James Pick, a professor of business in the University of Redlands School of Business, has written a book chronicling how companies can successfully use geographic information systems (GIS) to improve performance.

Pick’s new book, “Geo-Business: GIS in the Digital Organization,” published by John Wiley and Sons, is one of the few business-oriented GIS books to be written in the last several years, according to Pick.

“There are numerous books that focus on GIS technology and its underlying geography,” Pick said. “But this book considers GIS within the context of other business sub-disciplines, including information systems, marketing, business ethics, management and strategy.”

GIS is a tool for mapping and analyzing objects and events, combining the information of a database with the visualization capabilities of maps, and supporting decisions. Frequently, information and patterns that might be hidden in databases, tables or charts become more evident through mapping.

The technology was used primarily by governments, including urban planning and public works departments, for about 20 years, before becoming more widely used by businesses in the late 1990s.

Pick’s book includes 20 research case studies of businesses that have used GIS as part of an effort to boost efficiency, customer services and profit. Some of the businesses highlighted in the book include Southern Company, Arizona Republic, Sears Roebuck, Chico’s, Lamar Advertising Company, Kaiser Permanente, Rand McNally and Prudential Preferred Realty.

Businesses Pick researched used GIS in a variety of ways, including to comply with environmental regulations, to explore petroleum, to determine the most efficient delivery routes, and to pinpoint areas where there is a high demand for specific products or services.

Sears Roebuck has used GIS in a number of ways, according to Pick. The technology is used to provide optimal routes for more than 10,000 maintenance service technicians, as well as for employees responsible for making home deliveries.

Arizona Republic, a Phoenix-based newspaper, uses the technology to do targeted advertising, allowing advertising representatives to pick geographical areas that are best suited to specific advertisers.

The women’s apparel chain Chico’s uses GIS to determine where new stores should be located. The technology even allows users to predict how much a new store might take away sales from an existing one.

Pick holds a bachelor’s degree from Northwestern University and a Ph.D. from UC Irvine. He has published 10 books and more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and papers. Pick also has received a Fulbright Senior Scholar Award for Mexico.

###