which simplified the updating of records and viewing of information from databases, made
it extraordinarily easy to find solutions to operational obstacles, allowing them to be
overcome in a shorter period of time via more efficient techniques (Mapping Awareness,
GIS Plugs the Gap as Water Leakage Companies Combat Leakage, April 1996). With
over 50 per cent of the population as customers each month, Boots the Chemist is one of
the most popular chains of shops in the UK. Despite its supremacy over its industry,
increasing competition is forcing Boots to hone its competitive edge by mastering new
technologies, making it one of the first retailers to integrate a GIS into its mainstream IT
infrastructure. Due to its disparate existing sets of data, such as CCN’s Marketing Environ
system for customer-profiling data and census demographics and GOAD plans for paper
maps of towns, detailing units, occupiers and their goods and services, Boots wanted a
system that would collect all sources together into a single system. Overall, Boots required
“a flexible GIS, capable of business analysis and planning primarily for site location and
research.” In addition, as customer trends change daily, the company hopes to use the
system to fine-tune its inventory to ensure that it is supplying what customers require.
Despite this, developing a GIS remains a complex, effort and time-consuming task, for it
has taken Boots over 18 months to capture and integrate its data into the GIS database.
One definite strategic benefit, though; the new technology has changed the firm’s focus
from stores to customers, towns and competitors, which will be critical to the future
success of the business (Mapping Awareness, Fighting the Supermarket Sweep, June
1997). The case of the British Royal Navy proves that GIS technology can even be
utilized for military purposes. Recently, the Royal Navy has equipped some of its warships
with a stand-alone plotting system that offers greater accuracy and increases the amount
of tactical information plotted through the implementation of GIS technology. This new
system, which is proving invaluable as a flexible, low-cost planning tool, may even save
lives. A modern warship needs sophisticated data-handling technology to help deploy its
sensors and weapons systems quickly and effectively. To ensure its warships are prepared,
the Royal Navy is investing heavily in bespoke computer systems in order to handle the
enormous amounts of tactical data now available. To operate successfully in the Royal
Navy, a system must be able to provide rapid processing, with a minimum number of
operators, which would give a clear and concise overview of the tactical situation.
Previously, the ships had to manually update positions on a paper chart every 10 to 15
minutes. The new system, interfaced with satellite navigation data, now allows them to
achieve an update almost instantly using computer graphics display. Although the GIS is
still at the trial stage, “it provides a low-cost, customized, commercial off-the-shelf system
that is now being used as an amphibious planning tool for sea-going commanders.”
Worldwide, GIS consultants are confident that the technology will flourish in the
foreseeable future – but in a different form; in a few years the GIS market will comprise
(1) fewer suppliers, (2) more lower-cost systems, (3) and easy-to-use desktop systems that
are integrated into main-stream corporate solutions. Even though GIS’s flexibility will
increase in general, the utilities and local government remain the healthiest market sectors,
with industry/manufacturing the least promising. As to specific changes and areas of focus
in the near future of this tool, its rapid growth will be coupled with low-end GIS and
desktop PC-Based solutions, as they are expected to be the main areas for expansion.
Business GIS is the first area expected to boom, since it has the greatest potential for
expansion, such that mapping technology will be on the desktop. GIS is seen as a
specialist area now, restricted to specialist industries and specific types of organizations.
Nevertheless, in five years it will undoubtedly be an enhancement to many applications
whose increased benefits for users and suppliers will rapidly evolve as open systems
become the norm. Obviously, there is an enormous growth potential for the GIS, which
should come through broader proliferation in different markets, due to lower cost
software/hardware and data availability. With time, the systems are expected to become
more user-focused as both users and buyers will expect quality, cost-effective, and
significantly simpler application-based GIS solutions.