Filialinfo a complete success (PR)

The Filialinfo geomarketing instrument has performed convincingly in the benchmarking test of the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems

A standard test scenario was used in order to ensure the same conditions for all the four geomarketing instruments. A new car was to be launched on the German market in time for the Olympic Games in the summer of 2008. The target group were young, sporty singles. An existing network of sales centres was available for the marketing. That raised a number of questions: Which sales centres were best suited? How many sales centres were needed? And where should the five supply centres be established which were envisaged?

The assessment of the solutions was not based on easily measured performance parameters such as processing speeds, or scores. Greater emphasis was placed on the approaches adopted by the software products to achieve the most efficient solutions. As IVU's representative at the benchmark tests, Oliver Schaefer, explained: "The software tool is not the only criterion. A lot depends on the quality of the consultancy services that are required with a project as complex as the launch of a new car. All the participants were agreed about that."

Filialinfo was able to demonstrate its strengths during the tests. The product, which is the result of many years of practical work in numerous IVU projects, was characterised above all by the range of its functions and the possibility to integrate the software in existing IT-landscapes. The existing possibilities for data-mining and the use of business intelligence have been extended, with the inclusion of a component which allows spatial analysis. That makes it possible to integrate inputs from existing databases and ERP-systems from SAP, Oracle, or others. At the same time, the results can be presented using standard office solutions.

The focal point in the benchmark tests was the spatial analysis of the customer potential and the available catchment areas of the sales centres. A striking feature in the performance of Filialinfo was its GRID-structure - the data was not analysed using predetermined spatial structures such a postal code areas. The basis is provided by individually formed spatial cells for a uniform level of analysis. On this basis it is then possible, for example, to carry out a realistic comparison of potential catchment areas for selected locations, because a range of factors can be taken into account, such as population density, target group characteristics, and accessibility.

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IVU Traffic Technologies AG is a leading supplier of IT systems for planning, operating and optimising transport and logistics processes. 30 years of experience developing hardware and software systems for more than 300 public transport companies has also made IVU the market leader for IT solutions in other segments: monitoring truck fleets, setting up retail networks in geo-marketing, election processing. This is IVU's approach to transportation and beyond.