For the investment in mapping software to be worthwhile it should deliver performance improvements and cost benefits that far outweigh the initial investment. Mapping software is dangerous in this context because the highly visual nature of the software can easily sway a quick purchase decision...then the problems start.
Buying the software is only the tip of the iceberg, significant investment has to be made in establishing objectives,
securing the right data and putting aside the time, for the investment to truly pay off.
Geoplan has been in this field for over 40 years and during that time we have seen many new entrants to the market, many failed systems and disappointed customers. In this time, we have learnt that all the software’s deliver pretty much the same functionality, with systems targeted at either single or multi-user environments. However the one thing that isn’t the same is the quality of business understanding and pre and post sales service provided. It is in the early stages of assessment and planning that the system will either succeed or fail.
We know that companies need:
Regardless of the functionality available, if you can't easily use the system then it is of no use. Significant time and money is lost in accessing the user guide, help files or calling technical support.
The key here is how well the interface accommodates typical users:
In addition, as the user progresses or the business need becomes more complex, it is important to source a supplier that provides upgrades to functionality and makes it easy to trade up.
Mapping systems rely on a range or core datasets to allow them to function. Namely a map base, postal geography and optional demographic or business data. Data can be an expensive element and it is important to understand what comes with the
system as standard. It should also be borne in mind that the data in such systems can become out of date, this is therefore a cost to be considered and understood.
Additional data is available from a variety of sources specific to industry sectors and types of application.
Typical data available is:
Data can be held either within the system itself or accessed from external databases. The data will be provided in a variety of formats dependent upon the system selected. Many systems allow the creation and retention of import routines that aid the process of bringing data into a system. This approach can be applied to data of a similar format that is refreshed over time, e.g. monthly performance data.
Connectivity to existing business information and third party data is of primary importance if a business is to get the most from the system. Only when revenue, cost, resource and KPI information is attached can the system truly effect business performance decisions.
Some of the potential pitfalls in this area are:
The ease of production and quality of Map and data report output can vary considerably. The ability to create useful maps that can be included easily in other documents and presentations is a key factor in the selection process.
The maps and reports produced should be available as templates for easy recreation or update with new data. They should be easily transferable to other packages such as Excel, Word or PowerPoint and should be able to generate image files such as PDF and Jpeg, or database cuts for reports and mailings.
All of these features aid the rapid communication and distribution of results to a wider audience. Surprisingly, some mapping packages that print great maps have a limited capacity to generate reports.
Whilst acknowledging the basic ability to plot points or customers on a map, one of the greatest strengths of these packages is the ability to aggregate and cut data linked to specific geographic coverage areas.
The most important mapping and analysis operations include catchment and territory analysis, proximity analysis, geocoding, drivetime analysis and site, territory and route optimisation.
In addition to these spatial operations, in a business context there is often a clear question that requires an answer. For example, finding all Postcodes with target customers aged 50 with an average income of £45,000 that are within 15 minutes drivetime of a proposed store location. In many applications, the process of answering this type of question involves writing complex queries that require specialist training – ease of use is paramount in many cases where analysis is periodic and performed by users that have a need for maps but are not mapping system experts.
Acknowledging the above, a key consideration is the type of user that will be using the mapping system in your organisation. If you have a dedicated team of specialist analysts, a traditional GIS will allow a great deal of flexibility and regular usage justifies the investment in specialist training. If you do not have a dedicated team, or you have a need to distribute tasks or outputs to non-technical or field-based users, ease of use and adoption becomes critical to ensure that users get the output they need with minimum inertia and frustration.
Once the basic workflows are understood, the ability to configure your chosen system is of significant benefit.
Configuration will allow the creation of wizards to simplify tasks or to automate repetitive processes. The benefits are increased productivity, ease of skills transfer to other users and a re-direction of time towards using the results, not producing them.
The availability of configuration options, supported by the ability to create templates and routines are important features that allow you to match things like currency, language/terminology and measures to your own way of working, reducing the risk of your mapping system becoming an abstract and therefore complex analysis tool.
The key consideration here is how much of your system has been configured, and how much has been customised specifically for your organisation. This distinction is important as in the world of ‘customisation’ you are likely to be left with a static implementation of the solution that does not benefit from regular updates, upgrades or even security patches. This can often result in your organisation being tied into a way of working, using legacy tooling that cannot be changed without significant upheaval and cost.
Mapping systems and data vary considerably in terms of cost and contract structure. Ranging from hundreds to tens of thousands of pounds. Generally speaking there are several things to consider:
