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Location Data Knowledge Base

Data methodologies, and Release schedules.
The Q1 2021 Business and Location Insights data packages are now available to plug into your analytic processes.
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This article will be taking a look at the underlying formulas that constitute built-in and virtual variables
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When registering the point datasets in Allocate, it is possible to get them mixed up between the Experian FULL US and Experian US datasets. When this happens the datasets are put into an error state and the Allocate tool will not open properly.
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Canada Business Insights customers, formerly "Canada Data", may have noticed that we've built up our 2016 Statistics Canada demographic variables inventory over the past handful of releases. The 2016 demographic data is accessed via the Demographic Analysis toolset by selecting Statistics Canada 2016 Census in the drop down. In addition, we deliver 2011 Statistics Canada demographics as Canada Data within the same drop down. Both data sets receive quarterly updated Forward Sortation Areas and geography summarized business counts.   Effective with the Q3 2019 Insights data release, update efforts will be focused on the 2016 census only; we will no longer update the 2011 Statistics Canada data set. We will continue to provide the 2011 data set without updates in the installation package through the Q2 2020 release.   Please let us know if you have any questions.
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The Q3 2018 US Data package includes analytics-ready data from TomTom, Experian, Dun & Bradstreet and the US Census as well as data-specific analysis tools to get the most from the packaged data. The documentation package attached includes –   Release notes, variable list and change log Experian CAPE demographic data methodology document, Mosaic segment descriptions Experian ConsumerView Analytical file – user guide and penetration report Simmons overview D&B Analytical file - data description, SIC lookup code, penetration report Kalibrate Technologies traffic count overview and metadata Spatial products include documentation on drive time methodology and Alteryx map layers   What's new in this release?   Sample workflows included with the data installs are now grouped within a top-level "Data Install Samples" category Annual updates for Places, Other Name Places, CBSAs, and CCDs/MCDs   Please download and extract the attached 'Q32018_US_Data.zip' for the complete documentation.
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  In the Q3 2017 US Data release there were six reports that incorrectly reference the D&B Business Summary Employees and Establishments vintage as “Q2 2017” instead of the correct vintage of “Q3 2017”. This issue is purely cosmetic in the report – the data is still from the Q3 2017 vintage. The reports can be found in the dataset, “Experian US 2017A (Q3 2017 Release)(v.8.6)”, within the Demographic Analysis tools in Alteryx.   Affected Reports: Demographic Snapshot Comparison Report Demographic Snapshot Index Comparison Demographic Summary with Index Demographic Trend Summary Executive Demographic Population Comparison Report   Action Required: Replace the incorrect report template files. Close any open instances of Alteryx or Allocate Download, unzip and extract Q3_2017_Fixed_Report_Templates.7z from the Community Article to the local Alteryx data install location. You need to place these in the Reports folder – found under […]\Portfolio\ALTERYX_US_Experian_17A_17B\Reports. A typical install location is C:\Program Files (x86)\Alteryx\DataProducts\Portfolio\ALTERYX_US_Experian_17A_17B\Reports Overwrite the existing templates with the updated templates   How to Validate: Generate a report using a corrected template. Launch Alteryx Drag out an Allocate Input tool Select the dataset “Experian US 2017A (Q3 2017 Release)(v.8.6)” Select any single geography Drag out and connect an Allocate Report tool to the Allocate Input tool Select the dataset “Experian US 2017A (Q3 2017 Release)(v.8.6)” Select the “Executive Demographic” report Click the Index button and select any State geography Press run – the report should now reference “Q3 2017” – and not “Q2 2017” – for the Employee and Establishment fields If you are an Allocate GUI user, the updated reports can be validated there.   If you have other concerns or need assistance with these instructions, please contact our Customer Support team at support@alteryx.com.
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When you drag and drop an Allocate Report tool onto the Alteryx canvas or are browsing reports in the Alteryx Gallery, do you feel overwhelmed by the number of Allocate reports visible?  Your next question might be, "what's included in each report?"  The report name helps somewhat but not always and there isn't a listing in Help to guide you.    Attached is a spreadsheet on the available reports grouped by Type (List, Rank, Summary, Comparison) and displaying report name, description and check marks in columns for key content items (Age, Employment, Income, Retail Demand, etc.).   If you have questions or comments, feel free to contact data_products@alteryx.com.    
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If you can't find the ZIP code you are looking for, it is likely that it is a ZIP point, ZIP codes are assigned to military basis, college campuses and other large facilities. These ZIP Codes are not registered by default, to be added to Allocate they have to be registered. For this you will need to have Admin rights to your computer to do this. If you don't, you could try right clicking on the Allocate product and selecting Run as administrator. If this does not work, you will need your IT to register the file for you. First, open the stand alone Allocate product (outside of Alteryx):                                                 Choose the dataset you are using in the first window:                       Next, go to the Pick Geography tab and go to File > Manage Virtual Geographies…                       The below window will pop up, click on Register:                                Go to the Program Files (x86)AlteryxDataProductsPortfolio[your dataset]Data folder (or the folder for the dataset you are using):                        And select the ZIPs with Points VGF files, click Open:                        You will see that the Zip Codes w/Points is now loaded in the list, click OK:                                  Allocate will say it needs to restart, click OK. Once open again, go to the Pick Geography tab and the Zip Codes w/Points is now selectable and will also be available in the Allocate tool within Alteryx.                       
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Census data is calculated based on census designated boundaries which range in increasing size from Blocks - Block Groups - Tracts - Counties - etc.  However, when solving most business issues, custom polygons are often used.  Since custom polygons almost never perfectly mirror Census Blocks, a method to subdivide Blocks must be created. Block Centroid Retrevial Alteryx utilizes Block Centroid Retrieval when allocating demographic data to irregular polygons such as custom radii, ZIP Codes, and custom trade areas.  For the US datasets, this retrieval is based on the centroids of the US Census 2010 Blocks.  Each record is tagged with the percent of the household and population it represents as a fraction of its associated block group.  Development changes in the years since the census are not reflected in this inventory of block centroids.   To address this requirement, Alteryx designed a methodological approach to update block groups to reflect areas of growth.  By utilizing the Experian household database of 127 million U.S. consumer households in conjunction with the Census Bureau, Alteryx has created additional points, within the block inventory dataset, utilized by Allocate to represent population and household growth during the time since the previous census.
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