Case Studies

Challenge Each year, grade 12 Business Studies students at SAC are divided into groups and are tasked to develop a complete business plan for a new start-up company. Part of the business plan development is to determine where a potential business will be located based on its target market's location, size and purchasing power. In 2013, teaching staff from SAC's Business department and Upper School Geography department collaborated to integrate ArcGIS into the business ventures assignment. Their goal was to introduce GIS technology to visualize the findings of student groups more effectively using maps, while improving the quality of target market analysis. Students used ArcGIS for Desktop to integrate maps and census data sourced from Statistics Canada to conduct market research and analysis. While the technology was deemed a success, improvements in several areas were identified. In particular, teachers had to prepare census data manually for the project, which was time-consuming. This lengthy process meant that teachers' only had the ability to prepare data for one region, limiting the target market scope for students. Using ArcGIS for Desktop meant a somewhat steeper learning curve for students to learn GIS technology. Students found it difficult to find current and location-based data from Statistics Canada to determine travel times. As a result, the school identified the need for a GIS solution that students could learn quickly and use efficiently, and which also offered accessible and insightful demographic data. Cloud-based GIS technology improves target market analysis for grade 12 start-up business project Located just north of Toronto, St. Andrew's College (SAC) is an independent, university- preparatory school for boys that has been teaching and developing students since 1899. In 2014, grade 12 business students started using Business Analyst Online for a project to conduct market analysis, visualize findings and develop a business plan for a start-up company. According to teachers, the software allowed students to begin mapping and analyzing target markets three times faster than previous years. Demographic data integrated into the software also improved the quality and geographic scope of students' research and analyses, while eliminating the need for teaching staff to prepare data manually for student project work. 1 Esri Canada | St. Andrew's College Sparks Student Entrepreneurial Spirit with Esri's Business Analyst Online Students pitch their new business idea at the 2014 SAC McEwen Leadership Fair, which featured maps at several booths that visualized market research.

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