Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/1313392
08 | GEOSPATIAL STRATEGY ESSENTIALS FOR MANAGERS MATTHEW LEWIN For instance, take the financial services company USAA. As an insurer, USAA protects the assets of members of the US military and their families. In 2018, the Woolsey Fire in California damaged thousands of homes and properties owned by USAA members. Processing that many claims could have taken months and required extensive manual effort to verify the validity of claims. At least it would have, if USAA had followed conventional thinking. Instead, USAA looked to geospatial analysis for help. Using drones, USAA captured high- resolution imagery of the areas impacted by the fire. Then it used artificial intelligence (AI)— specifically, deep learning—to scour the imagery and spatially verify damaged versus undamaged properties. Using this approach, the process took hours instead of weeks. By thinking geospatially, USAA unlocked new value for stakeholders. This value translated into faster claims for customers, greater efficiency for claims adjusters and more stability for communities. On its own merits, this is a strong example. But the big payoff comes from driving this kind of geospatial innovation continually and taking it from a one-off project to a core capability of a business. That's why a geospatial strategy is so important. It creates an enduring ability to unlock new sources of value. Strengthen a Digital Strategy As digital technology and business models transform industries, organizations are scrambling to respond with their own digital strategies. Their results vary considerably. According to a survey of executives published by McKinsey & Company in April 2019, eight in 10 organizations have established a digital strategy, but just 14% have realized major performance improvements. Even fewer have been able to sustain these improvements. Organizations that report success point to several key factors. Chief among those factors is focus on implementing solutions that make information more accessible. This is where a geospatial strategy makes its mark. A large percentage of data is geospatial. Some researchers and geoscientists have indicated that 60 to 80% of data is georeferenced in some way. Despite this, many digitalization efforts fall short when it comes to the geospatial dimension. Even though the raw data may be accessible, the tools and know-how needed to reveal insights locked away in the geodimension are not. To bolster a digital strategy, organizations need a geospatial strategy that ensures the avalanche of geospatial information generated can be leveraged. BP, the British multinational oil and gas company, recognized this in its digital transformation program. A major goal of BP's strategy was to improve data access across the organization. To do this, the company adopted an official open- by-default mandate, which made approximately 95% of geospatial data available to users. However, BP also recognized that geospatial data on its own is only so useful. Consequently, it ensured that its users had the right tools to exploit this data and were encouraged to become "citizen developers". As a result, BP saw an explosion in the number of maps, geospatial apps and dashboards across the organization. Clearly, digital transformation is challenging. Having a complementary geospatial strategy to implement the right mix of specialized tools and capabilities can help to accelerate a digital vision. Enrich the Customer Experience Transforming the customer experience is among the top priorities for modern CEOs. In