WalMap: The App By Walgreens That Maps Out Community Trends in Real Time

BY ZACHARY ROMANO


Like many location-based companies, the use of GIS is not only handy, it can be necessary to make the most informed decisions. WalMap, a new interactive application accessible from mobile devices like the iPad, are allowing all tiers of this $76 billion company to ensure market strategies are informed and responding accurately to variations across geographic locations. With 8,300 stores between the United States and Puerto Rico, the company sits on a vast amount of health and community-related data.

This system has enhanced Walgreens’ response to stark changes and allows the firm to be proactive. If there is a spike in the number of flu prescriptions in a region, for example, the workers at that location can order more flu vaccinations as a preventative measure. Walgreens has been able to create a Flu Index that has been accurate up to the date. When company executives are planning internally or with distributors, they can also discuss their needs in real-time, with geographically specific numbers. Previously, store managers and executives alike would have to print copies of the mapped data in order to utilize it; now it can be accessed from nearly anywhere.

WALGREEN’S FLU INDEX MAP
WalMap would not be possible without their partnership with Esri, which dates back to 2000. Since then, Walgreens has used GIS extensively, but predominantly in site selection, competitor analysis, and mapping demographics. Now their wide-reaching internal database combined with Esri’s proprietary data allows for millions of maps to be generated. These data in conjunction has allowed Walgreens to apply it beyond the scope of their own work. In some cases, they have been able to notice crime trends and assist law enforcement in mitigating these increases. With such comprehensive data now at their finger-tips, GIS continues to optimize not only the company’s well-being, but also the communities in which Walgreens serves.

More: Why Walgreens uses interactive maps plus analytics to evaluate store locations – Fortune, October 22, 2015.

Learn more about Walgreen’s use of GIS:



Source: GIS Lounge - Maps and GIS