Converging Technologies
Since its inception, GeoEngineering has expanded to incorporate other technologies that are
commonly required in the engineering workflow. The convergence of these technologies has led
to a unified environment for supporting the design, construction and management of
infrastructure in AMIFM. They include imaging, document management, spatial data server
technology, traditional office automation tools and, now, the Internet.
With its interactive communications capabilities, the Internet further enhances the integrated
functionality of CAD and GIS and extends the GeoEngineering model into the public forum.
Web-enabled GeoEngineering takes on the advantages and distinct characteristics of the Internet:
- Information is readily available and accessible in a universe of latent data.
- Communications are ubiquitous and inclusive by nature.
- Management is based on the exchange of information.
- The network transcends technical (proprietary) limitations.
Data-Rich Environment
GeoEngineering is driven by the need for information. Government agencies, universities, and
private organizations around the world own and maintain valuable data that can be shared and
used in ways that increase its value exponentially. Geospatial data and CAD drawings, satellite
images and aerial photos are combined with corporate and public databases, research studies and
historical information. Together they render a detailed record of the surface of the earth, its
natural resources and the man-made infrastructure that honeycombs the planet.
The data lie hidden, like an underground aquifer of latent information just waiting to be tapped
and used to their full potential and value. The Internet provides a conduit to access these volumes
of distributed information. Countless organizations are working double-time to put the necessary
capabilities into place.
The Federal government, for example, is the largest collector, maintainer and user of geospatial
information. Its catalog of maps, images and related data is measured in terra
bytes. Through a
variety of activities supported through the National Information Infrastructure program, the
USGS and other agencies are developing systems to deliver Federal information via the Internet.
The program will serve a number of objectives in facilitating the sharing and funding of
information gathering efforts in a more efficient manner. It will also provide unparalleled access
to public data by organizations and individuals in the private sector.
Through its Spatial Data Clearinghouse (SDC) initiative, the Federal Geographic Data
Committee (FGDC) is organizing its collection of spatially oriented data. The clearinghouse will
operate as a series of digital catalogs based on internationally standardized metadata to enable
people to effectively locate and access geospatial and non-graphic data efficiently and
economically.
This federal effort is linked with similar programs at the state and local level. It involves private
initiatives as well. Moreover, access to spatial data is extending beyond national boundaries. The
G7 nations have undertaken to coordinate a worldwide project called the “Global Information
Society.”
But raw data is not enough. It must be integrated into a cohesive, useable and understandable
form. Web-enabled GeoEngineering provides a practical and effective means to tap into this
data-rich environment, locate and access relevant information from the universe of data and
organize it in a useful way in order to manage and execute a particular project.
Inclusive Communications
In collaborative work, everyone involved in a project or process must have access to accurate and
current information. The larger the number of people who require access to the information, the
greater the need for open access. In GeoEngineering applications, the sphere of interaction covers
a large span. Depending upon the size and scope of the project, the team may reside in multiple
locations, even multiple countries. A Web-enabled system allows easy data access and
interaction between people regardless of time or location.
Consider, for example, a project to build a hydroelectric facility in a remote area of Burma. The
project may be funded by an international group, like the World Bank, and managed by an
international consortium of engineering, construction and other support firms. The collaborative
group may include hundreds of firms and thousands of people.
Or, consider a city or municipality that manages roads, signage, zoning, building permits,
ownership records and tax assessments. It maintains basic geographic information that is
valuable not just to its planning and engineering departments, but also to other city departments,
regional governing groups, utilities, developers and private service providers.
At this level, GeoEngineering represents a sphere of interaction in which the need for access
becomes nearly universal. The need for access transcends project or organizational lines. Since
we share the surface of the globe, geographic data is very public, with many providers and many
users of interrelated geologic, geographic, network, cadastral and other types of data.
As the size of the group increases and the distance between members grows, communications
become more difficult and tools to support collaboration become more important. The Internet is
the ideal communications tool for such a multi-user, multi-location, multi-discipline
GeoEngineering environment.
Management by Shared Information
The biggest changes brought about by the distributed, group-centered GeoEngineering model can
be seen in management techniques and styles. Unlike the traditional, centralized management
models, the collaborative GeoEngineering model relies on a distributed approach to
management, based on shared information. The Internet is critical for data sharing and these new
forms of management.
Shared knowledge both empowers and equalizes a group. Knowledge frees members of a group
to take responsibility and to contribute more fully to the project. Leadership, in the collaborative
model, is not necessarily based on title or assignment, but depends on who can best contribute to
the overall goals and may shift from person to person, or firm to firm, throughout the course of
the project.
Traditional models sometimes incite information-hoarding as a means to accumulate or maintain
power within a group. In a team environment, this is always counterproductive. In the
GeoEngineering/Internet model, knowledge is opened to the group. The entire process is
changed, not so much by imposing a different working philosophy, but as a natural by-product of
the tools and processes in use.
Web-based Project Management
Web-based communications extend the efficiencies of project management throughout a
project’s stages. The Internet can serve as the center for all project management functions. With
authorization capabilities to limit public access, projects will be managed by means of a project
home page on the Web. It will serve as a clearinghouse for communications, design updates,
progress reports, budget monitoring, task assignments and delegation. Using broadcast e-mail
capabilities, project managers can quickly and proactively notify all parties of major changes that
affect their roles in the project. The same capabilities may be used to issue reports required by
regulatory agencies or banks and investors. Whoever requires more information can access the
Web site.
Field Applications
With portable computers, wireless communications networks and a host of new field automation
applications, field crews can have access to the same up-to-the-minute information as their home
offices. Suppose a field crew begins to survey a road and finds that they have alignments for the
road two surfaces ago. Rather than return to the office and waste most of a day, they could
download the latest data from the municipality’s Web site. They could return to work in minutes
with the correct data.
