Case Study: Precision Analytics Group identifies underserved high-elderly, high-poverty areas to optimize food bank coverage with Alteryx

Determining which Open Food Banks are in High Elderly-Populated and High Poverty Areas

Precision Analytics Group (CTO Chris Williams) worked with SF Marin Food Bank to determine which open food banks and pantries serve high elderly-populated and high-poverty areas after the pandemic forced about 40% of pantries to close. The goal was to visually identify gaps in coverage so the food bank could prioritize pop-up pantries or home delivery where need was greatest.

Using Alteryx, the team blended customer location data with Experian and US Census (US Business Insights) demographics to create spatial points (0.25-mile trade areas) and census-tract polygons, producing layered maps and a distributable PDF report with custom legends. The analysis revealed underserved neighborhoods, saved time and development effort, supported cost- and resource-reallocation decisions, improved documentation and ROI, and has led to engagements with six additional food banks.

Precision Analytics Group

Chris Williams

Chief Technical Officer