GIS Systems/Data Integration Success Guide

Abstract
Can a company successfully integrate diversified GIS Systems and Data? The first step to successfid GIS data and system integration, is to develop an awareness of potential problems in data integration; as data is perceived differently, and system integration, as hardware and software issues will dictate interfacing capabilities. Find out what potential problems may exist and how to identify them, so you can build a successful GIS project.

Introduction
When developing a GIS project, one must apply his previous experience managing projects in other sectors, many of the issues found in those projects relative to financing, staffing, training, systems, etc. will also be valid for a GIS project. This paper focuses on problems and possible solutions integrating data and systems, in the process of developing the base map and applications of a GIS covering a large geographic area.

Systems/Data integration merits detailed study for two main reasons, the first because this is a new area for many project managers, and the second one is because those areas now include different elements that didn’t exist in Engineering, Surveying, Planning, Information Systems or other disciplines applications.

A company beginning to implement GIS projects normally assigns Project Managers with experience in one field or discipline closely related to the application that needs to be developed. GIS applications are multidisciplinary, normally needing to cross the boundaries of different disciplines and functional areas to implement an application. Another important issue is that implementation will require the use of other related technologies such as photogrammetry, cartography, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), remote sensing, Data Bases, Networks, Internet, CAD, HW (Server and clients), Surveying and Engineering SW, etc. A Project Manager with broad experience in the above will be more effective in managing the projects.

Other factors that we need to consider are the type of applications (base map vs. specific application), and size of the project since they will determine the complexity of the solution. For example the size of the project could cause a longer implementation time that could lapse two or more years, were changes in technology (HW, SW, Communications) can impact the implementation plan.

From personal experience, the main problems encountered, were to assemble the real data needs for the project, determine the key fields to be used across the enterprise, define the systems environment and the tasks and their sequence to develop the project.

The majority of the observations written in this paper are based in the present development of GIS at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. MWD provides approximately 60% of the water used by the nearly 16 million people living on the coastal plain of Southern California between Ventura County and the Mexican border covering about 5,200 square miles and including 240 cities and unincorporated areas. Several reservoirs, filtration plants and an almost 1,000 mile pipeline distribution system that includes the Colorado River Aqueduct are used to satisfy the yearly average of 2 million acre-foot water demand (one acre foot= 325,851 gallons).

GIS Development
Development of GIS applications began at MWD in 1990 and were used primarily as a planning tool within the Planning and Resources Division to plan MWD’S 3.9 billion capital improvement expansion program. More than 40 GIS layers have since been implemented to support this effort using ESRI’S Arc/Info and ArcView software.

In early 1995 the Engineering Division began to explore the use of GIS technology for its use, by developing an internal strategic plan and conducting various pilot projects using different SW packages. The driving force for the use of GIS technology in the Engineering Division and getting the approval of funds was a combination of the need to implement an application to pinpoint and manage high revenue generation locations, such as telecommunications sites and continuos Right-Of-Ways and to have an accurate location of the facilities and pipelines for MWD’S preventive maintenance and emergency response applications.

A key part of the project was forming partnership between the Planning and Engineering GIS Division functions, the Corporate Information Systems has also been very helpful in minimizing data and systems integration issues. Operations Division is now being added to the effort for data needs and standardization, this will allow us to complete the cycle needed integrate and manage infrastructure type of projects.