Explore Geospatial Dashboard Applications
- Arpit Shah
- Jul 19, 2020
- 4 min read
Updated: 3 days ago
The Oxford Dictionary defines a dashboard as '...a panel facing the pilot of an aircraft, containing instruments and controls'.
Now, consider the aircraft as your organization and yourself as the pilot. Wouldn’t you prefer to begin your workday by drawing insights from a visually engaging dashboard rather than sifting through Word reports and Excel spreadsheets? Better still, wouldn’t you want to stay updated on key developments in near real time—across every parameter you are responsible for—without having to rely on IT teams or line managers to keep you informed?
If yes, then Geospatial Dashboard Applications will be of immense value to you. Dashboards allow you to configure dynamic, web- and mobile-friendly visualizations with relative ease. They are also highly customizable—each stakeholder group can be given access to a view tailored specifically to their roles and responsibilities.
Geospatial Dashboards come in many forms. Some aggregate Sales data, others track Projects, Assets or Resources. Certain dashboards are intended solely for internal use, while others serve external stakeholders—customers, communities, investors, or the general public.
In this post, I have classified dashboards based on the objective they help achieve.
Clicking on the images below will lead you to the live Geospatial Dashboard Application.
1. Informational Dashboards
These dashboards help you interpret large and complex geospatial datasets in a visually intuitive way.
Situation: Imagine you are an International Immigration Consultant studying global migration patterns over time. You have the dataset—now you want meaningful insights from it.
Exploring Tips:
Hit the pause button to switch countries and compare inbound/outbound migration.
Click on any coloured line on the globe to explore data for that specific migration route.
Switch to 2D view for a wider spatial perspective.
Change the year and observe how migration trends evolve.
Use the pop-ups to see additional details for each selected feature.
Liked this? Try another Informational Dashboard mapping key World Bank indicators here.
2. Operational Dashboards
With an Operational Dashboard, you stay informed about critical project parameters at all times, empowering faster, data-driven decisions. These dashboards are ideal for monitoring project activities—such as asset status, field operations, maintenance progress, resource scheduling—on a near real-time basis.
Situation: The sample dashboard below shows current water quality conditions across multiple water bodies using on-site sensors. The same concept applies broadly to any workflow where timely updates and continuous visibility are essential.
Exploring Tips:
Use the widget on the left to select any water body and view its quality readings.
Open the hidden filter panel on the extreme left to adjust parameters—your changes will instantly reflect on the map.
Liked this? Explore the Disaster Information Reporting System (DIRS), used in the United States to visualize telecom tower status (Active / Outage) and other communication assets, here.
Note: You may need to create an ArcGIS account to view this dashboard.
3. Tactical Dashboards
Tactical Dashboards support planning and decision-making, drawing from data such as industry benchmarks, historical performance, competitor activity, and market trends.
Situation: This dashboard was designed to help Starbucks identify suitable retail locations across New York City, using demographic, economic, and competitor insights.
(Update: This dashboard appears inactive as of October 2024. As an alternative, explore the Fatal and Serious Injury Dashboard)
Exploring Tips:
Change the Basemap to Light or Dark Gray Canvas for a cleaner analytical view.
Zoom in until you see the Starbucks icons clearly.
Click a red icon and a blue icon to compare their attributes.
Click any blank map area to view demographic and income data for that region.
Use the time slider to observe how Starbucks’ presence compares with competitors over different time periods.
Liked this? Explore a dashboard used to monitor active fires and hotspots globally over the past 48 hours—a tool widely used by law enforcement agencies (including in India) to understand crime patterns and allocate policing resources.
4. Strategic Dashboards
Strategic Dashboards provide a big-picture view while still allowing users to drill down into detailed components. These dashboards are especially relevant for organizations dealing with national or global-scale issues.
Situation: During the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) relied on dynamic systems to disseminate timely information and guidelines worldwide. The Global Virus Cases Dashboard, developed by Johns Hopkins University, exemplifies this use case.
Exploring Tips:
Zoom into the map and select any country from the left-hand widget.
Toggle between views such as cumulative confirmed cases, active cases, and hospitalization rates.
Explore aggregated and granular data depending on the zoom level—for example, India’s data is available at both country and state levels.
Watch how the dashboard updates dynamically based on your selection.
Liked this? Explore another Strategic Dashboard showcasing Ocean Health Index scores and trends, here.
If these Geospatial Dashboards resonate with you and you’d like to have one developed for your organization, feel free to connect.
ABOUT US - OPERATIONS MAPPING SOLUTIONS FOR ORGANIZATIONS
Intelloc Mapping Services, Kolkata | Mapmyops.com offers a suite of Mapping and Analytics solutions that seamlessly integrate with Operations Planning, Design, and Audit workflows. Our capabilities include — but are not limited to — Drone Services, Location Analytics & GIS Applications, Satellite Imagery Analytics, Supply Chain Network Design, Subsurface Mapping and Wastewater Treatment. Projects are executed pan-India, delivering actionable insights and operational efficiency across sectors.
My firm's services can be split into two categories - Geographic Mapping and Operations Mapping. Our range of offerings are listed in the infographic below-
A majority of our Mapping for Operations-themed workflows (50+) can be accessed from this website's landing page. We respond well to documented queries/requirements. Demonstrations/PoC can be facilitated, on a paid-basis. Looking forward to being of service.
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