GIS is a computer-based technology system that integrates the visual clarity of maps with the analytical capabilities of databases.

A typical GIS is a combination of components such as computer hardware, software, data and skilled professionals. In recent years GIS is being used in various industry sectors including archaeology, business and marketing, environmental science, oil and gas, real estate, urban planning, government agencies at the municipal, provincial and federal level, small businesses and large corporations. The applications of GIS in the private sector have largely been logistics. The automotive industry is using GIS to reconfigure dealership boundaries and to help with making those very difficult decisions. Insurance companies use it as a standard way to look at risk. They do claims analysis, overlaying where a claim comes in and comparing it to the actual disaster that hit. They’re improving target marketing- what kinds of target populations would buy what kinds of insurance policies. In the manufacturing area a lot of users track the location of shipments, especially in the chemical business. In the manufacturing business it is used in supply chain analysis. People want to understand their own supply chain and its vulnerabilities.

VanRealty, the real estate agency we are consulting with in our project, will use a location based mobile app to engage customers. This app will integrate a mapping system and GIS together. The app will allow customers to search and view houses on a map based on their specific queries with their preferences. This information is stored in VanRealty’s databases.

What makes the app different is that it uses GIS technology to help the target market (hip urbanite investors) find information on the neighbourhood too. After the desired house is located on the map, the app guides them to a page that displays trends of the neighbourhood, and demographic information such as average education levels, average age levels, average family sizes, population growth, etc. The GIS gathers this data from a variety of sources.This function is very beneficial to the target market and fulfills the company’s value proposition (efficiently finding the right house for buyers that meets their specific needs and desires without wasting time).

This technology has features including showing houses for sale with amenities and neighbourhood reviews, sending open houses notifications, and “contact a realtor” button for customers to reach the company’s realtors. It will also make recommendations based on previously viewed houses and have a feedback section where customers can rate the app and provide comments on the accuracy of the app.The app also connects to social media, such as Facebook, where customers can share posts and houses.

I recently read a post by a classmate about eCommerce business Rent the Runway. They provide millions of women the ability to rent designer dresses, accessories and other essentials for a fraction of the retail price (about 10%). Their target market is mostly women that cannot afford to buy designer wear. They capitalize on the fact that women associate high fashion with looking, and feeling, beautiful. Moreover women start to get addicted to this feeling so they are ensured customer retention. The company aims to make rental a significant part of the retail industry. Which I think is great because retail does not just have to be in the business of selling products but rather using products to deliver experiences when they are needed.

Here are a few services the business offers to gain a competitive edge and differentiate themselves. When you order a dress they ship it to you in 2 sizes to ensure you get one that fits you best! They work directly with designers and have designs from over a 170 designers. They have stylists you can call that give you advice on how to accessorize your outfit. Customers can also rent these accessories at a low price.

My classmate’s post asks about the possible non-functional requirements of this website and I thought of a few things.

Security- Customers’ personal and credit card information needs to be protected.

Performance- Webpage loading, screen opening and refreshing needs to be quick.

Capacity- The system needs to be able to store large amounts of inventory and consumer data. It also needs to be able to handle many transactions simultaneously.

Availability- Customers should be able to access the website whenever there’s connection to the internet. Maintenance times should not be too long.

Showroomers are often considered as “the enemy” but latest business trends show that worrying about them is unnecessary. Showrooming is a purchasing pattern in which consumers visit stores to check out a product and then go online to track it down elsewhere at the lowest price. For example, companies like Best Buy are losing out on customers to Amazon because of this shopping practice. It is safe to say that the number of smartphone users is huge and constantly growing. The capabilities and features of smartphones play a majore role in increasing showrooming.

“On showroomers, a study found that 48 percent use the store to research products with no plans of making a purchase. About a quarter plan on making a purchase inside the store but get “turned off” by prices, lack of sales help, etc. and wind up making the purchase later online. A third use mobile devices to search prices and find product information in-store. On the positive side, 58 percent visit online communities more than once a day and over half write a positive review. They’re also typically young, 18 to 34; typically male; affluent; and global, with the largest percent of showroomers in India, China and Japan.” – excerpt from RetailWire.

Experts are suggesting that instead of dreading this segment of shoppers, they should be targeted instead. Many businesses are trying to find ways to convert showroomers into paying customers. Recently, the upscale consignment sneaker store Fight Club McPheters launched Swarm Mobile. It offers customers an app that pops up on their smartphones using Wi-Fi/3G as soon as they walk into a participating store. If customers click “yes,” a store-branded web app opens, and the retailer can track their web use and see what sites they’re visiting to check out price comparisons. Swarm can also be utilized to attract customers with on-the-spot deals and incentives, such as a free sweater with a purchase of $abc or more. By automatically loading all of Flight Club’s deals into the app, customers have valuable information they need at their fingertips, freeing up the sales staff for more personalized service. Fight Club seems to have increased their revenues with the implementation of this app so other businesses should tap into this potential. What do you think the limitations of/concerns/issues with this technology could be?

So what is ‘big data’? I’d heard this word being thrown around so often last year but I only just found out what it really means. Big data refers to a massive volume of both structure and unstructured data that is so large that it’s difficult to process using traditional database and software techniques. Data has flooded into every industry and business function and is now an important factor of production, alongside labor and capital. Big data can unlock significant value by making information transparent and usable at much higher frequency. For instance, data from blogs, social media networks, machine sensors, and location-based tools can help companies uncover facts and patterns they weren’t able to recognize in the past. Bid data analytics opens up infinite opportunities.

Leading companies are using data collection and analysis to conduct controlled experiments to make better management decisions. Others are using data for basic low-frequency forecasting to high-frequency nowcasting to adjust their business in time. Big data allows narrower segmentation of customers and therefore much more precisely tailored products or services. Big data can also be used to improve the development of the next generation of products and services. For example, several manufacturers such as Ford are using big data obtained from sensors embedded in products to improve their products as well as create innovative after-sales service offerings such as proactive maintenance. Therefore the effective use of big data will play a key role in giving individual firms a competitive advantage and in increasing productivity growth.

Of course, with every technological advancement come several issues such as policies related to privacy, security, intellectual property, and liability and these will need to be addressed in order to capitalize on the full potential of big data analytics.

Interesting fact: Obama used big data in his campaign to win the election.See how he did this HERE!