The Digital Pen: Mapping and Data Acquisition

System Development Strategies
It was clear that systems development and integration would play a critical role in the design, deployment and operation of the new broadband network. The question became what guiding principle would produce the systems and processes necessary for the project? The answer was simple and direct: Data. Data capture and data flow through the entire systems architecture was critical to creating the intelligent network. System development strategies to support the data requirements of creating the intelligent network included:

Structured Data Capture: Treat each piece of information gathered or created as a data element. If the information was worth capturing, apply the rigors of data management to increase its quality.
Capture at the source: Direct capture of information into digital data eliminates transcription and the system applications by design will produce “structured data.”
Data independence from graphics: Utilize systems and applications which support open or transportable data to assure data flow-through with other systems.
Reuse of Data: If the above strategies were applied, then data should be reusable through many downstream applications rather than having to be re-created, thereby introducing duplication, discrepancy, etc.

Given these strategies for system design, how could they be applied to applications which spanned GIS. CAD, AM/FM and database technologies? And more importantly, provide a system solution where over half of the work effort occurs in the field? Specifically, the system architecture had to support and enable the business to:

Deploy hundreds of automated field technicians?
Draw thousands of maps required for design and construction?
Design tens of thousands of nodes?
Validate millions of addresses?
Inventory tens of millions of poles and plant elements?