SmartWA uses numerous data sources and artificial intelligence to provide small businesses most impacted by the pandemic with real-time outlooks about public health, economic and community conditions by county and industry. The decision support system features an interactive simulator that provide industry-specific predictions about which safety protocols are most likely to increase customer traffic in specific sectors. These recommendations are based on Choiceflows’s current survey data of consumer preferences in Washington state. The tool is available in five languages and was designed in collaboration with minority-owned small business owners from throughout the state.

“We know business owners are committed to reopening safely, and they want their customers to feel confident about visiting in person again,” said Lisa Brown, director of the state Department of Commerce. “This simple tool can help a business owner understand which safety protocols are most important to their customers. We appreciate the work of our Safe Start partners to collaborate with diverse business owners and focus on the industries that have been hardest hit during COVID-19.”

“Even though we can allow 50% capacity, we operate at a lesser capacity because we don’t want to risk people’s lives,” said Claire Sumadiwirya, owner of the Bellden Café in Bellevue. “The dashboard gives reassurance that we can operate at higher capacity and it’s a good way to communicate to the team that they should feel safe coming to work and to provide the best hospitality.” 

“The business decision support tool gives me information about how much traffic in my business category could increase if I adopt different strategies or combinations of strategies such as vaccinating my employees or continuing with visible cleanliness measures,” said Jordan Smith, owner of Cascadia Public House in Spokane.