RouteSmart and Founders Honored with Prestigious 2026 INFORMS Impact Prize
Discover how our foundational integration of geographic information systems and operations research earned the industry's premier honor for sustained, real-world impact.
RouteSmart has been awarded the prestigious 2026 INFORMS Impact Prize in recognition of its sustained, transformative contributions to the field of operations research and vehicle routing technology.
The Impact Prize is awarded once every two years by the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The accolade honors contributions that have achieved widespread, long-term impact on the practical application of operations research. While the prize is traditionally presented to individuals, our company President Dr. Larry Levy accepted the honor on Sunday alongside company founders Dr. Michael Ball, Dr. Bruce Golden, Dr. Lawrence Bodin of the University of Maryland, and Dr. Arjang Assad of the University of Pittsburgh, representing the collective achievements of the entire organization.
Bridging Academic Innovation and Commercial Application
Our foundation dates to the late 1970s and early 1980s, a period when digital mapping and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) were in their infancy. At the time, executing vehicle routing optimization across tens of thousands of stops in complex, high-density urban environments was widely considered computationally unfeasible at scale.
The founding academic team successfully addressed this challenge by developing advanced algorithms specifically engineered for high-density arc routing, where service demand is associated with street segments rather than isolated points. By integrating operations research methodologies directly with digital street networks, the team bridged the critical gap between theoretical mathematical optimization and physical logistics.
A Legacy of Sustained Global Impact
Over the ensuing four decades, RouteSmart has continuously refined its intelligent routing solvers to leverage advancements in geographic data. This ongoing development allows the technology to generate highly precise, operationally feasible routes that account for detailed street characteristics and complex turn restrictions.
“There are many instances where individuals develop excellent theoretical concepts and execute them on limited data sets,” noted Dr. Levy, President of RouteSmart, a FedEx company. “However, true industry impact requires packaging those intelligent routing solvers into a robust, commercially viable product, and providing the comprehensive support structure necessary for clients to realize measurable business value.”
Today, our technology is deployed in cities and communities across the world. Following our acquisition by FedEx in early 2025, we continue to expand our reach and technological capabilities.
“This recognition by the global operations research community reinforces the significance of our collective work,” Dr. Levy reflected. “It is a testament to our ongoing mission to deliver substantial operational efficiency and tangible business value to our clients on a global scale.”
While the four founding professors established the initial algorithmic framework, this milestone reflects the decades of dedication, innovation, and hard work of our employees, who have collectively driven the company’s long-term success.
