Business Maps are for Sharing

Business mapping software is a tool kit. In your business you might only use a few of the tools available from business mapping, but they are helpful none-the-less.

Some of our customers use the tool to simply visualize customers on a map and share that view for sales related activity. Such shared business map views could be part of a selling process, a technical support follow-up, or even a bill collection process by a call center. Different departments benefit from business mapping in different ways.

The critical element for a MapBusinessOnline buying decision maker, is to understand how many of your users are going to be map editors and how many just need to view a shared map. Purchase map subscriptions for users who are going to create and generate shared maps.  The rest can live off the low-cost shared maps that Map Business Online subscribers send to them.

Maps are for sharing and communication. Because of this, we’ve made it easy and affordable for users to share the maps they’ve constructed with their constituents. Map creators should consider what map functions a shared map can offer their work associates.  How can a shared business map help someone do their job? Whether your associates create a map based on ZIP codes or develop sales territory mapping for Salesforce use.

The list of functions may surprise you.  Here’s a list of Map Business Online features available through a free or low-cost shared business map:

Optimized Routing – Map viewers may access multi-stop optimized routing tools through their shared map. They will be able to create a new route or edit shared routes. That route button will give the map viewer access to shared and exported route files.  By using a polygon or circle search/draw tool the map viewer can even create route avoids.

A route can be used as a simple distance analysis tool – to find the distance along the road network going from point A to points B and C.  Time windows are also enabled, expanding the route inquiry use into the dimension of time. Pretty powerful, for free.

Pan & Zoom – What ever map is shared with your free viewers, they will be able to pan and zoom all over the world. Your map viewers are allowed to zoom into building foot print detail or pan back out to view the entire world in one field of view. They can visit and view anywhere in the world.  Turn on the satellite imagery and zoom into far away places.

Measuring Crow Fly Distance – A simple ruler tool bar button allows the map viewer to measure distance too. Such measurements are handy for fast assessments of how far apart two or three things are on the map. Line segments may be applied. Distance measures come in handy for crime investigations, planning sessions, and ballpark driving assessments.

Spatial Queries – MapBusinessOnline’s free viewer allows spatial queries of imported datasets – both within the map object or outside the map object (polygon or circle) queries. This is quite a freebie. Your constituents can query a list of location points, save that subset results and export that list for use outside the application. All queries include the option of searching within or outside the map drawn object or shape.

Save a Map Image – A free map viewer always has the option to click the Save the Map to an Image File.  Any view they choose is save-able and sharable as a JPEG file or a PNG file.  And there is a print button as well for standard WYSIWYG print outs.

The easiest way for a MapBusinessOnline user to share a map publicly with non-subscribing map viewers is to have those viewers download the free Map App. Once your viewing constituent has the Map App on their desktop (Start Menu or Mac Application Folder) use the Share Map button to Enable and copy a Map Link. Send the map viewer an email with the pasted Map Share link in it. All the map viewer has to do is click the link and MapBusinessOnline will launch to that exact map view.

The Map App included an app we call the Viewer App. Read more about the Map Viewer here. 

Collaborative Team Map Editing

Beyond shared maps for viewing are maps shared for collaborative editing. These team maps for shared editing are a more complex process. Instead of a shared view only web map, collaborative maps are saved to the Maps Shared with Me folder in your Map Business Online map library – that’s the file folder toolbar button to the far left.

These “publicly” shared maps are powerful problem solvers. Shared map editing allows two or more people to focus on a shared map and actively edit that map, leveraging more minds to explore complex challenges. A MapBusinessOnline user, authorized to collaborate, opens the map in the Maps Shared with Me folder and begins to edit. Don’t forget to save your work! Shared map editing requires all parties to be Standard, Pro or Team MapBusinessOnline subscribers.

MapBusinessOnline team mapping and shared editing is being used by large retailers, federal government planners, medical services organizations, chemical manufacturers, franchise businesses, banks, and many other industry types. Team administrators manage roles and assignments.  Editing and viewing allowances are tightly controlled so even externally shared maps are secure.

If business maps are for sharing, leverage your business maps to solve problems. Engage your best minds towards a more competitive future.

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Send us your unique business mapping application, we’d love to do a story on it.

Win a $20 Gift Card! Refer a business associate to Map Business Online in exchange for a $20 Amazon Gift Card!

Find out why over 25,000 business users log into www.MapBusinessOnline.com for their business mapping software and advanced sales territory mapping solution. The best replacement for Microsoft MapPoint happens to be the most affordable.

Contact: Geoffrey Ives geoffives@spatialteq.com or Jason Henderson jhenderson@spatialteq.com

About Geoffrey Ives

Geoffrey Ives lives and works in southwestern Maine. He grew up in Rockport, MA and graduated from Colby College. Located in Maine since 1986, Geoff joined DeLorme Publishing in the late 1990's and has since logged twenty-five years in the geospatial software industry. In addition to business mapping, he enjoys playing classical & jazz piano, gardening, and taking walks in the Maine mountains with his Yorkshire Terrier named Skye.
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