CASE STUDY

The challenge

Recognising the value of data driven marketing campaigns, Smart had developed a unique in-house digital mapping and planning tool over a number of years. Over time this system had adapted and grown to fulfil the needs of countless advertisers and had planned the distribution of tens of millions of items across the country. The system had served them well, but it was recognised that a new, more sustainable platform was required to streamline the system and drive the company’s continuing growth. As the business had evolved and grown, the systems in the background needed to reflect that.

“We have always sought to work with as well as for our clients and as a result, we recognised a need to make our planning systems more collaborative. We wanted to democratise our approach so that information could be accessed, interrogated and shared more quickly, more freely and by more people.”

Mark goes on, “We also needed to find a solid, futureproof platform that would shield us from inevitable OS upgrades and the like so that we could concentrate on developing the functions of software to continue to offer innovative solutions and insight to our clients.”

To find a flexible platform that would support Mark and the team through future changing technologies, Smart tested several off-the-shelf and bespoke approaches but found them unable to support their complex data workflows. What they needed was a custom, scalable solution built on modern, interoperable GIS foundations.

The solution

Smart approached MGISS for help in developing their GIS system, needing to transition from a bespoke, legacy platform to a GIS environment built on ArcGIS Pro and ArcPy. The original functionality needed to be replicated, but the system must be able to evolve, scale, and accommodate the complex workflows that make Smart Distribution Solutions a standout partner to their own clients.

MGISS built a custom ArcPy toolbox that allowed Smart to automate previously more manual workflows, integrate complex demographic datasets, and maintain full control over the system’s structure and outputs. It gave them the core of a live, workflow-automated GIS platform built to evolve. Cloud-compatible and standards-based, this solution would be able to adapt and keep up as the business changes and evolves.

“We wanted something that we can move forward with on our own,” Mark tells us. “It should be automated so it could be friendly for our users, and so we wouldn’t have to hire a dedicated GIS developer just to operate the system. Then, we had to be certain the system would continue to allow us to meet the increasingly complex requirements of our client’s marketing and comms campaigns – maximising response, identifying untapped opportunities and incorporating more sophisticated demographic data models.”

Too often, organisations cling to legacy systems for fear of disruption, cost, or unmet expectations. Sensibly, Mark and Smart Distribution Solutions were well-aware that an upgrade was timely and took action to make sure they stayed at the forefront of their industry, ready to meet whatever the future may hold.

With automation and streamlined workflows decisively built into the new system, Smart has seen a significant reduction in time spent on key tasks. Beyond efficiency, the platform has given the team confidence and autonomy, unlocking new spatial targeting opportunities and giving the team the agility to react faster to client needs, or to innovate new processes and solutions.

The result

The system continues to be considered business-critical, underpinning nearly all of Smart’s active campaigns and supporting increasingly sophisticated spatial targeting – whether that be for highly targeted nationwide doordrops or for hyper-local bespoke catchments.

“It’s reinforced our ability to provide clients with effective, data led marketing solutions. We have confidence in the new system’s capabilities, and it has added real value to our services. Its efficiency has not only saved time but has released valuable staff hours to help us better serve our clients. We have been able to refine existing services and build huge capacity for whatever the future may hold.”

Smart Distribution Solution’s new system is modern, cloud-integrated, workflow-automated, and fully user-configurable. This GIS solution not only meets Smart’s business needs but positions them to thrive in a spatially intelligent economy. The ability to integrate dynamic datasets, configure workflows, and scale with client demand means that their campaigns can now evolve alongside the digital and spatial trends of their customers.

“The system allows us to do whatever we want to do, and this is driven by what our customers ask of us. We can continue to match whatever geography or demography the client brings to us. So yes, it’s an integral part of our business and continues to open up new opportunities.”

All in all, a very… Smart Distribution Solution!