TTG, Incorporated: Professional Territory Design Software Since 1988

2003A ZIP Code Map File Release Notes

TTG, Inc.
155 Middlesex Turnpike
Burlington, MA 01803
Phone: 781-272-8979
Fax: 781-272-8981
Email: Contact Support
Internet: http://www.alignstar.com

This file contains information about the 2003A 5-digit ZIP Code map file release for TTG’s AlignStar software.

Last updated 09/08/2004.

Contents:

1. General information
2. Opening AlignStar documents after installing new ZIP Code files
3. Installed file set
4. Changes to the ZIP Code roster

1) General information-

These map files generally reflect the U.S. Postal Service ZIP Code roster as of January, 2003 (ZIP Codes are continually created and eliminated as necessary by the USPS). Our next map file update will follow this release by approximately six months. The 2002B ZIP Code roster and map file set consisted of 42,053 ZIP codes. The 2003A release consists of 41,931 ZIP Codes after both the deletion of 128 old ZIP codes and the addition of 6 new ones, representing a net loss of 122 ZIP Codes. For a complete listing of additions and deletions, see section 4 of this file.

*Note: Deleted ZIP Codes are maintained in AlignStar's SmartZip table. If the SmartZip feature is enabled, data in linked files will be automatically associated with the new / current ZIP Code. For more information, please look in the AlignStar online help system under "SmartZip".

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2) Opening AlignStar documents after installing new ZIP code files-

The first time you run AlignStar after installing a ZIP Code update, AlignStar may have to rebuild a geographic relationship table, referred to as a cross reference (or xref) table. This process can take anywhere from three to twenty minutes depending on the speed of your computer. AlignStar will only have to perform this function the first time it is opened after the update.

Given the deletions and additions in the ZIP Code roster, there will be both ZIP Codes and associated data which no longer exist in as well as new ZIPs which will initially appear as unassigned (gray) on your map. You may assign the new ZIPs to your sales hierarchy as appropriate (a convenient way of assigning units within AlignStar is to use the Auto Align feature found on the Alignment menu. For detailed info on how to use Auto Align, see your AlignStar online help system), however you will need a way of dealing with the ZIPs and associated data which will no longer link in AlignStar. There are several ways of dealing with these records:

• You can contact the U.S. Postal Service to find out what the new ZIPs for those locations are and assign hierarchy info to the new ZIPs as appropriate. (A good way to resolve ZIP Codes via the USPS is by using their website at www.usps.com, or http://www.usps.com/ncsc/lookups/lookup_ctystzip.html).
• You can ‘fold’ the data for the old ZIPs into adjacent ZIPs.
• If the SmartZip feature in AlignStar is enabled, most if not all of the data associated with old / deleted ZIPs will automatically be associated with the proper ZIP Code. Please see the AlignStar help system for more information on SmartZip.
• The Save Data Source feature provides a way of exporting a list of records updated by SmartZip. Please see the AlignStar help system for more information on Save Data Source.

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3) Installed file set-

The following files are installed by the ZIP Code update package:

The *.tmc file on the list contains the updated cartography set for AlignStar and is copied to your \AlignStar\maps subdirectory. The file that ends in “.adj” is an adjacency table required by the optimizer and is also copied to your \AlignStar\maps directory. The “cartxref.tbl” file is the AlignStar cross-reference table and is copied to your \AlignStar directory. Smartzip.tbl is used with the SmartZip feature, and is also copied to your \AlignStar directory.

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4) Changes to the ZIP Code roster-

The following is a list of the ZIP Codes that existed in the AlignStar 2002B ZIP Code map file but do not exist in the 2003A map file (deletions).

The following is a list of the ZIP Codes that DID NOT exist in the AlignStar 2002B ZIP Code map file but do exist in the 2003A map file (additions).

Copyright 1990-2008 by TTG Inc., Burlington, MA, All Rights Reserved

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