The Harlow Report

The Harlow Report-GIS

2023 Edition


ISSN 0742-468X
Since 1978
On-line Since 2000


first published week of:   01/30/2023

Why Would We Need A Geospatial Strategy Anyway?

by Brian Cross

At the center of important decisions for companies today is a geographic approach at every level. Not just as data points on a map, but as a framework for the entire enterprise. Leaders are using GIS to answer questions critical to operating a sustainable, profitable business.

Location has been at the center of important business decisions for a century. Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, famously had a pilot's license, and he used to spend Saturday afternoons flying over towns where he wanted to open new stores, with a colleague in the co-pilot's seat, scouting for good Wal-Mart sites by watching traffic flows and shopping patterns from the air.

Location has been quietly slipping into our daily digital lives for a decade — Uber and Lyft only exist because of location analytics, along with DoorDash, Map-My-Run, and real-time weather alerts.

 Read full story at Forbes…