24 October 2011
(Step 1 of 7 of eSpatial’s “Get started using GIS in 7 easy steps” series.)
If you’re new to Geographic Information System (GIS) software, think of it as an analytical tool that has the power to answer almost any business question you have.
Don’t get caught up in data requirements or technology – in fact, don’t even think about spreadsheets, XLS files or CRM systems.
Create a comprehensive list of your questions
Instead, think about – and list – all the business questions you’d love to find answers to. Start broad – then get very specific.
For example a broad question might be:
- How can we save money in the logistics budget?
Then break the broad question down into specific questions:
- Is our central warehouse located in the optimum area in relation to our retail locations?
- Are our drivers taking the most efficient routes?
- Can we avoid expensive toll roads without making deliveries slower?
Include all the questions that you really want to find answers to – even the hard questions that you’ve tried and failed to answer before. At this point, it’s important to be inclusive.
Get everyone involved
Once you have your list, share it with colleagues and your manager, and request feedback. Find stakeholders in different departments and get their question wish-lists too!
Different departments and stakeholders will have different ideas and needs – the more people who have a stake in getting questions answered, the more useful the eventual analysis will be. You might find that you have unexpected – but common – goals with other teams!
Prioritise
Once you’ve collected everyone’s questions, it’s time to prioritise.
Getting an answer to some questions might have the power to really change your organisation – whereas other questions would be nice to answer, but are likely to have less impact.
We’d suggest that you keep your prioritisation simple – for example:
- Necessary.
- Quite important.
- Nice to have.
And that’s it for step 1! Check back next week for our in-depth look at Step 2: Identify the data to answer your questions.
