If you're in the mailing industry and a 2008 calendar hangs in your office, odds are there's a date coming up with a big red circle around it. That date is Sunday, November 23, when the Postal Service will enact the most sweeping changes to its Move Update requirements in years: the window within which mailing lists must undergo some form of address-correction processing for that mailing to be eligible for automation discounts will shrink from 185 days to 95; and that window will also apply to Standard Mail, a class for which no Move Update mandates previously existed.

It's a huge change, one that has already caused unrest, anxiety and even panic among mailers who may have little or no address-updating processes in place. And yes, it's true that the real-world deadline isn't even November 23, but 95 days earlieras mailings processed as of August 20 or later must already comply with the new rules if they're to drop at a postal facility on or after November's "black Sunday."

Despite the USPS having announced this planned regulatory shift months ago, it's understandable that not all mailing professionals currently feel completely ready for this new Move Update reality. (Between rate cases, DPV and most recently the Intelligent Mail barcode, we've all certainly had plenty of other postal issues to occupy our attention.) If you or your business fit that description, here's a piece of good news: relief is closer and more readily available than you think. Furthermore, even if you're fully prepared but still can feel your blood pressure rise every time you drive by a Post Office, rest assured that there really is a profound upside to these latest requirements. In fact, there are several advantagesfor you, your clients, and the end-user mailpiece recipients who ultimately keep all of us in business.

The benefits of more aggressive address-correction processes far outweigh any short-term or transitory disadvantages. When you think about it, this postal regulation helps us more than the Postal Service itself. Remember, the old First-Class-only address-update requirements primarily protected the USPS, which didn't want to devote extra unnecessary funds to delivering or returning undeliverable mail. But for Standard mailings, where that rule didn't apply, undeliverable pieces have always been discarded, not returned. While mailers' clients paid for wasted production and postage, mailers themselves dedicated valuable mail-preparation time that could be spent on other jobs ... all for the sake of mail that wound up in the trash. (That disposal also cost the USPS plentyhundreds of millions of dollars per year, by most estimatesbut this was a fraction of the costs borne by the other players in the system.)

The value of regularly applying address correction technology to lists used in any mail class has been proven many times over. It's simple arithmetic: upfront processing costs are quickly recouped in greater mailing economy, lower production expenses and higher response rates. (At BCC Software, where we offer a wide assortment of USPS certified Move Update services, Standard class mailers comprise nearly half of our regular Data Services clientswith no mandate other than their own positive results to keep them coming back.)

If we can agree that Move Update processing pays for itself many times over, the question still remains of how to add address-updating procedures to your operations without creating undue workflow bottlenecks. All I can say is, rest easythe solution is likely no further away than your existing mailing technology provider.

Address-correction options basically fall into two camps: pre-mailing solutions like NCOA^Link and FASTforward, and post-mailing technology like ancillary service endorsements and the Address Correction Service (ACS and One Code ACS). All of these are approved methods on their own. However, NCOA^Link will likely be the most common method mailers will turn to for compliance. It is a true pre-mailing address update solution that ensures precisely what most mailers are trying to achieve: timely and predictable mail delivery. Post-mailing methods certainly work, but they do require that mailers have direct access to the source database to ensure USPS provided address corrections are indeed being applied to the original name and address. Moreover, a post-mailing method only compiles with Move Update if it has been done prior to the mailing. In other words, you need to be using a post-mailing method now and updating the source name and address, in order to be compliant when the calendar turns to November 23, 2008.

Officially launched in 2004, NCOA^Link today is offered by well over 300 licensees, with most licensed to provide LSP-level processing, or the most recent 18 months worth of COA data. This processing will leave your mailings fully USPS compliant, but for even greater address correction power, you would be well advised to seek out Full Service Provider licensees capable of offering 48 months worth of COA database depth. With 43 million COA cards being filed each year by families, individuals, and businesses, having access to four years of data can represent a significant advantage for your mailingsespecially if you are unsure of the accuracy of your database, or if the list is rented.

If you are using CASS-certified software, contact your software provider and ask about their NCOA^Link offerings. They may have an interface embedded directly into the software that provides direct access to NCOA^Link, either as a service or the ability to process the data in-house. In this day and age, there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to work with a data services provider who can receive, update and return a submitted list in five minutes or less.

It's hard not to sympathize with smaller operators who find it increasingly difficult to bear the additional costs of this and other recent requirements. Certainly our boats have been rocked enough by endless waves of USPS changes. That said, smart mailers of any size should recognize a rule like this one as the proverbial rising tide that lifts all boats: it's good news for service providers and customers alike.

My advice is to take a tip from proactive NCOA^Link processing and plan ahead. Besides working with your technology provider on establishing a no-hassle update workflow, you should begin educating your clients (if you haven't already) on the wisdom of address-updating Standard Mail jobs. Point out the advantages of targeted bulk mailings: the upfront cost savings, the improved response rates, even the "samaritan" aspect of reducing paper waste. (Helping mailpieces reach their intended recipients also creates a good defense against the "junk mail" perception that fuels anti-advertising mail rhetoric.)

Throw in a compelling argument that address updating quickly pays for itself many times over (you can generate examples at www.bccsoftware.com/prodserv/mus/dataservicesroi.asp), and you'll be your clients' knight in shining armorwhich can only help you in the long term, as well.

Chris Lien is Executive Vice President at BCC Software, a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL company and a 30-year veteran provider of mailing technology solutions. Lien, a recognized expert in postal issues, is a frequent speaker at various leading trade associations and industry events. Contact him at chrisl@bccsoftware.com.

For more information about BCC Software solutions and services, call (800) 453-3130 or visit www.bccsoftware.com.