Harnessing the power of geographical knowledge: the potential for data integration in an SME

Geographical knowledge has long been used as a basis for decision making in business. Often this has been implicit because of the lack of information systems available to harness the power of the spatial dimension of data. A conceptual framework is presented which facilitates geographical (or spatial) data to be used as the basis of integration. The spatial dimension of the data is used to link, for example, customer sales with delivery. Powerful geographical knowledge is then harnessed in support of the business strategy. This paper reports on research with an small or medium sized enterprise (SME) aimed at developing an information systems strategy. A key driver in the strategy became data integration across the business. The case study organisation is used to illustrate the ideas discussed. Conclusions are drawn to assist the improvement of practice and identify areas for further research. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.