Integrating Excel and Access

Using Data in MapPoint

If you have never used Microsoft MapPoint, you may be in for a pleasant surprise. MapPoint software creates regular maps, puts data on maps, draws territories, shows demographic information, provides driving directions, plans a route, and more. If you do not own MapPoint, at the time of this writing you can get a 60-day trial from Microsoft for under $15 (price depends on whether you want the US version, the Europe version, or both). In addition to ordering the trial CD, you can explore many VBA samples available on the Microsoft MapPoint web site that show how to perform automation of MapPoint. What I show here are two things that are both frequently requested by clients and very straightforward to do.

This first example shows how to create a map of territories, a very common request in sales organizations. You have many options available, such as Zip Code, three digit Zip Code, census tract, county, state, and metropolitan area. For this example, I use Zip Codes. I got a list of all of the Zip Codes for Philadelphia, PA. I then took the list of Zip Codes, which were in numerical order, and called the first 20 Territory A, the next 23 Territory B, and the rest Territory C. I saved this information in an Access database table.

Next, I went into MapPoint and went to Data → Territories to use the Territory Wizard. When you go into the Territory Wizard, you see the screen in Figure 9-3. You can create the territories manually or from data. This example uses data ...