Take a break with 1Spatial's Mark Boxall

Tell us about yourself?

I’ve been at 1Spatial for around 9 months now, and given that only 2 of those were spent in the office pre-COVID-19, I still feel very new to the company. I work as a Product Owner in one of our agile development teams, and have previous experience in both UX Design and Software Testing. So I love delivering good quality software that is easy to use, and ultimately solves the customer’s problems and needs.

Fun fact about you?

Before starting a career in software, I tried many different things. One of these things was an apprenticeship in welding and fabrication. Whenever I drive through my hometown, I like to point out all of the things that I had a hand in making, from stainless steel chip shop counters to industrial chemical pipework. Don’t ask me to weld anything now, but being the apprentice, it also taught me to make a great mug of tea!

What do you enjoy most about working at 1Spatial?

I like being around so much expertise in the GIS industry, which I’m still fairly new to. 1Spatial have been doing this for years, and have a very close relationship with their customers. It really shows, and it’s very easy to find someone in the office that understands exactly how a particular customer is using 1Spatial products, and what benefit that gives them.

Which of the 1Spatial Products do you manage and what does it do?

I manage 1Spatial’s Location Mobile App Platform (LMAP), which is an SDK that we use to build customer-specific mobile apps. The use cases vary, but include managing network assets, and dealing with incidents such as gas leaks. I manage both the SDK and the apps we build from it.

What is the best feature and benefit of LMAP?

LMAP’s strength is in putting the power of 1Spatial’s rules engine onto a mobile device. This allows workers in the field to collect and correct data, and have it validated against business rules right there and then, whether they have an internet connection or not. This capability is then built into an app designed specifically for the workforce in question. This means the workflow, terminology and layout feels familiar and intuitive, making the job easier and reducing the mistakes and confusion that come from overwhelming screens filled with generic options.

What do you love most about the product team you work with?

When I joined, the team was already established. They work really well as a team and a lot of my job is in unblocking them and then getting out of their way, so they can concentrate on solving the problems in front of them. The LMAP team are smart and always keen to make improvements that will have real value to the customer.

If you were given an airline ticket to go anywhere in the world where would you go and why?

Over the summer, I was lucky enough not to have my holiday cancelled, as many others did. So my family and I managed to get away for a week in beautiful Tuscany. If I had a ticket right now, I wouldn’t hesitate to go back and soak up the last of the sunshine… and a bit more wine.