Developing an Enterprise GIS

Thanks to the rapid advancement of information technology (IT), especially in database management, GIS technology has progressed from single-department operations to enterprise-wide collaborative business workflows. Several key developments in GIS technology enabled this leap.

1. A database-driven GIS replaced file-based GIS, allowing multiple users to simultaneously edit GIS datasets and making it possible to integrate with other information systems (IS) in real time.
2. Common geospatial standards such as those developed by Open GIS Consortium (OGC) promote and enable data sharing between GIS and other IS.
3. Web-based navigation GIS, such as MapQuest, Google Map, and MapPoint, brought GIS to the general public and promoted GIS technology to mainstream IT.

Enterprise GIS provides numerous potential benefits such as effectively managing assets dispersed in large geographic areas, improved access and reduced redundancy of GIS data across all departments, better utilization of resources reducing maintenance and support, and more effective decision-making. An enterprise GIS addresses departmental needs collectively instead of individually.

Because an enterprise GIS must serve the enterprise and be integrated into its operations, there are several key considerations when implementing an enterprise GIS - organizational (i.e. organization vision and business process), technical (i.e. IT standards, system architecture, and hardware and software configuration), and resource (i.e. GIS technicians, developers, and managers, and help desk supports).

Organizational

Like any other enterprise information system, GIS must serve the needs of an organization. One of most common mistakes technical managers make is to select a GIS technology before fully assessing organizational and end user needs. They then tailor organization processes to their chosen technology in order to “make it work.” This approach may produce a system that end users do not want to use and adds no value to business operations.

To ensure the enterprise GIS solution fits with the overall organization vision and goals, a strategic implementation plan must be developed before actual development begins. A typical approach to address organizational issues is to work with all identified stakeholders to: 1) obtain organizational vision and priorities including funding, 2) understand existing business process, 3) design future business processes, 4) understand IT operation and strategic directions, 5) perform gap analysis, and 6) assess risks and develop a mitigation approach. The implementation plan must be developed in accordance with the results of the gap analysis and risk assessment. Typically, a phased approach that consists of incremental milestones is preferred. The plan must be reviewed by all stakeholders and adjusted before final approval by all stakeholders.

Technical

While organizational needs are the foundation of an enterprise GIS, technical considerations are the building blocks for a successful implementation. To address the technical issues, the following tasks should be considered:

• System architecture design
  The system architecture of enterprise must fit the IT environment and operate within the standard and policy of the organization IT infrastructure. In addition, the architecture must produce performance levels that help end users meet their specific operational goals. A successful system architecture should be based on organization IT standards, leverage existing infrastructure, support future business workflow, and provide performance measures of all processes. The system architecture design should be developed after evaluating the latest technologies for benefit and risk. The system architecture should include network configuration, as well as detailed hardware and software configuration.
• Data model development
  The data model is the heart of enterprise GIS and must meet the operational and functional requirements of an organization. The data model must also support the requirements of the GIS software and shall be extendable to integrate with other IS, such as the Customer Information System (CIS) and Outage Management System (OMS). The data model shall also support symbol display and the data maintenance process. There are five steps in this phase: identify GIS requirements, develop a data model, load data to test the data model, document data model, and obtain final approval.
• System development
  Data conversion/migration is a labor-intensive process and often is the most expensive step in the entire GIS implementation. The key to data migration is data accuracy. In order to produce accurate data, the data conversion team should be provided a data conversion specification generated for the data model before starting full production. Data validation routines for both source data and GIS are critical to the success of data migration.
  The data merging and data acceptance processes on the customer site are often overlooked when planning conversion projects. This can result in unexpected schedule delays and resource constraints during the project. To avoid similar mistakes, these often time-consuming processes must be planned and included in the project schedule.
  Implementation of GIS system architecture must also be closely coordinated with the IT department. Getting IT involved as early as possible in this process is the key to a successful implementation.
• Data deployment and maintenance strategies
  An enterprise GIS is built for data access and sharing throughout an organization. GIS deployment issues need to be addressed in the early stages of implementation. In a utility company, there are two typical groups of users: users with a stable LAN connection and mobile users. Current GIS software allows many utilities to manage access to the GIS database through LAN connections. Internet technology such as GIS web server or web services can be used to rapidly deploy GIS data to the entire organization with relatively low cost.
  After building the GIS, data maintenance is another major issue to be addressed. The questions that need to be asked are who, when, and how to maintain the GIS data. As most legacy systems only allow single-user editing, one department in the organization normally handles all data maintenance. Because GIS provides multi-user access and has complex relationship rules, it is more efficient to decentralize the data maintenance responsibilities to multiple departments and maintain a centralized approval process.
• System integration
  System integration requires careful planning and active participation and coordination of stakeholders across departments within the organization. Discussions of system integration need to be conducted early in the project. Data model development and system architecture design tasks offer two ideal forums to discuss system integration issues. The planning may be time consuming and tedious as it requires detail inventory of database structures and identifying common key fields to relate information across information systems. However, if implemented properly, system integration provides the largest return on investment (ROI) for an enterprise GIS.
  For utility companies, some of the common systems that GIS integrates with are Work Management System (WMS), Customer Information System (CIS), Financial Accounting System such as SAP or Oracle Financial, and Outage Management System (OMS). Key questions in system integration include: 1) systems to be integrated; 2) real time or near real time integration, or periodic data replication; 3) data security standards; and 4) technology – stand-alone or web-based application. Lately, many organizations are taking advantage of information portal technology to build an enterprise information dashboard that integrates information published via web services from various IS. Each portal is fully integrated with others presenting a well of information at the fingertip of each user. This type of architecture is also called Service Oriented Architecture (SOA). Organizations implementing web services in SOA environment will realize significant competitive advantages as they leverage the power of spatial information management.
• Spatial data analysis
  GIS technology was created as a mapping system as well as a spatial analysis system. Over decades of GIS implementation many organizations have widely adopted GIS as a mapping system managing infrastructures and critical assets. However, very few have effectively utilized GIS as a spatial analysis system to reap the benefit of GIS for better informed business decision-making. With its unique capabilities of linking spatial information and attribute information of spatial objects, GIS can be used to uncover issues in tabular data and provide intuitive maps for useful analysis. For example, engineers can utilize a hurricane path and its intensity zone in GIS to simulate damages on the electric network ahead of storm arrival, enabling proactive preparation for a storm response.

During enterprise GIS implementation, the GIS implementation team not only needs to provide solutions to meet end user business needs, it also must educate end users on overall GIS capabilities and promote spatial data analysis in GIS to solve business problems in a more effective manner. This is a very important task that provides significant benefits to an organization and yet has often been overlooked in enterprise GIS implementation.

Resource

An enterprise GIS needs staff and continuous funding to manage its operations. Having a technically sound enterprise GIS but limited resources allocated to operate the system hinders organization from fully benefiting from its investment. In some cases, it stalls efforts to adopt GIS in the organization and leads to complete failure of the enterprise GIS initiative.
Resource planning for post implementation phase should occur early in the project planning. Because providing a technical solutions and planning data conversion occupy the attention of an organization in the early phases of the project, resource planning for post implementation has often been deemed lower priority. There are multiple approaches for an organization to provide resources to the enterprise GIS operation. One is a centralized approach establishing a GIS department/group staffed with a GIS manager, analysts, and mapping technicians.

Another approach is to decentralize the requirement of GIS operations to IT and business areas. The IT department provides support as individual business areas update GIS data layer(s) for which they are responsible and develop applications to meet their needs. While this approach may produce cost savings, it often leads to lack of standard and accuracy in the GIS database and duplicate efforts in developing custom solutions.

The third approach is a hybrid in which a GIS group (often within IT department) provides technical resources to control data quality and develop custom tools for business units that will update data layers relevant to their operations. IT helpdesk handles first-tier technical support and training. If managed properly, the hybrid approach can offer a more effective way to manage an enterprise GIS.

An organization must select an approach based on best fit to the organizational vision and company culture. Regardless which structure is adopted, the GIS group should develop a transition plan assisting end users to embrace the enterprise GIS and use it in their daily work process. A transition plan typically includes workshops with end users, training and feedback sessions, and system and application rollout plan. Proactive communication with end users is the key to a successful transition. While communication of project status should occur as early and as frequent as possible, technical training should be scheduled shortly before release of the enterprise system. It is recommended that the transition plan be signed off by all stakeholders.

Enterprise GIS is a continuously evolving process

Similar to many enterprise systems, enterprise GIS requires periodic technological upgrades and continuous efforts to manage and improve its efficiency and accuracy in support of business process. Enterprise GIS provides added value to many areas of business operation. Conceivably, it is the centerpiece in the enterprise information system architecture. Implementing enterprise GIS should not be considered as a project that carries a start and end date; it is a continuously evolving process within an organization that requires both human resource and advanced technology to progress forward. As an organization grows, old business processes will be revised and new processes will be introduced. As information and geospatial technologies advance, inevitably there will be new and more efficient ways to complete a task. Enterprise GIS must continuously evolve with the organization, adopt new technology, improve efficiency and accuracy, and involve and educate stakeholders. The success of an enterprise GIS should not merely be based on the completion of building an enterprise GIS, rather it should largely be based on how well it evolves to support the changing organization in the long term.