Using change management to achieve success in second generation mobile GIS implementation
Jennifer J. Nieland
Wisconsin Public Service Corporation
700 N. Adams Street Green Bay, WI 54307
Telephone: (920) 433-1513
E-mail: jnielan@wpsr.com
Abstract
In 1995, Wisconsin Public Service Corporation (WPSC) deployed GIS viewing
software on 300 mobile, rugged PC’s at twenty offices across our service
territory. At that time, the hardware and software solutions were considered
state-of-the-art. In 2002 the project to upgrade the mobile GIS software and
rugged PC hardware became a reality. On the surface, “upgrading” sounded like
a relatively simple project. After digging in, the project team realized that even
though WPSC achieved a large degree of success with mobile GIS over seven
years, there were still many challenges to face on the trail ahead. This paper
focuses on the implementation of second-generation mobile GIS and rugged
PC’s for the field workforce at WPSC. Our current success can be attributed to
three factors. First, lessons from the past showed us the need to improve field
acceptance of mobile computing, increase the PC skill level of our field
workforce, and provide training designed specifically for mobile workers.
Secondly, we employed change management philosophy from the start of the
project. This allowed us to focus on the importance of communication,
participation and education with the field workforce being affected by the
upgrades. Finally, as a result of our implementation plan, we created a
technology infrastructure across the corporation to serve the needs of mobile
workers, including GIS. This includes a plan to regularly review the needs of
mobile workforce and to keep pace with the constantly changing mobile
computing environment.
Remember the Alamo: first generation mobile GIS at WPSC
All of us are familiar with the phrase “remember the Alamo” even if our memories
of U.S. history cloud the story of the courageous stand of Colonel Travis and his
men against the forces of Santa Anna. Mobile GIS and rugged PC computing
has a long history at Wisconsin Public Service (WPSC). At the current rate of
technology, seven years is a long history! It began in 1995 with the deployment
of GIS Viewing software running on ruggedized, pen-based tablet pc’s, at the
time considered “state of the art”. The GIS Viewer offered rapid display of gas,
electric, land and polygon facility maps, along with a wealth of associated facility
and customer data. The tablet pc’s and associated docking equipment allowed
the GIS Viewer to be updated through the corporate network. The update
process was very simple. The pc was placed in the wall-mounted dock, and then
turned on. GIS Viewer would download updates via the network to the pc.
Updates were provided every eight weeks. The initial deployment of 300 tablet
pc’s and GIS Viewer to twenty district offices took an entire calendar year and
was one of the earliest implementations of GIS to the field. In seven years, the
GIS Viewer was the only software made available to the tablet pc users.
Throughout the lifecycle of the tablet pc’s and the GIS Viewer, the GIS Services
department at WPSC provided the maintenance, support and training for the with
minor support from the Information Technology (IT) department. In 1995, the
implementation of WPSC’s first mobile GIS impacted business processes,
including system design, engineering, locating, microfilm and paper map
production. WPSC put this mobile GIS technology directly into the hands of its
mobile work groups. The implementation of mobile GIS also impacted
employees.
The $2 Million Dollar Question
In 2000, the tablet pc’s began to reach the end of their life cycle and started to
fail. The GIS Viewer was having frequent conflicts with the corporate network. In
seven years, network continued to evolve, and the software did not. The mobile
work groups became increasingly frustrated. In 2002 the project to replace the
GIS Viewer and tablet pc’s became a reality. WPSC had achieved a great deal of
success with first generation mobile GIS technology, but the technology was not
being used to its full potential by the mobile work groups. The tablet pc’s were
only getting docked at a rate of 55% each time there was updates. Visits to
District offices revealed about half of the tablet pc’s sitting on the docks collecting
dust. Call to the GIS Services department for support of the GIS Viewer and
tablet pc’s became more frequent. Complaints were received about the lack of
training and the low level of pc skills within the mobile work group. More focus
was needed on helping employees deal with the impact of mobile GIS technology
on their work processes. Could change management philosophy benefit
implementation of second generation mobile GIS at WPSC? The answer is a
resounding YES!! This paper will discuss how change management was applied
to the project to replace the ruugedized, mobile pc hardware and GIS Viewer at
WPSC, and how it benefited the project team and employees impacted by the
changes.
On Your Mark!
The project to update the mobile GIS started strong, due to two key components:
a champion and a charter. The champion, a manager, supported the project
leader and team, provided approvals and represented the project with higher
management. The charter documented history and current knowledge, listed
project deliverables, interdependencies and boundaries, determined a mile stone
timeline and named the team members. Most importantly, the charter provided
the project AIM:
“This project is an effort to document known and planned mobile software
applications for field operations (including GIS), evaluate available mobile,
ruggedized PC technology and GIS Viewing software, then replace all the
tablet P’s used for GIS Viewing.”
The team was able to turn to the champion, charter and guide for help whenever
our purpose or project scope would turn cloudy. Another benefit to team strength
was team composition. Members included representatives from the GIS
Department, IT Department, as well as Gas and Electric Operations.
The Project
From the aim, the team determined the project would move forward in three
phases.
Phase 1 – document known and planned mobile software and the software’s pc
hardware requirements.
Phase 2 – evaluate ruggedized mobile pc’s and GIS Viewing software and select
replacements for the existing pc’s and GIS Viewer.
Phase 3 – Implement the new ruggedized, mobile pc’s and GIS Viewing
software.
Because our focus here is the application of change management to this project,
the following descriptions of what occurred during each phase has been very
much simplified.
