Ploughman Analytics

A custom-produced map can be an eye-catching addition to an office wall or meeting area, illustrating the practice areas of the business or recent trends relevant to growth and expansion. Maps that display geographic data augmented with charts and graphs that further explain the datasets allow for one cohesive product that can be distributed to cli... ents in smaller size, or sent to others outside the organization as an information aid. Ploughman has created professional wall-hanging maps tailored to client needs and labeled with client logos and color schemes. By helping clients avoid pitfalls of cartography which can cause correct data to be misinterpreted, Ploughman Analytics can help firms end up with a better understanding of their business and make better decisions. For example, data on the number of head of cattle per county on a state-scale map can appear very differently if the map shows total counts in a county vs. counts per square mile: Operations Research & Logistics Above: Head of cattle by county (USDA 2009) Operations Research & Logistics Above: Head of cattle by county, normalized by county area (USDA 2009) Both were generated from the same underlying data, but the upper image suggests a different story than the lower image at a glance - counties in the western portion of the state have high total counts, while counties in the southeast are lower. Normalized by area, the viewer can see that cattle counts are dense in the southeast and less dense in the west. The county sizes can influence this perception. This applies at large scales like the above, as well as finer-grained maps for small businesses that are concerned with city-level analysis. Without attention to details like this, a map may inadvertently suggest misleading patterns. A business looking to sell goods or services to the cattle industry in North Dakota could target its business development efforts more effectively using a map produced with Ploughman's cartographic guidance. The following example image illustrates how maps can ...Read More