GIS Systems/Data Integration Success Guide

Data Integration
There are several questions related to data integration that we need to respond to and be aware of when implementing GI S in an organization:

What data needs to be integrated and how will it be done?
The first step to know what data will be used in an organization is to perform a GIS and Data Integration Strategic Plan, this plan will help to achieve several objectives:
Identifj the fhnctions and tasks needed to implement GIS in the organization
Establish short and long range goals and implementation sequence or schedule
Identify the applications that can benefit from using GIS
Identify the existing problems, their impact, solutions and benefits that can be obtained from using GIS technology
Identify the needs and obstacles for implementing GIS (political, financial, organizational, personnel, etc.)
Have a marketing and educational tool to promote GIS within the organization
Identify the data used by key applications and their integration needs.
What is the data status?
After the applications that can be implemented are identified and prioritized, we will conduct an inventory of the existing data and compile the following information:
Source of data, who generates the data, who does the updates and who uses it
Existing volume (number of maps, records, documents, etc.)
Medium (paper, scanned, vector, digital, film)
Origin (where the data was created)
Quality, reliability and accuracy
What format (database, spreadsheet, word processor, mainframe)
Frequency of use (query and update), importance factor, date created
Alternative sources of information
Data growth potential
What are the data needs for the business functions, applications and data integration?
Analyze what are the data needs and correlate them to the required business functions and applications. Examine any duplication in data from different finctions, evaluate the collection cost and alternatives for lower cost data.

By installing GIS into the organization you have uncover data compatibility issues that are critical to the future of your organization. There are six major categories of data integration for Gee-Referenced information and if they are not addressed, the efficiency of automation in your organization will be substantially reduced. The si categories are listed below:
Mapping coordinate system and datum such as State Plane, UTM, Lat - Len, etc.
Mapping information spatial accuracy.
Facility code systems or geographic identifiers for each objector location.
RDBMS tabular data format. Ex: are names store as First, MI, Last or as one field.
Mapping/GIS data file formats, such as AutoCAD, MicroStation, Arc/Info, etc.
Map symbology.
Are there any GIS mapping standards in the organization?
From the time of the application design to the fill implementation of all the modules, could be a range from a few months to several years, during this time production of new maps and data will continue. From the analysis of the data select the frequently used data following the Pareto rule that gives us an approximation that 20% of the data is used in 80’%0of the functions. Develop GIS data and mapping standards for the frequently used data first and use the standards for creating new data in the existing processes.

For example, if as part of your base map you will be using right of way maps, generate GIS standards to be added to the CAD standards to be used ASAP by the right of way function when drawing right of way maps. Following a sample of standards:
The last coordinate pare of a digitized area boundary must exactly match the first pair.
All polygons or area boundaries must be closed and tangent at each connection point with no segments overlapping.
Roads, border line, property edges must be created using a single line string .
All line feature segments tangent or intersecting with other line or area boundary features must be terminated at the point of intersection.
Provide a list of the GIS items that will be used in the map and the levels to reside.

From using this standards you can alleviate the conversion process. In an study conducted in MWD implementing the GIS standards for the right of way maps mean an additional work of three hours per map versus ten to thirty four hours of conversion time per map needed in the future.
How does the conversion process take place?
Decide how to integrate the data and mapping from legacy systems and projects that have been constructed with paper base information vs. actual or recently finished projects with digital or vector data.

In previous steps we have found which are the data available, how it is used (query and updated), frequency etc. Based in this information we will decided which data needs to be converted and how (cogo, digitized), this will depend of the level of accuracy needed by the applications, cost and importance, normally the basemap layers need to go through this process. Other maps can be just scanned, geopositioning or indexed in a database and saved in CD rem’s and used as a reference. Don’t forget that sometimes the data can be acquire from other sources instead converting old information, for example parcel line work can be acquire from the Counties or Cities if it satisfies the level of accuracy needed by your application, this approach can save considerable amount of money to your company.
How am I going to setup the data dictionary or Metadata function?
The concept of data dictionary comes from 1980 when the usage of hierarchical first and then relational databases began to expand and the need of the organizations to keep track of the characteristics of their text data, usage and files or tables location was needed. The Metadata concept is to keep track of geospatial data, the content, quality, condition and other characteristics of the data. It will help to organize the data and provide information about your data to others within the organization as part of the integration processor externally to clearinghouses if desired. To perform this function you can develop your own database or use existing software like the California Geospatial Metadata Clearinghouse developed by the California Geographic Information Association.
How the applications will be integrated?
The applications will be geographically integrated by using a base map developed with the highest level of accuracy needed by applications using the same area. For example to manage infrastructure type of projects you go through a cycle of Planning, Design, Construction and Operations, each function has different applications and data accuracy needs, for the Planning function 100’ or 200’ base map accuracy will be sufficient for their applications and they can be integrated for that function. With Design, Construction or Operations applications, the accuracy needs are more stringent plus/minus 1 meter or less. The basemap for those areas or corridors has to be developed to that level and the rest of the areas needed by the Planning function can remain at their level of accuracy. In this way we can begin to use the same base map for all the functions and geographically integrate the applications.

Data Integration Summary
When using GIS the concept of data integration goes beyond previous systems that deal with text data or graphics, now by combining text data residing in one part of the organization, with maps, photographs, documents, etc. that can reside in other functions of the organization we get a synergy tool to visualize, analyze, manage an integrate the organization information.

A strategic plan will help us have a better idea of the applications in the organization, the data needs, standards implementation, and integration with non GIS applications by providing a geographic link component to the non GIS application using the corporate relational data base.

In other words we need to satisfy the organization’s information needs and plan and design the system to incorporate fhture informational needs of the organization. Good relations and communications, formal or informal committees with other groups of the organization will keep us aware of their respective applications and data needs.

Anticipating steps needed to integrate data in a GIS will help us succeed in the implementation and usage of the systems.