A fundamental question of any business is where? Where to locate? Where are my customers? Where are my competitors?
Where are the gaps in the market? All the important pieces needed to making your business a success can be analyzed, managed and visualized using a GIS.
Geographic Information Systems was once the domain of cartographers, mapping specialists and scientists but there has been a revolution and increasingly GIS is being employed strategically in business. There are numerous applications for GIS in business, these include location-based services, supply chain management, asset management, geographical marketing and promotion. Businesses that use GIS make faster and more effective commercial decisions.
This column, written specifically for the businessperson to provide insights into GIS applications for business and organizational environment, will look at GIS in the context of business information systems and other areas such as logistics, marketing, finance and strategic management.
It will highlight from an organizational perspective the advantages of spatially enabling existing enterprise systems and illustrate how GIS is being applied in different sectors including Insurance, Manu- facturing, Banking, Journalism, Retail, Real Estate, Engineering and Utilities.
The goal is to empower organizations to assess how location intelligence can enhance their business operations and to promote a culture of spatial thinking within organizations. Readers will be exposed to how they can implement business ideas utilizing location intelligence.
Business knowledge is power and this power increases when business data is analysed in terms of location and time. GIS will therefore allow organizations to make sense of large quantities of information available in today’s business environment thus gaining new insights that can lead to improve business strategy and operational tactics.
Over the years many private business organizations have seen the benefits of GIS implementations. However, there are still many businesses that have not yet fully appreciated the significance of how location data could help them. Others do have some appreciation for the power of location analysis but have failed to maximize the benefits because of ineffective use of the technology.
It must be noted that knowing of the existence of technologies like GIS is a good start, but it is not a do-it-yourself prospect when it comes to development and implementation. Businesses have to prepare themselves and their employees, to make use of GIS if they want to gain the real benefits.
Customers, employees, business properties, suppliers and business partners all have one thing in common – they all have a geographic location. Having spatial intelligence of how these entities interact and relate to each other can give businesses a competitive edge in the marketplace. The Geo-Business column will help organizations map their way to a more profitable business.
About the Columnist: Valrie Grant is the Jamaican-born founder and Managing Director of GeoTechVision. She has worked extensively in the field of GIS in the public and private sector across the region. She is the president of the Urban Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) Caribbean Chapter and a Director URISA International. She holds an MSc in GIS & Environment and a professional certification from the GIS Certification Institute.
