14 April 2008

Southampton Solent University Improves Data Quality With Capscan

Matchcode System Integrated With Student Record Management Systems And Intranet To Capture And Maintain Accurate Address Data

Capscan, a leading supplier of international address management solutions and data integrity services, today announced that Southampton Solent University has chosen to integrate Matchcode Data Capture and Matchcode Webnet into its student record management system and Intranet. Using the software, the University is improving the accuracy and quality of address data in the system, enhancing student services and reducing undelivered correspondence.

Two record management systems are used by the University to manage student details; Quercus from Campus IT is implemented at its main East Park Terrace campus, with the Warsash Maritime Academy using its own in-house booking system. The University has been using Matchcode Data Capture at the Warsash campus for two years and QuickAddress from QAS was originally integrated into Quercus to enable administration staff to capture current and prospective student address data.

Competitive costs and a need for consistency resulted in the University selecting Matchcode Data Capture again for 20 Quercus users, as Project Manager at Southampton Solent University, Sarah Daly explains, “Matchcode Data Capture has always been very reliable and cost-efficient at the Warsash campus and the Capscan team supportive and attentive, so it was an easy decision. With students changing term time addresses at a frequent rate and our need to keep in contact with them with their course results and other correspondence, it is important to make sure the address data we capture is accurate and up-to-date.”

With the Application Programming Interface (API) developed specifically by Capscan for integration with Quercus, Matchcode Data Capture ensures that only accurate, complete and up-to-date address data for current and prospective students is added to the system. Address data entered by administration staff at the University (only a postcode or partial address is needed) is automatically screened against the Royal Mail’s Postcode Address File (PAF) to return a full, valid address. As a result, the University ensures that the Quercus database is high quality and regularly updated.

The University has also reduced administration by seamlessly integrating Matchcode Webnet into its Intranet to enable students to amend their own addresses. Students need only enter a postcode or partial address and Matchcode Webnet returns several properties within that postcode. One click and the correct address is displayed and immediately added to Quercus.
 
“Implementing Matchcode Data Capture and Matchcode Webnet at the main campus and the Intranet has brought us cost saving benefits including the near elimination of undeliverable mail, a consistently up-to-date system, as well as strategic advantages including the improved accuracy of student profiling for prospective targeting,” adds Daly. “Student records are also a statutory data return to our funding bodies so it is critical that the address data is as accurate as possible to ensure we comply with this regulation.”

The University now plans to work with Capscan to integrate its postcoding tool Zapcode Webnet into its website (www.solent.ac.uk) to enable more accurate fulfilment of prospectus requests.