Location Analytics: Any Industry, Any Problem!

Businesses, organizations, and governments have a resource limit. There is a finite number of hours employees can work, budget for departments, or the amount of warehouse space and vehicles available. From start-ups to nonprofits, organizations face a risk when they use new software, new theory, and a new strategy to their organization’s momentum. Fear of a backfiring project or all-out failure is real. To limit that risk, consider an addition that can improve your work across departments and business sites to revolutionize your outreach. Location analytics will show your organization the power of where: one framework can give you better results. Location Gonigs Location analytics is an up-and-coming concept that enriches your worldview through data-driven geographic analysis. It is an analytical skill set and framework you can use to improve your product or service outreach and efficiency. Studying your business through geospatial analysis utilizes a comprehensive wide range of valuable data. Consider a local take-out chain looking to expand into new neighborhoods. With geospatial analysis, they can determine which potential location has the largest untapped market for new customers. They can determine the correct distance between locations to avoid decreased business at original locations. If you want to expand but cannot convince colleagues, lay your data over your geographic background. A compelling visual representation can instantly change your organization’s conversation by altering the perspective of your coworkers. Plotting your user’s addresses on a map can show the best neighborhood for a new location. These scenarios are not hypothetical; location analytics is used in varying industries - from journalism to local government. Using location analytics gives data analysis a human side. In 2016, Tekja, a data visualization studio, placed tens of thousands of tweets against a map of London. Words were ranked from 5 to -5 in terms of their happiness connotations. The frequency and distribution of the tweets determined Bexley, Haringey, and Red Bridge to be the happiest London boroughs, with Sutton, Enfield, and Lewisham top of the sadness stakes. This location analysis was the center of Somerset House's Big Bang Data Exhibition. It also provided interactive graphics useful in deciding on issues from a residential neighborhood for renters and new locations for small business owners to marketing strategies for advertising firms. Bringing location analytics to all organizations, educational to entrepreneurial, can go beyond general efficiency to revolutionize work. Firefighters and police officers can access a building’s floorplan before entering, potentially saving lives. Local government can increase transparency by publishing where taxes lead to infrastructure improvements. Location Analytics Location analytics should help your data’s form meet its function. The relationship between analysis and geospatial information determines your use of maps and GIS software. Software ranges from ArcGIS Pro to Maptitude, with your industry, end product, and price range the key variable in your chosen program. If a map is your product, its design should maximize user engagement with the right ratio of information to illustration. Location analytics has tools and methods for your disposal; what you make of them is up to you and your business.