Address Validation Software
In order fulfillment, address validation is the practice of verifying that a shipping address exists and is in a standardized format. For U.S. domestic shipments, address validation may be done manually, but in order fulfillment operations, it is often accomplished by installing address validation software that is linked to US Postal Service authoritative database to scan and confirm valid mailing addresses.
If the address is invalid, it may be incorrect or non-existent in the USPS database. Incorrect addresses can cause pauses in the order fulfillment process to resolve inaccuracies, or worse, result in delivery sent to the wrong destination.
Why is Address Validation Critical?
B2B and B2C companies require valid address data when processing shipments to ensure accurate, on-time order delivery. Incorrectly addressed shipments may be delayed or not delivered to the customer, increasing the risk of returns or cancellations, and possibly causing the company to lose customers due to dissatisfaction.
Address verification is also a critical best practice to minimize carrier address correction surcharges, which can amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Parcel and freight carriers routinely check consignee addresses using their own systems to validate their accuracy before delivery.
The carrier can correct the issue if an address is inaccurate, mismarked as residential instead of commercial, or for other reasons. Still, it will assess surcharges that can add significant costs to the shipper.
Address Validation Software
Address validation software can be integrated to work in real-time with a company’s online store and shopping cart system and automated warehouse system. It can also be added to the company’s order management, customer service, and shipment manifesting system.
The most efficient and accurate way to ensure valid addresses are used in the order processing cycle is to add address validation software upstream in the process, at the point at which the customer’s order is entered into the order management system and before it is released to the warehouse for picking, packing and shipping.
This approach ensures that errors, such as mis-typed or mis-formatted addresses, are caught before order fulfillment begins.
Doing so will eliminate the need to interrupt order fulfillment tasks to pull an order with an incorrect address and assign it to a worker to research the issue. It also ensures that the order will flow uninterrupted through the pick, pack, and ship process within the predicted order-to-delivery cycle time.
Get Started
If you want to explore the benefits of address verification software to your order fulfillment operations, the Numina Group can help.
As a leading warehouse software developer and independent systems integrator with more than three decades of experience, the Numina Group can help you navigate the complexities of choosing the right technologies with our turnkey end-to-end warehouse automation software and hardware services.
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