End of Financial Year Specials

This is your final opportunity to take advantage of the end of financial year specials on any orders placed before 30 June 2009.  Only a few days to go.  If you are looking for new or data update products, online applications changes or assistance from MDS's consulting and professional services to help finish those projects, don't delay, contact us today via email or call +61 2 8436 2800

Maps don’t change the world—but people who use maps do.

A recent article in the "The Economist" pointing out changes in the social use of mapping, now that the internet and mapping tools have been made more accessible.

"For most people it (mapping) is merely a handy tool to find a nearby pizzeria or get directions to a meeting. But mapping technology has matured into a tool for social justice. Whether it is to promote health, safety, fair politics or a cleaner environment, foundations, non-profit groups and individuals around the world are finding that maps can help them make their case far more intuitively and effectively than speeches, policy papers or press releases."  

It goes on to say...

"...maps can make a point even if they are in a foreign language. “Maps are really helpful for that ‘Aha!’ moment” Read the full article 

If you have ideas of how mapping could help your business, contact MDS and discuss it further.  Even the simplest idea can be of economic benefit to your business.

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Data Updates

*    MDS is currently adding additional attributes to its CadLite offering (property parcels)

*    As well, MDS is now able to offer many more Data Format options.

Please contact Margreet for more details - email or +16 2 8436 2812

Route Optimisation helps business maximise business.

Quite often delivery schedules have evolved as the business has grown.  Managing and understanding your distribution can become quite complex as you move from a few vehicles to an entire fleet or distribution network.  A scheduler may know the best delivery sequence based on years of experience or planning using a distance matrix. 

Using expert systems, MDS has been providing organisations with a scientific approach to help understand and visualise their current business environment and their end to end practices.  Once these areas are understood, MDS' expert systems are able to provide recommendations to aid business and process improvements that a client can use to implementing changes that improve their efficiencies.

If you know there must be a better way or you want to re-confirm your current practices, MDS has the expert systems to help. 

To find out more, contact Steve Cronan  - email or +61 2 8436 2824.

Three Excellent Business Reasons to Track Vehicles

Vehicle tracking is often utilised in conjunction with Route Optimisation providing you with a current view, play back routes and the information to assist with current and future planning. 

Imagine you are distributing seafood from centres all over Australia.  What would be the cost to business if the refrigeration became faulty and the cargo was at risk of perishing?

Now imagine the back office being notified of the problem, seeing the vehicle on a map, if other trucks are nearby, can one of them assist and is there a refrigeration repair centres in the area.  Then you can make quick decisions, save you produce and keep your customers happy.

Feedback received from peak industry bodies indicate three main business reasons why vehicle tracking technology is used:

1.  Demonstrating reasonable defence – removes bias from any party that puts a challenge to an operator that a vehicle was/was not in a place and at a time that is being challenged.
 
2.  Compliance with company policy objectives – ensures health and safety obligations in the work place are adhered to.

3.  Fleet operations and vehicle performance management.

To find out more, contact Steve Cronan via email or call +61 2 8436 2824.

ABC Reports - "Hard Stats Shed Light on Bushfire Risk"

The risk of a house being burnt down in a bushfire in Australia is small and hasn't changed in the past 100 years, say researchers.

Risk expert, Professor John McAneney, of Macquarie University in Sydney, says

"... all research to date shows that distance from bushland is key in determining the risk of a property burning down."

"... just completed research using aerial photographs of the two worst hit towns in the recent Victorian fires, that shows they were disasters waiting to happen."

McAneney says 25% of the homes destroyed in Kinglake and Marysville were effectively part of the forest, while 60% of them were within 10 metres of trees.  Read the full ABC News Article

The proximity to bushland and a Natural Hazards Risk Rating is provided to industry and individuals at street address level.  Risk Frontiers and MDS have partner to provide the Natural Hazards Risk Rating service.

To find out more about this service, please contact Margreet via email or +16 2 8436 2812

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Thank you to all those that visited the MDS booth at the spatial@gov conference in Canberra, 15th-16th June.  The attendance at the conference was overwhelming, with twice as many delegates registering than expected.

There was a real buzz during the two days, with a lot of interest in the sharing of government information and how MDS' web services and online mapping could help visualise this information.  Our message of "Intelligence vs Information", "Consulting vs Reporting" was well received.  

Margreet is now following up with all your questions from the event.  Should you wish to contact Margreet, don't hesitate, email or +61 (02) 8436-2812.

Congratulations go to our raffle winner, Ms Lisa Grannum from the Brisbane City Council, who was the winner of the bottle of Penfolds Bin 407!. 

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Wayne Chapman joins NZ office

MapData Sciences appoints Wayne Chapman as the NZ Account Manager, with the responsibility of looking after the existing customer base and continuing to grow the New Zealand business. Wayne brings over 20 years sales and marketing experience centred on direct marketing and distribution.

Please see Directions Magazine for MDS' announcement

For all enquiries regarding NZ, please contact Wayne via email or +64 4472 3332.

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MDS staff program - Support Clients "Powered By MDS"

Being loyal to all organisations that MDS does business with is very important to MDS.  All staff and departments are regularly reminded and encouraged to purchase products and services provided by those customers, partners and suppliers.

Our motto "support those that support us".

Bridge over Piles Creek, Pacific Highway, Somersby, opens today 

A NOTORIOUS stretch of the Pacific Highway is expected to be re-opened today, almost two years to the day after it collapsed and killed five people in foul weather. 

Read the full article - Sydney Morning Herald

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