Proximity & Coverage Analysis
Understand What Is Near. See What Is Covered. Discover What Is Missing.
DynaCarto Proximity & Coverage Analysis helps organizations understand the geographic relationship between customers, facilities, service points, competitors, assets, or any other locations.
It answers some of the most practical questions in location-based decision-making:
Which customers are close to each facility?
How far does each service location reach?
Which areas are well covered?
Where are the coverage gaps?
Which locations overlap unnecessarily?
Where could a new facility create the greatest impact?
Instead of relying only on visual intuition, DynaCarto converts location data into measurable proximity and coverage intelligence—directly on a mobile device.
What Is Proximity & Coverage Analysis?
Proximity & Coverage Analysis examines the spatial relationship between two sets of locations.
The first set may represent:
Primary Locations
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customers
-
patients
-
stores
-
delivery points
-
incidents
-
service requests
-
population locations
-
business opportunities
The second set may represent:
Reference Locations
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branches
-
stores
-
hospitals
-
clinics
-
warehouses
-
depots
-
service centers
-
emergency stations
-
competitors
-
candidate facilities
DynaCarto measures how these locations relate to each other and helps visualize which demand points are within or outside the desired service range.
Proximity and Coverage Are Related — But Not the Same
Proximity
Proximity answers:
“How close is one location to another?”
For example:
-
How far is each customer from the nearest store?
-
Which hospital is closest to each patient?
-
Which service center is nearest to a customer?
-
Which competitor locations are close to our branches?
-
Which assets fall within a predefined distance?
Proximity focuses on distance and accessibility between locations.
Coverage
Coverage asks:
“How effectively do my locations serve the geography around them?”
For example:
-
What percentage of customers are within 5 km of a store?
-
Which demand points are outside the target service area?
-
Where do facility service areas overlap?
-
Which neighborhoods remain underserved?
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Would adding another facility improve overall coverage?
Coverage transforms individual distance relationships into a broader view of network performance.
Three Ways to Understand Proximity
Different business problems require different definitions of “near.”
DynaCarto allows proximity to be evaluated using different approaches.
Straight-Line Distance
Straight-line distance provides a fast geographic measurement between locations.
It is useful for:
-
initial screening
-
high-level regional analysis
-
approximate service-radius analysis
-
large-scale geographic comparisons
-
situations where road-network accessibility is not essential
It answers:
“How far apart are these locations geographically?”
Road Distance
Physical proximity does not always mean operational proximity.
A customer may appear only 3 km from a facility on the map but require a significantly longer road journey because of:
-
road configuration
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rivers
-
highways
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limited crossings
-
urban street networks
-
geographic barriers
Road Distance evaluates accessibility using the actual road network.
It answers:
“How far must someone actually travel?”
Travel Time
For many businesses, time is even more important than distance.
A facility that is 8 km away may be easier to reach than another facility only 5 km away.
Travel Time analysis provides a more operational understanding of accessibility.
It answers:
“How long does it take to reach the facility?”
This is particularly valuable for healthcare, service operations, logistics, retail accessibility, and emergency planning.
From Excel to Coverage Intelligence
One of the key advantages of DynaCarto is that a useful Proximity & Coverage analysis can begin with something as simple as an Excel file containing location data
.
You do not need to construct a complex desktop GIS project.
Your Excel data may contain:
Demand / Primary Locations
-
ID
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Name
-
Address
-
Latitude
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Longitude
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Category
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Customer volume
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Demand value
-
Other business attributes
and another dataset may contain:
Facilities / Reference Locations
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Facility ID
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Facility Name
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Address
-
Latitude
-
Longitude
-
Facility Type
If your file contains addresses rather than geographic coordinates, DynaCarto Smart AI Geocoding can help transform those addresses into map-ready locations.
The workflow can be as simple as:
Excel → Smart AI Geocoding → Map → Proximity & Coverage → Decision
Directly from your mobile device.
How Does the Analysis Work?
1. Import Your Data
Upload the Excel file containing the locations you want to analyze.
For example:
2,000 customers
and
15 stores
2. Map Your Locations
DynaCarto places the records on the map.
If necessary, addresses are geocoded first so they can be used in spatial analysis.
3. Define the Reference Locations
Select the facilities or locations from which proximity and coverage will be evaluated.
These might be:
-
stores
-
hospitals
-
branches
-
service centers
-
warehouses
-
emergency stations
-
competitors
4. Choose How Distance Should Be Measured
Depending on the business question, select:
Straight-Line Distance
Road Distance
or
Travel Time
5. Define the Coverage Threshold
The user can evaluate locations against a meaningful threshold.
For example:
Within 2 km
Within 5 km
Within 10 km
or a business-specific distance or time requirement.
This makes it possible to distinguish locations that are:
Inside Coverage
and
Outside Coverage
6. Visualize the Relationships
Results are displayed directly on the interactive map.
Depending on the selected analytical view, users can clearly understand:
-
which facility serves which area
-
which demand points are close
-
which locations are distant
-
where coverage gaps exist
-
where service areas may overlap
The map can be explored interactively through zooming, panning, legends, and analytical layers.
Example: Retail Store Coverage
Imagine a retailer with:
1,500 customer locations
12 existing stores
Management wants to know:
Are our stores located close enough to our customers?
The customer Excel file is imported into DynaCarto.
The 12 store locations are used as reference facilities.
The company decides that customers should ideally be within:
15 minutes travel time
of a store.
DynaCarto can then help distinguish between:
Well-served customers
Customers within the desired accessibility threshold.
and
Underserved customers
Customers outside the desired service level.
The resulting map may reveal:
-
strong coverage around existing stores
-
overlapping store territories
-
large customer concentrations outside acceptable reach
-
potential expansion areas
The business can then investigate those gaps using Suitability Analysis or Location Allocation.
Example: Healthcare Accessibility
A healthcare organization has:
20 clinics
5,000 patient locations
The objective is to understand whether patients can reach a clinic within an acceptable travel time.
Proximity & Coverage can help reveal:
-
patient concentrations near existing clinics
-
populations located far from healthcare services
-
regions where several clinics overlap
-
locations where a new clinic could improve access
The result supports better healthcare planning and resource allocation.
Where Is Proximity & Coverage Used?
Retail & Store Networks
Understand the relationship between customers and existing stores.
Use it to:
-
measure customer accessibility
-
identify underserved markets
-
evaluate store coverage
-
reveal overlapping territories
-
support new store planning
Healthcare
Evaluate patient access to:
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hospitals
-
clinics
-
pharmacies
-
diagnostic centers
-
healthcare facilities
Organizations can identify areas where populations have limited access to services.
Logistics & Distribution
Analyze relationships between:
-
customers
-
warehouses
-
depots
-
distribution centers
-
delivery locations
This can help identify inefficient service areas and improve network planning.
Field Service Operations
Understand how effectively service centers or teams cover:
-
customers
-
maintenance requests
-
field incidents
-
equipment locations
This supports more practical service territories and faster response.
Emergency Services
Evaluate geographic accessibility to:
-
ambulance stations
-
fire stations
-
emergency centers
-
public safety facilities
Coverage analysis can highlight populations or areas outside target response zones.
Banking & Finance
Analyze how well:
-
branches
-
ATMs
-
service offices
cover existing and potential customers.
This can help identify redundant locations and underserved markets.
Telecommunications
Evaluate customer or infrastructure coverage around:
-
service centers
-
network facilities
-
towers
-
support locations
This can support network expansion and service planning.
Real Estate & Site Selection
Compare candidate sites based on their proximity to:
-
customers
-
transportation
-
services
-
competitors
-
population
-
other important locations
Coverage intelligence provides additional evidence for investment decisions.
Sales Territory Planning
Evaluate whether customers are effectively covered by:
-
sales offices
-
sales representatives
-
regional teams
-
service territories
Proximity can help reduce excessive travel and improve customer responsibility structures.
Public Services
Municipalities and public organizations can evaluate access to:
-
schools
-
healthcare facilities
-
community centers
-
public offices
-
emergency services
-
social infrastructure
The analysis helps reveal geographic inequalities in service access.
Competitor & Market Analysis
Reference points do not always have to represent your own facilities.
They may also represent competitors.
For example, a retailer can analyze:
-
customers near competitors
-
areas with little competitive presence
-
market overlap
-
potential white-space opportunities
This turns Proximity Analysis into a useful competitive intelligence tool.
Key Business Benefits
Identify Coverage Gaps
Clearly see customers, populations, or demand points outside your desired service range.
Improve Accessibility
Understand how easily customers or users can reach your facilities.
Optimize Existing Networks
Discover where facilities overlap excessively and where coverage remains insufficient.
Support Expansion
Identify geographic areas where a new store, clinic, warehouse, or service center may create the greatest value.
Reduce Cost
Avoid unnecessary facility overlap and focus resources where they can improve coverage.
Improve Customer Experience
Better accessibility can mean:
-
shorter travel
-
faster service
-
easier access
-
improved response times
Make Evidence-Based Decisions
Replace subjective map interpretation with measurable geographic relationships.
More Than a Simple Radius
A simple circle around a location can be useful, but real-world accessibility is often more complicated.
A 5 km radius assumes that every location inside the circle is equally accessible.
In reality:
-
road networks vary
-
barriers exist
-
travel distances differ
-
travel times differ
DynaCarto allows organizations to move from a basic geographic radius toward more realistic road-distance and travel-time accessibility analysis when the business problem requires it.
Proximity & Coverage + Other DynaCarto Analyses
The analysis becomes even more valuable when combined with other DynaCarto tools.
Proximity & Coverage + Cluster Analysis
First determine where demand naturally concentrates.
Then ask:
Are those important clusters adequately covered?
Proximity & Coverage + Isochrone
Use travel-time or travel-distance zones to understand realistic service accessibility.
Proximity & Coverage + Suitability
First identify where coverage gaps exist.
Then evaluate the most suitable areas for a new facility.
Coverage Gap → Candidate Area → Best Location
Proximity & Coverage + Location Allocation
Identify weaknesses in the current network and then optimize how facilities should serve demand.
Measure Coverage → Reallocate Demand → Optimize Network
Proximity & Coverage + POI Search
Understand what businesses, services, facilities, or competitors exist around an important location or within a service area.
From One Excel File to Actionable Spatial Intelligence
Traditional coverage studies may require specialist desktop GIS tools, multiple datasets, and technical workflows.
DynaCarto simplifies the process.
Start with:
An Excel File
Provide:
Addresses or Coordinates
Select:
Your Demand and Reference Locations
Choose:
Straight-Line Distance, Road Distance, or Travel Time
Define:
Your Coverage Threshold
Then visualize the result directly on your mobile device.
Questions DynaCarto Can Help Answer
Which facility is closest to each customer?
How many customers are within our target service range?
Which customers are outside coverage?
Where are our biggest service gaps?
Are some facilities covering the same geography unnecessarily?
Which areas would benefit most from another facility?
How does road accessibility change the result compared with straight-line distance?
Would a different facility network improve overall coverage?
Know What Is Near. See What Is Covered. Act on What Is Missing.
DynaCarto Proximity & Coverage Analysis transforms basic location data into practical accessibility and service-network intelligence.
From a simple Excel file to an interactive mobile analysis, organizations can evaluate proximity, uncover coverage gaps, improve accessibility, optimize resources, and identify new geographic opportunities.
Measure. Cover. Discover. Decide.