Providing data to the masses in stages
Users and the GIS Application
Once a substantial set of data is loaded, the users can ‚test™ the GIS application in a true-to-
life environment with real data. The live environment can vary from the ‚data validation™ or
‚testing™ environment and thus provides an opportunity to resolve any technical problems
with the data or conversion process at an early stage. When a user first looks at a GIS, they
can be hesitant in accepting the inevitable. Getting the data to them as quickly as possible
allows time for the users to get comfortable with the application tools and gain confidence in
the quality of the data in their new system.
Long Term Updates
A large data conversion project can take years to complete. During that time record updates
need to be ‚frozen™ even though work for the utility goes on as normal. With large areas out
of reach to the records group, there will always be a backlog of data updates waiting for the
records management group to process when the data goes live. In addition, there will be
peaks and valleys in the update process due to rehabilitation projects or new construction.
Using the approach of converting data in stages gives the business the option to outsource the
update work which in turn limits the potentially ‚enormous™ backlog of updates when the
system goes live and provides an external avenue to help balance updates during peak
periods. Outsourcing updates or conversion of additional data can be more beneficial to the
business than spending funds on temporary help that will require training in the
application(s) and specifications, and purchasing additional hardware and software.
Minimizing Update Backlogs
As soon as conversion work gets underway, it will be necessary for the business to put all
updates on hold for the area being converted. This will generate a backlog of updates. One
of the advantages of converting in stages is that the business can continue to maintain its
records up until the source data is turned over to the conversion group.
Understanding the needs of the business during the conversion period should help the utility
define which data is considered crucial. Data that is considered critical from a business
standpoint should be brought online as quickly as possible. For instance, if the business is
planning a rehabilitation project for a section of its territory, the need to have this data
available for updates means this is critical data.
A utility needs to understand its data before it can classify the datasets for conversion. There
are several ways data can be classified. One way is by the type of data, such as distribution
data, transmission data, or wastewater data. Another way to define data is geographically,
such as by districts or by managing records office. Each of the datasets should be viewed as
a separate piece of conversion work. This allows the utility to weigh the importance of the
various datasets. When converting in stages, information that is not critical can be converted
at a later time. Classifying data can be done not only for an entire dataset, but at the asset or
attribute level as well. Rather than converting all of the water assets at once, specific assets
or attributes that are less important to the business can be converted after the crucial data
conversion is completed. For example, a feature such as a ‚transformer™ is a critical asset that
a utility needs to have in the GIS from the start, whereas a ‚down guy™ is not as important and
can be converted at a later stage in the project.
Identifying conversion issues
Once the decision to convert data in stages is made and the hierarchy for converting the
various datasets has been established, it will be necessary to look at the relationships between
the datasets. After the first set of data is delivered to the user and the GIS is functioning, all
other data to be appended must be viewed in relation to the data already in the ‚live™ GIS.
