Most businesses collect data in systems for the purpose of looking up details and to maybe do some basic reporting. The technology revolution (if it can be called that) for us started in the 1990’s where many businesses did not have a computer.
Some organisations in the early 1990’s may have started with a few computers or maybe one to do basic processing, but many did not. I remember getting my first PC in 1992. The care home that my mum worked at the time was just considering if they should have a computer database for patient records, but this didn’t come until 1994.
In 1994 I went off to University to study Software Engineering and by 1998 when I left, the explosion of computers in the workplace had taken hold and so called software developer jobs were a plenty to be found - it really was a great time.
But I also remember selling my flat in 1998 and asking the estate agent if they could email me details and they did not understand what I was talking about, and on visiting the shop there was not a computer in sight.
We wanted to set the scene above, as the number of systems and database that collected data grew at a rapid rate. The strange thing is for the next 15 years progress was made but the idea that computer systems were for collecting data and becoming silos of historic data continued.
Yes, we might have had the Dotcom boom and bust, and then web applications and now Cloud Services, but still most businesses collect data in the same way and the technology might have changed but the process is pretty much the same.
So that brings us up to date more or less to about 2005, when businesses initially the enterprise started to realise there was real value in data. In 2005 Roger Mougalas from O'Reilly Media first coined the phrase “Big Data” and I believe this was the first steppingstone to the use of data and building business on the back of data.
You only need to look at Amazon, Google or even Facebook to realise that these are data driven businesses, and they use information around what you buy or what you look for to find you related information.
So, your business is not a Google or a Facebook, but it does not stop you analysing and using the data you have to make business decisions based on indicators. And just a word of warning, you need to remain compliant under the new GDPR regulations so give some thought to analytical data over personal data. This is why you see statements on shopping sites like Amazon that claim that people that bought X product or similar, also bought Y product. The analysis done is about the buying patterns and trends of many.
You can do the same, you can analyse your data by product or by activity and determine trends. You can also do this by location to see what type of product is popular by location. We are all using GEO tools more and Mapsimise can help you analyse and trend data by location. The following example explains how a non-profit organisation that runs fundraising events uses mapping and geospatial to identify event areas.
Air Ambulance
Air Ambulance generated donations by planning events and finding donors by location. You may well think that Air Ambulance services are generally small operations but in truth funding the operation and getting donations is a huge part of their business activity. Most have 100’s of employees, whilst the service has one or two aircraft.
Mapping not only helps to identify donors and volunteers by location, but by augmenting this data with regional businesses and social events it’s enabled the organisation to focus on where the best places were to send people to represent what they did or to participate in events building awareness. Mapping location data allowed the service to see where hotspots were and analyse best times to visit those areas to seek donations.
Location data used in this way helped the service focus on gaining the best returns from resources, and your business could be the same.
Mapsimise brings to your organisation the ability and opportunity to analyse, identify and understand data by location. The old saying “Don’t go fishing where there are no fish” springs to mind. Mapsimise helps you understand where your customers or potential customers are, it can help drive more sales, donations or activities depending on your business, and can help you get real value from your data.
How to get started with Mapsimise
If you are ready to get started, it's so easy! Start visualising your data on one or more maps by signing up to your own Mapsimise account and get started. Follow the steps below:
- Firstly, visit our website Mapsimise.com
- Click Get Started
- Select the package that suites your organisation
- Fill in the registration form
- Validate and log in to your Mapsimise account (by email)
- Add your billing information and select the connectors or upgrade from your Go Package
If you get stuck, you can sign into the Help Desk and raise a ticket with Mapsimise Support OR click here.
We look forward to working with you and helping you visualise your data, gaining location intelligence.
