Understanding your USRN integration infographic

The infographic utilises your responses to the Streets Improvement Schedule Questionnaire 202/24. It draws on the information submitted specifically around system integrations to create the visuals that you see.

What systems are included?

There are the 15 key systems represented in the infographic as listed on the left.

For each system listed, the infographic displays a colour coded system (red / green) to indicate whether the system is integrated (utilises) street data and the USRN. This is defined in the key.

At the top of the Infographic, you will find the ‘Overall Integration Score’. This shows how many of the 15 listed systems have been integrated across the authorities on average and how your authority compares to the national average.

A colour coded system (green, blue, red) is used to highlight whether your authority is above, equal to or below the average score.

At present the USRN integration infographics indicate whether a departmental system utilises the USRN or not. Over time, this will evolve to include other measures similar to the address data guidance such as:

• System reliance on the USRN

• Currency of street data

• Method of update

Further guidance on these measures can be seen below and will shortly be built in to the Street integration infographics.

What do we mean by "reliance"? The ability of the software system to solely rely on the USRN and definitive street names and not permit the entry of manual, unvalidated street names.

What to aim for: Software systems which mandate the usage of the USRN and implement a lookup drawing “official street names" from a definitive source.

Further guidance on definitive data sources can be found in the below guide:

• Sources of street data

Why reliance on the USRN is important:

How you can improve :

1. Determine if the software system can utilise address data and the USRN and mandate its use. You may need to ask your I.T dept or system supplier directly.

   A list of key questions can be found in the below guide which can help you determine what is possible:

   • Questions to ask software suppliers

2. If manually entered streets are present and permitted, then they will need to be periodically matched to a USRN and retrospectively updated and corrected in the system if required. This is key to ensuring street data remains trustworthy and accurate.

   Further guidance on dealing with manually entered street information can be found in the below guides:

   • Building sustainable integrations

   • What is data cleansing and matching?

What do we mean by "currency"? How frequently street data is updated and kept current in the system

What to aim for: Street data should be updated as frequently as possible in departmental systems in order to support their day-to-day tasks and functions.

This could mean weekly or monthly frequencies in line with the published version of the National Street Gazetteer, but in some cases real-time if your LSG is part of a wider street and asset management system. Knowing how current the data should be all depends on what the service area requires. The answer to this question involves discussing their street data requirements with them.

Why currency of data is so important:

How you can improve:

1. Speak with the department that owns the system and determine how frequently they require street data to be updated. A key question could be to ask them:

"What is the longest amount of time you are prepared to wait for new street information to be added to the system?"

2. Determine how frequently the system can actually load and consume street data. You may need to ask your I.T dept or the system supplier directly to obtain this answer.

   A list of key questions can be found in the below guide which can help you determine what is possible:

   • Questions to ask software suppliers

3. Once you know the department's requirements, plus the capability of the system (how frequently it can load street data), then the next step is to ensure that you are using the correct data product which supports that currency.

   Further guidance on definitive data sources can be found in the below guide:

   • Sources of street data

4. Aim to implement the most frequent option possible to support the department's service needs.