Let me ask you this: what are the most common questions business strategists ask?

Articles like: THE “WHAT,” “WHO,” AND “WHY” QUESTIONS OF BUSINESS ANALYSIS give it away. They talk at length about ‘knowing how to design and ask (the right) question’, leading with what, who and why.

The WHERE seems to be an afterthought. How bizarre.

Start with the WHERE

Everything in business happens somewhere: offices, staff, customers, supply chain on and on. And yet the where is somehow ignored. Let me re-phrase that .. the where HAS been ignored. That is changing. Call it what you will location strategy, location intelligence, location analytics, but the importance of the WHERE is being realised.

Let me share with you something surprising. The real estate (CRE) business talks loudly about location, location, location and yet within most CRE organizations location intelligence means Google Maps!

AAAAAAAHHHHHHH

Now don’t get me wrong we are big fans of Google Maps. Finding restaurants, directions etc. Wonderful. But making critical business/client decisions. Oh dear. And the real estate industry is not alone.

Recognition of the importance of the WHERE in your business is the first step. Second, is the use of the best location or ‘where focused’ technology to answer your business questions. Third is getting experts help to applying that technology to improve your business. If what, who, why is today your focus … keep looking over your shoulder. Why?

Because your competition is catching on fast. Soon they will have the actionable location intelligence you lack. Then what?

START WITH THE WHERE!

Author: Matt Sheehan

Matt Sheehan is a Principal at WebMapSolutions. Matt evangelizes GIS and location intelligence around the world through keynotes, articles, tweets and his books. Follow him on Twitter: