tool can benefit organisations, watch the video here:www.mapit.co.za/address-validation

* Image courtesy of Shutterstck.com

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