Our Graduate Location Planners Reflect on 6 Months at GMAP
11th January 2024
Our new Graduates have now been part of the GMAP Team for over 6 Months
At GMAP we're always looking to grow in everything we do. Last year we had the joy of hiring two new members of staff. Tom and Charlotte are the newest additions to the GMAP Team! They joined us as Graduate Consultants at the start of July 2023 and have now been with us for six months. We thought it was about time they introduced themselves and let you know what they’ve been up to.
Charlotte Walker - Graduate Location Planner at GMAP
My roots are in Human Geography, this past summer I graduated from the University of Leeds with a degree in BA Geography with Quantitative Methods. I specialised in quantitative methods – translating more qualitative people-based theories into statistical analysis and conclusions using programmes such as QGIS and RStudio. This transfers well into my work with GMAP.
I work mainly in the client side of the company, providing client support for our products such as
MVPLUS,
IMPACT
and
Reporting, also working in our consultancy projects and network plans. One of my favourite areas of geography is retail geography; if you see a blog about retail I may have written it!
Where am I involved?
One of the ways many of you may have met me in 2023 is through the MVPLUS Update Meetings. I was heavily involved in this process and really enjoyed meeting all of our UK MVPLUS clients to chat through the multiple ways we have updated the MVPLUS functionalities and datasets. I’ve also been involved in training new users and building new MVPLUS systems in many different markets across the globe for our growing MVPLUS users. I’m sure 2024 will be busy with more MVPLUS updates and users! If you’re interested in learning more about MVPLUS please get in touch.
I’ve also been involved in multiple network planning projects mainly in the automotive and forecourt sectors, as well as supporting some of our retail projects. It has been really interesting learning about GMAP’s famous Spatial Interaction Modelling and seeing how it plays out in a Network Planning Project from start to finish.
I’ve learnt more about
Reporting, and how GMAP can build bespoke reporting dashboards to provide geographical insight into sales, customer, and other company data to inform business decision-making. I’ve worked frequently on a reporting dashboard we’ve custom built for one of our automotive clients. One of my favourite things about GMAP is how we work not just for clients, but with clients. We work hard to provide solutions specifically for each client, and it’s been really enjoyable to problem solve with clients to make their projects excel. I’ve worked on various specialised geodemographic projects with some of our retail clients, using our
geodemographic datasets and
MVPLUS
to analyse client customer bases and catchments. I’m looking forward to figuring out more solutions for our clients in 2024!
About Me
Other than working at GMAP, my weeks often consist of coffee dates with friends, escaping to the countryside for long muddy walks, and growing, swapping and generally just enjoying my many houseplants. My New Years Resolution/Plan for the GMAP Team is for us to have an office houseplant – we’ll see how that one goes!
I’m grateful for the warm welcome and immersive 6 months I’ve had with GMAP Team, and the many coffee pods I’ve dutifully worked my way through! I’m looking forward to the next 6 months at GMAP, in particular getting to meet, collaborate and problem solve with more clients and being more involved in our many Network Planning projects.
Tom Wright-Anderson - Graduate Consultant at GMAP
I joined GMAP in July 2023 alongside Charlotte, having graduated from the University of Leeds in Physical Geography.
I specialized in processing and modelling environmental data, culminating in a dissertation generating flood forecasts in Leeds using AI.
Prior to working at GMAP, I worked for a year at the UK Hydrographic Office producing and updating digital maps for shipping and military clients.
I am a keen outdoorsman, regularly hiking, cycling and camping throughout the year in the British countryside – by summer you’ll find me swimming in waterfalls or climbing mountains, and by winter cycling through whatever the weather may be! Indoors, I love challenging myself weightlifting at the gym; working on personal coding projects and Kaggle competitions; and playing board games with friends.
What I've learnt so far
Since joining GMAP 6 months ago I’ve learned a huge amount about techniques and challenges in processing spatial datasets using software such as FME and SQL. The learning curve has been steep yet gratifying. These tools have transitioned from being unfamiliar, to becoming indispensable, allowing me to contribute meaningfully to our data processing workflows and I am excited to continue using their advanced functionalities. As we transition to more cloud-based technology I am eager to learn about and utilise their capabilities to further enhance our services.
Where I'm Involved at GMAP
My work lies mostly within the production side of the business, updating our products such as LeisureVision with fresh data and new features; developing new products, and processing data used for our Ideal Network Plans. I’m also involved in maintaining our datasets and supporting curation for new datasets to enhance our analyses. No day is the same for me at GMAP from wrangling datasets in Python, to generating drivetime matrices across Europe and America, and from time to time supporting our regular blog posts.
My strengths lie within GIS software and programming languages, mostly SQL and Python. Combining these tools enables us to efficiently generate useful insights whether this being optimizing forecourt locations or defining customer bases within your retail networks. I’ll also be supporting the development of our reporting tools, creating interactive visualizations vital for decision making.
What I'll be doing in 2024
Through 2024 expect to see our products regularly updating with new data, visuals, and functionalities. I hope to expand my Python and data processing skillsets, automating more processes, and generating more insightful and engaging outputs. I’m looking forward to continuing to collaborate with the team, connecting with existing and new clients; and taking ownership of our
census dataset and associated products. I am also actively seeking opportunities to integrate machine learning into our processing or outputs, which you may expect to see in future products or services.
