After publishing 250 schemas for the property industry over the past six months, PISCES is now turning its attention to improving addressing.
Roger de Boehmler, director-general of PISCES, said: "The property industry is frustrated that exchanging everyday address information is anything but standardised. Problems have existed with accurate addressing for years. This is because of variations in the way addresses are structured and the way in which the many ‘unique’ references are used. Each government department and each major addressing business has defended their own way of doing things. We understand this. PISCES has lots of experience of bringing together different methods into one Standard, which can be used by everyone.
"As a result, PISCES has been asked by its members to set up a workgroup to provide a single set of XML schema that supports the main UK addressing and reference methods. This is a major step forward that should not upset anyone, but will hold the key to addressing the addressing issue.
"Next year we will provide a single XML standard for use in any software that holds property addresses. By improving address data quality and automating its transfer between systems, this standard will generate significant savings for everyone. Such a standard is also essential to the development of e-commerce wherever efficient addressing is a key factor."
PISCES has been asked to develop the addressing standard using their workgroup approach. This method, developed by PISCES members, recently resulted in the fastest ever development of a complex e-commerce standard.
The PISCES Addressing Workgroup is widely supported by many in the industry including Ordnance Survey, RICS, Experian, British Land, Intelligent Addressing, National Land & Property Gazetteer, and Landmark Information Group.
A public seminar on this initiative is being hosted by British Land on Thursday 26 October at 10.00am at The Auditorium, Allsop Place, London, NW1 4QP.
Speakers will include Richard Mason of Ordnance Survey, James Kavanagh of RICS Land Group, Sue Walters of Experian and Michael Nicholson of Intelligent Addressing.
The seminar will discuss the issues involved and explore the scope as well as the benefits of the proposed PISCES addressing standard.
De Boehmler said: "After this seminar, a workgroup will be set up to work intensively over the winter into the spring to deliver a standard that meets the property industry’s needs."
