GIS Implementation

A geographic information system (GIS) should be considered as an information system rather than as a software product when planning GIS implementation in an organization. Different organizations that implement identical GIS software could experience very different outcomes with respect to their success. An information system involves not only software but also other components, such as data, hardware, procedures, people, and organizational settings. These components must work together to create a successful implementation. As a result, management and organizational considerations are often at least as important as technology in a successful GIS implementation.

Before an organization makes a commitment to GIS implementation, it is critical to identify its business needs and find out if GIS can help the organization meet its needs in more efficient and effective ways. At the minimum, every GIS implementation should begin with a needs analysis that assesses the current and future needs of various units in an organization. Findings from the needs analysis assist an organization in determining if GIS can improve the current system and/or offer new solutions that are not currently available. It is good practice to develop a GIS strategic plan at this stage to provide a framework for managing the changes and challenges associated with introducing GIS into the current work environment. Once an organization reaches an initial decision of pursuing GIS, the next step is to plan for GIS implementation. The outcome of this implementation planning process should be a well-documented implementation plan that represents an organization's commitment to GIS and establishes a process and schedule to implement GIS.

One critical component in GIS implementation planning is the system design that identifies the changes needed in an organization to achieve the goals of GIS implementation. System design attempts to address the specific needs related to data, software, hardware, procedures, staff, and organizational issues. With the information collected from a needs analysis, it is feasible to identify the specific products required by various units in an organization, the different kinds of data needed to generate those products, GIS software and hardware with capabilities of supporting different applications, procedures to meet various user needs, trainings for different user groups, and the organizational changes needed to maximize the benefits of GIS implementation.

After identifying the scope of information products and data for a GIS implementation, it is time to consider a GIS database design that attempts to capture and represent the user's view of specific tasks. For example, a particular user group wants to be able to display maps showing property parcel boundary lines with building footprints based on a user query and to easily identify those properties that are within 1,000 ft. (feet) of each other and have a difference of more than $100,000 in their assessed values. Data available for this particular application may be in different formats, scales, map projections, and geodetic datums. Furthermore, different data sets may be created and maintained by different groups, and they may be shared by several different applications. GIS database design must consider all these factors to choose appropriate logical data models and to design specific physical database schemas to support various user needs. To maximize the benefits of GIS data sharing, it is often necessary to establish standards for data and other related procedures when implementing an enterprise GIS. Coordination and [Page 1294]communication among various groups therefore play critical roles in GIS implementation.

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