Geographical Information Systems
Geographical analysis [also known as Geographical Information Systems or GIS], is a method of spatially representing and classifying data according to its' precise physical location.
Done properly, GIS can provide useful insight into clusters of customer/donor activity [and therefore of inactivity also]. Any attribute of customer activity can be represented spatially via attachment to an address to provide the location details.
Qbase recommends using X-Y map co-ordinates for all GIS work as this is a very accurate level of location fixing [+/- 1/2 metre].
Equally when calculating drive-time much more accurate results will be produced if the drive-time analysis references actual drive-time tables which take into account route size, traffic volume and time of day, rather than straightforward proximity measurement ["as the crow flies"].
Qbase has extensive experience of providing robust, accurate geographical analysis to its customers. We even provide an on-line interface to select and buy data using drive-time as a data selector for the whole of the UK, CustomerSearch.net.
Some practical examples of recent Qbase GIS projects are detailed below:
- Catchment area analysis - Calculate the optimal location and local market for a retail outlet
- Territory planning - Apportioning sales territories based on customer volume and location of sales staff
- Drive-time analysis - Comparing customer sales and their drive-times to multiple retail outlets
For further information on how we can provide physical insight into your customer or donor data, contact us.