Building Bridges - Moving Beyond the Satus Quo

Since French air traffic controllers were on strike, getting to IMTA's Conference and Trade Show in Bayonne this year was a challenge. The first bridge I built was between Lucerne, Switzerland and Bayonne, France by way of several trains and many hours. The second bridge I built during my presentation there was between the status quo of the map publishing world and the opportunities that new, innovative technology can open up for those publishers who are ready to take a step over the bridge to the future. 

We all know that things are changing. Some of us will embrace change quickly and move in directions that we never thought possible and be successful. Others will try to hold on to what we are accustomed to for as long as we can. While there may be a price that early adapters pay for breaking out of the status quo, this price will always be insignificant compared to the penalty of being too late. In the map publishing world, the status quo is defined by the current static process of production, updating, printing, distribution and selling of maps. Even though this still works, and may continue to work for some time to come, there are several limitations to this approach.

First, the current production processes are generally built around technologies for standard recurring map products with periodical updating cycles and fixed printing deadlines. Any attempt to break out of this cycle and move towards more dynamic and customized products is hindered by the limitations of the status quo. Secondly, there is a focus on printed products in the map-making world. If there are online maps, they are often of inferior quality to the printed versions. Online products are created in a different production chain than printed products. Thirdly, work with external partners - cartographers, locals who are critical sources of information, service providers, customers - is difficult and time-consuming, especially when it comes to quality control. Lastly, once map products have gone through distribution channels, the publisher seldom has further contact with end consumers. There is rarely an active feedback loop that enables the publisher to quickly adjust his products to meet the changing needs of the market.  

This feedback loop as well as the network of people who enable products to stay up-to-date and profitable has become more and more critical to the publisher's business in the last few years. These people provide the publisher with important, timely information and work that can make or break a business. This is what we at Axes Systems refer to as the map-making 'ecosystem'.

Axes Systems has looked at the existing limitations that publishers face and has found ways to turn them into new opportunities. Through our Software as a Service application, axpand on Demand, we have come up with a way to help companies put processes and services in place that cover two vital steps. First, the production process is streamlined in order to quickly produce dynamic and customized map products, which enable their sales teams to offer new and customized products at a competitive prices. Secondly, valuable people and sources of information are connected in real time. Using axpand on Demand, map publishers can enable people to not only access high-quality maps on demand, but to contribute directly to an active exchange of information from anywhere.

Here's an example: a local hiking club has the most in-depth knowledge of the hiking paths and terrain in different areas. They are dependent on good, up-to-date maps while they enjoy the outdoors. Imagine if this group could access high-quality maps of the area through the internet, buy printed maps, print them themselves or download them to a mobile device. While they are hiking, they notice changes - a path is closed, there has been a rockslide, a bridge is out, or there are new points of interest. They can add this information directly to the map, the publisher can validate it and the cartographers, who may be in a completely different place, can accept the change or make the corrections to the map immediately. The hiking club will keep coming back to use the maps that are of the best quality, the most reliable, the ones they have contributed to and they trust to be the most current, accurate maps available.

History has shown that the most successful companies have brands that people trust. Building trust in brands is often about building relationships with customers. Customers expect the things they buy to be high-quality and up-to-date. Even though there are countless online mapping tools out there, none of them offer the possibility for creating real, lasting customer relationships and excellent quality maps. This is all possible with axpand on Demand, technology for building bridges. How can we help you build bridges? Contact us.