Criteria for Evaluating

Business Mapping Software

Today, there are two major categories of mapping software for business users. On the high end, desktop mapping (DTM) products offer a subset of the larger geographic information systems (GIS). Traditional GIS systems have long been used by trained professionals working on high-powered workstations of large organizations. DTM products are an attempt to address the needs of the general business user with scaled down, less processor-intensive versions of their GIS counterparts. On the other end of the spectrum, there are consumer mapping products that help users plan trips and locate street addresses. Though never designed for business use, these products have found their way into business because users find being able to create and use maps in their everyday work useful. These consumer mapping titles do little to help business users who want to integrate and analyze their business information, but they are low-priced and easy to use.

Given the two major software categories, the ideal business mapping product should bridge the gap between high-priced DTM products and low-end consumer-oriented products. A great business mapping product should range in functionality from basic, everyday use ("Where are these addresses located?") to complex, less frequent inquiries ("How do I balance my sales territories and assign resources most effectively?"). A product that arms general business users with tools to help them better understand their business, effectively penetrate their markets and capture new customers will appeal to a much broader audience than ever.

Three types of general business users would benefit from such an easy-to-use business mapping product that is tightly integrated with other tools on the desktop. Each user type has unique needs and priorities that the right business mapping software can address:

• The client-oriented professional who provides services to and attends meetings with customers, creates materials to promote and communicate events, and may be responsible for on-site services or deliveries. This user needs to quickly find locations and addresses and be able to easily customize maps for inclusion in marketing materials or presentations.

• The knowledge worker who manages business operations and monitors the quality of products or services to ensure progress. This user needs to better understand customer locations to assign or balance sales territories and manage multiple sets of data on a single map (store locations, sales data, etc.).

• The technical analyst who analyzes numerical data to make projections or decisions, converts data to graphics and submits status reports. This user needs maps to track in-depth business metrics by area (sales by product, returns, etc.), minimize costs and maximize response rates for mailings and analyze demographic information to prospect new customers or serve existing customers better.

*Client-oriented professionals, knowledge workers, technical analysts
 
 
 

Accurate, Comprehensive Maps

Product Attribute	Importance	Usage Frequency	Who Benefits?
Core product provides accurate geographic data down to street level in United States	1	1	All users
Core product provides comprehensive demographic and census data	1	3	Technical analyst
Variety of map types	2	2	Knowledge worker Technical analyst
Route planning	2	3	Client-oriented professional
Charting on map	3	3	Technical analyst
Global positioning support (GPS)	3	3	N/ A

 
 

Data Integration With the Desktop

Product Attribute	Importance	Usage Frequency	Who Benefits?
Support for variety of direct data import and linking	1	1	All users
Wizard to assist importing data	1	1	All users
Drag-and-drop data import	1	1	All users
Support for variety of map export	1	1	All users
OLE Insert Object and In-Place Editing	1	3	Technical analyst
Product Attribute	Importance	Usage Frequency	Who Benefits?
ActiveX® Automation support	1	3	Technical analyst
Dynamic Web publishing	2	3	Technical analyst
Query tools	3	2	Knowledge worker Technical analyst
Universal translator to read and write existing maps	3	3	Technical analyst

 
 

Map Customization

Product Attribute	Importance	Usage Frequency	Who Benefits?
Annotation and drawing tools	1	1	All users
Mobile computing support	1	3	Client-oriented professional
Common programmable language Visual Basic® for Applications	1	3	Technical analyst
Flexible map views	2	2	Knowledge worker Technical analyst

 
 

Affordability and Performance

Product Attribute	Importance	Usage Frequency	Who Benefits?
Price	1	1	All users
Performance	1	1	All users
Flexible options for partial, full or network install	2	2	All users

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Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.