When you’re running a global navigation or mapping platform, your product is only as good as your data. And for many tech companies, that data problem starts with an unexpected bottleneck: the supply chain.

For global navigation or mapping platforms, data quality directly impacts product effectiveness. A common and often unexpected challenge for many tech companies in this sector is the supply chain of location data. Specifically, POIs (points of interest).

Navigation and mapping platforms are expected to be accurate, dynamic, and serve to provide hyper-local experiences. Location-based services (LBS) and mobility technology rely on POI data as a core to their infrastructure. 

Here’s how one of the world’s leading mapping and navigation technology companies partnered with Echo Analytics to streamline its global POI supply chain. The result led to improved accuracy, reduced operational friction, and set the foundation for smarter location services.

POI chaos at scale

This global platform was managing multiple regional POI data providers, each with different structures, quality levels, and update cycles. That created:

• Inconsistencies in category tags and taxonomy
  
  
• Integration delays due to data normalization bottlenecks
  
  
• Coverage gaps in emerging markets
  
  
• High internal costs for validation, deduplication, and reformatting
  
  

It was a logistical nightmare. It threatened the reliability of the end product, which is an issue if your platform is expected to deliver richer location experiences. Think of real-time search, category filtering, and dynamic routing. Fragmented POI data became simply too unsustainable.

POIs as a platform investment

Realizing the issue stretched beyond a sourcing bottle neck the company sought a partner who could:

• Provide global POI coverage, not just region-specific datasets
  
  
• Align to standard taxonomies (e.g. OSM categories, NAICS)
  
  
• Deliver update-ready data formats built for fast ingestion
  
  
• Offer long-term consistency with scalable licensing and versioning
  
  

Echo Analytics was that partner.

One partner, one structure, and a global reach

Echo worked closely with the platform’s product and data teams to replace regional providers with a consolidated global POI dataset. This helped: 

• Map and standardize categories across legacy formats
  
  
• Create differentiated data layers for consumer and enterprise use cases (e.g. simplified POIs for public maps, enriched versions for enterprise logistics)
  
  
• Ensure metadata fields like brand affiliation, store hours, and geoshapes were validated and normalized
  
  

Beyond clean data, the partnership offered a consistency and predictable integration. Our delivery cadence and version control meant the platform team could focus less on fixing data and more on building features.

More than just clean data

The impact was felt across multiple teams:

• Engineering velocity increased, with fewer data-related bugs or escalations
  
  
• User experience improved, with more accurate search results and faster loading times
  
  
• Product teams shipped faster, thanks to simplified data workflows
  
  
• Data ops teams reduced their overhead, freeing time for strategic work
  
  

But perhaps most importantly, the company could now expand confidently into new markets—from Latin America to Southeast Asia—without worrying about the reliability of its location foundation.

Why this matters for the bigger picture

We’ve become staunchly reliant on navigation and mapping platforms. From logistics to travel to social apps, the expectation for precision is high. 

If your platform powers:

• Ride-hailing or micro-mobility apps
  
  
• Retail locator tools
  
  
• Geofencing-based campaigns
  
  
• Logistics route optimization
  
  
• Travel discovery or real-time recommendations
  
  

…then your POI data is foundational to your service offering. Managing different regional providers and schemas is a logistical headache. And that only gets worse as you grow and scale.

Consolidate to accelerate

Echo Analytics offers a global POI infrastructure built for platform teams. Here’s a breakdown of our dataset service. 

Ready to simplify your POI supply chain?

Echo helps tech companies eliminate fragmentation, reduce operational waste, and power smarter mapping products. Ready to empower your business with Echo location intelligence today? 

FAQ

What is POI data?‍

POI (Point of Interest) data refers to structured information about physical locations that people may find useful or significant—such as stores, parks, transit hubs, schools, or landmarks. It typically includes name, category, address, coordinates, and other metadata.

What are location-based services (LBS)?‍

Location-Based Services are applications that use real-time geographic data to provide functionality or experiences based on a user's physical location. Examples include navigation apps, rideshare platforms, weather updates, and proximity-based marketing.

What are common location data supply chain bottlenecks?‍

Typical bottlenecks include:

• Incomplete or outdated POI data due to poor refresh cycles
• Inconsistent taxonomy and classification across sources
• Limited ground truthing, leading to inaccuracies
• Sparse rural or non-commercial coverage
• Privacy and compliance barriers in data collection and sharing