How Location Analytics is Improving Business

In recent years GIS technology and business intelligence has become increasingly intertwined with data being increasingly displayed using maps for analytical purposes. And many will say it’s about time; some manner of location component is already present in over 80% of business data. Location analytics allows business insight to be gained from that location component data. This benefits businesses in many ways.

GIS data rich maps are de rigour. Not only are these maps easy to use, but they are easy to understand by those using them to educate themselves before making a decision. A view of the data on a map is good, but is not really sufficient where there is a need to correlate, analyse or research more deeply. Location analytics platforms are allowing for the provision of geographic analysis to users in a way that’s incredibly accessible, whether via a desktop or Cloud based software package such as that provided by ESRI and its partner network.

Multi-City Businesses

Some business with operations in multiple cities can greatly benefit from location analytics and a merge with GIS. The technology can reveal valuable information that may not be so easily obtained by departments using traditional methods. Some of this information includes where staff in each city travels to clients and what taxes, fees and other amounts have been paid for offices in their respective locations.

Real Estate

Location analytics and GIS are also working together in the real estate industry to generate demographic, map and business imagery. When combined with GIS, this data is allowing real estate professionals to achieve a higher return on their investments. A single map which contains numerous data segments can allow real estate professionals to present a clear and completely thorough representation of cities and their neighbourhoods to interested clients.

Oil and Gas

The oil and gas industry is most certainly benefiting from location analytics and GIS. Today’s specialists are not only able to correlate several operations like exploration, drilling and collection, but they are also able to spatially correlate their operations, sales and regulatory functions in order to optimise their operations.

An Unlimited Platform

Realising that location intelligence has been traditionally limited to visualisation, used in specific niche markets or in particular departments only, GIS applications are being transformed into location analytics platforms that can be used across an enterprise.
These platforms are offering a number of benefits to virtually any business. Maps that display business data can now be integrated with existing business systems with incredible results. Some maps can even be used as interfaces, allowing users to update, delete and create data within a business system.

Businesses and organisations collaborate seamlessly as well as securely, thanks to GIS and location analytics. Data can be made widely available as access to any sensitive analysis or data can be controlled. The best part is that users need not necessarily have to learn new software to make use of GIS and location data; commonly-used word processing programs can create a map as well as an analysis of the data from which the map was made, and then publish that information to the platform for their colleagues to use.

The combination of GIS and location analytics means that businesses get the best of both. Not only can they see raw data transformed into understandable and meaningful reports, but they also benefit from the visual and intuitive abilities of GIS, which can provide them with a visualisation of business intelligence that’s more robust than ever before.

The additional insight that GIS and location analytics provides incredible value to businesses, which can ultimately allow them to gain the advantage over their competition.