Credit Union Service Areas Present Unique Territory Mapping Challenges

Sample Area from Washington Telephone Federal Credit Union’s Second Territory Map

For companies in the financial services industry, finding a commercially available map that has the necessary features on it is no small challenge. Kandace Beamon at Washington Telephone Federal Credit Union knows this firsthand. “We were looking for a map of Prince Georges County, MD that showed specifically our chartered coverage area,” she said, “but there just wasn’t one available.”

In most industries, territories can be defined by ZIP Code, by radius, or even bounded by specific streets or highways. But credit union service areas are almost uniquely defined by the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) as a set of specific census tracts. This is useful for government data gathering purposes, and it helps credit unions and regulators ensure that underserved communities are being properly served. Unfortunately, readily available tract maps often neglect other pieces of information that may be equally important to the financial institution. ZIP Codes, for instance, or municipal boundaries, school districts, and appropriate street detail – all of which can help a credit union better direct its service.

Aware of the need to add more custom data to her maps, Beamon searched for custom mapping services professionals on Google, and found Maponics. Because Maponics has a comprehensive database of mapping layers to draw from, the company was not only able to zero in on the credit union’s service area, showing the specified tract boundaries, but it was also able to add the layers that most served Beamon’s needs. The result was such a success , in fact, that she came back with a second, more complicated project.

“We needed a map of Washington D.C. that showed not only all of our branches, but defined neighborhood boundaries within the District so we could better see where we are serving and where we might want to add branches.” That meant delineating not just the usual geographic quadrants into which the District of Columbia is traditionally divided, but also the informal, but commonly known neighborhood areas, and the city’s uniquely defined PSA’s – or “Police Service Areas.”

Maponics was able to generate this second map easily, thereby helping Washington Telephone Federal Credit Union begin to plan its new locations. “I was impressed” says Beamon. “It had a level of detail that showed all the things we needed to be aware of. And everything was done in a timely manner – with a really quick turnaround.”

Read related customer stories, or learn more about territory mapping, census tract mapping, or neighborhood mapping by Maponics.