System and method for data cleansing

• US 20040225543A1
• Filed: 03/26/2004
• Published: 11/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dun & Bradstreet Corp., DUN & Bradstreet Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.), Hoover's Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DUN & Bradstreet Incorporated (Dun & Bradstreet Corp.)
• Inventors: Bergelt, Cynthia, Kapochunas, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,707,164 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/217 Database tuning G06F16/2282 takes precedence; database performance monitoring G06F11/3409
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06375 Prediction of business process outcome or impact based on a proposed change
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99954 Version management

Abstract

A business information service provides data cleansing to correct and update both domestic and global addresses. A combination of processes generate cleansed data for input into a matching process. The matching process matches information about a business, including the address, to a unique business identifier in at least one database of business information. The matching process is more successful with more standard and accurate input addresses.

Claims

1. A method for data cleansing, comprising:

receiving at least one input address;

comparing said at least one input address to at least one standard; and

providing a single best address corresponding to said at least one input address based on said comparison.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

matching said single best address to a database having unique business identifiers associated with addresses to find a matching address; and

providing said matching address.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein said database is an advanced office system (AOS).

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

providing a match project analysis report.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

converting said at least one input address to a predetermined record layout, before comparing said input address to said at least one standard.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

associating said at least one input address with at least one code, said code being used to determine said single best address.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

associating said at least one input address with at least one score, said score being used to determine said single best address.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein said at least one standard is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

ZIP+4 coding, coding accuracy support system (CASS), Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS), delivery sequence file (DSF), and National Change of Address (NCOA)

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a report.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said report is selected from the group consisting of:

a postal summary report and a pre-audit report.

11. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

sending at least one status notification to a user who supplied said at least one input address.

12. A system for data cleansing, comprising:

a pre-auditor for generating a report having a plurality of views of an input address file, said input address file including a plurality of addresses;

a verifier for finding and removing any invalid records from said input address file;

a vendor interface for sending said input address file and an order to at least one vendor and for receiving an output file from said at least one vendor; and

a user interface for providing a single best address for each address in said input address file.

13. The system according to claim 12, further comprising:

a matcher for attempting to match any address in said output file or said invalid records to a matching address in a database having unique business identifiers associated with addresses.

14. The system according to claim 13, further comprising:

an investigator for investigating any address not matched, upon request.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein said pre-auditor calculates a plurality of counts associated with said input address file.

16. The system according to claim 12, wherein said input address file includes a plurality of records and each record includes a plurality of fields.

17. The system according to claim 16, wherein said count is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

a number of distinct values by field, a missing field count, a total number of records, and a percent of distinct values.

18. The system according to claim 12, wherein said view is at least one selected from the group consisting of:

alphabetical, most frequent content, and alpha characters only.

19. The system according to claim 12, wherein said vendor standardizes addresses using at least one process selected from the group consisting of:

Locatable Address Conversion System (LACS), delivery sequence file (DSF), and National Change of Address (NCOA).

20. A machine readable medium having instructions stored thereon to perform a method for data cleansing, comprising:

receiving at least one input address;

comparing said at least one input address to at least one standard; and

providing a single best address corresponding to said at least one input address based on said comparison.

21. The machine readable medium according to claim 20, further comprising:

matching said single best address to a database having unique business identifiers associated with addresses to find a matching address; and

providing said matching address.