System and method of identifying shipping anomalies

1. A computer-implemented method of identifying distribution anomalies in a multi-point, automated, item delivery system, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computer, data obtained from first and second locations on an item transiting the delivery system, the item including a destination address present at a third location thereon, the first, second and third locations being different from each other, and the data obtained from the first location being indicative of a first destination delivery code and the data obtained from the second location being indicative of a second destination delivery code, wherein the item is to be delivered to a destination represented by one of the destination delivery codes;

detecting, by the computer, a discrepancy between the first destination delivery code and the second destination delivery code to signal a misrouted item;

determining, by the computer, which of the first and second destination delivery codes is the correct delivery code; and

producing, by the computer, a notification indicative of the discrepancy.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the first destination delivery code is an OCR-generated delivery code.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the second destination delivery code is a barcode.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the OCR-generated delivery code is based on the destination address present at the third location on the item.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein sending a notification indicative of the discrepancy comprises sending a message to a carrier report generator.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein the carrier report generator generates a report for a delivery agent associated with the item.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein the generated report indicates that the item has been misrouted.

8. A tangible, computer-readable storage medium having computer executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause a computing device to perform a method of identifying distribution anomalies in a multi-point, automated, item delivery system, the method comprising:

receiving data obtained from first and second locations on an item transiting the delivery system, the item including a destination address present at a third location thereon, the first, second and third locations being different from each other and the data obtained from the first location being indicative of a first destination delivery code and the data obtained from the second location being indicative of a second destination delivery code, wherein the item is to be delivered to a destination represented by one of the destination delivery codes;

detecting a discrepancy between the first destination delivery code and the second destination delivery code to signal a misrouted item;

determining which of the first and second destination delivery codes is the correct delivery code; and

producing a notification indicative of the discrepancy.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the first destination delivery code is an OCR-generated delivery code.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the second destination delivery code is a barcode.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the OCR-generated delivery code is based on the destination address present at the third location on the item.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein producing a notification indicative of the discrepancy comprises sending a message to a carrier report generator.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the carrier report generator generates a report for a delivery agent associated with the item.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the generated report indicates that the item has been misrouted.

15. A computerized system for identifying distribution anomalies in a multi-point, automated, item delivery system, the system comprising:

means for receiving data obtained from first and second locations on an item transiting the delivery system, the item including a destination address present at a third location thereon, the first, second and third locations being different from each other and the data obtained from the first location being indicative of a first destination delivery code and the data obtained from the second location being indicative of a second destination delivery code, wherein the item is to be delivered to a location represented by one of the destination delivery codes;

means for detecting a discrepancy between the first destination delivery code and the second destination delivery code to signal a misrouted item;

means for determining which of the first and second destination delivery codes is the correct delivery code; and

means for notification indicative of the discrepancy.

16. A computer-implemented method of identifying distribution anomalies in a multi-point, automated, item delivery system, the method comprising:

reading a destination address located on an item;

applying, at a first location on the item, first data associated with a destination delivery code representative of the address;

applying, at a second location on the item that is different than the first location, second data associated with the destination delivery code representative of the address;

receiving, by the computer, the first and second data obtained from the first and second locations on the item transiting the delivery system,

detecting, by the computer, a discrepancy between the destination delivery code associated with the first data and the destination delivery code associated with the second data, to indicate a misrouted item;

determining by the computer, which of the destination delivery codes associated with the first and second data is the correct delivery code; and

producing, by the computer, a notification indicative of the discrepancy.