The biggest factor in adding a location to the system is the process we use to geocode each location that is created, or find its latitude and longitude. While this process can be strict about the data it’s given, geocoding gives us great information, such as knowing how far from a staging location the new location is. Further down the line, it's going to allow us to provide extremely interesting and powerful analytics of where new registrants are filling out forms. This geocoding process will allow us to be even more effective with programs in the future.
Common issues we see with location creation:
Using abbreviations in location address
Location does not have full address
Location already exists in the system
Using abbreviations in location address:
The more complete that the addresses are, the less often there are issues.
Examples of abbreviated addresses:
123 S Main St
345 Washington Rd NW
678 City Center Pkwy
Best Practices for full addresses:
123 South Main Street
345 Washington Road Northwest
678 City Center Parkway
Location does not have a full address:
When creating locations, entering an incomplete address will certainly prevent the system from finding the exact place of the location.
Examples of incomplete addresses:
17th Street
South Main
Roundabout Parkway
The most common issue we see is not including the street number. If you are unsure about the exact address for a location, the recommendation is to use google to try to find it.
Location already exists in the system:
This is one of the more difficult issues to try to troubleshoot. If attempting to add a location that already exists in the system, you will receive a notification that it already exists. However, it is not always clear and easy to find the duplicate address, especially if it has been created by someone else using a slightly different name or detail.
In the search bar on the top-right of the ‘View Locations’ page, you can search the name, address, or city of locations that already exist. If you cannot find it by searching the location name or address, then just using the street name instead of the full address will help shed some clarity.
We’ve also found that if different locations in a mall or on a college campus are being added, even if they are different addresses, they get geocoded to the same spot. This is something to look out for.
Support:
If after utilizing these best practices you still encounter some trouble, the Politech team is just a click away. You can go to the Lego head in the upper right-hand corner of Blocks, click on ‘Help’ to reach our support team at any time.