What Is KWA?
What Is KWA?
KWA stands for Knowledge Worker Application. KWAs include desktop applications, subscriptions, websites, hosted solutions on your own servers, cloud-based solutions or hosted solutions on our servers. They are tools to help individuals or groups with analysis, decision making, and visualization tying business data to geography.
KWAs can be used to direct business practices, view operational details, aid in marketing plans, etc. They help to answer the questions: where are my customers, where should I put a new store or cell tower, am I covering or servicing the correct areas, how can I find new customers that are similar to my best customers, are my stores meeting their goals, or are my territories optimized?
Mapping tools make it easy to recognize patterns and identify trends to improve your business.
Take a look at the various KWAs that we have to offer to aid you in identifying new opportunities, making better decisions, improving customer service, enhancing productivity and reducing costs.
The three main KWA’s are:
- MapInfo Pro™ – a powerful desktop mapping tool that is packed with features to help you to see trends and patterns so you can make informed decisions. It’s the Excel™ of mapping.
- AnySite™ – a powerful desktop tool focused on demographics and site selection. Analyze one site or thousands. With thousands of demographic variables, drive time capabilities and many standard reports.
- Magnify™ – web-based demographic and site selection system. Similar to AnySite, but for a broader audience.
- Spectrum Spatial™ – a web-based platform for building easy to use and focused applications with maps and reports – to enable Knowledge Workers.
See the table below for comparisons.
If you have problems or needs that involve maps, geography, visualization or spatial calculations, please contact us. BTW, we can do the work for you or with you. Need some geographic analysis? Set up or rebalance sales territories? Perform demographic analyses? Help with site selection? We can help.
Besides these Knowledge Worker Applications, we are experts in Address Validation/Correction, Data Quality tools, Geocoding, Geographic/Demographic data, etc.
More About…
Powerful Desktop Mapping
Demographic Analysis/Site Selection
These are popular aspects of the Knowledge Worker Applications
| Type of User | MapInfo Pro | Spectrum Spatial Analyst | Web Desktop Access | AnySite | Magnify1 |
| Target Audience | More Experienced in Mapping | Analysts, Knowledge Workers, Management | Location Intelligence Project | Site Selection, Customer/Location Profiling | Site Selection, Customer/Location Profiling |
| Versions Available | Standard, Advanced, Premium2 | Standard | Customizable | AnySite US, AnySite Canada, AnySite Australia |
Two versions US, Canada with four editions |
| Deployment | Installed, desktop only | Browser | Browser or Desktop Access | Installed, desktop only | Browser |
| Security | Desktop | User IDs, Roles, Protected info, Single sign-in | User IDs, Roles, Protected info, Single sign-in | Desktop | User IDs |
| Task | |||||
| Can I put points (customers, stores, etc.) on a map? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can I site new locations? | Yes | Yes, limited | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can I profile my customers? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| Can I profile my locations? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Can I color my customers by locations? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, custom4 |
| Can I color my customers by sales? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes, custom4 |
| Can I create Sales Territories? | Yes | Limited | Yes3 | Yes | Yes5 |
| Can I find out how many customers are in a radius of a location? | Yes | Yes | Yes3 | Yes | No |
| Can I shade Zip Codes or Countries by my data? | Yes (and much more) | Yes | Yes3 | Yes (and much more) | Yes, custom4 |
| Can I draw custom shapes? | Yes | Yes | Yes3 | Yes | Yes |
| Can I export the map and data? | Yes | Yes | Yes3 | Yes, and reports | Yes, reports vary by Edition |
| Capabilities | |||||
| Map Quality | Supports Bing Map Underlays | Supports Bing Map Underlays | Bing Maps-like | Several styles, including Bing Map Underlays | Google Maps Underlays |
| Built-in Geography | Basic North American Geographies included |
Basic Geography | Many Options | US, Canada | US, Canada |
| Optional Geography | Many Options | Many Options | Many Options5 | Many Options | Any geography in a .tab or .shp format |
| Customizable | Yes | Highly | Highly | No | Limited |
| Configurable | Yes | Highly | Highly | Yes | Limited |
| Integrated with Microsoft Office | Reads Excel and Access | Limited | Yes3 | CSV, etc. | Reads Excel and CSV, Exports to CSV |
| Works with MapInfo Pro Workspace | Yes | Yes | No | Send active map window to MapInfo Pro | No |
| Import your own data | Yes | Yes | Yes3 | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Demographics | Limited | Limited | Yes3 | Yes | Yes |
| Additional Demographics | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Restyle Layers | Extensive | Extensive | Yes3 | Extensive | Yes |
| Labeling | Extensive | Yes | Yes3 | Extensive | Yes |
| Printing Output | Extensive | Yes3 | Yes | Yes | |
| Large Format Printing | Yes | Limited | Yes3 | Yes | Yes |
| Geocoding-Included | World Streets, World Postal, World Places, World Cities6 | All levels, all countries available are optional | All levels, all countries available are optional | Depending on version, streets, postal codes for US, Canada or Australia7 | Depending on country and edition, US and/or Canada Street and Postal level8 |
| Create Drive-Time Shapes | Optional | Optional | Yes3 | Yes | Yes |
| Database Operations | Extensive | Extensive | Yes3 | Filtering | No |
| Thematics (shading the map) | Extensive | Extensive | Yes3 | Extensive | Yes |
1Extent of capabilities varies by Edition
2There are two versions of MapInfo Pro: Standard and Advanced. Advanced has all of the features of Standard, with the addition of advanced raster capabilities. Additionally, there is the Premium option which adds Bing Road Maps and can be included in either the Standard or Advanced versions.
3Customizable based on requirements
4Customization is available beyond combinations provided.
5GeoJoiner tool provides ability to do one at a time and save
6Includes limited number of transactions per month for items listed. Additional transactions available. Unlimited usage for US Postal Codes, US Counties, and US Cities.
7Includes unlimited geocoding at the street level and postal code level for US, Canada or Australia on the country licensed. Also, depending on the countries and version, additional geocoders are available.
8Depending on the edition, a varying number of transactions are included for the US and/or Canada.
Remember MapPoint™?
FYI, some people find us from their use of Microsoft MapPoint. MapPoint was a very powerful and easy to use system from Microsoft that had millions of users. It was a trusted companion for years, but has been discontinued by Microsoft. People still use it and ask us about it. SpatialPoint used to provide training, support, and we built many custom applications around and with MapPoint.
Today, our Knowledge Worker business helps organizations replace the functionality of MapPoint with the modern tools described on this page. Contact us to find out more!