In this age of competitiveness, achieving increased efficiency through new technology is becoming crucial. Organizations are looking for ways to improve productivity and increase profit through automation. With the advent of affordable computer technologies, organizations have started to automate business functions through the use of desktop word processing, electronic spread sheets, relational data base (RDBMS) technology, and computer aided design and drafting (CADD) systems. To meet the challenges of the future, the Corporate mantra is now "increase efficiency and control cost". In order to achieve goals, organizations are to reduce duplication of effort, prevent redundancy, increase efficiency and provide better services to their clients and community through interdepartmental sharing and analysis of common data bases and resources.
If what you do involves managing information that can be linked to geographic locations- then Geographic Information Systems (GIS) can help you. GIS helps to organize information in new ways, helps you to make new discoveries and get more out of the information you have. A GIS is an immensely powerful information management and computer mapping system. It links geographic locations with information about them so you can create maps and analyze information in new ways. Maps are graphic representations of the real world. Because most federal, state and local government policies, plans and daily operations depend on accurate, location-based information, a GIS can play a vital role in making governments more efficient and more productive, and often result in better service delivery. A GIS has become an essential technology for government organizations in making better decisions, improvements in services because most decisions they make are related to geography.
The implementation of a GIS based information management system is often the first major opportunity to completely revamp and upgrade the record keeping, record management and reporting systems of organization. However, in order to ensure a successful transition to a new system, it demands a critical look at three crucial issues, regardless of whether the existing system is manual, automated or a combination of both:
- How do you do business now?
- What do you need to do business in the future?
- How can you do business better in the
future?
The development of a GIS based information management system that will meet the requirements of an entire organization, and be flexible enough to meet future growth, requires a structured approach to answer these questions. The technical considerations in the development of such a system are complex.
A successful GIS implementation requires strict adherence to a time proven chronological task steps. The results/outputs of one task is the input to the next task. Though some of the tasks can be treated as independent tasks, 90% of the tasks are interdependent. The sequence of events should be:
- Conduct a Requirements Analysis
- Develop a Pilot Project as proof of concept
- Design logical and physical data bases for the land base
- Develop the mapping specification
- Acquire a quality base map
- Set up GIS organization
- Acquire Hardware and Software, and train personnel
- Develop the data base design to support the identified applications
- Develop applications from the prioritized list identified in the Requirements Analysis document
- Develop procedures and standards for data conversion
- Convert data to support applications being developed
- Develop data maintenance policies and procedures
- Develop applications for other users and increase the user base over time
- Implement a fully integrated system
comprising all departments within the
organization/institution, incorporating the programs
developed in the previous phases.
Just as you would not build a house without a blueprint and working drawings, you should not build an information system without a requirements analysis. The most important and the first step in the implementation of a GIS is to conduct a through "Requirements Analysis". The Requirements Analysis document is the working blueprint for your business information management system.