Address Collection - How to Make Sense of Your Data

Address collection can be a daunting task. It's essential to collect accurate information, regardless of whether you're collecting data for weddings, holiday cards, or parties.

Businesses can save time and money by using legitimate addresses. Incorrect addresses can result in delayed mail, additional charges, and missed opportunities. Address verification tools can help cut down costs by ensuring addresses are correct.

ArcGIS Solutions for State and Local Government

Address collection is crucial for local government and is a key component of geospatial data management. However many governments are faced with difficulties with managing authoritative address repository. They require a simple workflow to capture the physical location at an early stage in the process of developing an address, standard map products that inform decision-makers and the public about the quality and accuracy of their addresses, as well as tools to share authoritative address with other agencies.

To meet these requirements Local government officials are using Esri solutions. These pre-built maps and apps are designed to work with specific workflows, making it easy for local governments of all sizes and levels of geospatial knowledge to use them for better efficiency and insight.

Scott Oppmann is the State and Local Government Solutions Team Leader at Esri. According to the team leader, solutions are arranged into categories that reflect "the common needs of the state and local governments." Click here to view the complete list of capabilities.

Address Field Inventory for example, includes a set of tasks to assist you in creating an address layer based on a list or verified sites that are taken from an online form. These feature layers can be used to generate USNG Coordinates and a mailing address. Additionally this solution allows you to split roads at a specified point, calculate the municipal boundaries and update the characteristics of addresses in the master road name table.

Managing Address Field Operations is another Esri solution that can be used to assist address authority personnel collect inaccurate or missing information from internal and outside stakeholders. It enables office personnel to assign a task to field workers, who utilize the address crowdsourcing tool on mobile devices to verify submitted addresses and capture new addresses they see in the field. This information is then automatically inserted into the appropriate databases for further processing and publication.

The solution allows office staff to assign tasks by giving them the option of validating existing set of address data with the specified accuracy level. This allows them to identify errors, such as duplicate addresses or mismatched addresses in the database. The data can then be imported into the master database to improve the quality of data and improve its accuracy.

Reverse Geocode Geoprocessing Tool

If you're trying to find the location of a specific company or find out which location is the most lucrative, reverse geocoding can help you get the most out of your data. Many mobile apps such as Uber and Lyft rely on reverse-geocoding to convert raw GPS coordinates into information drivers can comprehend. Retail chains use reverse geocoding to understand their customers' habits of shopping. Urban planners can link address information to population density to determine where to construct public infrastructure.

Reverse Geocode is a tool that converts points within a feature class to addresses. It does this by locating the closest intersection or address by calculating distance. It can be used to reverse geocode single or multiple points. Its output is organized and ready for integration into other tools and systems.

It supports both standard formats as well as custom formats for address data. This includes the standard X and Y attribute values from a Point Address feature as well as the identifiers of POIs (Points of Interest). You can also specify what location type the matching geometry is. It could be a routing location (a street-side location that can be used to route) or the parcel's centroid or rooftop of an address.

Additionally you can also use the tool to create an integrated locator by linking two or more existing locators together. The resultant locator will be back on the ArcGIS World Geocoding service if it is unable to locate an address that matches your own personal information.

Reverse geocoding is an expensive process, especially when you're working on large quantities of coordinates. You'll have to keep within Esri's free usage threshold--which is approximately 200 thousand monthly requests or you'll be charged. Another option is to purchase an application that converts coordinates into addresses en masse for you.

As a final note it is crucial to confirm the accuracy of any address information you get from customers using reverse geocoding. This can be done using an address verification API that's CASS certified, such as PostGrid. This will ensure that the addresses that you use in your direct mail campaigns are delirable and will be delivered to your customers.

Data Assistant Add-in

The Data Assistant addin contains a set of tools that will help you migrate data between different datasets that have different data structures. You can use these tools to complete various tasks, such as concatenating multiple source fields into a single target field or splitting a string into several fields of target.

Installing the Data Assistant is required before you can use it. Click Start then select Control Panel, then Add or remove programs. Uninstall Microsoft Data Assistant 1.0 by following the steps on screen.

After the Data Assistant addin is installed It can be configured to create an appropriate source/target configuration file. You can then load or change data with that file. The Data Mapping tool includes a number of methods for converting data to different formats and handling special characters.

Learn how to use the Data Assistant Add-in to learn more about how it can help you with your address collection requirements. This solution explains how to make use of the Data Assistant add in and how to use processes to collect parcel data and update data on parcels and populate the community layer.

Data Validation Tool

A trusted address validation tool is a powerful tool that aids businesses in maintaining integrity of their data and improve operational efficiency. It ensures that the correct address is used for mailing and invoices are sent to the right person and marketing campaigns are delivered to their intended target audience. When selecting a validation tool pick one that provides seamless integration into business processes and extensive coverage across all countries. Be aware of the pricing structure and pick tools that have a high return on investment.

It is important to ensure that the initial data entry of addresses is accurate regardless of whether it's on paper forms in a retail store or digitally when you check out online or the integration of data from CRM systems. This will decrease shipping errors and returns, and ultimately boost customer satisfaction and loyalty. This involves more than just a simple postal code or ZIP lookup. It requires a thorough method of address collection and validation.

This process begins with an advanced tool for data parsing that breaks down an address into its distinct components, including the street name, the city, and postal code. The tool then matches these pieces with commercial databases to verify their accuracy. It then standardizes an address to conform with global postal norms. For example, it converts extended forms into standardized abbreviations or capitalization.

The address is then geocoded to confirm its location. This is particularly important for Jujojula businesses who operate globally. It helps them calculate shipping costs accurately, and also to provide transparency to customers. This reduces the risk of costly delays caused by incorrect or insufficient information. Additionally, a reliable geocoding API can help companies comply with international shipping regulations and avoid issues related to customs.

Once the address is verified, it's updated automatically in CRM systems and enterprise resource planning systems to guarantee that every customer contact, shipment, or service delivery is based on accurate data. Accurate information on addresses can also speed up operations in the logistical field by simplifying logistics, procurement and delivery of services.