Street Smarts: How Accurate Data Fuels Successful Route Optimisation
Jason Fry, Senior Business Development Manager, RouteSmart on how street data is the foundation of last-mile precision.
“In the high-stakes world of last-mile delivery, precision isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
For organizations managing complex delivery networks, street data isn’t merely a backdrop for operations; it is the foundation. From carriers navigating dense urban cores to parcel couriers servicing sprawling suburban neighborhoods, the integrity of the underlying map data directly determines route accuracy, delivery performance, and operational efficiency.
At RouteSmart, we’ve spent decades helping clients in the postal and parcel sector fine-tune their delivery operations. One universal truth has emerged: even seemingly minor inaccuracies in a street network can send ripples through delivery plans and become costly inefficiencies. A mislabeled private road, an outdated turn restriction, or a missing walkway might seem trivial—but at scale, those issues result in delayed deliveries, unnecessary fuel consumption, longer driver shifts, and lower customer satisfaction.
“Street data isn’t just about knowing where roads are,” explains Aaron Nuffer, Senior Client Success Manager at RouteSmart. “It’s about knowing what you can do on those roads. Can you make a left turn? Is there a service-side restriction? Are there time-based access rules that affect entry? These are the details that separate a good route from a great one.”
It’s Not Just the Map—It’s the Metadata
Street network data has evolved far beyond a visual map layer. Today’s best route planning platforms depend on enriched metadata—turn restrictions, speed limits, service-side access, gate codes, no-truck zones, and more—to calculate optimised, real-world-aware routes.
This is where RouteSmart’s strategic use of HERE Technologies’ attribute-rich street data comes into play. The HERE database provides detailed, continually updated information critical for building highly precise route plans. Combined with our route intelligence, this empowers delivery organizations to navigate the most complex environments with confidence.
“In our onboarding process, we don’t just plug in your existing data and hope for the best,” Nuffer said. “We actually vet your street network. We’ll overlay your data with ours, highlight discrepancies, and show you the tangible impact of incomplete or inaccurate mapping. This transparency is a game-changer for many clients.”
In fact, it’s not uncommon for clients to learn—sometimes for the first time—that their current datasets are missing vital elements. These can include service alleys behind businesses, internal roads on large campuses, or pedestrian access routes in car-restricted zones.
“Postal and parcel organizations often operate in environments where the ‘last 10 meters’ matters just as much as the last mile,” says Nuffer. “It’s those driveways, alleys, gated areas, and even walkways that determine how efficiently a driver can reach their actual delivery point.”
Why It Matters: Real-World Impact of Bad Data
In practice, poor-quality street data creates a cascade of challenges. Drivers may be routed in loops, asked to perform dangerous maneuvers like U-turns or backing down long alleys, or waste time looking for access points that don’t exist. Multiply that by hundreds or thousands of stops per day, and the inefficiencies quickly mount.
“We had a client in the parcel industry who didn’t realize their map layer lacked comprehensive data for industrial parks,” Fry recalls. “Their trucks were circling multiple times to find delivery bays. When we corrected their street data, we saw a measurable drop in route time, vehicle mileage, and even customer complaints.”
In another case, a public postal service working with RouteSmart discovered that their maps were missing time-restricted delivery windows for key urban roads. After integrating HERE’s updated datasets and customizing them with local knowledge, they were able to restructure delivery schedules and improve on-time performance across several districts.
These aren’t isolated incidents—they’re common across the industry. And while route optimisation algorithms form the foundation, it’s the high-quality data that unlocks the full potential of the software.
Evaluating and Enhancing Your Street Network
One of RouteSmart’s core differentiators is its commitment to data evaluation as part of the optimisation journey. Every onboarding includes a diagnostic review of a client’s existing street data, and if they don’t have street data, we analyze their needs and requirements for street data. This is an important step before the routing engine ever kicks in.
“We don’t expect clients to come to us with perfect data,” says Nuffer. “That’s our job—to help them understand where their data falls short and how to improve it. In some cases, their base map is perfectly usable with a few enhancements. In others, we recommend switching entirely to a premium dataset like HERE. But we always back up our recommendations with side-by-side results.”
These evaluations are visual and data driven. Using proprietary tools, RouteSmart overlays datasets to highlight gaps, show missing road segments, and identify attributes that are incorrect or outdated. Within hours, clients can see the story unfold: Here’s what your system thinks is happening—and here’s what’s really happening on the street.
This hands-on analysis is particularly valuable in the postal and parcel sector, where delivery areas often include mixed-use zones, high-density housing, pedestrian-only corridors, and seasonal access roads.
The Value of Hyper-Specific Street Detail
For last-mile delivery professionals navigating complex areas—like college campuses, military installations, or historic city centers—hyper-specific detail in the street network is essential. Access points, pedestrian zones, alleys, and parking lots can dramatically affect how routes are sequenced and executed.
Today, thanks to cloud-based solutions and the evolution of high-quality mapping data from providers like HERE Technologies, clients benefit from a richer, more accurate foundation right out of the box. There’s less need for time-consuming manual edits because the data already includes the features that matter most—driveways, walkways, service alleys, and restricted zones, all updated frequently.
“The improvements in baseline data mean we can deliver precise, real-world routing in even the most complex environments,” says Jason Fry. “It’s a major step forward for operational accuracy—and it frees up our clients to focus on planning and execution, rather than maintaining map layers.”
Data Accuracy Isn’t Static
One of the most significant challenges in street data management today is the accelerating pace of change. Construction projects, new housing developments, temporary road closures, zoning adjustments, and shifting traffic laws are happening more frequently—and with less notice—than ever before. What’s accurate today can be outdated tomorrow.
Keeping up with this rapid change requires more than a static map. That’s why RouteSmart clients benefit from frequent HERE Technologies data updates, along with the ability to integrate near real-time changes through APIs and manual overrides. Whether it’s a newly paved road, a reconfigured intersection, or a seasonal access change, RouteSmart’s platform is designed to adapt quickly—without requiring a complete rebuild of route plans.
“We’re not just building a map. We’re building a dynamic model of the world that can respond to change,” says Jason Fry. “That’s what modern delivery demands—especially when the pace of that change is only increasing.”
Another key challenge in street data management is change. Construction, new developments, zoning updates, and evolving traffic laws mean today’s accurate map could be tomorrow’s problem.
That’s why RouteSmart clients benefit from regular updates to the HERE data feed and the ability to integrate near real-time changes through APIs and manual overrides. Whether it’s a new residential development or a recently re-striped road, the platform is designed to adapt quickly—without reworking an entire route plan from scratch.
“We’re not just building a map. We’re building a dynamic model of the world that can respond to change,” says Fry. “That’s what modern delivery demands.”
Looking Ahead: AI and Predictive Data Use
As AI becomes more embedded in logistics planning, accurate street data will take on new significance. Predictive models that forecast traffic, delivery density, or environmental impacts all depend on reliable baseline data. Without it, the “intelligence” in intelligent route planning loses its edge.
“AI can’t make smart predictions on bad data,” says Nuffer. “If your foundation is flawed, every insight that builds on it is compromised.”
At RouteSmart, AI and machine learning are increasingly being used to suggest proactive data updates and flag inconsistencies based on live performance data. For instance, if a driver repeatedly deviates from a suggested route, the system can flag the issue and prompt a review—often revealing missing data or unexpected obstructions.
A Call to Action for Parcel and Postal Professionals
For route planners, dispatchers, and operations managers in the postal and parcel industry, the message is clear: before you optimise your routes, optimise your data. The tools you choose matter—but only if they’re powered by the right foundation.
If you’re attending Parcel & Post Expo in Amsterdam from October 21–23, stop by Stand #11.205 to see RouteSmart’s data-powered route optimisation in action. You’ll also have the opportunity to hear directly from our team at the Global Delivery Symposium, where we’ll dive deeper into how intelligent street data is reshaping delivery operations across the globe.
Whether you’re working to improve delivery KPIs, reduce driver strain, or enhance your organization’s adaptability, start by looking at your map. The more accurate it is, the better your results will be.”
About Jason
Jason Fry serves as a Senior Business Development Manager at RouteSmart, where he has crafted route planning and optimisation solutions for clients in the postal/parcel, local delivery, and newspaper industries for more than 16 years. Renowned for his deep expertise in optimising route planning operations, Jason specialises in leveraging RouteSmart Online and Routing as a Service (RaaS) to enhance organisations’ operational efficiencies. Committed to innovation and a forward-thinking mindset, Jason consistently helps organisations tackle their most complex route-planning challenges.
