We’ve all read (perhaps with varying degrees of amusement) the seemingly endless stories of epic GPS fails. This compilation of disaster from “The Travel” website is a favourite, as it covers such a range of instances where things can “go wrong”.
Ultimately though, the lesson remains; use your common sense and ensure you have the very best underlying data available.
Of course, if you work in the computer, tech or data space, then you will no doubt be familiar with the concept of “rubbish in, rubbish out (RIRO)”, or GIGO (if you’re American)…
You will also likely have a more than passing familiarity with (if not outright hero worship!) the great Charles Babbage. Babbage invented the first mechanical computer, the “Difference Engine” and he is also credited with the following superlative quotation:
“On two occasions I have been asked, ‘Pray, Mr. Babbage, if you put into the machine wrong figures, will the right answers come out?’ ... I am not able rightly to apprehend the kind of confusion of ideas that could provoke such a question.”
While I may be somewhat biased, I couldn’t agree more with Mr. Babbage on this. Good data is the foundation of all good decision-making. It regularly amazes me that businesses will spend a fortune on sophisticated software and technology solutions, only to power those systems and platforms with poor data.
Rubbish in, rubbish out.
Additionally, in my professional experience, nowhere is this more true than when working with road and transport data in the areas of fleet management, routing and dispatch. The smartest technologies in the world can all be undone by poor data, totally undermining the success or usefulness of a project or application and destroying business value in the process.
When it comes to Road & Transport data a laid back “near enough is good enough” approach just doesn’t cut the mustard. Whether it’s the safe transport of dangerous chemicals on our roads, or the safe carriage of visiting VIP dignitaries, only the best data available is good enough.
So, if you’re working in road transport, fleet management routing or dispatch here’s my list of the top 10 reasons why you need NationalMap Road & Transport as your underlying data.
There you have just 10 reasons, but believe me, there’s plenty more where that came from.
Your fleet management or routing system can be a high performance tool, and in the same way you wouldn’t put low octane fuel into a Bugatti Veyron, don’t put low quality data into your route and fleet systems!
If any of these 10 reasons touch a nerve, then get in touch with us today to better understand why NationalMap data is the only serious choice for powering your fleet management, or routing systems.