Data Modeling
Forecast the future
Use your past data to forecast the future or create alternative scenarios
Sometimes an analysis needs to be repeated at specific intervals or for different locations. The same variables are used, but they must be updated using the most current information. These updates can take significant effort and, because of their periodic nature, require relearning the process each time to make sure there is comparability between analyses.
Students at the Institute are guided in using appropriate tools—ArcGIS, SQL, or others—to create data models, simplifying these periodic updates when new data is available. These models minimize the time dedicated to updates and ensures comparability between analyses, while helping students and your employees work more efficiently.
Project example
Problem
This national organization was tired of spending time and effort repeating their analysis process each time the data source they used was updated or they chose a new study area. They also wanted help validating their data variables.
Solution
After students at the Institute refined the data variables, we formalized the process and created a data model in ArcGIS—software the organization regularly used for their analysis—that could be used to plug in the newest data and click 'run'. Additionally, instead of their old process running individual calculations for each different metropolitan area, this data model ran the analysis for the entire United States.
