Logical Approach to the Integration of GIS/WMS/CIS
Jay Stinson
Intergraph Corporation
Huntsville, Alabama 35894
Phone: 256-730-8726
Fax: 256-730-8225
Email: djstinso@ingr.com
Introduction
The first step in integrating GIS and WMS is determining the major interface points between the two
applications. These interface points can be defined as:
-
Job management.
- Construction unit (CU) integration.
- Data exchange integration.
- Life cycle management.
The following high-level diagram illustrates the GISAVMS workflow, including where these applications
integrate.
The real issue is how to model the database to assure seamless workflow without compromising the
independence of the individual products. The following diagram depicts a typical system configuration
with a high-level data model showing the location in which the major pieces of data will be maintained
and stored.
Job Management
Job management involves the job-related communication between WMS and GIS, including information
such as job name, address, designer name, et cetera. Job data is captured in WMS initially, and a subset
of data is passed to GIS. The following workflow diagram illustrates this process.
Compatible Unit (CU) Integration
Compatible unit codes are the means by which work management systems determine the cost of
performing a job. The user creates and maintains the list of valid CUS and their key attributes within the
WMS environment. GIS then accesses the CU tables in the WMS database and displays the CUS that are
available for the user to place with a facility item. The following diagram illustrates the CU interface.
As part of this integration, GIS must be able to support multiple CU types. Most WMS systems support
the following CUs:
-
Primary: Primary CUS represent the plant items (such as poles, transformers, or conductors) in
the field. The quantity number for a primary CU must be one.
- Secondary (or Ancillary): Secondary CUS are cost items that are part of the permanent GIS
model. The quantity number for ancillary CUS can be modified.
- Macro: Macro CUS, which will contain only one primary CU, can contain additional ancillary
Cus.
A primary CU typically has "key attributes" associated with the item. An example of key attributes
might be pole height and class. When a GIS user selects a CU to place, the GIS software populates the
height and class attributes automatically, reducing the amount of user-entered information and improving
data quality.
Data Exchange Integration
After the work request has been designed, GIS transfers a list of the appropriate CUS to WMS. To
accomplish this transfer, GIS and WMS access a set of shared Oracle tables on the WMS server, as
illustrated below.
