Address Collection - How to Make Sense of Your Data
Address collection can be a challenging task. It's essential to collect accurate data, whether you're collecting data for weddings, holiday cards or parties.
A valid address can save businesses time and money. Incorrect addresses can result in delayed mail, additional charges, and missed opportunities. Address verification tools can cut expenses by ensuring addresses are properly entered.
ArcGIS Solutions for State and Local Government
Address collection is vital for local government and is a key element of managing geospatial data. Many governments struggle to manage authoritative address repositories. They need simple workflows that aid in capturing the physical location of an address early in the development process and standard map tools to inform decision-makers and the general public about the quality of their addresses, and tools for sharing authoritative addresses with other agencies.
Local government employees use Esri solutions to meet these needs. These pre-built maps and applications are configured around specific workflows, making it easy for local governments of all sizes and levels of geospatial expertise to adopt them for increased efficiency and greater insight.
According to Scott Oppmann, State and Local Government Solutions Team Director, Esri, solutions are divided into categories that reflect "the most common needs in the state and local governments." To see the full list of the capabilities available, click here.
For example, a solution known as Maintaining an Authoritative Address Repository includes a series of tasks that allow you to create a layer of address from a list of verified proposed sites collected through an online form or gathered in the field by using Address Field Inventory. This feature layer can be used to create USNG coordinates and a mailing address. The solution allows you to divide a street at a specific point, calculate a municipal boundaries, and update address attributes in the master road table.
Managing Address Field Operations is another Esri solution that can be used to assist address authority staff collect incomplete or incorrect information from both internal and external stakeholders. It lets office staff assign tasks to their field employees to make use of the address crowdsourcing app on their mobile devices. They can then verify the addresses submitted and record any new addresses they find when they are out in the field. This information is then added to the appropriate databases for further processing and publication.
The solution permits office personnel to assign tasks using the option of validating existing set address data using a specified accuracy level. This helps them identify errors, such as duplicate addresses or incorrectly matched addresses in the database. This information can then be transferred to the master address database to improve data quality and make the database more precise.
Reverse Geocode Geoprocessing tool
Reverse geocoding can be used to make sense of data when you're trying find the location of a company or simply want to know which areas are most profitable. Many mobile apps, like Uber or Lyft, use reverse geocoding to convert raw GPS coordinates into something drivers can understand. Retail chains use it to understand the habits of their customers when shopping, and urban planners can combine the address data to the density of their population to decide where to build new public facilities.
The Reverse Geocode tool turns point locations in a feature class into addresses by searching for the closest address or intersection based on the distance of search. It can be used to reverse geocode click here single or multiple points. The output is well-structured and able to be integrated into other systems or tools.
It supports standard formats as well as custom formats for address data. This includes the standardized attributes X and Y from a Point Address feature, as well as the identifiers of POIs (Points of Interest). You can also specify the type of location of the matching geometry--it can be a routing location or a street side location that can be used for routing or the rooftop parcel centroid of an address.
You can make use of the tool to create composite locators by connecting two or more locators. If it cannot find the address with your local data, then the resulting locator will rely on ArcGIS World Geocoding.
Reverse geocoding is an expensive process, especially when you're working with huge amounts of coordinates. Esri offers a free usage limit of 200 thousand requests per month. If you exceed this, you will incur charges. You can also purchase a service to convert coordinates into address in a masse.
In closing it's crucial to confirm the accuracy of any address information you get from customers through reverse geocoding. This can be done using an address verification API that's CASS certified, like PostGrid. This will ensure the addresses that you use for your direct mail campaigns can be delivered and to your customers.
Data Assistant Add-in
The Data Assistant add-in contains a collection of tools that aid you in transferring data from one dataset to another that may have a different data structure. These tools can be used to perform many tasks, like concatenating several source fields into one target field or dividing a string into several fields to be used as targets.
To utilize the Data Assistant add-in, you must first install it. To do this you need to select Start then select Control Panel, and then select Add or Remove programs. Then, search for Microsoft Data Assistant 1.0 and follow the on-screen directions to remove it.
After the Data Assistant addin is installed it can be set up to create a source/target configuration file. You can then load or change data with this file. The Data Mapping tool includes a variety of options for converting data to different formats and handling special characters.
To learn more about the Data Assistant add-in, including how it can help you with your address collection needs, read How to use the Data Assistant add-in. This solution explains how to use the Data Assistant add-in and how to perform workflows to collect and update data on parcels and populate community layers.
Data Validation Tool
A trusted tool for validation of addresses is a powerful tool that aids businesses in maintaining data integrity and operational efficiencies. It ensures that the correct address is used to mail, invoices go to the right person and marketing campaigns are delivered to their intended target audience. When selecting a validation tool be sure to choose one with extensive coverage of all countries and seamless integration into business processes. Take into consideration the pricing structure and select tools that have a high return on investment.
If you are collecting addresses on handwritten forms at a retail store, through digital inputs at the checkout process online or via integrated data that is flowing into CRM systems, accurate initial data entry is vital to reducing shipping errors and return and thereby increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty. This requires more than just using a traditional postal code or ZIP code lookup, it requires thorough address collection and verification.
The process starts with an advanced tool for data parsing that breaks down an address into its individual components, including the street name, city, and postal code. The tool then compares these components with commercial databases to ensure their accuracy. The tool then standardizes the address to conform to the global postal norms including converting extended forms to standardized abbreviations and capitalization.
Finally, the address is geocoded to confirm its place of residence. This is crucial for businesses that operate globally. It helps them determine shipping costs with accuracy and provide transparency for customers, minimizing the chance of costly delays due to incomplete or inaccurate data. Additionally, a robust geocoding API will help businesses adhere to international shipping regulations and avoid issues related to customs.
Once the address is verified, it is automatically updated in CRM systems and enterprise resource planning systems to guarantee that every customer interaction or shipment delivery is based on accurate data. Accurate information on addresses can also streamline logistics processes by simplifying procurement, logistics and service delivery processes.