To read the clouds is to read the future.
Or so the old sailor expression goes. And never has this been more prevalent than in today’s business world, where companies are not just concerned about how weather will impact their profit today, but how it will affect customers in the future.
This is now a possibility, as Google and AccuWeather announced the launch of new data and analytics solutions in Google’s Commercial Dataset program at the 2017 Google Next Innovation Summit.
Newly integrated with the Google Cloud Platform, AccuWeather solutions aims at giving business leaders the opportunity to view the impact of weather on business performance to make data driven decisions that drive results.
“Our AccuWeather data scientists know weather impacts a variety of human behavior, from beer consumption, to average daily steps, to what types of music people listen to,” says Rosemary Radich, manager of business intelligence at AccuWeather. “By accounting for weather, data scientists and business owners have a clearer understanding of their customers and the changes they will experience in their business.”
The real-time database is based on datasets from around the world with observations, satellite, radar, and proprietary metrics to convey business intelligence through proprietary statistical analytics and predictive modeling.
“AccuWeather’s industry leading data and analytics expertise ensures that clients have the highest-demand products and services ready when and where they are needed to maximize business results,” says David Mitchell, vice president of digital media of emerging platforms at AccuWeather, in a company press release.
The solutions system is comprised of three main functions: Superior Accuracy AccuWeather; Targeted Solutions AccuWeather; and Business Impact AccuWeather.
The AccuWeather solutions will provide business leaders with MinuteCast minute-by-minute, hour by hour, and day by day forecasts through 90-Days, to make predictions based on businesses’ needs that inform logistics, sales planning, inventory control, supply chain, and more.
“Having information on how weather affects businesses helps stakeholders make more informed decisions for marketing, supply chain, staffing, demand planning, safety and security, logistics and more,” says Radich. “For instance, knowing how sunshine in Seattle peaks interest in home improvement can help make decisions on timing of marketing campaigns and digital advertising.”
The solutions system performs these predictions by comparing up to 200 different weather behaviors with sales data to create custom, actionable insights for companies. There should be clear opportunities to integrate this detailed weather data with location intelligence about prospects and customers.
