Learning Curve Group are a national training and education specialist. Their vision is to transform lives through learning, and by working with individuals, employers, and education providers, they make lifelong development accessible to everyone.
Data shows that adult participation in learning is not distributed evenly and those least likely to access available resources are adults living in poverty with the lowest qualifications. Targeted funding and delivery of the right training provision will help people in this demographic, enabling them to enter the workforce and enjoy the associated benefits of health, wellbeing and encouraging others in their communities to participate.
As one of the largest training providers in the UK, Learning Curve Group are unrivalled in the breadth and choice of courses they offer. Each year they also help over 4,500 employers with workplace development plans and qualifications. They deliver training to 100,000 learners helping them attain nationally recognised qualifications, learn new skills, and advance their careers.
Funding for adult learning has seen significant changes over the past few years. Until 2019, the Adult Education Budget (AEB) provided funding for adult learning, but funding is now split between the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) and devolved authorities.
The postcode of each learner determines who they receive funding from, so providers of adult learning courses need to know whether a course has available funding for a particular student. In some cases, addresses separated even by just one postcode district e.g., PE8 and PE9, have different sources of funding – and that’s where AFD can help!
We spoke with Steve Morris, Commercial Director at Learning Curve Group, to understand how they have navigated these changes to funding:
“In the new devolved-funding world, we now have a situation where there are multiple devolved authorities responsible for their own AEB, and the other postcodes that do not fall within those areas receive funding from ESFA. We now must understand who funds each learner based on their address and, more specifically, if funding is available to them for the course they have chosen. This will soon get even more complex when county devolution becomes a reality.
We need to avoid the scenario where learners were completing a 25-minute enrolment process then finding that their source of funding does not cover that course, resulting in wasted time and disappointment.”
“To ensure we could continue to provide our learners with the best possible experience from initial interest to enrolment, we needed a solution that would instantly identify which courses were available to each learner, based on their postcode.
After searching online, we found The Postcode People – who had the exact solution to our problem: an address lookup that provided an accurate address AND returned the relevant AEB data.
Now we had the right solution, the next job was to ensure we covered all points of data entry on the website, CRM system, and Management Information system.
Prior to introducing AFD’s solution, we had multiple tools to validate addresses and capture and attach funding data. We would run a separate process to check the address in the back office and then match this with the funding information. We now have an automated process using the learner’s valid address to tie it all together, saving valuable time and helping ensure address and funding accuracy, and helping to avoid disappointment and frustration for the potential student.
After introducing point of entry validation, attention turned to other areas of the organisation that would benefit from linking address data with the relevant funding bodies.
Rachel Cornforth, Head of Marketing, explains: “By appending the additional geodemographic classification data from AFD which adds relative affluence, lifestage, and lifestyle, we can build a better picture of an ‘ideal learner profile’ for specific courses. We can then take this data to upsell courses to existing customers with a similar profile and reach out to similar potential learners, safe in the knowledge that the correct funding is available for the courses we advertise to them.
We also contact employers to provide training courses to their teams. Our sales staff needed support in categorising businesses as they added them to our CRM system to facilitate business segmentation. Using AFD’s business data we can quickly append business sector, turnover and employee count to our data, and tailor which courses are relevant to their business. Segmented marketing will save both manual processing time and wasted opportunity costs.
Specifically targeting businesses with courses that are relevant to them and their industry, will improve sales performance and ensure the sales team can better target their efforts.”
When discussing AFD Software as data quality partners, Steve commented: “AFD not only had the right solution for our exact requirement, they also had the right team to talk us through all their relevant solutions and help improve wider data issues.
We used a third-party contractor to help us implement the AFD solutions, and the AFD team went above and beyond communicating with them and representing us to have everything put in place.
I genuinely cannot say enough good things about the service that has been delivered, the proposal was clear and all the staff we dealt with were highly knowledgeable about this area and skilled in what they do.
This project went beyond validating an address, I am confident that The Postcode People at AFD are the go-to provider of data quality solutions and would recommend them to other organisations that need accurate data and a review of data processes.”
To discuss your organisation’s data accuracy requirements and review data processes, contact joel.miller@afd.co.uk or call 01624 811711.
The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) is the national body for dinghy, motor and sail cruising, all forms of sail racing, Rigid Inflatable Boats, sports boats, windsurfing, personal watercraft, and a leading representative body for inland waterways cruising.
With over 100,000 personal members and more than 1,500 affiliated clubs and classes, the RYA sets and maintains an international standard for recreational boat training through a network of RYA-recognised training centres, world-class courses, and educational material.
Responsible for one of the UK’s most successful Olympic medal-winning sports, the RYA’s coaching, and development schemes actively support the UK’s top sailors, from talented juniors to Olympic and World Champions.
Benefits of RYA membership includes advice and support, certification, offers and discounts, insurance, and the latest relevant information on all aspects of recreational boating. We caught up with Andy Galvin, Information Systems Manager, to understand more about his role within the organisation and the importance that accurate customer and address data plays in communicating with and recruiting its members.
“When I joined the team in 1997, one of the projects the IT team was involved in was scoping out a solution that would improve data accuracy. We needed to migrate over 300 Microsoft Access databases into a single Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution. Whilst attending a CRM EXPO, other businesses mentioned how they partnered with AFD to get address data right, so we got in touch.
Whilst many things have changed including that initial CRM system, one thing that has been consistent is our partnership with AFD that has now been in place helping us get customer and address data right for 24 years.”
Manual data entry has two main drawbacks: time and human error. Having automatic address validation in place helps to remove these challenges. Data accuracy helps ensure communications get to the right place, and when the message being sent contains critical information, this is essential.
Andy describes: “As a membership organisation, we actively communicate with our members via traditional mail – sending out updates, events and literature which include safety information updates and protocol changes. We need to make sure this vital information is getting to our members and instructors quickly and accurately to help them stay within the latest guidelines.
We have up to 70 team members processing contact data in the CRM at any time. When we consider that manually typing an address can take between 15 and 20 seconds (slowed down further when struggling to read hand-written application forms), and processing over 250,000 address checks per year, AFD’s address lookup solution is saving 1400 hours each year in staff time and headaches!
Following the easing of government restrictions last summer that allowed sailing to resume, we found a much higher volume of applications for RYA Certificates of Competence (boat and yacht qualifications) and membership. Despite the high spike in applications, we were able to accurately process an increased number of applications in the same timeframe. Without AFD in place to help process the data, our application processing time would have increased and data accuracy would have dropped massively.”
Due to the difficulty in processing handwritten applications, the RYA now provide the ability to sign-up as a member on their website. To ensure they have plugged all the gaps for data accuracy, AFD’s address validation is deployed to help quickly capture the right address.
Validating addresses on entry has additional benefits which Andy goes on to explain: “When the application is completed online, our CRM system then checks if the applicant is already in the database via a postcode and surname match. This process relies on the accurate address AFD provides, allowing us to eliminate duplication which in turn reduces wasted costs and administration in rectifying.”
With a growing international presence and members from around the world wanting to train at RYA centres to gain their International Certificate of Competence, the website and UK-based team process international applications which come with their own challenges.
Andy continues: “We have found some countries addresses are more difficult than others to process. These difficulties are further compounded when most applications are filled out using pen and paper. Having a tool that allows the team to search for international addresses makes a tricky process very straightforward and saves us having to recruit address experts with local knowledge for the 50+ countries’ varying postal systems we work with.
AFD’s International address validation allows us to search by postcode or other address fragments and find the right address without having to do further research or spend time contacting the member.”
Funding from membership revenue allows the RYA to continue its work and deliver the benefits and certificates that members sign up for. With a range of membership plans available for both individuals and families, payments can be made for annual memberships online and over the phone.
Describing the process of capturing payment details Andy continues, “When an error is made during a direct debit process, it’s not only the cost of a missed payment but also the cost of fixing the issue. A member of the team will need to go into the record, remove the direct debit and try to contact the member to update the record. This complication results in a poor experience when becoming a member or renewing.
With AFD’s bank verification solution for our team and the website, we can spot and rectify any errors whilst the customer is still on the phone or completing their application online, helping to achieve a smooth onboarding process.”
In summarising the partnership between the RYA and AFD Software, Andy concludes: “The way we have designed all our processes is tailored to give the best experience for both members and our team. We view services from AFD as far more than just address lookups; onboarding, finding, and communicating with members all rely on our partnership in data quality.
We have worked with The Postcode People at AFD Software for over 20 years. Two decades of partnership is a testament to the quality of solutions that we receive and the team that sits behind them.
We have found all the team are proactive and quick to respond to any of our requests. Being able to pick up the phone or send an email to a real person rather than an automated response is especially important for our small team. From a technical perspective, the APIs are straightforward to work with and deliver the results we need. I would recommend the team at AFD to help overcome challenges around contact data accuracy.”
For nearly 40 years, AFD has helped organisations get data right.
In the membership and not-for-profit sector, accurate contact data is crucial to ongoing communication and support. Our data validation and cleansing solutions help thousands of organisations accurately capture and maintain millions of contact records each year.
To find out how our solutions could benefit your organisation contact joel.miller@afd.co.uk or call 01624 811711.
Millions of people live in communities or remote areas with no roads and minimal access to the outside world. If this was your reality, how would you reach a doctor to help you and your family? How would you work to provide for those who rely on you or learn and develop new skills? Physical barriers, such as dense jungles and impassable mountain ranges, or obstacles resulting from natural disasters or conflict are all real impediments to communities in need.
For over 75 years, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) has helped overcome these barriers and today uses light aircraft to provide flights for more than 2,000 aid, development and mission organisations, enabling them to bring everyday essentials as well as medical care, emergency relief, long-term development and Christian hope to thousands of communities.
With a MAF plane taking off or landing every four minutes, the need for continued support and funding is essential. We spoke with Duncan Colyer, MAF UK’s Database Manager, to find out how maintaining communication with supporters allows the vital work to continue;
“I joined MAF two and a half years ago to migrate the existing supporter management system to Dynamics 365. We were previously reliant on old tech and wanted a new cloud based solution that would allow us to better communicate with our supporters.
Part of the brief was integrating additional functionality including full document management, automatically adding emails and address validation to help ensure supporter data was accurate.
Of all the components we integrated, the address validation from AFD was by far the simplest to get working. It was pain-free and refreshing to have something we could just get done simply.”
With a traditional supporter base from an older demographic, MAF principally uses physical letters to maintain contact with supporters in a variety of ways. Duncan explains:
“In terms of individuals, we have over 100,000 supporters within our database, though not all are active and being mailed to. We send around 8 mailings a year to our ‘active’ supporters and we also send letters to express our thanks to supporters who have made donations.
In a year we can send up to 400,000 physical letters and we need to do all we can to make sure this vital correspondence is reaching the intended supporter.
There is a cost to the creation of the content, printing and mailing of such a large volume. Then there is the downside to consider of our highly valued supporters potentially not receiving our communications, which would severely impact further donations and support.
AFD’s address validation solution helps us to minimise the possibility of wasted expenditure, reduce the chance of getting supporter data wrong and maximise the likelihood of our 400,000 letters getting to the right place.”
In addition to the benefits listed above around data accuracy, AFD’s solutions contain a wealth of additional data that MAF is beginning to uncover. Duncan continues:
“In exploring the solution from AFD I know there is a lot of additional data that will provide powerful and insightful analysis.
One example is the Health Authority Area that will enable us to link our supporter records to other datasets from the Office for National Statistics and allow for regional analysis of supporter trends.
We have also discussed the geodemographic classification dataset Censation, which will provide indicative affluence, life stage and lifestyle data for our supporters. This data helps us better understand the types of people with whom we engage and enables us to reach out to similar people who share our passion to reach more remote communities with our life-changing work.”
When asked what he would say if another charity asked for advice on selecting a partner in address and data quality Duncan said:
“I would recommend The Postcode People at AFD Software. We have used other address validation providers in the past but there are key differences with AFD. Being able to pick up the phone and speak with a real team of experts is a benefit, as I know we are a valued customer.
The solution itself does exactly what we hoped for, was very easy to integrate and it provides a lot more functionality that we are keen to explore.
As a charity, it is important for us to partner with an organisation that shares similar ethics and also looks to have a positive impact on the world. We know AFD Software is led in a way that is aligned with what MAF does.”
How is your organisation helping to ensure data accuracy in its contact database?
For almost 40 years AFD Software have helped organisations validate and cleanse contact data, speak to Joel Miller today on 01624 811711 or email joel.miller@afd.co.uk to discuss your requirements.
For almost two years now, the spread and implications of Covid have dominated news headlines and brought people’s attention closer to protecting themselves and their families. While we have been focussed on our own wellbeing, many of us are unaware of the even more severe implications of the reduced resources available to countries and communities less well equipped than our own.
A key objective at AFD Software is “to generate profits, and to use them creatively in the relief of suffering, the improvement of society and furtherance of the Christian gospel”. Each year, all the team at AFD have the opportunity to each nominate an organisation to receive a charitable donation.
This extra incentive of knowing that their contributions at work make a real difference to the lives of those who need it most helps all the team to constantly work hard, seek new innovations and maintain the highest levels of quality.
In 2019 we celebrated donations totalling around £1,000,000 to over 70 charities.
In 2020 around 80 charities received donations totalling over £1,500,000 – part of our response to the increased level of need.
In 2021 around 90 charities were selected to receive £2,000,000 in donations to continue to help deliver relief, both physically and mentally, to those in the most need.
Here are examples of just three of the charities receiving donations from AFD this year:
Alzheimer’s Research UK work with over 1,500 scientists in 15 research centres around the UK to fund research into the causes, treatments, prevention and cure of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
With dementia affecting over 850,000 individuals within the UK, the AFD donation will be put towards the charity’s mission to bring about the first life-changing dementia treatment by 2025 as they aim to bring about a future without the fear, harm, and heartbreak of the disease.
Hope for Justice is a global organisation, implementing antislavery programs across five continents in eight countries – Ethiopia, Cambodia, Norway, Uganda, USA, UK, Australia, and Zimbabwe. Their vision is to live in a world completely free from slavery.
AFD’s donation will be directed to the purchase of a vehicle to be used for field visits supporting the reintegration of rescued children as part of the Lighthouse Program in Uganda, which provides emergency, short-term shelter to vulnerable children immediately following their rescue.
Tearfund is a Christian charity that partners with churches in more than 50 of the world’s poorest countries, tackling poverty and injustice through sustainable development, disaster response, and the challenging of injustices.
The support from AFD this year has been in response to the immediate need for several emergency situations; funds have been sent to help meet basic needs such as water for around 550,000 displaced Afghans suffering in the recent Afghanistan conflict. AFD also responded to the crisis in Syria which has seen an estimated 13.4 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, and further support has been pledged to assist 800 families in Haiti purchase basic essentials following the earthquake in the region in August, which killed around 1,400 people.
All the organisations we have partnered with and the incredible work they do can be seen at www.afd.co.uk/charity
Halfords Autocentres is a growing network of 265 garages delivering a full range of automotive services to over half a million customers every year.
Halfords plans to expand coverage to 400 centres, adding around 30 new garages each year. AFD Postcode is helping Halfords in its quest to deliver both customer satisfaction and growth. Each branch has the Halfords bespoke ‘Point of Sale’ solution which accesses AFD Postcode, ensuring that all users have access to up-to-date address data.
One key strategy for growth requires the high levels of customer satisfaction which lead to loyalty and referrals. Another is ensuring that customers receive timely reminders for MOT and Servicing.
The first main purpose of AFD Postcode is to ensure accuracy of data. IT Manager Kevin Cooke explains: “We need accurate data because we need to generate cross-selling opportunities and build annual revenues.
For example, an MOT is an annual event. We typically write to the customer 40 days before the MOT and then if we don’t hear from them, the Centre Manager calls them. People do forget when their MOT needs renewing, so this reminder service is good for Halfords and the customer.
With an accurate address we are confident that our reminder and cross-selling communications will not only be delivered to the customer but will build our brand through accurate presentation of the customer’s address.”
The second main purpose of AFD Postcode is as a time saver. Kevin Cooke continues: “Typically a centre will have a manager who enters the customer data to the Point of Sale system which may have been taken from a handwritten note.
The faster the data can be entered, the more time the manager has to deal with customers and to manage. This is particularly important during busy periods.
Without AFD Postcode there would be a negative impact on time – with AFD Postcode everyone’s happy!”
How could AFD Postcode help your organisation reach its growth and service goals?
We serve thousands of organisations and a network of hundreds of partners across multiple industry sectors, enabling them to have full confidence in their contact data.