Seeing Is Believing

Data visualization enters the 21st century with Casino Data Imaging’s GlobalSuite

Las Vegas-based Casino Data Imaging, a pioneer in data visualization technology, has raised its game with GlobalSuite, a cutting-edge mapping and analytics program that reports in detailed fashion how every game and position on the floor is performing and being utilized.

“It recreates the casino floor,” explains Director of Sales and Marketing George Levine. “It ties in all the financial data at every position: every table, slot, the type of game, the location of the game, anything we can glean from existing data sources on the property: for example, how many people there are at bank of slots or at a table, where’s there’s activity or no activity. So management can see from a high level what’s working, what’s not working; then they can drill down.”

GlobalSuite, unlike its predecessor CasinoCAD, is a truly graphical visual environment, with rich 2D or 3D data visualization modes that are color-coded and a QuickView feature that allows users to instantly see detailed information with a point and click; or if more information is desired, a further click reveals preloaded pivot analysis, which can be customized as the user requires. In this regard it’s also scalable for different levels of users: from the GM down to the slot techs.

“It’s really up to the casino, they can color code any which way,” Mr Levine says. “Whatever attribute they want. They can do all different types of games on the floor then bring up analysis color-coding by performance: handle, win, utilization, etc.”

GlobalSuite is Microsoft-based, which means it’s compatible with existing reporting systems like Cognos and Teradata and upgradeable to keep pace with advances in technology and it’s amazingly simple to use. No intricate skill sets are required. The user toggles easily between each component—dashboard, reports and graphics—to examine information from various perspectives simultaneously, enabling deeper analysis and effective trend-spotting.

Basically, what CDI has done is incorporate user-friendly processes that layer the end-user away from the complexities of analysis without sacrificing the power that analysis provides and the flexibility to customize it to suit the operator’s needs and resources.

Dynamic dashboards with a control panel display at-a-glance gaming performance information with relative percentage increases or decreases. The initial dashboard panels display various daily, weekly, monthly and yearly trends that are date sensitive and pegged to a slider bar that updates each panel display by changing the analysis date range. Users can drill down into various sub-dashboards to gain a more detailed understanding of which key indicators have had a measurable impact on game performance.

“You can bring in other data sources,” notes Mr Levine, “like the weather for that particular day: Was it sunny, was it raining or snowing? It also leaves room for other information. Maybe there were certain marketing events that happened that day. So as you do your analysis you pick up other information. You can select a game, a bank of games, a pit, and zero in on it. You can search by a particular manufacturer’s games that are earning greater or less than. You can look up EPROM numbers, where they’re located, and get a detailed report.”

The system is designed for both single and multiple-property environments, and data can be gathered and displayed individually or in various consolidated forms, using different drill models for reporting and visualization.

As for reports, GlobalSuite provides a library of them, or operators can build their own.

“We’ve had some pretty interesting feedback from the show,” Mr Levine says, “especially for [the Macau] market, on what they’d like to see and what would help them on their analysis. The folks we met with here are saying, ‘Well, great, we’re looking at our top games, our worst games, but who’s playing those games?’ … Now they can look at a certain demographic that may be playing one game over another. Or why is one game doing better than others? Is it a great game or maybe it’s a certain type of clientele that likes that game. It’s interesting what we’re learning. I think the neat thing for our company is now being able to bounce back from the visual to the reporting. Probably the next major update is bringing over player data information.”

CDI also exhibited its new iGuide Wayfinder Plus live mapping system. Developed in conjunction with casino IT and marketing experts, the iGuide is touchscreen-enabled for easy use and features a patented “point2point” technology with a story board and avatars that provide a rich experience for the customer and encourage repeat use. Locations are displayed by categories, called NaviKeys, on the home screen, which makes it easy for a customer to follow the avatar’s path while identifying landmarks along the way. It also can locate a particular game on the floor, tables and slots, and direct the player there, so it promotes the games as well as the property and its amenities.

Says Mr Levine, “We’re working closely with our client base and embracing state-of-the-art technologies, delivering features and functionality only dreamed of in previous years.”