Advanced data processing occurs once data is cleaned, standardized and consolidated to ensure that data is up to date.  Move updates should be applied periodically with services such as National Change of Address (NCOA).  Providers that perform NCOA updates often will also provide phone number updates and appends.  It is vital to have the accurate addresses and phone numbers to reach customers. 

Now that the customers can be reached, it is important to determine if they want to be reached.  If you are planning telemarketing efforts, you need to bounce your customer database against the National Do Not Call directory.  This will enable you to identify those who do not want to receive phone calls. 

For direct mail marketing it is important to determine if your customers want to be contacted via mail.  Data providers can flag customers on national do not mail lists.  Your company should also maintain its own do not mail indicator. 

Finally, it is essential to determine customers that are deceased.  Data providers can supply flags to indicate those customers that are deceased.  Communicating to deceased customers is upsetting to family members and will burn their goodwill with your company. 

Once data is up to date and solicitation preferences noted, the third step to continue turning data into information is data enhancement...