Esri announced the release of an enhanced Esri Maps for Microsoft Dynamics CRM. The software adds new analytical perspectives for retailers across the omni-channel. From a single store to the entire supply-chain, users can collaborate to author and share analytical intelligence on customers, stores, products, markets, and the competition with a wealth of demographic data for 120 countries.

“We believe geography is a powerful way to connect all aspects of retail from store operations and merchandizing to financial planning and e-commerce,” said Simon Thompson, director of commercial industry at Esri. “Location analytics helps to identify, explain, and communicate trends and patterns about the places that matter the most so that companies can quickly respond to that insight to deliver the best possible outcome.”

Esri Maps adds new location-oriented workflows that uncover hidden trends and patterns with interactive tools, data, and analysis. Now, Microsoft Dynamics CRM users can author maps and interactive infographics from their internal information resources. These interactive visualizations and analytics uncover customer intelligence and operational knowledge. The geographic data and tools can then be shared with anyone via intelligent online maps and apps on Esri’s ArcGIS Online.

“Businesses need to be able to make smart choices based on information available,” said Tracy Issel, general manager worldwide retail, consumer goods, and hospitality at Microsoft. “Esri Maps adds new tools to our rich, drag-and-drop environment for Dynamics, creating new analytical insights for different roles in the organization and enabling intuitive visual correlations of data using location.”