About us     Vacancies     Contact us     News     Research     Events     A to Z     Sitemap
   
Call us


About GMAP Consulting


A History of GMAP Consulting:

GMAP Limited was established back in 1983 by a group of academics working at the University of Leeds studying the geographical relationships between customers, market channels and sales. An extensive research and development programme soon led them into retail network planning, channel management and strategic decision support.

In March 2001 GMAP were acquired by the Skipton Building Society, being re-launched into the marketplace as GMAP Consulting. With the high profile backing of Skipton Building Society, the direct marketing expertise of sister company EuroDirect and their own cross-sector experience, GMAP Consulting would be able to develop a unique proposition for global companies wishing to develop their network planning, territory management and multi-channel marketing strategies.

Following the acquisition, GMAP Consulting embarked upon a programme to develop a unique desktop package that would support network planners, estate managers and strategic planners with their market analysis and business modelling requirements in almost every European market. Designed to be span across 5 industry sectors (Retail, Financial, Automotive, Forecourt & Pharmaceutical) this software would bring together transactional data with intelligence in geodemographics, market demand, travel patterns and competitor activity from.

In August 2001 MICROVISION was launched, and interest quickly mounted amongst some of the biggest organisations in the world. The summer of 2002 saw GMAP Consulting expand further. To underline their commitment to creating a professional environment for both clients and staff and synergise their operations with EuroDirect, GMAP moved into state-of-the-art headquarters in the centre of Leeds. This expansion also saw the formation of the Skipton Information Group, which would see GMAP Consulting and EuroDirect being merged with consumer credit reference agency Callcredit.

This stance enabled GMAP Consulting to broaden their global proposition, integrating EuroDirect's suite of international geodemographic CAMEO Classifications with their MICROVISION platform to support operational, network planning and decision-making strategies in every continent in the world. With their new product development strategy focusing heavily on international classifications systems, GMAP aim to be the most flexible supplier of global business support and modelling solutions.

To help launch GMAP Consulting on the international stage two international offices were set-up in the US and Japan towards the end of 2002. GMAP representatives would be employed full-time in these countries to identify international sales opportunities and provide local support and service. Continually striving to extend reseller opportunities throughout Europe GMAP consulting have recently signed their first reseller agreements with a variety of agents around the world.

In February 2003 GMAP Consulting released a new version of MICROVISION. Built on the latest .NET technology this software incorporated a host of new enhancements and functionality and was highly commended in the 2003 Banker Technology Awards.

Spring 2004 saw MICROVISION undergo its biggest revamp to date. Based upon feedback from clients GMAP Consulting & EuroDirect identified a demand for an integrated DM, sales, estate management and strategic planning tool. This led to both companies combining their resources, expertise and even disparate software packages to develop MICROVISION 5.0, a revolutionary system that would empower users to make the most of market opportunities, whether they be in the area of customer recruitment and retention, retail site development, market area management or strategic planning.

2004 also saw GMAP break into the pharmaceutical market. The MICROVISION market intelligence system brings together demographic data from the latest UK Census with hospital and GP location data provided by Binleys at both postal and healthcare geography levels within a bespoke geographical system. This unique system has enabled pharmaceutical suppliers such as Wyeth and Sanofi to optimise the individual territories of their sales representatives so that they can effectively manage sales activities.

In 2005 GMAP announced the restructuring of its automotive department. Mark Whitton, Automotive Sales Director and John Chesworth, Automotive Business Development Director head up the new division, which is responsible for a number of existing clients including Mazda Motor Group, Lexus, Land Rover and Jaguar. GMAP’s Automotive division will also look after Ford of Britain and Ford Europe who recently appointed GMAP as its supplier of network planning and market intelligence services due to its track record of producing advanced, actionable, automotive intelligence and for its cross-market experience in the retail, financial and forecourt sectors.

This coincided with GMAP being appointed an approved supplier of DVLA Data. The DVLA database covers 33 million vehicles currently registered in the UK, providing access to 28 different vehicle attributes such as model data, owner data and accident data. This has enabled GMAP to launch a range of new products and services dedicated to helping all automotive related industries exploit their local markets more effectively and profitably.

By leveraging their core competencies and global expertise in cross-sector consultancy, market analysis and software development, GMAP Consulting will be putting their name on the map in more ways than one.

In December 2009 Skipton Building Society announced the sale of its majority stake in Callcredit Information Group. Vitruvian Partners, the London-based private equity firm, purchased Skipton’s share with the full support of CIG’s management team. For CIG, it marks the start of a new era as an independent organisation, extending its reach to new customers and markets.

GMAP Consulting Service Functionality:

  • Development of advanced spatial analysis and business scenario and optimisation models
  • Provision of bespoke market analysis services
  • Provision of strategic consultancy services
  • Development and licensing of global business modelling software and market specific data.

Our Clients:

GMAP Consulting currently focuses on the retail, financial services, forecourt retailing and automotive sectors, and includes amongst its customers many very well known blue chip companies from the FTSE 100. Projects have been undertaken for virtually every country in Europe, Asia, Australasia and the Americas and they continue to expand their international reach.