Cyber Media

Ishida Europe enhance user experience with interactive map of contacts

Friday, August 20, 2010  

Ishida Europe is a world leader in the design, manufacture and installation of multihead weighing machines and complete weighing and packing line solutions. 

With dozens of offices, agents and distributors around the world maintaining the correct contact information for everyone in each of the 13 websites they manage became a tricky task.

To enable them to manage this information more easily, we consolidated everything into a single database maintained from the main office in the UK. Regional websites now draw their contact information from this central database, ensuring accuracy and consistency across the board, and saving lots of time as Ishida now have to amend each record just once.  

Moreover, to improve the presentation of this information, we also developed a mapping application that displays the location and contact details of each office, agent and distributor on an interactive map. Powered by Google Maps, this application includes the full functionality available, including alternative views and zooming to street level. 

Presenting contact information on an interactive map, rather that the usual list, not only provides a richer experience and makes it easier to locate the required information, but also gives much greater location awareness.

Whether it is a list of shops, sites, events, attractions; or generally any type of geographically referenced information; an interactive map will present the overall picture very clearly, making relative locations and distances immediately apparent. Ishida's interactive map of contacts is a great example of this effect.