Geocoding is a mandatory step in the Task creation process. Geocoding is a process where eLogii makes a call to geocoding providers and fetches the geocoordinates (location latitude and longitude) from the provider's database based on the address inputs provided, either via API or CSV import. This process happens in the background in a matter of seconds.
To learn more about the geocoding process on CSV import, make sure to check out this article.
Prioritization
In cases where multiple inputs are provided, geovoding may behave differently depending on each scenario.
Address and Coordinates
In case the address, postcode, city, and country values are provided alone, eLogii will need to obtain the geolocation from the geocoding provider.
If coordinates (latitude and longitude) alone are provided, no geocoding will happen in the background, as eLogii already has the required information to place the location on the map. However, no address information will be displayed on the Task card in eLogii, nor in the Mobile app.
If address values and coordinates are provided together, no geocoding will happen, as eLogii already has the location coordinates. The provided address inputs (address, city, and country, if provided) will be shown on the Task card in both eLogii and in the Mobile app.
What3Words code and Coordinates
It's not a likely scenario that users would be providing both the What3Words code and the coordinates, but in that case, no geocoding will happen, as the coordinates are already contained in the import file.
What3Words (w3w) is already a means of geocoding in the UK, and users opting to use What3Words will likely not have ready coordinates to use and import into eLogii.
To learn how to connect eLogii and w3w, please check out this article.
What3Words code and Address
If w3w is provided alongside the address inputs, then What3Words data will be prioritized, as it is used for geocoding.
Geocoding Result Quality
The quality of geocoding will depend on the following factors:
Address format provided - The address format provided to eLogii may significantly impact geocoding results. For instance, typos or omitted information (such as a missing postcode and city) can impact how the location is geocoded. To avoid such errors, we strongly recommend disabling free-form address input and using a database/service instead.
The Geocodin provider's library - Sometimes, the geocoding provider's library is not updated quickly enough, and the location whose coordinates are being retrieved either doesn't exist in the provider's library yet, or the updates to the location address are not yet reflected in the library.
The optimal geocoding provider for your location - While both Google and Here are good and accurate options that rarely encounter geocoding issues, they can yield different results. Here is an overall good option, especially for UK-based locations, while Google tends to do better with loosely formatted or incomplete address inputs and places of interest or landmarks.