Address Standardization - This is a process whereby each element in a street address is made to conform to Postal standards; i.e. street name spelling, directional abbreviations (n,s,e,w), suffixes (ave, st, etc.).

CASS Certification - Coding Accuracy Support System

CR Coding - The four-digit numeric representation of a carrier route as it exists on the USPS Carrier-route Information System (CRIS) file. For city delivery records the first 2 digits are the last 2 digits of the zip code; the last 2 digits are unique route numbers. Valid route number range is 00-99. For highway contract, rural route, and post office box addresses the last 2 digits are HC, RR, and B respectively.

CRM - Customer Relationship Management (managing customer communications throughout your corporation- i.e. direct mail, email, telemarketing).

Data Analysis - Applies to the Marketing function of decision-making, arriving at conclusions or assessing the success of a program by performing interpretive exercises on information contained in a database.

Data Append (Nthing, Add-A-Name, etc.) - Applies to the process of adding demographic data to a file or database; or the application of any information that enhances the value of the database.

Data Management - Managing various functions including gathering, reporting, assessing, maintaining information contained in a database and the database itself.

Inkjet Prep/Labels - A process where a file is created that provides parameters/instructions to automated addressing/messaging equipment.

List Fulfillment - The process for selecting list rental subsets from a database.

Mail.dat - The industry database standard for efficient communications among those providing list processing, mail production and mail processing services. It is recognized by the industry for mail make-up communication and accepted by the USPS for mail entry documentation.

Merge Purge - Method of merging two or more files in a matching process to produce one file free of duplicates.

Modeling - A process involving use of spreadsheets via a computer, which provides reasonable answers to "what if" scenarios. Utilized primarily by magazines balancing the costs of productivity of multiple means to maintain or build circulation.

NCOA - National Change of Address - An address correction service provided to mailers through USPS licensees. Change of address information for the entire country from all Computerized Forwarding System units is available on tape or disk. Before the mail piece enters the mail stream, NCOA can correct an address that is inaccurate due to a move.

Presort/Sortation - A form of mail preparation. A process by which mail is sorted, bundled and/or sacked according to USPS specifications by mailing ZIP Code, prior to entering the USPS system, typically in return for a discounted postage rate. Presort is a UPSP trademark.

Profiling - Assigning attributes to or deriving segments from universes of a database using the information contained within it and comparing that information known characteristics of a defined group.

Response Analysis - Method of evaluating direct mail campaigns, on a verification of parameters, by reviewing the results of selected segments and the mailing. Typically evaluated by mail key assignments, with keys representing segments created using a wide variety of segmentation techniques.

Segmentation - A data file, such as a mailing list, divided into subsets, each of which has a specific set of criteria. A section of line or curve with defined endpoints. Most object-oriented drawing programs created complex objects out of collection of simpler segments.

Warehousing - The storing of data.

Zip Correction - The process of applying correct ZIP codes to records on incoming mail files, which contain incorrect ZIP codes.

ZIP + 4 Coding - Established in 1981, the ZIP + 4 is a nine-digit code consisting of a) the initial code, the first five digits identifying the post office or metropolitan area delivery station associated with the address; b) a hyphen and c) the expanded code, including the additional four digits. The first two additional digits designate the sector; a geographic portion of a zone, a portion of a rural route, several city blocks or a large building, part of a box section, or an official designation. The last two digits designate the segment, a specific block face, apartment house bank of boxes, a firm, a floor in a large building, or other specific location. ZIP + 4 is a USPS trademark.