It's now been a few months since I decided that the kind of testing tools I wanted for Go programming hadn't yet been created (or I just hadn't found them yet...). So, about 4 months ago I started work on GoConvey and a month later came the first release.The coolest thing about GoConvey (other than the <a href="https://github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/wiki/Composition">clean DSL</a>, comprehensive set of <a href="https://github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/wiki/Assertions">built-in assertions</a>, and the fact that it <a href="https://github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/wiki/Execution">integrates fully with <code>go test</code></a>) is the built-in auto-reloading <a href="https://github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/wiki/Web-UI">web UI</a> that reports your test results to your web browser whenever a relevant file is saved (HTML5 notifications included). I've always been a fan of terminal scripts that run tests on changes but had never seen it done in the browser. Thanks to <a href="https://matt.life/">Matt</a> at Smarty™ for turning that idea into a reality that was even more fun to use than I initially thought.Since the initial release <a href="https://github.com/smartystreets/goconvey/issues?state=closed">a lot has been improved</a>. Here's a summarized listing:<h4>Web UI</h4><ul><li>You can now ignore folders from the web UI</li><li>Complete folder listing on left</li><li>More reliable diff views</li><li>Browser/HTML5 notifications</li><li>invoke tests manually (click refresh button)</li><li>Failures now display 'story' context</li><li>"Busy" indicator when tests are running</li><li>Audio easter egg (can you find it?)</li><li>Bug fixes</li><li>Coverage reports (for those using Go version 1.2+)</li></ul><h4>Web server</h4><ul><li>Completely rewritten (with full test coverage--using GoConvey!)</li><li>Stability improvements</li><li>Configure number of concurrent testing goroutines</li><li>Lots of bug fixes</li></ul><h4>Core updates</h4><ul><li>Go 1.2 support</li><li>OS X Mavericks terminal support</li><li>Easier installation; just one <code>go get -t</code> command</li><li>New ShouldBeZeroValue assertion</li><li>Bug fixes</li></ul>While there are many things I'd like to do to improve GoConvey I'm really proud of it for now. Thanks also go to the <a href="https://blog.gopheracademy.com/">Gopher Academy Blog</a> for <a href="https://blog.gopheracademy.com/advent-2013/day-04-goconvey">publishing our guest post in its recent Go Advent listing</a> (and thanks again to Matt for writing the article!). I plan on publishing several more posts about how to get the most out of GoConvey to drive the development of your software systems. Stay tuned...

GoConvey features a clean DSL, comprehensive set of built-in assertions, an auto-reloading web UI and fully integrates with GoTest.

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GoConvey - (yet) another testing tool for GoLang

Handling address data is such a routine occurrence for health insurance providers that it’s not the first thing that would come to mind as being a liability. However, the reality is that discrepancies and inaccuracies in address data can have far-reaching consequences, posing serious privacy and compliance risks. Healthcare fraud, reputational damage, and financial penalties are just a few examples of the potential hazards.In this article, we’ll delve into three common types of privacy and compliance risks resulting from incorrect or incomplete address data. Furthermore, we’ll outline effective address management practices that health insurance providers can adopt to mitigate these risks and ensure compliance while safeguarding patient privacy.You no doubt receive mail at your home address from time to time that’s addressed to someone else. If it looks important, you might write "Return to Sender" on the envelope and send it back, but if it seems like junk mail, you probably just toss it into the recycling bin — no big deal.But imagine the piece of mail in question is from a health insurance plan notifying a patient of a change in coverage. The patient doesn’t receive the communication and proceeds with an expensive treatment that’s no longer covered. They get the bill and, upset, initiate a lengthy appeals process and accuse the plan of violating federal regulations requiring timely notice of changes in coverage — all because of an incorrect address.Maybe the patient or an office worker mistyped their address, or perhaps they didn’t update their address when they moved. The address could have been missing a unit number or had a misspelled street name. Whatever the case, the address was inaccurate and the impact real. Address information is a critical part of health data in a world that runs on data, and today it’s expected that data will be consistent, standardized, and secure.<h2>1. Unauthorized disclosures of personal health information</h2>Under HIPAA (the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), personal health information (PHI) includes any individually identifiable health information that is <a href="https://privacyruleandresearch.nih.gov/pr_07.asp#:~:text=Identifiable%20Information,certain%20educational%20and%20employment%20records.">transmitted or maintained in any form or medium</a> (electronic, oral, or paper) by a covered entity, such as a health insurance plan. Sharing PHI without the authorization of the patient is a violation punishable by a fine or even jail time.Medical bills and explanations of benefits (EOBs) are considered PHI, and sending them to the wrong address is a direct violation of HIPAA. If misaddressed mail containing healthcare information is unintentionally disclosed, the responsibility lies with the sender — not the recipient.When it comes to these sensitive communications, it’s vital that the right information goes to the right person — in fact, it can be better not to send it at all than to send it to the wrong address. When a violation happens, a health insurance provider is required to identify where in the process the mistake occurred, contact the patient to explain, and correct and resend the information — a task that involves multiple employees and takes considerable time.Patients also have the right to report the violation, which can result in an investigation by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Part of that investigation looks at what processes or safeguards are in place to prevent sending PHI to inaccurate addresses — and there will be penalties if you don’t have these in place.Having address verification tools in place could prevent violations and protect health insurance providers from steep fines if, somehow, they do occur.<h2>2. Compliance issues</h2>It's no secret that every corner of healthcare is highly regulated. Beyond HIPAA violations for disclosing PHI, there are countless other regulations that affect health insurance plans, and inaccurate or incomplete address data can put a health insurance provider in conflict with many of them.Some rules require health insurance providers to send required notices to members or providers within mandated timelines. For example, a Summary of Benefits and Coverage must be provided within a certain number of days to new applicants, enrollees, or COBRA beneficiaries.Health insurance providers are also responsible for notifying policyholders of coverage changes, as described in the hypothetical situation above and giving proper notice before terminating coverage. Bad address data can cause cascading problems — if someone isn’t paying their premiums because they aren’t receiving the bill due to an inaccurate address, the health plan could cancel their policy but still run afoul of the requirement to inform them in a timely manner.As with HIPAA violations, there are penalties for not complying with these regulations. If a health insurance provider doesn’t have a system in place for verifying and maintaining address data, it loses the ability to argue that it made a good-faith effort to comply with all relevant requirements.In addition to legal consequences, failure to comply and communicate properly with patients has reputational implications. When incorrect or incomplete information causes patients to pay more financially, they also pay more emotionally — and their frustration affects their relationship with the health insurance provider.<h2>3. Increased risk of fraud and partner violations</h2>Health insurance providers share data with a variety of business partners, including providers, labs, and pharmacies. Incorrect or incomplete address data is like a virus that can spread from one entity to another, putting partners at risk for HIPAA violations or mistakes like shipping prescriptions to the wrong address and interrupting patient treatment.From a patient's perspective, these mistakes reflect on the health insurance provider, no matter what other entity might be responsible. Partners need to work together to ensure the accuracy of health data, including address data, as it flows throughout the healthcare system.Documents mailed to bad addresses can also increase the risk of healthcare fraud when the wrong people open letters and misuse the information they find. The financial impact of fraud often comes back on the insurer, so it’s in the interest of health insurance providers to correct addresses not only in their own systems but also those of partners like labs or providers.Fraud costs the insurance industry billions of dollars each year, but insurers can fight back by keeping their records up to date — including address data.<h2>Increase compliance and privacy with address verification tools</h2>HIPAA standards cover more than wrongful disclosures of PHI. They also punish failures to perform organization-wide risk analyses and implement risk-management processes. Health insurance companies should conduct regular self-audits of how they protect PHI, and these audits should include the secure handling of address data.Address verification tools like <a href="/solutions/p-and-c-insurance">Smarty's can help health insurance providers</a> automatically identify and correct incomplete or inaccurate address data and avoid unintentional privacy and compliance violations. It's also possible to dramatically reduce the number of bad addresses that enter the system in the first place by using autocomplete tools. With the right precautions in place, you can protect your health insurance company — and your policyholders — from a multitude of privacy, compliance, and fraud risks.Read the other articles in this series, The Silent Risks of Inaccurate Address Data for Health Insurance Providers:<ul><li><a href="/blog/health-plans-bad-address-data-risks">Part 1: Operational issues</a></li><li><a href="/blog/financial-impact-of-inaccurate-address-data">Part 2: Financial impact</a></li></ul>

When it comes to sensitive communications, it’s vital that the right information goes to the right person. Check out how solid address data benefits health care!

Compliance risks of inaccurate address data for health insurance providers

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Ever since the <a href="https://www.healthmarkets.com/resources/health-insurance/american-healthcare-history/">first Blue Cross health insurance plan</a> was provided to Texas schoolteachers in 1929 for a monthly fee of $6, health insurance providers have formed the backbone of the American healthcare system.Today, as that system faces ongoing scrutiny, health insurance providers are still at the heart of the action, striving to connect patients to the highest possible quality of care while navigating significant changes including rising costs, digital transformation, medical advances, customer expectations, and ever-present regulations. It's more important than ever for health insurance providers to simplify processes and increase efficiency — and the key to efficiency in modern healthcare lies in streamlining and managing the data at the core of operations.In particular, home address data for patients and providers is a critical information point that can have ripple effects on efficiency throughout an organization. Addresses are important because they are often used to combine data from multiple sources. Address discrepancies create significant operational risks for health insurance providers — from inaccuracies in processing individual claims to organization-wide implications for data governance.It doesn’t take much for an address to be wrong. It could be a missing unit number, a misspelled or abbreviated street name, or the wrong label (e.g., street vs. road). Even if an address isn’t technically incorrect, it can still cause problems in health data if it isn’t standardized.The good news is that technology is making it easier for Health insurance providers to boost the accuracy of their address data. In this article, we’ll look at three key operational inefficiencies caused by inconsistent or incomplete address data to understand the crucial role of addresses in streamlining health plan operations.<h2>1. Data governance and sharing issues</h2>Health Insurance providers need to send and receive patient data from providers, pharmacies, labs, and other facilities to coordinate patient care. One way they share this data is through a name, birthdate, and address. Patients provide their address to various providers and facilities, but they may write or enter it slightly differently at different times — for example, on a physical form at a doctor's office and in an online insurance application.This type of human error can make it difficult to match patient data. When a health plan blends data from several sources to process and run reports, address discrepancies can cause duplicate patient records or result in data being attached to the wrong patient. In either case, an inaccurate address in one place can have a domino effect across data sources, such as sending a bill or a prescription to the wrong address or the wrong patient.Clean address data, on the other hand, can help link records for a single patient — for example, if the patient's name is entered inconsistently as John or Johnathan, but the address and birthdate are the same. A system that can recognize and standardize addresses across data sources streamlines data blending and helps minimize errors on both the clinic side and the insurance side.Patient address data is so critical that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Pew Charitable Trusts partnered to create standards for consistently formatting them, known as Project US@. According to <a href="https://www.healthit.gov/buzz-blog/health-data/todays-the-day-for-project-us">HHS</a>, “Among the many data elements that are used in patient matching, research has shown patient address to be one of the most sensitive to standardization and therefore impactful on patient matching, especially at scale.” As health IT teams implement these standards across the system, tools that can apply them to datasets are becoming increasingly valuable.<h2>2. Provider directory inaccuracies</h2>Address data is also an important element of provider directories, where incorrect provider addresses can hinder patients from finding care in their area. Provider directories are notoriously inaccurate, with <a href="https://www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/hlthaff.2015.1554">one study finding</a> that only 30% of patients using provider directories were able to successfully make an appointment with the provider they initially selected. When patients can’t find in-network care in their area, they can end up traveling long distances or paying out-of-network prices.This is frustrating for patients and providers, but the impact goes even deeper. Inaccurate provider data can also cause treatment delays and higher costs. The problem is severe enough that some states are <a href="https://questanalytics.com/news/the-growing-need-for-accurate-provider-data/#:~:text=As%20you%20know%2C%20you%20heavily,repercussions%20of%20inaccurate%20provider%20data">increasing oversight and penalties</a> for health insurance providers that don’t comply with new standards for provider information accuracy.Even when provider address information is correct, patient address information has to be accurate too. If a health plan doesn’t have a patient’s address exactly right, the directory may not display the right providers in their area, making it harder for them to get care — and potentially proving costly for the health plan provider to fix the mistake.Health insurance providers also use provider address data in sales and marketing. For example, as part of a sales quote to a large employer, a health insurance provider might need to demonstrate that every covered employee would have a certain number of eligible healthcare providers within ten miles of their home. The more accurate the addresses in the provider directory, the more sophisticated these types of efforts can be.<h2>3. Problems processing claims</h2><a href="https://blackbookmarketresearch.newswire.com/news/improving-provider-interoperability-congruently-increasing-patient-20426295">One-third of denied claims</a> result from inaccurate patient identification, including inaccurate and incomplete address data, according to market research company Black Book. The amount of time required to revisit appealed claims, identify problems, and track down new address information is a significant drain on a health insurance provider's operational resources and efficiency.Denied claims have a financial impact on both patients and providers, and they also lead to delays in care that adversely affect patient health and future claims. Patients end up paying more than they expected and spending hours sorting out details of claims — and when patients find themselves paying physical and emotional costs in addition to financial costs, they’re more likely to start looking for other health insurance options.<h2>Reduce your operational risk with address verification tools</h2>Without clean address data, health IT teams struggle to manage patient data and provider data, and the extra manual work required to blend data and troubleshoot problems stunts operational efficiency.Fortunately, today's technology makes it easier than ever to identify and correct incomplete or inaccurate address data. Address verification tools like <a href="/solutions/p-and-c-insurance">Smarty™ can streamline processes</a> by automating address validation. You can also prevent bad addresses from entering your system in the first place with autocomplete tools. With the right tools and processes in place, you can mitigate the operational risk caused by faulty address data and create a foundation of reliable health data for the future of your business.Read the other articles in this series, The Silent Risks of Inaccurate Address Data for HealthPlans:<ul><li><a href="/blog/financial-impact-of-inaccurate-address-data">Part 2: Financial Impact</a></li><li><a href="/blog/compliance-risks-of-inaccurate-address-data">Part 3: Security and Privacy Issues</a></li></ul>

Healthcare thrives on accurate data and can suffer silent risks from inaccurate data, such as bad address data. Find out how Smarty™ provides clean data here!

Silent risks of inaccurate address data for health insurance providers

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The silent risks of inaccurate address data for health insurance providers

When it comes to physical health, sometimes the smallest things can have a big impact. A microscopic virus or a small injury can develop into a life-threatening infection before you even know it’s there — and conversely, a tiny pill or ointment can save a life.The little things matter when it comes to health data, too. In particular, address data is a small part of a patient profile that can have far-reaching effects if it is incorrect or incomplete. Address data is a key information point at the center of billing and communication with patients, and even a slight mistake in an address—a missing unit number or a misspelled street name—can make mail undeliverable.Incorrect or incomplete addresses pose significant financial risks for health insurance providers, including the ability to collect premiums and the operational costs involved in fixing problems. Health insurers are faced with the choice to lose money or pass on costs to patients, resulting in a hit to the plan's reputation and competitiveness.It doesn't have to be this way. Modern technology is making it possible for health insurance providers to manage financial risk by improving the accuracy of their address data. This article looks closer at three main financial risks caused by incorrect or incomplete address data, highlighting how improving address data can improve your bottom line.<h2>1. Billing issues</h2>When bills are delivered to an incorrect address, patients can get behind on premium payments. While a hospital or other provider might eventually send a patient to collections, most health insurers will simply cancel the policy after 90 days. This results in an immediate loss of revenue for the health insurance provider, as well as a loss of future revenue that would have come from that customer.Several situations can cause bills to go misdelivered. Customers or sales representatives sometimes mistype home addresses during the sign-up process, and the error follows the patient record through the system. Another problem arises when a patient moves and doesn't update their address with the health insurance provider. Addresses themselves can also change, especially in rural areas—for example, cities may rename streets or change their boundaries when they incorporate. In each of these cases, a tool that can prevent and correct inaccurate addresses can help health insurance providers retain customers by reestablishing contact with them within the 90-day Window.<h2>2. Delays in processing claims</h2>Inaccurate or incomplete address data can also result in delays in processing claims. Up to a third of denied claims result from inaccurate patient identification, including faulty address information, costing the U.S. healthcare system over $6 billion annually. Address data is often used to sync patient information between providers and health insurance providers, and if there is a mismatch, it can cause misidentification and hold up the claims process. <a href="https://www.smarty.com/blog/health-plans-bad-address-data-risks">See Part 1</a> for a detailed discussion of address matching.Revisiting claims that have been rejected and appealed is costly in terms of employee time and makes accounting more difficult. At a time when health insurers are facing extra scrutiny over the number of claims denied, they need to decrease mistaken denials, both for public relations and budgetary reasons.<h2>3. Increased operational budgets</h2>Cleaning and correcting address data creates extra manual work for IT teams, and that work takes time—a lot of time. Organizations that lack automated address verification tools can require four to five times more employees to maintain their data. It's much more cost-efficient to invest in automation, and it makes it much easier to scale a business.Incorrect or incomplete address data can also have ripple effects on other parts of the business. For example, missing payments and delayed claims aren't reflected in financial reports and budget forecasts, making it difficult to track and project true costs. Health insurance providers need real-time visibility into their revenue in order to understand their financial positioning and plan for the future.Inaccurate address data can even lead to lawsuits if private health information is sent to the wrong person, another costly hit to health insurance providers.As health insurance providers look for technological solutions to inaccurate and incomplete address data, they have choices between on-premises and cloud solutions. Choosing to maintain address data on-premises might seem like a cost-saving option, but the costs of hiring more IT staff to manage and update these systems are significant. Relying on a cloud solution maintained by a third party is less expensive and secure, and it allows IT teams to focus on other priorities.<h2>Enhancing healthcare revenue with address data integrity and address verification tools</h2>Address data may seem like a small part of running a health insurance company, but if compromised, it can cause a domino effect that impacts revenue in significant ways.Fortunately, technological tools make it possible to identify and correct incomplete or inaccurate address data. Solutions like Smarty™ offer address verification tools that normalize, match, and validate your address data so you know patient communications and bills are getting to the right people. Smarty also provides an autocomplete tool that helps prevent bad addresses from getting into the system as they are being entered.To use a healthcare metaphor, these two tools together offer both prevention and treatment. With the right tech in place, you can reduce the risks caused by inaccurate or incomplete address data and help ensure the financial health of your business.Read the other articles in this series, The Silent Risks of Inaccurate Address Data for HealthPlans:<ul><li><a href="/blog/health-plans-bad-address-data-risks">Part 1: Operational issues</a></li><li><a href="/blog/compliance-risks-of-inaccurate-address-data">Part 3: Security and privacy issues</a></li></ul>

Incorrect or incomplete addresses pose significant financial risks for health plans. Find out for yourself how Smarty™ gives you whole and accurate data here!

Financial impact of inaccurate address data

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The financial impact of inaccurate address data for health insurance providers

Spend enough time as a software developer, and you learn about the existence and pain of technical debt.Understanding, managing, and communicating technical debt is crucial. It allows us to build more maintainable software, improve our productivity, and even boost team morale.We recently hosted a webinar with one of our software development team leads, Kiersten Nelthorpe, and senior software developer Cody Robertson, where they gave valuable insights and strategies to help you deal with technical debt in your work.<h3>Definition of technical debt</h3>Technical debt is a concept used in software development and engineering to describe the consequences of choosing a quick and easy solution in the short term, which results in increased maintenance costs and reduced efficiency in the long term.In other words, technical debt is similar to financial debt, where you borrow money now to solve a problem but pay it back later with interest. In software development, it refers to the trade-off between choosing a less optimal or temporary solution to meet immediate needs or deadlines, knowing that it’ll require additional work and improvements in the future.Technical debt can accrue for various reasons:1. Time pressure: Developers may have to deliver a feature quickly, leading them to make shortcuts or compromises in code quality.2. Lack of expertise: When developers lack experience or knowledge in a particular area, they may produce less efficient or maintainable code.3. Outdated technology: Using outdated or legacy technology can lead to technical debt, as modernizing the codebase can be more complex and time-consuming.4. Poor design decisions: If the initial software architecture isn’t well thought out, it can lead to technical debt as the project grows.<h3>What are the risks of technical debt</h3>There are negative aspects of technical debt. Much like financial debt, if you allow it to build and build without ever paying it down, you'll find yourself swamped with troubles.For example, with lots of technical debt, you may find that a simple change that would normally take a single day may take five. It can also prevent you from developing anything new because of the knot you're tied up into.Other consequences of technical debt can include:Increased maintenance costs: Poorly designed or hastily written code requires more effort to maintain and fix bugs, raising development costs over time.Increased risk of errors: Technical debt can make code less robust, increasing the likelihood of introducing bugs or security vulnerabilities.Difficulty in scaling: As the project grows, technical debt can hinder scalability and lead to performance issues.However, much like financial debt, not all technical debt is necessarily bad. Let's say you're trying to get code out quickly to get early feedback, or you're trying to release a new key feature where timeliness is important. In this case, you could pay down the technical debt in the future.<h3>Minimizing future debt</h3>At Smarty™, we make very deliberate efforts to decrease the potential for future technical debt. We do this by focusing on a few things.We aren’t afraid to ditch and rewrite the code before merging to the main or releasing it. It may sound like a waste, but the first time around was the cost of discovery and understanding to build it the right way. You don’t have to have everything designed upfront. This can also give us faster feedback cycles.After the functionality is working and there are test cases, we take the time to refactor and make the code cleaner and easier to read before releasing.Use design patterns that facilitate flexibility and make it easy to change things, like the database being used.To learn more about reducing technical debt or how the Smarty development team does it, feel free to view the full webinar recording.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBSjfz8ibg0"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/how_to_measure_technical_debt_post_play_1280_720_9b15870f8f.jpg" alt="how-to-measure-technical-debt-post-play-1280-720.jpg"></a>

Technical debt is choosing a quick and easy solution in the short term, which results in higher costs and reduced efficiency in the long term. Find out more now!

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How to measure, manage, and minimize technical debt

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World Wide Web Day on August 1 celebrates the birth of the World Wide Web and its significant impact on modern society.While the Internet and the World Wide Web are not the same (the Web refers to a web of linked pages via hypertext links while the Internet refers to the exchange of information by people on their own computers), the World Wide Web played a crucial role in making the internet accessible and user-friendly to the general public.Let's explore how the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web have improved address validation and geocoding.<h2>History</h2>My kids might not understand how different the world is now that we have the Web. But it's really not that old.<h3>Birth of the internet (Arpanet)</h3>The internet's roots can be traced back to the late 1960s with the creation of Arpanet, a network developed by the United States Department of Defense's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA).Arpanet was designed to be a decentralized network where multiple computers could share and exchange data by breaking information into small packets and routing them independently to their destination. This packet-switching method allowed for robust and resilient communication even in the event of partial network failures.Arpanet was the first network to use the TCP/IP protocol suite, which is the foundation of today's internet.<h3>World Wide Web (WWW)</h3>British computer scientist Tim Berners-Lee proposed the World Wide Web in 1989 and later released it to the public on August 6, 1991. It provided a user-friendly interface to access information over the internet and enabled the creation of websites interconnected by hyperlinks.This laid the foundation for democratizing information and revolutionized how we access and share knowledge.&nbsp;<h3>Internet and ecommerce boom</h3>With the advent of the World Wide Web, the internet became more accessible to the general public, leading to an eCommerce boom. Businesses started establishing their online presence through websites, allowing them to reach a global audience.<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/announcing_the_internet_newspaper_448_336_3a64c85839.png" alt="Newspaper clipping announcing the internet"><h2>Influence on address data</h2>So how has the World Wide Web influenced how we use and understand address data?<h3>Address validation APIs</h3>Accurate address data validation became essential as eCommerce and online services grew.&nbsp;<a href="/products/us-address-verification">Address validation APIs</a> emerged to ensure that user-provided addresses are correct and complete. These APIs use various data sources and algorithms to verify and standardize addresses, reducing shipping errors and improving customer experience.<h3>Geocoding APIs</h3>Geocoding converts addresses into geographical coordinates (latitude and longitude).&nbsp;<a href="/products/us-rooftop-geocoding">Geocoding APIs</a> enable developers to integrate location-based services into their applications. This has many applications, such as location-based marketing, real-time tracking, and map-based services.<h3>Logistical efficiency</h3>Address validation and geocoding APIs have significantly improved logistical efficiency for businesses that rely on shipping and delivery services. By validating addresses and converting them into precise geographic coordinates, companies can optimize delivery routes, reduce delivery times, and minimize errors in the delivery process.<h3>Location-based services</h3>Integrating geocoding APIs into mobile applications has revolutionized location-based services. From ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft to food delivery services, geocoding APIs enable accurate real-time tracking and efficient navigation.<h2>Where it's headed</h2>Address validation and geocoding APIs provide a seamless user experience by delivering auto-suggestions for addresses, ensuring accurate deliveries, and offering location-specific content and services. Offering this enhanced user experience is becoming essential to companies working in the eCommerce space.Companies that aren't utilizing&nbsp;<a href="https://get.smarty.com/5-address-verification-use-case">cutting-edge address technologies</a> will find themselves floundering, similar to those who refused the internet in the first place.The advent of the internet, particularly the World Wide Web, paved the way for significant advancements in technology and services. As eCommerce and online services flourish, the demand for accurate address validation and geocoding APIs grows.&nbsp;<a href="/products/us-address-verification">These APIs</a> have since been vital in improving logistical efficiency, enhancing user experiences, and enabling a wide range of location-based services in our increasingly connected world.

World Wide Web Day on August 1 celebrates the birth of the World Wide Web and its significant impact on modern society. Read all about it here!

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Celebrate World Wide Web Day

Hey, web developers! Ready to enhance your address forms and provide a seamless user experience? In our new ebook, "Magical Benefits of Address Autocomplete," we explore valuable insights and implementation tips to transform your checkout and make address entry the easiest thing they'll do all day.&nbsp; <a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook">Click here to download the ebook and learn more</a>, or read on to get a preview of what the ebook offers.Let's discuss how&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/articles/reverse-geocoding">reverse geocoding</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/articles/autocomplete">address autocomplete</a> can work together to facilitate zero keystroke autocomplete. We'll provide implementation tips for developers who are ready to zhuzh up their forms.<h2>Form flexibility</h2>When it comes to address forms, we understand that one size doesn't fit all. Destination country, PO Boxes, apartment numbers, and more can make streamlining your checkout flow a nearly insurmountable task.&nbsp;When integrating zero-keystroke autocomplete, you'll want to use&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/articles/address-apis">address APIs</a> that provide fully&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/articles/address-parsing">parsed addresses</a>. When a user's location is used by a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/apis/us-reverse-geocoding">reverse geocoding API</a> or an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/apis/us-autocomplete-pro-api">autocomplete API</a> to suggest valid addresses, you can choose how that information populates in the forms.&nbsp;Common approaches included:&nbsp;1. Populating the entire address in a single field, including the house number all the way through the state and ZIP Code:<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/image2_6fd451312b.jpg" alt="Entire field population">2. Parsing the address into the most expected address fields that are already visible on the page, like Address Line 1, Unit Number, City, State, and ZIP Code:&nbsp;<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/image3_2eed39107a.gif" alt="Parsing addresses into an expected field">3. Keeping all but a single address field hidden until a user makes their selection, then parsing the address into the appropriate components and making only the populated&nbsp; fields visible while keeping irrelevant fields hidden:&nbsp;<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/image1_ccb65aaf35.gif" alt="Single address fields">These approaches help limit the size and complexity of your form. With an uncluttered form, it still accommodates every address combination, molding to the unique components present in any address without confusing users with overly generic or redundant fields that contribute to entry errors.<h2>Have a user location backup plan</h2>In mobile development, Google and Apple allow their users to choose between sharing "Approximate" or "Precise" location data. It's a valuable resource that empowers users to decide how accurate they want their location to be.&nbsp;"Precise" location relies on GPS to pinpoint the user's exact location down to a few meters."Approximate" location uses Wi-Fi and cellular data to locate the device within about 1.2 square miles.Cleary, "Approximate" location isn't sufficient for reverse geocoding, and suggesting the 10 closest addresses to a point somewhere within 1.2 square miles of the user will only lead to confusion. To avoid such issues, it's best to have a backup plan in place and code your&nbsp; integration in a way that skips reverse geocoded address predictions if the location isn't "Precise" and seamlessly moves on to regular autocomplete, and then manual address entry as needed. A reliable fallback!<h2>Ensuring precision</h2>You might be wondering, "How do we determine if the location isn't "Precise"?" Well, there's a helpful metric for that. Look at the horizontal accuracy value provided by the location provider. It gives you insight into the accuracy of the user's location. For example, Android's documentation mentions a 68% confidence level for horizontal accuracy. So, if your user's device reports a horizontal accuracy of 10 meters, it means the true location lies within a circle with a 10-meter radius and 68% confidence.Here's the crucial part. If the horizontal accuracy is low, it's better to stick to regular autocomplete. But if it's high, you can confidently use reverse geocoding and provide your users with even better location-based experiences!<h2>Download the ebook</h2>Are you excited to master the art of form flexibility and improve your web forms' performance? Don't miss the chance to delve into the insights and tips shared in our ebook, "Magical Benefits of Address Autocomplete." It's packed with valuable information and links to documentation to help you enhance your forms and provide a smoother user experience.Remember, your users deserve the best experience on your website. So, learn to implement zero keystroke address autocomplete by downloading our ebook and taking your forms to the next level.Unlock the power of address autocomplete!&nbsp;<a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook">Download the ebook, "Magical Benefits of Address Autocomplete," now</a>. Happy form building!<a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/ebook_82890e68a7.webp" alt="ebook.webp"></a>

We understand that when it comes to address forms, one size doesn't fit all. Come check out our tips for implementing our Address Complete API here!

Address Autocomplete API Implementation Tips

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Address Autocomplete API implementation tips

Smarty™ has been creating top-notch address data tools since it's inception in 2011. A key part of providing the best location data and address data tools in the world is keeping those products at the cutting edge of the industry. We do this by adding new features, products, and solutions that our customers can use to improve their lives as often as we can.In a recent webinar, our Chief Product Officer Berk Charlton outlined some of the newest features we've added to our US Rooftop Geocoding tool.<h3>Smarty's US Rooftop Geocoding</h3>As of July 2023, Smarty's US Rooftop Geocoding tool has a 97% rooftop/parcel accuracy. This means that when you search an address in the United States, we'll drop a pin on the actual rooftop of the building 97% of the time.It's important to note that this includes sub-parcel accuracy, meaning if you have a single building with multiple addresses in it like apartment buildings or malls, we're able to drop a pin on the portion of the rooftop that belongs to that address.Aside from this astounding accuracy, the remaining 3% of addresses can get down to a ZIP9 accuracy.And we don't deliver false positives.This means if we don't have an address, we tell you rather than pretend that we do. This is&nbsp;<a href="https://get.smarty.com/ebook-geocoding">something to consider</a> if you're dealing with large amounts of data in a geocoding tool.<h3>New feature: Census block</h3>In September of 2023, we'll be adding the 15-character 2020 Census Block to our US Master Address List.&nbsp;This information can be used to better understand the properties of the addresses in your database. For example, loan and mortgage compliance (CRA/HMDA) companies will need these codes in order to be compliant with federal lending practices. If you're working with Census demographics, this gives you the information you need all in one fell swoop. If you’re interested in learning how Smarty can help you, take a peek at our <a href="/articles/ffiec-geocoding">FFIEC Geocoding</a> article.If you're a current US Master Address List customer, you'll see these data points added in your next update.<h3>New feature: SmartyKey™</h3>We've added a persistent unique identifier to virtually every postal and non-postal address in the US. New SmartyKeys are added monthly for new addresses.What is a persistent unique identifier you ask?Persistent unique identifiers like SmartyKey are static and consistent identifiers that stick with an address making your database impervious to changes. For example, if the City name changes, the Street name changes, or if the ZIP Code changes.If you're working with data blending—merging, appending, or deplucating—then having SmartyKey in your data makes everything much easier.SmartyKey has already been added to our US datasets.<h3>New product: Address Enrichment</h3>Coming in the next several months, Smarty Address Enrichment will use the SmartyKey to link data from a variety of data sources including:<ul><li>Property data attributes</li><li>Census block number</li><li>Political boundary attributes</li><li>Weather and climate data</li><li>P&amp;C insurance risk attributes</li><li>More to come</li></ul>This enriched data can turn your address database into a treasure trove of data.If you're considering using geocoding tools, you may benefit from our ebook "<a href="https://get.smarty.com/ebook-geocoding">8 Questions to Ask When Selecting a Geocoding API</a>" that Berk mentioned during the session.If you'd like to watch the full webinar recording, you can find that here.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHOEdQEMDog"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/post_play_geocoding_feature_update_1280_720_5b73f66e01.jpg" alt="Geocoding Feature Update: Accuracy, Census Block and Tract, Persistent Unique Identifier, and More Thumbnail"></a>

A key to providing the best location data and address data tools in the world is keeping products cutting-edge in the industry. See how Smarty™ does it now!

Webinar Recap - Geocoding Update - Census Block, Tract, PUID, & More

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Geocoding Feature Update: Accuracy, Census Block and Tract, Persistent Unique Identifier, and More Thumbnail

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Geocoding update: Accuracy, census block and tract, PUID & more

In the realm of corporate meetings that should've been an email, Smarty's staff meetings are different from what most would expect. Employees at Smarty frequently name our weekly company-wide meeting as a highlight of their week.Like many companies, our staff meetings consist of company announcements, and updates you'd expect from any SaaS company. What makes our meetings unique is the lively, interactive, fun atmosphere where laughter is the most common sound and hurting cheeks are the most common symptom.In this post, we'll explore the current anatomy of our ever-evolving staff meetings at Smarty.And it should be no surprise that the secret is: the people.<h2>1. Improv comedian as host - Unleashing creativity and collaboration</h2><a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/brady-amundson">Brady Amundson</a>, our Video/Audio Content Specialist, hosts our weekly staff meetings. Brady performs and teaches improv comedy locally at the local&nbsp;<a href="https://www.improvbroadway.com/">Improv Broadway</a>. He's basically Smarty's version of&nbsp;<a href="https://parksandrecreation.fandom.com/wiki/Duke_Silver">Duke Silver</a>.&nbsp;With the help of other local comedians at Smarty, like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/david-padeken">Customer Success Representative David Padeken</a> and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/jonathan-oliver">CEO/CTO Jonathan Oliver</a>, laughter abounds via spontaneous skits, weird cheers, and inside jokes. Brady encourages creativity and collaboration among employees throughout the meeting. These improv moments not only inject energy into staff meetings, but also foster a culture of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.&nbsp;By embracing spontaneity, Smarty staff meetings become dynamic spaces where ideas flow freely, and individuals feel empowered to contribute as much or as little of their perspectives as they want.According to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/trey-rutter">Trey Rutter</a>, Dev / Ops IT Associate, meetings are:&nbsp;"Totally fun and crazy with a small side of agenda items."<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/smarty_crew_lined_up_448_336_3bfa480037.webp" alt="smarty-crew-lined-up-448-336.webp"></figure><h2>2. Full team engagement</h2>While company announcements and updates are crucial for keeping employees informed, Smarty staff meetings take them to a whole new level. Instead of simply relaying information, these meetings transform announcements into engaging and memorable experiences.We share and celebrate exciting milestones like employment anniversaries or birthdays for every single employee and their spouse or significant other.&nbsp;We celebrate product launches and the teams that worked on them. We also celebrate product updates in a way that keeps everyone informed of changes while patting development teams on the back.We discuss strategic developments such as training, personnel changes, and vision/goal check-ins.By doing this, the company ensures that each announcement is delivered with enthusiasm and clarity, capturing the attention and interest of the team.Gianmarco Rosborough, from our legal team, said it best, "[Staff meeting] carbonates our drink!"<h2>3. Building unity</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/smarty_staff_meetings_from_side_035f35851f.webp" alt="Smarty staff meeting">Inside jokes have a magical way of bringing people closer together. Smarty staff meetings thrive on these shared humorous moments, inside references, and amusing stories. These jokes act as a bonding agent, fostering a sense of unity among the team members.These kinds of jokes can be dangerous and exclusionary. However, done right, they create an inclusive environment where everyone feels like part of an inside circle, resulting in stronger relationships and a more cohesive work culture.Conversations are frequent of a new hire asking for the story behind a joke, providing an opportunity for folks to get to know one another as they share the joke with a new friend.Our President and COO, Doug Edwards, says:&nbsp;"Smarty staff meetings are unlike any I've ever experienced... in a good way! It's more like organized chaos, seriously informational and improvisational enough to fit perfectly with our core values of not taking ourselves too seriously but being serious about the value we create.How often do you see employees look forward to staff meetings and then see all the employees smiling and laughing throughout? We see it every week."<figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/smartys_playing_with_legos_448_336_278c030b2a.webp" alt="Smartys playing with legos"></figure><h2>4. Dan from HR: The fall man</h2>One of those inside jokes is the great performance of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/dan-lambourne">Dan from HR</a>.Dan is an integral and hilarious part of our meetings. He adds a touch of levity, making even the most serious topics more approachable. Dan's presence not only serves as comic relief but also humanizes the HR department, reinforcing the idea that work can be both productive and enjoyable.Here's an example of Dan and Brady from the HR Minute segment of staff meeting:Brady: And now let's all give a nice braying like a baby goat as we welcome up Dan from HR.Audience: *<a href="https://youtu.be/vll33KEoCcc">Braying</a>*Dan walks up in feigned shock and horror.Dan: Wow. That was…. Horrifying. I guess I'll tell you, guys, about the upcoming company catering we're getting on Friday. And before you bray at me again, don't forget to turn in your company review surveys by Friday as well. Please, please let me go back to my seat without the goat noises.Brady: Thanks, Dan, let's all make the sound of angry dogs as Dan makes his way back to his seat.Audience: GrowlingMakes you want to attend a staff meeting, doesn't it?<h2>5. Focusing on people</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/staff_meeting_from_the_back_e44d2b4951.webp" alt="Smarty staff meetings">Amidst all the announcements, inside jokes, improv moments, and stats, Smarty staff meetings remain firmly rooted in their focus on our people. The meetings create a safe and inclusive space where every team member has a voice. They prioritize personal and professional growth, recognize individual achievements, and encourage open dialogue.Smarty staff meetings are more than just gatherings to disseminate information. They are vibrant and engaging experiences that celebrate the unique culture of the company. Each element contributes to creating an environment where people thrive.We'll wrap up with a quote that really sums up the essence of our staff meetings: "If staff meeting had any more drip it would be a waterfall." -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/landon-fackrell">Landon Fackrell</a>So, the next time you're sitting in your staff meeting trying not to fall asleep, take some time to check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers">Smarty's careers page</a> and see if you'd like to join our amazing culture and company.

Discover the unconventional charm of Smarty's staff meetings: A blend of laughter, interaction, and camaraderie that creates highlights of the week.

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Inside Smarty™ - Staff meeting

August 22, 2023 - PROVO, Utah - <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.smarty.com&amp;esheet=53543525&amp;newsitemid=20230822060689&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=Smarty&amp;index=1&amp;md5=5e336486b3a86c1949b152817769707c">Smarty</a>, the location data intelligence leader, has secured its place as a finalist in the prestigious 2023 SaaS Awards program, competing in the category of Best SaaS Product for Shipping, Inventory or Vehicle Logistics.Now celebrating its 8th year, the SaaS Awards continues to recognize and honor outstanding SaaS innovations from all corners of the world. Entries from hundreds of companies spanning North America, Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Australasia were received.Smarty's suite of address APIs offers lightning-fast, dependable, easy-to-implement, and highly accurate address data intelligence solutions, including address validation, address autocomplete, and geocoding for US and international addresses. Some of the world's largest shipping, inventory, and vehicle logistics companies, including DHL, Walmart, and FedEx, rely on Smarty for their critical operations."Smarty is one of the most accurate of the more affordable address data solutions,” said Brady Anderson, CEO of SalesRabbit, a vehicle routing logistics software provider for outside sales teams. "Being able to accurately position prospect data on the right homes is a key part of our company. Smarty is a big component of us accomplishing that for our customers.”Berkley Charlton, Chief Product Officer at Smarty, expressed, “Being recognized as a finalist in The SaaS Awards 2023 is a testament to our team's dedication and the trust our clients place in our solutions. We're honored to be nominated in the Best SaaS Product for Shipping, Inventory or Vehicle Logistics category and remain committed to pushing the boundaries of what's possible in address intelligence.”The winners of The SaaS Awards will be notified on 13 September 2023.As The SaaS Awards 2023 received hundreds of entries from across the globe, the program promises to return in 2024, continuing its tradition of recognizing international SaaS excellence across various industries.James Williams, Head of Operations at The SaaS Awards, said: “Each year, we see an explosion of competition and brilliant ideas in every submission. The finalists this year promise an exciting contest in the last stage of the program. Selecting the ultimate SaaS winner solutions among these exceptional entries will definitely be a challenging task."To explore the complete list of finalists, please visit <a href="https://cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT?id=smartlink&amp;url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cloud-awards.com%2F2023-saas-awards-finalists%2F&amp;esheet=53543525&amp;newsitemid=20230822060689&amp;lan=en-US&amp;anchor=their+finalist+list&amp;index=2&amp;md5=5791b0fef889c5dd44d65cfc6284e6bd">their finalist list</a>.

Smarty: Finalist in SaaS Awards 2023! Join the celebration of innovation. Discover how Smarty's solutions excel. Come find out about why Smarty is a finalist!

Smarty named as finalist in The Saas Awards

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Smarty™ named a finalist at the SaaS Awards for Excellence in Shipping, Inventory, and Vehicle Logistics category

In today's fast-paced tech world, it's essential to gain insights from those who have been in the trenches, building, testing, and creating software that impacts our daily lives. One such individual is Michael Whatcott, a key figure at Smarty. Let's dive into his journey, approach, and the knowledge he's garnered over the years.But that’s just Michael's professional bio. To know who Michael is, we’ve asked for some clarification.<h2>Explain it to a 10-year-old: What do you do at Smarty?</h2><blockquote>I work on the tools and systems that make payments, manage subscriptions, and create reports here at Smarty. Imagine trying to fill in a diary years after things happened; that's what I've been doing with our databases.</blockquote><h2>What is the most surprising thing you learned about addresses after joining Smarty?</h2><blockquote>You may or may not know this, but addresses can be a mess! But here's a fun fact:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/docs/zip-codes-101">ZIP Codes</a> are more like meandering lines than closed shapes. They help mail carriers deliver packages and can even cross city or state boundaries!</blockquote><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/micheal_and_dirk_eating_448_336_74c52a34c7.webp" alt="Michael and Dirk Eating"><h2>When you were in elementary school, what did you want to be when you grew up?</h2><blockquote>I've always thought that it would be awesome to be a computer programmer, just like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/dirk-whatcott">my dad, Dirk</a>! And now we both work here at Smarty!</blockquote><h2>What do you enjoy about your job role at Smarty?</h2><blockquote>The process of turning my own ideas into working systems that derive real value is exhilarating.</blockquote><h2>What challenges do you face in your job role at Smarty?</h2><blockquote>Something I've always found challenging is balancing visible features that stakeholders want with essential clean-up tasks that nobody realizes are necessary. This can really be quite a difficult task and is something that needs constant attention.</blockquote><h2>How have you developed your job-related skills?</h2><blockquote>I've been lucky to work with great teachers like Smarty's founder,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/jonathan-oliver">Jonathan Oliver</a>, who taught me about production-grade software engineering and distributed systems. I also apprenticed with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/martinmicah/">Micah Martin</a> from Clean Coders Studio who taught me functional programming as well as Agile principles, patterns, and practices. I've also developed my skills by reading, trial and error, and coding for fun on platforms like projecteuler.net and adventofcode.com.</blockquote><h2>Do you have any completely irrelevant skills or talents?</h2><blockquote>I don’t know if I’d call them irrelevant, but in a past life I was a band teacher and I still play various instruments. I also enjoy composing music.</blockquote><h2>What or who inspires you, and why?</h2><blockquote>I enjoy learning about Fred Rogers. He was kind to everyone and influenced millions with his messages and music.</blockquote><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/smarty_singers_at_lagoon_448_336_f86c892d7c.webp" alt="Smarty Singers performing at Lagoon"><h2>What are some of the most valuable lessons you've learned at Smarty?</h2><blockquote>The core values of Smarty really are the DNA of the organization. At Smarty, I’ve learned about the following things.<ol><li>The&nbsp;Outward Mindset, as taught by the Arbinger Institute, which helps me measure and improve my impact on the organization,</li><li>The “Getting Things Done" (GTD) methodology, which allows me to operate with a clear head and a positive sense of relaxed control even when there is an overwhelming number of things to do, which is a perfect description of&nbsp;Wizardry. (Also, how to design and write testable software, which is important because if it’s testable, it’s fixable!)</li><li>The idea that if we’re not having&nbsp;Fun together, we’re doing something wrong.</li></ol></blockquote><h2>What do you think makes our company culture unique, and how do you contribute to maintaining that culture?</h2><blockquote>Smarty is unique in supporting the culture here with a shared vocabulary and an understanding of Arbinger principles. It's a vibrant environment that has only gotten better and more fun as we've grown, which is just amazing!</blockquote><h2>What has been your most joyous discovery?</h2><blockquote>It's a quote from the great Jazz pianist Dave Frank (and one of my former teachers), "Within you, an infinite stream of music can flow, as endless as an ocean and as individual as a fingerprint."</blockquote><h2>10+ years of experience - What tips would you give experienced employees looking for career advancement?</h2><blockquote>Career advancement isn't just about climbing the corporate ladder. Focus on becoming excellent at what fulfills you.</blockquote>Tech can be complex, but people like Michael Whatcott make it feel more human. From fun ZIP Code facts to real-life advice, Michael's journey shows it's not just about the tech but the stories and passion behind it. Whether you're new to tech or a pro, Michael's story is a reminder to enjoy what you do and stay true to yourself.We love having Michael with us here at Smarty. Want to work with awesome people like Michael? Do you live in Utah? Then check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers">our careers page</a>.

Dive into the journey, approach, and insights of Michael Whatcott, a key figure at Smarty, as he shares his experiences and lessons from the tech world.

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Inside Smarty™ - Michael Whatcott

Crowd-source data is a term that has gained significant traction in recent years. In a recent webinar, we brought in our own Adam Charlton to talk about what can and can’t be trusted when using Open Source or Crowd-Sourced address data.<h2>Defining crowd-source data</h2>At the outset, it's imperative to understand what we mean by crowd-source data. It essentially refers to data that is both gathered and curated by individuals. The distinguishing feature here is that the data's curation process isn't dictated by a centralized authority or stringent verification system but by the same community that's gathering and supplying the data. If you're familiar with Wikipedia, that's a practical example of this model in action. For a more industry-centric illustration, consider OpenStreetMaps, an exemplar of crowd-source data in the addressing world.&nbsp;<h2>The good</h2><h3>Local regionalization</h3>One of the standout advantages of crowd-source data is its ability to reflect local nuances. Whether it's New York, New Orleans, Hawaii, or Los Angeles, addresses are influenced by the local culture, traditions, and customs. OpenStreetMaps is a testament to this, capturing the authentic flavor of addresses in places like Utah, where traditional suffixes like 'street' or 'road' aren't commonly used.&nbsp;<h3>Global scope</h3>Beyond the US, crowd-source data projects a global narrative, capturing information from every corner of the globe - be it London, Canada, or Australia.&nbsp;<h3>Community engagement</h3>Perhaps the biggest boon of crowd-source data is the community that backs it. These passionate individuals not only provide the data but also assist others in making the most of it.&nbsp;<h3>Cost-effectiveness</h3>A significant upside is the affordability factor. Most crowd-source data is available at minimal to no cost.&nbsp;<h3>Swift updates</h3>Another upside is the rapid update cycle. For instance, a new building's address might find its way onto OpenStreetMaps before it's officially registered by the government.<h3>Lesser vandalism concerns</h3>Compared to larger platforms like Wikipedia, platforms like OpenStreetMaps experience lower levels of sabotage or vandalism. While not entirely immune, the threat is considerably reduced.<h2>The not-so-good</h2><h3>Quality consistency</h3>The flip side of local regionalization is the lack of standardization. Without centralized standards, data can vary widely, even within the same vicinity.<h3>Genuine errors</h3>While vandalism might not be a significant concern, genuine mistakes do creep in. For instance, mistakes in designating one-way roads can have real-world implications.<h3>Incomplete data</h3>The voluntary nature of data input means there can be considerable gaps. Some areas might be densely populated with information, while others are glaringly empty.<h2>The balancing act</h2>&nbsp;Crowd-source data presents an intricate balancing act. While the benefits are clear, they are intrinsically tied to the drawbacks. Excellent localization comes at the price of inconsistent standardization. Swift updates might mean lesser verification. And while you might get high-quality data, the coverage could be inconsistent.&nbsp;Want to learn more about what Adam covered in this webinar? You can view the recording right here:<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beeRXo9uXTc&amp;ab_channel=Smarty"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/post_play_pros_and_cons_1280_720_921f15374f.jpg" alt="Pros and Cons of Open Source and Crowd-Sourced Data"></a>

Explore the world of crowd-sourced data, it's reflecting nuances, global scope, and community engagement, but also facing challenges. Find out more now!

Pros and Cons of Open Source and Crowd-Sourced Data

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Can you trust crowd-sourced address data?

Address keys can be used to improve data blending, update and enrich addresses, reduce data processing time, and protect personally identifiable information. In this webinar, we brought in our product marketing manager John Hickey to teach about what they are, how they work, why they're crucial for data management, the different types available, what to look for in one, and what to avoid.Ultimately, John pointed out five primary uses for address keys: 1. Update Address Changes2. Simplify Data Blending3. Reduce Processing Time4. Protect Personally Identifiable information (PII)5. Enhance Property DataIn this recap, we'll go over these, but if you'd like to watch the full webinar recording you can do so below.<h2>1. Update address changes</h2>Addresses change way more often than you'd think. Hundreds of thousands of addresses change every year in the U.S. alone. Street numbers change to help first responders, to reflect changes in attitudes, or because the street names are very difficult to use or say.Zip Codes change also, especially the ZIP+4 depending on the delivery route. If you use an address key like SmartyKey™ then no matter how an address changes, your database will not be affected and will still be trustworthy.<h2>2. Simplify data blending</h2>Merging address databases is not unheard of. In fact, it's one of the primary reasons people require address standardization when considering address validation tools. In the example John shared, you can see how two addresses that are similar can be normalized, standardized, and verified thanks to an address key.<h2>3. Reduce processing time</h2>Having to store addresses, or even large address keys can cause a problem when it comes to data storage and data processing. One software engineer reported that using a compact address key like SmartyKey saved them up to 20 hours each blending period.For an example John showed how a Google Place ID could take up to 86 bytes of storage, while a compact integer address key would only take up 10 bytes. Talk about data savings!<h2>4. Protect PII</h2>There are several reasons why address keys make your address data safer for you and your contacts. For every piece of PII you have, you increase your chances of liability. You can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/blog/address-data-legalities">learn more about this here</a>. There are several benefits to using an address key when it comes to PII.<ul><li>Randomly generated keys can't be reverse-engineered</li><li>When sharing data you can replace the address with the key</li><li>You can combine another piece of PII to an address key without increasing risk</li></ul><h2>5. Enhance property data</h2>Address validators may offer property data enrichment, and having an address key makes appending information to your database a snap. It's of value to note that enriched property data is typically public information and does not count as additional PII. Having additional data points improves business intelligence and helps with analysis and decision-making. One example would be when working in insurance or real estate.<h2>SmartyKey access</h2>You can get access to Smarty's premium address key in several of our products.&nbsp; <a href="https://www.smarty.com/articles/address-key-persistent-unique-identifiers-puid">SmartyKey</a><a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/us-master-address-list">US Master Address List</a> <a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/us-rooftop-geocoding">US Rooftop Geocoding</a>If you'd like to view the full recording, you can do so here.<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAMfgXGxQ9I"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/post_play_address_keys_1280_720_bc3383dbe0.jpg" alt="Learn from our expert! Join the webinar with John Hickey to understand address keys' role in data enhancement, protection, and efficient management."></a>&nbsp;

Learn from our expert! In this webinar recap with John Hickey you'll learn about address keys' role in data enhancement, protection, and efficient management.

Address Keys: 5 Data Management Uses and How to Choose One

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Learn from our expert! Join the webinar with John Hickey to understand address keys' role in data enhancement, protection, and efficient management.

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Address keys: 5 data management uses and how to choose one

Have you ever walked past those upside-down Smarty™ banners at BYU and wondered, "What's going on here? Did someone make a mistake? Is somebody getting fired?"We know it really&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/byumanutd/status/1571653300034088961?s=20">shook some people up</a>.Smarty™ isn't a company that stays inside the most standard lines when it comes to advertising. From&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/qfFF2aE5jPo?list=PLQXmWnrtRK9zvnjnwQsHCG0Eu9oWv8Idb">hiring the wrong Tom Cruise for our video ads</a>, to posting ads in magazines with the tagline "don't scan this QR code," we've never really fit the standard mold.And the upside-down banners at Brigham Young University are yet another one of those moments. If you're wondering why they're upside-down, this blog is for you.<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/g_w3_MY_8v9_G_Zr_Myg_Tn_Y1t8_IAY_3_Tw0_3ik_Zvpt_Qfn_NY_3ju_LR_Ix_Tf_n_Hya3sbbcm_NR_1_Y7_Is_Iq_Z8_5dv_A1_Vot_CE_Uyz_RP_Pn_ANWIAPP_Bh_Z_Yq_Um_K7_MLI_4e_Hortyaq_Ju4xshkv_E8_Xk_Mit_LR_w_Ls_DDG_TSZ_Zq_NQ_cfe068a520.jpeg" alt="Smarty employees with upside-down logo"><h2>The core value of fun</h2>We have three core values. Only three. One of them is "fun". That means ⅓ of our core is fun.We've found that a large part of that fun is learning to not take things too seriously, including when our logo isn’t hung right-side-up.We do other fun things too, like go on trips to Disneyland, cruises together, eating together&nbsp;a lot, and other activities. So why shouldn't that melt into our work?We feel that upside-down banners offer a playful twist that embodies our company culture.<h2>The buzz factor</h2>As mentioned above, having a banner in such a public place that seems to be in error has generated a surprising amount of buzz. Our eyes tend to be drawn to things we perceive as broken, wrong, or out of the ordinary. The internet has enflamed that tendency in all of us, and it really helps draw the eye of onlookers who take a moment to look up from the football game.There have been conversations on Twitter, LinkedIn, and even in real-world settings revolving around Smarty's banner "mixup." One person even suggested that whoever put the sign up would likely lose their job. Apparently, this resonates with people one way or another.The value we've found in this buzz has been tremendous, and we'll get into more about that in a moment.<h2>The QR code: A flashback</h2>When we first started flying the Smarty banner at BYU it had a QR code&nbsp;<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ">that linked here</a>.That got&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/mholt6/status/1563630130777300992?s=20">a lot of buzz too</a>.Finding the right content to link to when doing real-world brand ads can be difficult. As Utah-based billboard company Blip says, outdoor advertising is for building name recognition. People will google your company name and are unlikely to scan a QR code or remember a website. Of course, that didn't stop us from having the QR code. But people most likely googled the company name. And for those who scanned it… we're sorry. Kind of.<h2>The BYU connection: More than just banners</h2>There are a few facts that connects Smarty to BYU.<ul><li>Our CEO, Jonathan Oliver is an alumnus.</li><li>In 2021, he offered&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/blog/smartystreets-inks-deal-with-byu-female-student-athletes">an NIL deal to all female athletes</a> at the university.</li><li>He has continued to offer&nbsp;<a href="https://twitter.com/byusoccer_w/status/1585436419706998784?s=20">other programs and donations</a> to the school.</li><li>We have had software development internships offered to many students from the university.</li><li>Smarty is located in Provo, meaning that BYU and those interested in/associated with the school are our neighbors and friends.</li><li>Smarty consists of 100% in-office employees, meaning that advertising for local talent at BYU for students and alumni is valuable.</li></ul>Several current team members learned about Smarty thanks to those inverted banners, including folks in our IT department, HR department, and software development.<h2>The future of the upside-down banners</h2>So, will the upside-down banners go away? Probably, but not anytime soon.Smarty is moving our HQ to a new office in Orem in 2024 near Utah Valley University. The building is currently under construction, and on the banners around the building, you'll find signs with the inverted logo. Interested in working at Smarty?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers#open-positions">Check out our open positions</a>.Hopefully, that answered your questions, cleared up some confusion, and helped you understand why the Smarty banners are upside-down at Brigham Young University.

Check out Smarty's upside-down banners around the BYU campus. Explore our quirky advertising with a playful twist. Read on for the full scoop here!

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The story behind Smarty's upside-down banners at BYU

In the mystical and beloved land of Middle-earth envisioned by J.R.R. Tolkien, we find a powerful lesson encapsulated in the gentle beings of the Shire, the hobbits. As the world celebrates Hobbit Day today, we at Smarty™ take a moment to reflect upon the substantial parallels between Tolkien's humble hobbits and the fundamental principles steering the realm of address data intelligence.<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/EW_Vdv_H75w_Dvvujrr_Spd_L_Ae_Jy0he6p6_Oj1m2dccj_XT_8_S_Vi_h8_I04esdk6_PHL_Mw_I1_M1_NY_Mhrt_dk5m_S_Oh1hh_JSFW_7yy_Sf_E9_Psv3_E39_Wi_R5ov_Q_Ol_Rwnzeiw_Jne_V_Jw_Ta_K_Bkg_Fq_IF_Vbjc_Ee_N8k_V_Rz_Q8_9b019f17e5.png" alt="The fellowship of the ring">In the grand scheme of things, it’s often easy to overlook the small, the quiet, the unassuming. This is one of the several clever reasons JRR Tolkien chose these garden-loving creatures as his heroes. In contrast to conventional heroism, hobbits represent the inversion of traditional heroic characters. They're the size of children, live in holes in the ground, and the rest of the world often overlooks them. In fact, multiple times throughout the Lord of the Rings books, when new characters meet hobbits, they don't even know what hobbits are.Just as hobbits, with their modest stature and quiet demeanor, played a pivotal role in saving Middle-earth, quality address data tools should embody a similar ethos - small, easily integrated, often unnoticed, but capable of yielding monumental results.In the dynamic business landscape, the quest for seamless operations is akin to the journey to Mount Doom. Here, the role of address data tools can be likened to that of the hobbits – operating silently in the background, effortlessly integrating into existing systems, and unlocking pathways to remarkable outcomes with their precision and reliability. Like the hobbits, these tools may not clamor for attention, yet their impact resonates powerfully, steering organizations toward success and innovation.Here are four ways you can check your address data tools past "the hobbit test."<h3>1. Modest in size</h3>Many times, hobbits' small size proved extremely useful. Bilbo Baggins was hired as a burglar by the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain. Frodo and Sam were able to sneak past Minas Morgul in large part because of their small, low-impact statures.Similarly, your address data tools should be light-footed on your operations while still packing enough punch to change your data world for the better. The best address tools are often unseen because they're too busy working. Suppose you have to change your entire process or lead on a heavy-handed troll of a tool to get valid and standardized address data. In that case, you're not passing the hobbit test.<h3>2. Inner strength</h3>Hobbits are depicted as hardy and resilient, able to endure hardships that might overwhelm larger beings. They were the only creatures capable of possessing the ring for long periods without being immediately corrupted completely. Merry and Pippin went to war riding with the Rohirrim and standing with the men of Minas Tirith, while Frodo and Sam fought a giant spider and other monsters. They're incredibly loyal with extreme courage and determination.Your address data tools should be extremely powerful. You should be able to scrub your entire address database in no time, accurately defining deliverability and validity&nbsp;every time. If you're geocoding, you should be able to put a pin&nbsp;on the rooftop. If you find yourself in a proverbial tunnel with a metaphoric giant spider, you should be able to trust your address data tools to support you 100%.<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/PN_63w_Sw_Y5n_Y9_Aep0_Qh_U_Vh43_Qh_X_Cmm4_I_D1_Fy_Ir_j8_AE_0_TI_0h_O_bu_Bm_Q1_Tv_N_Ly_Y2_R_Ahshi_XBC_2rlc94_K_gsjq2i_Vur_Z_Wi9_Uc0rym8kw_Dpco6f_Vty_Qj4_Xpp_D_Xm177_S_Hw_F_Jl_AGUSW_9o_Es_F_Gc86x_E2_Gdg_40cdd60c28.png" alt="Shelob and Sam"><h3>3. Simplicity</h3>Hobbits are simple creatures. They're described as loving finely crafted objects, delicious food, simple beer, gardening, and the more simple parts of the world around them. When in the throws of despair, the things that Frodo mentions are not fancy things but rather the feel of grass and the sound of flowing water. If you want to keep a hobbit happy, simply keep them fed and give them a garden to work in.Ease of use is a massive factor for folks looking for address data tools. Do you need an expert who specializes in setting up and managing your address data tool? Do you cry a little bit inside when you realize you have to make adjustments to your address data tools? If so, your tool is failing the hobbit test.<h3>4. Adaptability</h3>Frodo inherited his uncle Bilbo's estate and spent most of his time managing it. Sam was his gardener. And Merry and Pippin were essentially just town hooligans. Yet they were able to adapt to their adventure, changing from six meals a day to hardly any, from lives of leisure and relaxation to heavy travel and war, from being average height among their peers to being the smallest. Their adaptability proved extremely useful in their adventure across Middle-earth.Your current address data needs may change as your organization changes and grows over time. Will your tools adapt to you? Are they malleable enough to fit to your needs, no matter what they are? If not, then your tool doesn't pass the hobbit test.<h3>How does Smarty measure up?</h3>Do Smarty's address data tools pass the hobbit test? Let's see.Smarty operates via lightning-fast APIs. The code needed to call these APIs is extremely&nbsp;modest in size. Our users report that utilizing our address validation and geocoding tools puts 0 strain on their current operations.The&nbsp;strength of Smarty's tools can be found in its speed, reliability, and quality of reporting. As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.g2.com/products/smartystreets-smarty/reviews/smarty-review-5038312">Terry C.</a>, an owner of a small business, puts it, "Fast, reliable and prevents a lot of fake customers and wasted driving."Our users find that implementing Smarty's APIs is one of the most&nbsp;simple things to do. As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.g2.com/products/smartystreets-smarty/reviews/smarty-review-7434970">Chris B.</a>, a senior developer, noted, "The API is simple to set up and use. Documentation is thorough and easy to use and understand."As far as&nbsp;adaptability goes, Smarty fits all organizations, no matter how big or small. As&nbsp;<a href="https://www.g2.com/products/smartystreets-smarty/reviews/smarty-review-4757330">Joseph M.</a>, a web developer, outlined, "[Smarty] allows us to scale up and down very easily as our needs change."So yeah, we pass the hobbit test.<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/F7_JT_tc7_B_Dbu_r4_V6tvxq_A_Fp_IUT_4f_Xg_Y_Gi7_H_Nsd9_Dor_X_Ct_Drnth_Wbz_J_0q_Jm5f2_G_Xf_D_Oqq_T_Yw_QE_BQI_8v_Owvr_Af2nd_H_Od_Bzp_E_Hx_N_2_K9_Dt_W_Ch6_EWCB_ofy_J_Ov_B5_Wsdu_QG_8_D_Whh_KZ_Gq_Tq_Dj_QO_7_UNJ_Ow_363f724e5b.png" alt="Hobbit with Smarty logo on cloak">This Hobbit Day, join us in celebrating the 'hobbit-like' essence of address data tools - the unsung heroes in the data analytics journey, fostering a world where even the smallest integrations can make the biggest difference. Let's embark on a journey that promises not just insights but a revolution, one small step at a time, towards a future that’s not only data-driven but smartly navigated.

Celebrate Hobbit Day with Smarty™ as we explore the parallel between hobbits and address data intelligence. Embrace the 'hobbit-like' spirit of address data with us.

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Hobbit Day

Did you miss our recent webinar on how to use our new Google Sheets and Excel plugins for address validation? Don't worry; we've got you covered. This blog post provides an in-depth summary, highlighting essential functionalities, setup processes, and answers to some pertinent questions raised during the webinar.&nbsp;<h3>The basics</h3>We want to make it easier for businesses to validate addresses and retrieve necessary data efficiently. While we do have a bulk validation tool that can be accessed as a demo or a full tool, we find that most people are already working with address data in a spreadsheet form, usually in Excel. So instead of making you copy and paste your data into a validation tool, you can now use a plugin to access Smarty's address validation directly inside Google Sheets or Excel.In this webinar we demonstrated on Google Sheets; however, an Excel version is also going to be available. The Google Sheets plugin we showcased is not yet available as of the date of publication, but should be available any day now, with the Excel version coming shortly after.The plugin is designed to be as user-friendly as possible. The operation boils down to highlighting the addresses in your sheet and clicking a "Validate" button.<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/7y8_Lj_Fz5_B_Badd_E1_Mj8_J1_We7fe_FZ_5_Dy_Fd8wt50_t_S5_WBDG_0_L2m_Rox_CNP_7mh_Pd_Ncma_I4_MJ_0_Y_Fc_Mn_Ys_F4e_U7_HXS_Nir_OX_Reun5_MIPF_6b_YAVI_Tdm80x_Y_Wjws_Ggn_Sq4_A4_Hmcg_DZE_39_WQ_7_Rt8_D4_Pz_O1n_BNO_Tc_2491076aa2.png" alt="7y8LjFz5BBaddE1Mj8J1We7feFZ5DyFd8wt50-tS5WBDG0L2mRoxCNP7mhPdNcmaI4MJ0YFcMnYsF4eU7HXSNirOX_Reun5MIPF6bYAVITdm80xYWjwsGgnSq4A4HmcgDZE39WQ7Rt8D4PzO1nBNOTc"><h3>Functionality</h3>While you can use the plugin to check just one address, doing bulk validation is where Smarty's power can be seen. Simply highlight a list of addresses, click validate, and retrieve all the validated data.If you're used to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/list">using the bulk validation tool</a> you'll be surprised to know that you don’t need to have column headers, nor break your data out into separate components. The plugin currently supports freeform input, where the entire address is in a single cell. Split-cell functionality is still under development. So if you have your address data by components, you'll need to join the cells before you process them.Once you've processed your records, which happens with classic Smarty™ speed, you'll be able to view all of the address data for each address validated. You'll see status messages, postal matches, and additional meta-data straight into your spreadsheet.<h3>Getting started</h3>For Google Sheets, go to Extensions -&gt; Add-ons -&gt; Get Add-ons. You'll find the <a href="https://workspace.google.com/u/0/marketplace/app/smarty_address_verification/440495665921">Smarty plugin listed in the Google Workspace Marketplace for free.</a> For Excel, it'll be via the Excel store.Once you've installed the plugin into either Google Sheets or Excel, simply insert your Auth ID and Auth Token, which you can retrieve from your Smarty API keys page.<img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/9_DXY_5_Xvdt_QVS_3_Lwkn7_XA_Nc_CXZ_Ajs_MG_5_Wr_LOP_5_OC_3e_puud_R_Pu_Dq9_Dg_O_Nnq_Fa_PJE_pm_EN_Te_WQIRR_Lh1_Lxg_Ub_Q_Zy3_BG_Xz_PYP_Kc9s_Do_nv_Da8dm_Lk4m_Ir_OT_4_Qat1y_dd1t_WX_Yv_Rv_Wmo9_IQ_Bus_ES_Lmk_DE_0c190b5e92.png" alt="Secret key interface from Smarty">For detailed written setup instructions, see <a href="/articles/batch-address-validation-geocoding-excel">How to batch geocode and validate addresses in Excel</a>.<h3>Q&amp;A</h3>Q: How does it handle multiple candidate addresses?A: Picks the first, best candidate, similar to our other bulk validation tools.Q: Can it validate suite numbers?A: Yes, suite numbers are validated, maintaining API functionalities.Q: Do I still get deliverability and other data?A: The plugin provides a status message for each address, and additional deliverability data is also available.Q: When will the plugins be publicly available?A: <a href="https://workspace.google.com/u/0/marketplace/app/smarty_address_verification/440495665921">Smarty's Address Verification Google Sheets plugin is now live</a>.Smarty's Google Sheets and Excel plugins promise to be powerful tools for professionals regularly dealing with address data. They offer a streamlined, efficient way to manage large datasets and validate addresses without coding.If you're a CIO, data analyst, operations manager, or anyone who could benefit from these functionalities, <a href="https://workspace.google.com/u/0/marketplace/app/smarty_address_verification/440495665921">download the plugin now</a>.Stay tuned for more updates from Smarty, and don't forget to check out&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products">our suite of address APIs</a> for more robust solutions.Eager to streamline your address validation process?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/newsletter">Register to our newsletter</a> to get notified when these plugins become publicly available.You can view the entire webinar recording here:<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/RqLtjvllU-g"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RqLtjvllU-g" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure>

Did you miss our address validation webinar? Simplify validation in Google Sheets or Excel with Smarty! Stay updated on plugin releases. Check it out now!

Smarty's Excel & Google Sheets plugins for geocoding & address validation

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It's often said you need two skills to find love: sales and marketing.&nbsp;You need&nbsp;marketing skills to present yourself well and gain the attention of the person you want. Then, you need&nbsp;sales skills to lie like you're the devil himself.&nbsp;But what if you aren't conventionally attractive and (like the sales team at Smarty) aren't willing to lie? To compensate, you'll need to dial up your marketing; we're talkin' data automation, streamlined &amp; integrated data systems, time-saving and cost management, eliminating human error, and workflows like crazy.&nbsp;That's right, if you really want to land your sultry soul mate, you'll need an excellent marketing operations manager. It does have a certain allure. Imagine whispering "key performance indicators," "customer relationship management system," and "marketing qualified leads" into your date's ear. At Smarty, we have the guru of Marketing Operations. Allow me to introduce yogi guru Andrew Townsend.Andrew is like a life coach for (data) love, a system management matchmaker, or a type A intimacy therapist for frontend and backend integrations.&nbsp;His words and guidance will bring light and truth to even the most broken process. You now have the rare opportunity to read his teachings for life's most difficult questions.<h2>What is the most surprising thing you learned about addresses after joining Smarty?&nbsp;</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/2_RYHOF_9_c_Lo_Rm9n_L_Hsv_L_Zjxa_B_Qib_Yxeg_O41v_B_Imh42i_My8_I4_p4y_EETKTE_Kf_H_Pm_FP_6_F_Htxu_Sz_NM_3_Q_Efh48_Kk_Ajs_O2572_Huwy_B_Uy4_LS_3_Oe9jx_C_Dv_YZUY_9_Al8ckd_U_Tu_Mg_Foe_Sf6_Iiov_Mea_Pz9_VWL_4_4b1a223f4f.png" alt="Andrew drinking a shake"><blockquote>I had no idea that addresses were so hard, in general. They change more frequently than you'd think, and there's loads of 'hidden' information in each address.</blockquote><h2>Where do you experience your most energizing moments?</h2><blockquote>When the sun is out. I'm pretty sure I'm solar-powered; winters are fairly difficult for me. I also like when there's lots of work to be done with a clear direction to go in. I love getting stuff done and then being told, 'You did well with that one.' Oh baby, that's the good stuff.</blockquote><h2>How have you developed your job-related skills?</h2><blockquote>Primarily by doing the job and learning on the go. I read quite a bit as well and try to learn everything I can from my mentors. I also follow great marketers on LinkedIn like Ann Handley, Jay Schwedelson, Justin Oberman, and Dan Ariely. Spending lots of time with everyone who is impacted by my work is also important to developing my skills.</blockquote><h2>When you were in elementary school, what did you want to be when you grew up?</h2><blockquote>A dad. Then a programmer. I became one of those, not the other. Much to the disappointment of my father. *wink*</blockquote><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/Kr_Q_Ip_G_Pq_Kant_Y5_ELV_Jz_Qt1_Itn_Zo_HJ_9y0oc_Dt_FXQ_Wgr1_LZASG_Oq_Gfbtc_YG_Jtnm_Wv0_QWTP_CP_cggaf_H_M_Und_VLFK_1o_MH_1w_L_Jn_Nvy_Te_B_JT_Ejnof_Kq_In_E0_J_Rxkg_Xd9_Sc_Tcm_V9rbwb_Qru_U_Vdio_Imw_Y_b9a9a0f16c.jpeg" alt="Andrew and his family on their bikes"><h2>What do you enjoy about your job role at Smarty?</h2><blockquote>I love making something from nothing, like a blog, article, or email. And when a solid automation comes together, the endorphins go like crazy. I like providing interesting information that can be used to increase both sales and the love my managers have for me.</blockquote><h2>Do you have any completely irrelevant skills or talents?</h2><blockquote>I can open my mouth real big and generally maintain my bicycle for my cycling commute. And I can change the spark plugs in my car.</blockquote><h2>To what resources do you turn to stay current in your job skills?</h2><blockquote>Certifications (PCM, Hubspot), best practice newsletters (Ann Handley, Jay Schwedelson), courses and trainings (Udemy, Coursera, Google), conferences (INBOUND), and talking to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/trent-howell">Trent</a> (a mentor whos quality rivals&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Donaghy">Jack Donaghy</a>).</blockquote><h2>What tips would you give to someone starting in your career?</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/Tv_CX_8x_Uzyzi_Mmly_XLY_8_F_Ey_Nd0m_RZ_9t_NWL_Qe_D9fp1_X_Zdxa_FS_8_Ah5_A9_Sg_6_x_QD_Wc2_Czb8s7_Aa8i2_C_Qo_J_Nbm5mw_Kljk6hx_B_Nzq_DQ_1jgpc_NHOHCYRVY_3la_YE_Jj_UTA_Ah_Pue791_Vjq_T_Gr69fnk9n9t1h_s_c978edc1ed.png" alt="Andrew wearing a hat"><blockquote>Don't get sucked into building your resume based on what is hot on LinkedIn. Specialize if you want to or don't. Just be willing to learn, adapt, and find ways to do more of what you enjoy, whatever it may be.</blockquote>And there you have it, a glimpse into the world of data love and matchmaking at Smarty, courtesy of our very own guru of Marketing Operations, Andrew Townsend. From addresses that can be surprisingly tricky to mastering the art of creating streamlined data systems, Andrew's journey has been quite a ride.Smarty is all about making data work its magic, and if you're intrigued by the idea of joining our team and diving headfirst into the world of address data solutions, we'd love to have you!<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers">Visit our careers page</a> to explore exciting opportunities that could be your perfect match.&nbsp;I think we've all been enlightened, systems salutations, my friend.

Meet our marketing operations guru, Andrew Townsend, and delve into his journey from tricky addresses to streamlined data systems. Read more now!

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Inside Smarty™ - Andrew Townsend

Properly implemented address autocomplete can help businesses to improve conversion rates by speeding up address entry, improve address data quality by reducing typos, and reduce user frustration related to errant address data.&nbsp;But, if you choose the wrong autocomplete API or make implementation errors, those benefits can evaporate. In our new ebook, "Magical Benefits of Address Autocomplete," where we've compiled valuable insights and implementation tips, including the best practices we'll cover here.&nbsp;<a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook">Read our ebook now</a>:&nbsp;<a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/magical_benefits_ebook_793_100_1_f8a5188ab9.svg" alt="magical benefits ebook banner"></a><h2>Choose the right autocomplete technology</h2>Not all&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/articles/autocomplete">address autocomplete</a> technology and methods are created equal, and picking the one that best aligns with your goals is essential. Here are three common development approaches to autocomplete, their key features and drawbacks:<h3>Mapping providers (e.g., Google Maps):</h3><ul><li>Approach: Flexible user input, focused on navigating to an approximate location. Autocomplete designed for mapping tries to provide address suggestions regardless of entry quality, even for phrases like "a monkey eating a banana." <img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/h4_Ab_I_4_UE_Vdo_N_l1cdfw_Ujr_Orb5_Rp_Ka_C_Btpw_Ej6_R_c_ZFK_3c82r_Cu6y_TTA_Eq_R_B_Gtdn_QK_Qu_EZ_2q_Soe_Mx_O7nxjd_Qhnx_a_JR_Iln_QE_9_Ks_jmkl_Yk_UAO_Lfr_Ee_EU_6_S_Mgo_Hsq9g1_Ai_I_Oh5z_L_Mm2q_Cp17_Ltdd_M_cf413ab8ba.png" alt="Autocomplete screenshot"></li><li>Key drawback:&nbsp;It doesn't factor in house and building numbers or secondary addresses like unit or suite numbers, leading to address errors.</li><li>Result: Errors in building/house number or apartment/unit number are missed, leading to faulty analysis, lost packages, and customer service problems. Not suitable for precise address suggestions.</li></ul><h3>Partial address matching engines:</h3><ul><li>Approach:&nbsp;Suggest results based on street name, city, and state combination while ignoring building, house, and apartment numbers. Also known as "street validation."</li><li>Key drawbacks: Users need to complete the building/house numbers and enter the street name before address suggestions populate and take more keystrokes to find the correct address.</li><li>Result: Autocomplete that may require almost full address entry before the correct address is suggestions and only confirms street existence but not building house or unit numbers. The address may look real but not be valid.</li></ul><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/0qhc_V_Ui_OS_WGGE_Jsktp_Cz_Erp_Kayw_Ao30_V3_Z53_Jcj_OTYU_8_Scr_Ef_Sk_FHU_EI_Ro_HV_4_Ed_Ixr_SOB_Ec_Uy_KY_13_Yhr_AUEP_Ki_Wg_E1_UR_Fk_F6m_Wj_Fp0u_L_Nx_8_K_Ihf_Aff_T_Ego_O_Jlu_B_Jcq7u_Zs_Q_Ft_Pp_E_Dkb_C_Ne6md_SE_4ed1f16867.png" alt="Address matching engines"><h3>Smarty's address autocomplete:</h3><ul><li>Approach:&nbsp;Never returns fake suggestions. Only suggest valid building number, street, unit, city, and state combinations. Typos in building numbers/apartments cause suggestions to disappear when there are no valid matches.&nbsp;</li><li>Key drawback: The user may need to fix crucial typos in building numbers. This approach also informs users of typos to fix before submitting.</li><li>Result: Provides faster and more flexible suggestions based only on real addresses as the user types. The approach ensures accurate and reliable address predictions. It makes invalid address entry impossible unless the user bypasses autocomplete by entering their address manually, which is easy to flag for manual review.</li></ul><h2>Customize your forms</h2>Tailoring your forms to match user preferences is crucial for a smoother experience. Consider these customization options:<h3>Form fields</h3><ul><li>Consider Customizing form fields to match the user's country or region based on geolocation, a selection from a country drop-down, or both.&nbsp;</li><li>Address autocomplete also allows you to flexibly reduce address entry on your forms to a single text field, then use the autocomplete API to parse the address components to populate appropriately in the form directly.</li></ul><h3>Keystrokes</h3>Customize the frequency of API requests based on keystrokes to reduce costs; you can also implement a pause before sending keystrokes to avoid unnecessary suggestions.<h3>Geolocation</h3><ul><li>Decide if you should prioritize address suggestions based on the user's geographical location when your users are geographically close to the user's location.</li><li>If your organization only does business in certain areas, consider limiting results to relevant&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/docs/zip-codes-101">ZIP Codes</a>, cities, or states for targeted services.</li><li>Consider turning off the location feature if you'll use it in a nationwide or international call center or other applications where the address entry happens on a device more than 100 miles away from the entered address.</li></ul><h3>Test and optimize</h3>Continuously test and optimize your address autocomplete feature to ensure it meets your users' needs. Verify that customizations are working correctly, providing an accurate and user-friendly experience.<h3>Emphasize accuracy</h3>To offer the most reliable address suggestions, when implementing&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/blog/ecommerce-checkouts-with-autocomplete">zero keystroke autocomplete</a>, focus on rooftop or parcel-level results from geocoding providers. Avoid less precise options to maintain data integrity.<h2>Suggesting addresses vs. auto-filling</h2>When implementing zero keystroke autocomplete, address auto-filling is the process of identifying the address closest to the user's location and automatically filling the address in the form before presenting address options to the user.&nbsp;While auto-filling may seem faster, it can lead to inaccuracies if the predicted location is incorrect. Instead, you should offer users a dropdown with limited address suggestions to ensure a more controlled and error-free experience.Remember, the goal of address autocomplete is to simplify the process without introducing unnecessary risks.Our recommendation? Always auto-suggest, never auto-fill. Limit your address suggestions to 10 or fewer, and display the closest delivery points first, thus improving address entry without compromising quality.<h2>Read our ebook</h2>Are you ready to take your address autocomplete implementation to the next level and provide a top-notch user experience? Don't miss the opportunity to explore our ebook, "<a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook">Magical Benefits of Address Autocomplete</a>." It's packed with valuable insights and best practices you won't want to miss!So, what are you waiting for?&nbsp;<a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook">Click here to download the ebook</a> and become a master of address autocomplete today. Happy coding!<a href="https://get.smarty.com/magical-ebook"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/magical_benefits_ebook_793_100_1_f8a5188ab9.svg" alt="magical benefits ebook banner"></a>

Enhance your users experience with address autocomplete. Avoid common pitfalls with Smarty. Check out our address autocomplete ebook now!

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Address autocomplete best practices

Interpersonal skills and how they tie to leadership, teamwork, and business growth is no cakewalk. Yet every business knows that retention of employees is largely contingent upon quality interpersonal skills. That's why so many organizations implement principles and techniques taught by the greats.I'm sure you've heard of Dale Carnegie's "<a href="https://a.co/d/jkNBNHJ">How to Win Friends &amp; Influence People</a>", Steven R. Covey's "<a href="https://a.co/d/5HL3yBc">The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People</a>", or maybe even "<a href="https://a.co/d/1HrYMLP">Dare to Lead</a>" by Dr. Brene Brown.Each of these is extremely valuable and helpful in teaching you as an individual how to shape yourself into a better professional and, in many cases, a better person. They can help you form stronger relationships with those around you and assist in lifting your business to new heights.One tool that’s taught by&nbsp;<a href="https://arbinger.com/">The Arbinger Institute</a> for helping people come together is the Meet to Learn. This is a tool that we here at Smarty™ strive to embrace and engrain into our flow of work fully.<h2>What Is a Meet-to-Learn?</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/dirk_and_mike_448_336_15d1fb6b54.webp" alt="Smarty employees looking at a computer during a one-on-one">A Meet to Learn is a meeting between two people where the goal is to understand one another's needs, challenges, and objectives, and to get to know them as a person. Seeing your coworkers as people with their own lives rather than obstacles or vehicles can change how you view your organization.According to the Arbinger Institute, these meetings can position you to be more helpful to those around you. That's ultimately the goal, to find how you can help another person to accomplish their goals.<h2>How are they done?</h2>They start by scheduling a meeting between two people. At Smarty, we aim to keep our meetings around 30 minutes long. Once you're together, strive to find a way to learn about this person. Perhaps you turn it into an interview where you can ask lots of questions, or maybe a more natural conversation would work for you. Some of the questions you might try asking could include:What is their role at work? What is their role at home? What are their objectives at work? What about in life? Are they facing any challenges right now that are causing them grief, hair loss, or sleepless nights? How does your work impact their life and their work?For me, I try to focus on four specific questions:<ul><li>What do they care about outside of work, and what stresses might they feel due to living life as a human being? Some examples of outside stressors:<ul><li>Parenting challenges</li><li>Housing or transportation challenges</li><li>Community relationships or challenges &nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>What are their responsibilities at work, and what stresses are they feeling with projects they're currently working on? For example:<ul><li>What was their most recent win?</li><li>What was their most frustrating experience last week?</li><li>Is there anything that they stress about even when they're not at work?</li><li>Is there anything that makes them think, "I don't want to go to work today."? &nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>Who are the people they’re responsible to?<ul><li>Who do they feel they owe work or deliverables to?</li><li>Do any of these relationships create stress that I can help with? &nbsp;</li></ul></li><li>How can I help?<ul><li>In hearing any of the above challenges—both in and out of work—have I felt that there's something I can do to help? What action items can I add to my personal task list to help this person accomplish their goals?</li></ul></li></ul><h2>Why are they crucial to Smarty’s culture?</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/ben_and_wes_448_336_00f7b41f51.webp" alt="Smarty employees eating while having a one-on-one">We strive to understand that our coworkers are humans. People that have their own lives. That we're not living with 'main character energy'. Using Meet to Learns as a tool to help us connect has helped us to do that.Here's what some of our team has to say about their Meet to Learns:<blockquote>"Meet to Learns give me unique opportunities to establish real connections with my colleagues on a more personal basis. By getting to know each other and openly exchanging our objectives and difficulties, we create a sense of collaboration that ultimately strengthens the entire company."&nbsp;- Benson Ehlert, Sales</blockquote><blockquote>"They're great for making friends, understanding how the organization works, and uncovering opportunities to improve collaboration and business results."&nbsp;- John Hickey, Marketing</blockquote><blockquote>"When you take the chance to meet with someone who is not in your circle of friends, there is a synergy that can occur as you get to know each other on a personal and professional level."&nbsp;- Brady Amundson, Marketing</blockquote><blockquote>"I like meeting with cool people and learning about them. But it's also been useful to our organization in determining the other person's needs and objectives and seeing if I can help in accomplishing those."&nbsp;- Kent Gividen, Engineering</blockquote><blockquote>"I find that what is important to my team's success is of value to the person that I am meeting with. It makes it feel like we are one big team."&nbsp;- Kris Lindsay, Customer Success</blockquote><blockquote>"Meet to Learns are a great way to understand how your work affects your coworkers and how you can align your goals to help each other succeed."&nbsp;- Trey Rutter, DevOps</blockquote>Meet to Learns are crucial enough that having them is often mixed into our monthly, or quarterly goals. So often, we return from these meetings with new insights and an understanding of how we fit into the company machine. One trick I like to do is take copious notes during my Meet to Learns, and then follow up on the "how can I help" section a few months down the road to ensure that I've made an impact. Reaching out to the people who I've met with lets them know that I took the meeting seriously, and that I still care for them as a person.If you're looking to work for a company with an incredible culture and want to have your own meet to learn with all of Smarty, <a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers">check our careers page here</a>!

Discover the power of Meet-to-Learns in building stronger relationships at Smarty™. Discover how this tool helps build our amazing culture now!

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The Meet-to-Learn

October 4, 2023 - PROVO, UT—Smarty, the address data intelligence leader, announces today the launch of its US Property Data product with more than 350 property data points. Smarty's US Property Data and Address Enrichment API includes financial, structural, and locational data to enhance business risk analysis and inform strategic investments."Accurate property data play a crucial role in various industries, enabling organizations to make informed decisions and enhance their operations," said Berk Charlton, Chief Product Officer at Smarty. "Our US Property Data is a cloud-native solution that provides businesses access to an extensive dataset of property information."&nbsp;Companies can use US Property Data to make precise risk assessments, customize their services based on location-specific details, and refine their overall business strategies for improved efficiency and effectiveness. Key features of Smarty's Property Data Release include:<ul><li>Over 150 structural data attributes</li><li>More than 130 current and historical financial data attributes</li><li>Over 60 locational and geographic data attributes</li></ul>Smarty has designed US Property Data to deliver industry-leading speed and compatibility with cloud-based systems, catering to many industries, including insurance carriers, mortgage lenders, and retailers. To further enhance precision, US Property Data strategically integrates with Smarty's Rooftop Geocoding solution."The release of US Property Data makes Smarty a one-stop-shop for business address data intelligence," said Jonathan Oliver, Founder and CEO of Smarty. "We've embedded Smarty's US Property Data with SmartyKey, a persistent unique identifier that empowers businesses to have the most accurate and consistent data possible."Addressing the challenge of maintaining data consistency and integrity within the address data intelligence sector, Smarty's US Property Data utilizes a persistent unique identifier called SmartyKey™. This innovative feature effectively mitigates data discrepancies by assigning a distinct SmartyKey™ to each address in the United States. SmartyKey™ empowers consumers with the information needed to recognize address aliases, former street names, and other updates, thereby ensuring the unparalleled accuracy of Smarty's US Property Data.For more information, visit&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/us-property-data">Smarty's US Property Data Page</a>.

Elevate your business decisions with Smarty's Enhanced US Property Data featuring 350+ attributes. Unlock the power of precise property insights now!

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Smarty™ launches enhanced US Property Data with 350+ attributes, empowering better business decisions

Halloween is just around the corner, and since we eat and drink addresses every day at Smarty™, we get into the spooky spirit by exploring the eerie and mysterious street names across the United States?In the movie "Beetlejuice," saying the titular character's name 3 times would summon the chaotic and mischievous demon himself.&nbsp;At Smarty, we have a theory. Like Beetlejuice, every haunting creature has a magic number, and whenever someone sends mail to a house on Vampire Road in Gallitzin, Pennsylvania, delivers pizza to Goblin Drive in Harrison, Arkansas, or navigates to Zombie Way in Moncks Corner, South Carolina, it brings each state closer to their own monster apocalypse.While nobody knows the magic number of mentions to summon these creatures, there's still hope. We've searched our comprehensive address database to tally up every eerie entity, and we'll predict which states will come under siege first.In our search for the paranormal, we've scoured our US address data of over 210 million addresses for ghosts, goblins, warlocks, vampires, and over&nbsp;30&nbsp;supernatural beasts &amp; beings. In total, we've found&nbsp;738 spooky streets and&nbsp;16,312 haunted addresses. These are the creepy crawlers coming for us all.&nbsp;<figure class="table"><table><tbody><tr><td>Spooky creature or being</td><td>Total addresses</td></tr><tr><td>Phantom</td><td>6,848</td></tr><tr><td>Witch</td><td>4,077</td></tr><tr><td>Ghost</td><td>2,552</td></tr><tr><td>Troll</td><td>1,208</td></tr><tr><td>Wizard</td><td>641</td></tr><tr><td>Banshee</td><td>279</td></tr><tr><td>Goblin</td><td>175</td></tr><tr><td>Demon</td><td>168</td></tr><tr><td>Gremlin</td><td>78</td></tr><tr><td>Ghoul</td><td>74</td></tr><tr><td>Apparition</td><td>65</td></tr><tr><td>Werewolf</td><td>55</td></tr><tr><td>Warlock</td><td>33</td></tr><tr><td>Vampire</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>Wraith</td><td>26</td></tr><tr><td>Zombie</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>Frankenstein</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>Total spooky addresses</td><td>16,312</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>&nbsp;The following table breaks down each state by most probable monster apocalypse, and identifies how many addresses with that monster appear in that state along with the total of all monster-related addresses in each state, and, of course, our favorite spooky addresses we found in each state:<figure class="table"><table><thead><tr><th>State</th><th>Top monster &amp; # of addresses</th><th>Total monster addresses</th><th>Our favorite streets</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Mississippi</td><td>Phantom (4952)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 5036</td><td> Phantom Street, Biloxi, MS &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>North Carolina</td><td>Troll (743)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1144</td><td> Troll Court, Fayetteville, NC&nbsp; Pony Ghost Trail, Murphy, NC &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Virginia</td><td>Witch (632)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 879</td><td> Witch Duck Circle, Heathsville, VA Goblintown Creek Road, Stuart, VA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Texas</td><td>Phantom (419)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 1199</td><td> Phantom Rider Trail, Spring Branch, TX Ghost Rider Cove, Leander, TX &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Arizona</td><td>Ghost (340)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;616</td><td> Ghostrider Road, Young, AZ Phantom Burro Road, Seligman, AZ &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Florida</td><td>Witch (290)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;483</td><td> Witchhaven Street, Jacksonville, FL Von Frankenstein Court, Howey In The Hills, FL &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>California</td><td>Phantom (250)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;766</td><td> Phantom Building, Victorville, CA Sea Witch Lane, Huntington Beach, CA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Colorado</td><td>Witch (241)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;515</td><td> Witcher Drive, Colorado Prings, CO &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Connecticut</td><td>Witch (230)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;230</td><td> Old Witch Court, Norwalk, CT &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Nevada</td><td>Ghost (223)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;399 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</td><td> Ghost Gum Street, Las Vegas, NV Phantom Jet Avenue, Las Vegas, NV &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Illinois</td><td>Witch (204)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;227 &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;</td><td> Seawitch Drive, Cherry Valley, IL &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>South Carolina</td><td>Witch (184)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;357</td><td> Witch Hazel Way, Longs, SC Zombie Way, Moncks Corner, SC &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>New Hampshire</td><td>Witch (169)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;170</td><td> Witch Island Way, Hampton, NH &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Idaho</td><td>Phantom (162)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;226</td><td> Phantom Avenue, Mountain Home, ID &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Wisconsin</td><td>Phantom (159)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;344</td><td> Phantom Lake Court, Mukwonago, WI Gremlin Avenue, Tomah, WI &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>New Mexico</td><td>Ghost (149)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;171</td><td> Grey Ghost Road, Hobbs, NM &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Montana</td><td>Ghost (148)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;200</td><td> Ghost Town Drive, Anaconda, MT Wraith Hill Lane, Anaconda, MT &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Oregon</td><td>Witch (136)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;315</td><td> Witcher Gateway Road, Cottage Grove, OR Troll View Road, Grants Pass, OR &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>West Virginia</td><td>Witch (131)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;202</td><td> Witchy Fork Road, Coalton, WV Blue Demon Drive, Elkhorn, WV &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Maine</td><td>Witch (125)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;158</td><td> Witchtrot Road, York, ME Demons Way, Topsham, ME &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Georgia</td><td>Witch (122)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;242</td><td> Witcher Road, Carlton, GA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Maryland</td><td>Witch (122)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;214</td><td> Witch Hazel Lane, Bowie, MD Gremlin Lane, Hancock, MD Warlock Court, Glen Burnie, MD &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Massachusetts</td><td>Witch (115)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;115</td><td> Witch Way, Salem, MA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>New Jersey</td><td>Witch (96)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;127</td><td> Witches Hollow Road, Millstone Township, NJ &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Pennsylvania</td><td>Witch (93)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;224</td><td> Witchcraft Road, Hamburg, PA Windy Ghoul Drive, Beaver, PA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>New York</td><td>Witch (80)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;143</td><td> Woods Witch Lane, Chappaqua, NY Demon Pond Road, Bath, NY Werewolf Path, Water Mill, NY &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Ohio</td><td>Wizard (80)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;148</td><td> Wizard of Oz Way, Hillsboro, OH Ghost Hollow Road, Lucasville, OH Warlock Court, Columbus, OH &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Tennessee</td><td>Witch (79)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;143</td><td> Witcher Hollow Road, Red Boiling Springs, TN Troll Bridge Road, Winchester, TN &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Alabama</td><td>Ghost (71)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;126</td><td> Timberghost Road, Coy, AL Wizard Road, Grove Hill, AL Big Troll Road, Adger, AL &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Alaska</td><td>Troll (70)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;98</td><td> Back Troll Alley, Kenai, AK&nbsp; Hobgoblin Lane, Fairbanks, AK &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Missouri</td><td>Banshee (65)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;147</td><td> Banshee Boulevard, Bridgeton, MO Banshee Saint Louis, MO &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Indiana</td><td>Troll (61)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;211</td><td> Troll Street, Sullivan, IN Werewolf Lane, Underwood, IN &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Arkansas</td><td>Witch (57)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;132</td><td> Witcherville Cutoff, Huntington, AR Goblin Drive, Harrison, AR &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Michigan</td><td>Banshee (54)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 61</td><td> Banshee Street, Gwinn, MI &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>South Dakota</td><td>Ghost (54)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 54</td><td> Ghost Face Drive, White River, SD &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Kansas</td><td>Phantom (50)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;113</td><td> Phantom Avenue, McConnell AFB, KS Silver Wraith Drive, Olathe, KS &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Vermont</td><td>Witch (43)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 59</td><td> Witchcat Road, Enosburg Falls, VT &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Kentucky</td><td>Wizard (34)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 51</td><td> Wizard Avenue, Louisville, KY Witchcraft Road, Madisonville, KY &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Louisiana</td><td>Demon (33)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 41</td><td> Demoncherveaux Boulevard, Ville Platte, LA ("Demon child" in French) Ghoul Street, Georgetown, LA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Washington</td><td>Witch (24)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 71</td><td> Seawitch Lane, Seabeck, WA Goblin Lane, Everett, WA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Minnesota</td><td>Troll (23)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 52</td><td> Trolls Trail, Grand Portage, MN &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Utah</td><td>Phantom (17)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 63</td><td> Phantom Drive, Blanding, UT Goblin Valley Road, Green River, UT &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Wyoming</td><td>Phantom (10)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 10</td><td> Phantom Road, Laramie, WY &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Oklahoma</td><td>Ghost (8)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 17</td><td> Ghost Hollow Mooring Road, Eucha, OK &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>North Dakota</td><td>Wizard (6)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6</td><td> Wizard Street, Osnabrock, ND &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Iowa</td><td>Goblin (5)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;6</td><td> Goblin's Gully Drive, Cedar Rapids, IA &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Nebraska</td><td>Ghost (1)</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;1</td><td> Ghost Town Avenue, Spalding, NE &nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Delaware</td><td>N/A</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Hawaii</td><td>N/A</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>Rhode Island</td><td>N/A</td><td>&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;0</td><td>&nbsp;</td></tr></tbody></table></figure>With 4,952 "Phantom" addresses, it's pretty clear Mississipians should have started preparing yesterday. They'll need as many&nbsp;<a href="https://ghostbusters.fandom.com/wiki/Category:Equipment">P.K.E. Meters, Proton Packs, &amp; Ghost Traps</a> as money can buy.&nbsp;The next closest state is North Carolina with 743 "Troll" addresses, so we should have several years between the invasion of Mississippi and the troll attack on North Carolina. Based on the numbers, Iowa residents probably have a few lifetimes before Goblins swarm their cities.If fighting monsters isn't your thing, consider moving to Rhode Island, Hawaii, or Delaware. As the only states in our analysis without haunted addresses, we can expect them to stay monster-free forever.&nbsp;Finally, if you use and rely on address data, remember this: as you work with addresses, you play a part in unfolding this paranormal narrative. Brace yourselves, and may your Halloween be filled with tricks and treats!

Dive into Smarty's spine-chilling analysis of the most monstrous streets in the U.S. Discover which states are most likely to have a monster apocalypse now. 

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Monster apocalypse: Your state's fate by street names

On October 21, we celebrate Marty McFly Day, dedicated to honoring the time-traveling teen's contribution to the world of time travel in the "Back to the Future" universe. In the spirit of this iconic day, we embark on a journey to learn from Marty's adventures and apply those lessons to address data quality in the business world.&nbsp;Just as Marty's actions set off ripples through time, we'll explore how address data accuracy—or the lack thereof—can create a ripple effect with profound consequences. Admittedly, Doc Brown&nbsp;did say something like, "<a href="https://www.smarty.com/smartystreets">Streets? Where we're going, we don't need streets</a>," but he&nbsp;never said we didn't need reliable, clean, and comprehensive address data.So, get ready to discover how better quality address data can ensure your business stays on the best timeline and avoid the "heavy" consequences of bad data and not "heavy" "as a result of a problem with the earth's gravitational pull."&nbsp;<h2>The ripple effect on business operations</h2><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/ripple_effect_graphic_448_336_849d29a3e0.webp" alt="Ripple effect on a mountain lake"></figure>Imagine this: Marty McFly's meddling with the past led to a chain reaction of events that altered his life and the entire McFly family. In the business world, a similar ripple effect can occur due to a lack of address data accuracy, resulting in delayed deliveries, returned shipments, frustrated customers, negative reviews, fewer customers, and a constant cycle of dissatisfaction.Don't underestimate the financial impact either; the cost of such inaccuracies can be staggering when multiplied by a constant cycle of incoming erroneous data. To avoid negative ripples, businesses should prioritize address data accuracy.<h2>Marty McFly's lessons for data accuracy</h2>Marty McFly's experiences in the past yielded both positive and negative outcomes, much like the effects of address accuracy in the corporate world. When he intervened in 1955,&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/So2yJzFOJeo?si=r6p1vPspNsj4JMSQ&amp;t=84">George McFly knocked out Biff</a> and set off a chain of events that led to a happier, more prosperous 1985 for the family. In contrast, when 2015 Biff went back in time with Marty's sports almanac, he created a&nbsp;<a href="https://youtu.be/rPVNVy9pq28?si=bzXg1wgXH6UFu6XL&amp;t=139">nightmarish alternate 1985</a>.Similarly, good address data can lead to positive outcomes, including efficiency, better communication, customer satisfaction, and the best possible 1985. Bad data, on the other hand, can drain resources, frustrate customers, damage your reputation, and lead to a future as stark as Biff's version of 1985.<h2>Address data quality</h2>To ensure your business stays on the path to success, consider Smarty's address tools. They're designed to clean up your address data, eliminating inaccuracies and preventing bad data entry right from the start.&nbsp;By validating and correcting addresses in real-time, Smarty's solutions help you avoid costly errors and create a positive ripple effect throughout your organization. The benefits are tangible and far-reaching, from reducing delivery mishaps to improving customer satisfaction.<h2>Creating positive ripples in your business</h2>Just as Marty McFly's actions profoundly affected his life, the accuracy of your data can determine the course of your organization's future. Address data solutions from Smarty™ are your time-traveling DeLorean, allowing you to avoid the adverse ripple effects of bad data. By prioritizing data accuracy, you can ensure that your business's timeline is one of success and growth.&nbsp;What does this all mean? As Doc Brown would say, "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUDAZyBU5G8">It means your future hasn't been written yet. No one's has. Your future is whatever you make it, so make it a good one.</a>"Ready to take your data accuracy to the next level?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/pricing/choose-your-plan">Try out one of Smarty's free trials today</a> and set your business on the path to a brighter future. Don't let data inaccuracies disrupt your timeline; let Smarty keep your operations running smoothly. Happy Marty McFly Day!

Celebrate Marty McFly Day by exploring the ripple effects of address data accuracy in business. Find out how to avoid the cost of bad data now!

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Learning from Marty McFly: Fixing bad data ripple effects

In the fast-paced world of software development, it's easy to get lost in boring meetings, pointless tasks, and approaching deadlines. But here at Smarty, we avoid the monotony with a blend of innovation, community, and a heaping side of fun. In this blog, we'll explore the things we do to make Smarty more than a workplace and something truly unique.&nbsp;<h2>Lunchtime movie script reading</h2>Imagine you're in the middle of a busy workday, and you hear dialogues from "The Sandlot" or "Super Mario Bros" echoing into the kitchen. No, it's not a movie screening; it's our lunchtime movie script reading group. A few employees gather during lunch breaks to read through iconic movie scripts. This dedicated group of movie lovers has a whopping 53 scripts under their belts! This not only serves as a creative outlet but helps bring different employees together in a unique and engaging way.<h2>Smarty Singers: Harmonizing data and melodies</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/smarty_singers_singing_at_retreat_448_336_b481e7d532.webp" alt="Smarty Singers performing at a Smarty retreat">Q: What's the difference between a piano, a fish, and a bucket of glue? A: You can tune a piano, but you can't tune a fish! Speaking of tunes and pianos, check out our Smarty Singers. Software engineers and technical support reps by day, and singers by…. well singers also by day. This choir group is open to anyone with a passion for music or a bucket… a bucket meant for carrying a tune. The choir performs at company events, and their melodic voices can often be heard ringing throughout the third floor. It's a rockin' example of how diverse talents can come together to create something beautiful.&nbsp;Are you still wondering about that bucket of glue? I knew you'd get "stuck" there!<h2>Birthday lunch: A culinary break</h2><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/foodtruck_for_lunch_448_336_371284b6de.webp" alt="Food truck for lunch">Once a month, Smarty stirs the pot with a birthday lunch. (crowd cheering in the background), Lettuce clarify that these lunches can be catered in-house or enjoyed at a local restaurant, birthday lunch is the cherry on top of the awesome sundae that is working at Smarty. Peas understand that this gives us an awesome and casual opportunity for cross-departmental interaction, fostering a culture of open communication and relationship building, and, more importantly, good food with some real fine diners.<h2>Company-wide retreats</h2>Work-life balance isn't just a term at Smarty; it's a practice. About once a year, Smarty hosts company-wide retreats for all employees and their plus one. It's an opportunity to unwind, reflect on the year's achievements, showcase some amazing and often odd talents, and allows Smarty to announce fun events for the coming year. This retreat is a testament to our commitment to employee well-being, culture, growth, and fun.<h2>A day of laser tag, rollercoasters, &amp; more</h2><figure class="image image-style-side"><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/smary_employees_at_topgolf_448_336_53470fe122.webp" alt="Smarty employees at Topgolf"></figure>Smarty does a variety of activities throughout the year. Anything from a Lagoon day, taking everyone to a local arcade, Top Golf, Smarty Spirit Week, offsite lunches, mid-day walks, Halloween costume contests, and many others. These activities give everyone a chance to unwind and have fun. People from all parts of the company, from specialists to the C-suite, hang out in a more informal setting. The arcade games, bowling, rollercoasters, golfing, and laser tag provides a way for everyone to let loose, enjoy themselves, and talk about things outside of work.These outings also give people from different departments a chance to interact in a casual environment. This kind of team-building is important because it helps everyone get to know each other better, which can make working together in the office more enjoyable and effective. Plus, who doesn't love the bragging rights that come with winning an intense game of laser tag?<h2>Sports and games: More than just leisure</h2>At Smarty, we have groups that regularly engage in golf, pickleball, and board games. These activities are more than just pastimes; they’re extensions of our collaborative spirit. While many of these activities happen outside of office hours, they create a unique opportunity for Smarty's to get to know each other outside of the normal business setting. I mean, how else could you find out that Bill in accounting was a pickleball savant? We'd know…. That is if we had a Bill that worked here. (Calling all Bills to apply to Smarty here!))<h2>Conclusion</h2>Culture at Smarty isn’t an afterthought; it's a business strategy intricately woven into our daily operations. From movie script readings to birthday lunch, each activity is a building block in creating a cohesive, innovative, and community-driven workspace. It's this unique culture that enables us to see our co-workers not as an obstacle, but as people and fosters a healthy work environment.So if you’re ready to kick some serious butt at laser tag, or pickleball(Looking at you, Bill!),&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers">then come work for Smarty</a>. If not for the money, do it for birthday lunch!

Discover the unique culture at Smarty™, where innovation meets community. Smarty is way more than just a bland old workplace. Come check it out now!

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The unique culture at Smarty™: Where innovation meets community

Today, we spotlight&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/team/trey-rutter">Trey Rutter, our Dev/Ops IT Associate</a>. Trey is the wizard behind the scenes, helping to ensure that our hardware and address data solutions work seamlessly to deliver accurate and reliable information. Let's get to know Trey better.<h2>What is the most surprising thing you learned about addresses after joining Smarty?</h2><blockquote>I found it surprising how a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/docs/zip-codes-101">ZIP Code</a> can tell us so much. It's more than just 5 digits at the end of your address.</blockquote><h2>When you were in elementary school, what did you want to be when you grew up?</h2><blockquote>As a kid, I had dreams of being an archeologist.</blockquote><h2>To what resources do you turn to stay current in your job skills?</h2><blockquote>The best resource for my role is hands-on learning. If you don't work with and solve current issues, it's hard to stay current with how fast the tech industry moves.</blockquote><h2>What do you enjoy about your job role at Smarty?</h2><blockquote>I enjoy having the ability to help others and focus on several unique tasks throughout the day.</blockquote><h2>What challenges do you face in your job role at Smarty?</h2><blockquote>Knowledge is a big one for me. The DevOps world can be&nbsp;very unintuitive until you understand what is happening under the hood.</blockquote><h2>Do you have any completely irrelevant skills or talents?&nbsp;</h2><blockquote>Yes, I have a lot! A couple of skills that come to mind are that I can hold someone above my head and do a backflip, which I learned on the BYU cheer team.</blockquote><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/trey_holding_somone_up_in_the_air_448_336_945a12becf.webp" alt="Trey as a cheerleader at BYU" width="448" height="336"><h2>What are some of your favorite work-related projects or accomplishments, and why were they meaningful to you?</h2><blockquote>My favorite project and accomplishment was the implementation of mobile device management software across all the relevant devices at Smarty. The whole company now uses this software, and it helps us easily maintain, update, and secure devices. It also plays a key role in meeting and exceeding SOC2 compliance standards.</blockquote><h2>What or who inspires you, and why?</h2><blockquote>I am inspired by individuals who can make any situation positive and know how to wordsmith bad situations into good ones.</blockquote><h2>What are some of the most valuable lessons you've learned at Smarty, and how have they impacted your approach to work?</h2><blockquote>Failure is okay and leads to progress. I was very scared to fail early at Smarty but have learned the quicker I fail, the faster I can get to the right answer.</blockquote><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/trey_and_his_wife_at_graduation_384_512_5ed4586f95.webp" alt="Trey with his wife at graduation" width="384" height="512"><h2>Trey, what do you think makes Smarty's culture unique? How do you contribute to maintaining it?</h2><blockquote>Smarty has many different personalities, but you can put anybody in any group, and everyone will get along and have a blast. I try contributing to this by being friendly and finding joy in everyone's interest.</blockquote><h2>What life advice would you give to your 20-year-old self?</h2><blockquote>If I could talk to myself as a 20-year-old, I would tell my younger self to find IT faster! It took me a while to find IT, and I wish I would’ve found it a few years earlier.</blockquote><h2>Where do you experience your most energizing moments?</h2><blockquote>My most energizing moments come while playing golf! It's the perfect anti-social social activity. You can learn a lot about someone while golfing.</blockquote><img src="https://d3jlqkabnnke2x.cloudfront.net/trey_with_friends_golfing_384_512_b3797cd386.webp" alt="Trey with family and friends golfing" width="384" height="512"><h2>What has been your most joyous discovery?</h2><blockquote>Recently, I've discovered the joys of meal prep. It's easy to spend a few hours on a weekend and have great meals the whole week.</blockquote><h2>What tips would you give someone considering a career in your field?</h2><blockquote>If you're considering a career in IT, I'd advise you to find what you love to do and do it. It’s more rewarding to do something you love than to be paid for something you hate.</blockquote>We hope you enjoyed getting to know Trey and learning from his wisdom. Trey's spotlight was so inspiring we decided to write him a poem.&nbsp; &nbsp;In the world of IT, where knowledge takes flight,Trey's a wizard, his skills shining bright,From ZIP Codes' secrets to a mac's embrace,He's a master of tech in every case. &nbsp;With hands-on learning, he conquers the day,Helping others with passion, come what may,From backflips to systems, his talents so vast,Trey's the wizard who makes IT a blast. &nbsp;So, if you seek guidance in the tech's mystic haze,Turn to Trey, let his wizardry amaze,In the realm of addresses and codes to decode,He's the IT magician on the winding tech road.<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://youtu.be/Jx4uQ0ymaqg"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Jx4uQ0ymaqg" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure>If, like us, Trey's story inspires you and you want to start your adventure, we're always looking for passionate professionals to join our team. Explore our opportunities&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers">by checking out our careers page</a>–no poetry required. If you make the team, I bet Trey would happily teach you how to do a backflip, too!

Learn about Trey Rutter, Smarty's dev/ops IT associate. Learn about his hands-on approach to tech, unique talents, and contributions to our unique culture now!

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Inside Smarty™ - Trey Rutter

In the wake of disasters like catastrophic weather events, wildfires, and other incidents, the significance of property and casualty (P&amp;C) insurance claims agents and adjusters becomes essential. Their role is pivotal, yet often challenging, as they navigate the aftermath to assess damages, estimate repair or replacement costs, and process insurance claims.Claims agents and adjusters often face difficulties deploying to areas affected by disasters and obtaining accurate information amid chaotic circumstances. Despite these challenges, adjusters work tirelessly to guarantee that policyholders are fairly compensated for their losses while safeguarding insurance companies from potentially fraudulent claims.Fast response times are critical to ensuring accurate assessment of losses and quicker settlements for insureds. It comes as no surprise that insurance companies are continuously looking for ways to reduce response times. Smarty's US Rooftop Geocoding is among the best solutions that insurance companies can use to minimize the time between a claim being filed and adjusters arriving on scene.<h2>What is rooftop geocoding?</h2>Rooftop geocoding is the process of matching an address to the precise coordinates of the primary structure on the parcel. Unlike the parcel-centric geocoding method that only uses street addresses or ZIP Codes, rooftop geocoding provides more accurate and reliable location data.Regrettably, the term "rooftop geocoding" is frequently employed in marketing to refer to geocodes near a building's roof. However, these geocodes might be located hundreds of feet away from the structure, potentially hitting anywhere on the property, the street in front of the premises, several houses down, or even a few blocks away. This ambiguity can be detrimental for insurance companies requiring precise location data, as decisions based on inaccurate geocodes can lead to flawed outcomes.When geocodes misalign, businesses may inadvertently base their strategies and decisions on flawed or imprecise information. To be classified as a rooftop geocode Smarty™ ensures the geocode accurately pinpoints the rooftop itself. Achieving this level of accuracy is crucial for insurance claims departments for effective decision-making.Smarty provides clients with detailed information about each geocodes accuracy. By doing so, we empower insurance companies with the knowledge they need to assess the reliability of the data they're working with. This transparency ensures that our clients are never left in in the dark.&nbsp;<h2>How P&amp;C insurance can maximize geocoding</h2><h3>Streamline claims and adjusting</h3>Rooftop geocoding has become indispensable for optimizing claims processing. By tapping into precise geocoding data, claims agents and adjusters can rapidly evaluate risks, validate policy coverage, and estimate claim values. Approaching claims with exact location data intelligence significantly reduces manual errors and amplifies operational efficiency.Rooftop geocoding not only benefits claims processing, but also revolutionizes adjuster deployment strategies. Equipped with exact coordinates, insurers can assign adjusters based on geographical proximity to the claim site, ensuring prompt and accurate responses. The strategic deployment of adjusters through rooftop geocoding provides timely and responsive claims handling, leading to heightened customer satisfaction.<h3>Pair geocoding with address enrichment for best results</h3>It's never fun to bombard your client with many underwriting questions, but it must be done to get a complete picture of the risk you're insuring. Sometimes, clients know the answers, sometimes they don't, and oftentimes they unknowingly give inaccurate answers. Ambiguity on insurance applications can lead to complications when it comes time to manage claims and assess damage.&nbsp;Smarty's US Property Data paired with US Rooftop Geocoding gets you the exact location of your risk, and tells you its features. For example, you can know the construction type, the structure elevation, the square footage, the subdivision, and much more.&nbsp;This enriched property data allows insurers to refine risk evaluations, leading to precise pricing, tailored coverage recommendations, and proactive risk mitigation efforts. Embracing geocoding and data enrichment isn't just a strategic business decision; it presents an opportunity for insurers to foster innovation and gain a competitive edge within the insurance sector.Moreover, these benefits extend beyond financial gains. Insights derived from geocoding and data enrichment empower insurers to strengthen their risk management strategies. By identifying specific property characteristics and related risks, insurers can proactively devise loss prevention initiatives and offer valuable advice on risk mitigation to clients, reinforcing the insurer-client relationship and preventing potential losses.<h2>Key takeaways</h2>Rooftop geocoding is a crucial tool for P&amp;C insurance adjusters looking to improve response times, customer satisfaction, and the accuracy of location data. Take&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/us-rooftop-geocoding#demo">Smarty's US Rooftop Geocoding for a spin</a>, and tell us what you think.

Optimize P&C insurance claims with Smarty's US Rooftop Geocoding. Improve location accuracy, adjuster deployment, and more. Check it out now!

Suburban houses in Florida destroyed by Hurricane Ian

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How P&C insurance adjusters win with rooftop geocoding

October 30, 2023 - PROVO, UTAH -&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/">Smarty</a>, a leader in address data intelligence, has been named one of Utah's Top Workplaces for the second consecutive year. <a href="https://topworkplaces.sltrib.com/#:~:text=17%20Small%20Business-,Smarty,-Enterprise%20Software%0A(FOUNDED">Salt Lake Tribune announced a total of 166 Utah businesses</a> that have been recognized. Smarty ranked 17th of the 81 companies with fewer than 125 employees. Nominations are based entirely on employee feedback surveys administered by a third-party service. The anonymous 24-question employee questionnaire measures 15 cultural driving elements like advocacy, alignment, collaboration, and inclusion.While Smarty has become known for its fun perks like team lunches, events, and trips, employees say the company's "outward mindset" culture is the key to its award-winning workplace. Outwardness is one of Smarty's core values, based on the principle of seeing people as people first rather than objects or obstacles.<blockquote>"We're honored to be once again recognized as a leading Utah Top Workplace," said Doug Edwards, President of Smarty. "Creating a fun and productive environment has always been important for employee satisfaction and retention. However, our outward mindset fosters stronger interpersonal connections, empathy, and growth. Trying to truly understand coworkers as individuals with unique stories and dreams unlocks creativity and innovation, leading to better collaboration."</blockquote>While the core value of "Fun" undoubtedly contributes to the dynamic work environment, it's the values of "Outwardness" and "Wizardry" that genuinely resonate with long-standing employees. These principles emphasize recognizing individuals for their unique contributions and supporting their journey to mastery in their roles.<blockquote>Brady Amundson, a 6-year Smarty veteran and staff meeting host, expanded on the significance of outwardness: "Adopting an outward mindset is like turning the subtitles on when watching a foreign movie. Suddenly, you understand your coworkers better—their daytime drama, dreams of leaving the farm and becoming a Jedi, and why they stole your lunch from the fridge! When you adjust your mindset, it feels like getting superpowers to swoop in to lend a hand in the most effective way possible. Now imagine that everyone starts doing this—boom! You've got an office that feels more like a buddy-cop movie than a courtroom drama."</blockquote>In addition to Top Workplace awards, Smarty credits its outward approach for year-over-year employee retention of over 90% and sky-high job satisfaction scores. Even with stiff competition for top tech talent, the company's supportive and engaging culture continues to attract passionate professionals.<blockquote>Smarty's outward focus also extends beyond employees to its customers as well. "We aim to understand each client's unique challenges and data needs deeply. This empathy allows us to deliver solutions that drive real business impact," said Edwards. "At the end of the day, an outward mindset improves all relationships and interactions, whether inside or outside the organization."</blockquote>To learn about employment opportunities you can see their current openings by visiting their&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/careers#open-positions">careers page</a> to learn about employment opportunities.

Smarty’s core values and employee engagement lead it to Utah’s Top Workplaces for second consecutive year. Check it out now!

Smarty named as finalist in Utah's Top Workplaces Awards

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Smarty™ named among Utah's Top 2023 Workplaces

Geocoding is converting a physical address into geographic coordinates with latitude and longitude. Accurate geocodes are critical for many applications—routing deliveries, analyzing insurance risk, mapping utilities, and more.In a recent webinar, Smarty's customer service specialist, Ben Rivera, outlined best practices for maximizing geocode accuracy using our APIs and tools. Here are some of the key takeaways:<h4>The problem of inaccurate geocodes&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>Many common geocoding services provide ZIP Code or centroid-level accuracy at best. This can mean geocode coordinates that are far from the actual rooftop location. It’s even worse if a provider labels a geocode as "rooftop level" when it is not actually rooftop accurate.Smarty™ has invested heavily in rooftop-precision geocoding data for the US. Our benchmarks show 85% rooftop accuracy and 11% parcel accuracy—far beyond competitors. And geocoding results are always labeled accurately, whether that's rooftop, parcel, or just ZIP Code accurate.<h4>Enabling rooftop geocoding&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>The US Rooftop Geocoding license parameter must be passed to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/apis/us-street-api">US Address Validation API</a> to enable rooftop-level geocoding. Without the license parameter, you'll get ZIP Code-accurate geocodes only. Many users forget this step and then wonder why the geocoding level isn't rooftop.Rooftop geocoding is available through both the Address Validation API and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/list">the bulk address tool</a>. The license provides full address correction in addition to latitude/longitude coordinates.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/pricing/us-rooftop-geocoding">Usage costs</a> are identical—it's just a matter of enabling the license.<h4>Use cases for precise geocodes</h4>Why does rooftop precision matter? Several examples:<a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/case-studies/sales-rabbit-sales-mapping-software">Delivery routing</a> - ensuring drivers arrive at the correct building entrance<ul><li><a href="https://www.smarty.com/company/case-studies/geocoding-risk-modeling">Insurance risk analysis</a> - identifying property exposure to environmental threats&nbsp;&nbsp;</li><li>Utility mapping - accurately locating buildings to reduce installation costs</li><li>On-site services - pinpointing exact building locations like apartments or offices</li></ul>Without rooftop-level accuracy, nearby coordinates could lead drivers, technicians, or data analysts astray. The difference of just a few feet matters.<h4>International geocoding support&nbsp;&nbsp;</h4>While focused on the US, Smarty also provides geocoding for international addresses. Accuracy varies by country based on available data. Rooftop precision is available in Canada, Australia, the UK, and other developed nations. As a fallback, they provide centroid or ZIP Code accuracy globally.If you'd like to learn more about US Rooftop Geocoding and access it through the API, visit our&nbsp;<a href="https://www.smarty.com/products/us-rooftop-geocoding">US Rooftop Geocoding page</a>. And if you'd like to view the full webinar recording, you can do so here:<figure class="media"><div data-oembed-url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFt4Tfi-7d8"><div style="position: relative; padding-bottom: 100%; height: 0; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/mFt4Tfi-7d8" style="position: absolute; width: 100%; height: 100%; top: 0; left: 0;" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div></div></figure>

Maximize geocode accuracy with Smarty's rooftop-precision tools. Expert insights from Ben Rivera on delivery, risk analysis, and utility mapping. Check it out!

All posts by Benson Ehlert - Account Manager

Address affairs causing healthcare hiccups: Part 1

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