The future mapped out in composite data set from Barbour ABI and MapMechanics

Sept. 25, 2012 - PRLog -- Map-friendly building development data provides invaluable strategic resource.

Business planners, strategists and analysts can now view the location of future building developments on detailed maps of the surrounding area, thanks to a new initiative led jointly by MapMechanics, a specialist in mapping and geographic information systems, and Barbour ABI, an expert in gathering, processing and presenting information on UK planning applications and construction contracts.

The data set, which is named Barbour ABI Planning Applications, is available on allmapdata.com, MapMechanics’ comprehensive online digital store for mapping and related business and demographic data.

While many business data sets already provide information on existing premises, the unique advantage of this data is that it shows what is planned for building in the future. This makes it an invaluable strategic planning tool for gathering competitor information and identifying business opportunities.

For example, a restaurant owner could spot planned developments that are complementary to the hospitality sector – a cinema, for instance – and open a new facility taking advantage of the potential extra footfall. Or a business selling conservatories or solar panels might want to see where there are the most planning applications for this type of home improvement – information that can help it target its marketing most effectively.

Equally a business could avoid areas where the map shows too much planned competition. Displaying the density of planned developments on a map provides an instant “on-the-ground” picture of what is likely to be happening in the future.

Data of this kind is not widely available in “map-friendly” form, but the new product packs from MapMechanics and Barbour ABI fill the gap. MapMechanics has taken the raw Barbour ABI data, geocoded it (which means adding grid references), and grouped it by time and date. This makes it easy for users to show planned developments on a suitable map, selecting whatever future time frame they need.

MapMechanics has divided the resultant data into separate business categories, which are available individually in special packs. This means buyers can select the geocoded data under a wide variety of headings – for instance, closed-circuit TV placement or major retail developments.

The new data set is available now online through www.allmapdata.com, MapMechanics’ fully-transactional web site.