Global Feed in 3-D: An Information Technology Product for Strategic Decision Making and Market Analysis

As a result of SBIR Phase I funding Global Feed in 3 & #8208;Dtm, allows users rapid and intuitive access to the data while simultaneously giving them the option of participating directly in the learning and analysis. The software integrates statistical analysis with tridimensional visualization to help users gain new socio & #8208;economic insights and knowledge. We assemble large data sets of time series and cross section commodity and national level demographic data, such as population and income. We successfully estimate structural relationships between consumption data and income (see Masuda and Goldsmith, 2009; Masuda and Goldsmith 2012). We forecast production for each commodity and each country using auto regressive techniques of time & #8208;series data. The data are manipulated by the user, and results are visualized simultaneously in graph form, caterpillar charts and on a three dimensional interactive map of the 186 countries in the database. All data are live and animated as users explore historical and future trends and relationships. The queries are downloadable to Excel for further analysis or exportable as a PowerPoint for slide presentations. For a view of the prototype go to: www.globalfoodin3d.com. The SBIR Phase I focused on the software's functionability. In particular, the technical challenge of employing a video gaming development tool to manage the data and create the user interface. We knew that no one else had tried to move economic analysis to a video gaming platform. But we felt confident that such an environment was the solution to a number of the problems faced by users of large, dense, and dynamic data. Phase I is complete. We have successfully developed Global Feed in 3Dtm on a gaming platform, and it performs very well. The next problem addressed in our SBIR II proposal involves developing software that is highly usable. Beta testing and focus groups reveal that though we are on the right track, and users are wowed by the power and elegance of Global Feed in 3Dtm, they are still reluctant to switch their work routines. Commercial success requires that users see our software as a relevant substitute for their current analytical routines. Thus Global Feed in 3Dtm needs to be structured in a way that is consistent with how users work. We need to conduct research involving user studies, develop beta solutions based on the research, and then retest the beta solutions with users.