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Increasing GIS Significance: What GIS Managers Can Do to Maximize GIS Results Wade Kloos, GIS Director, Utah Department of Natural Resources [email protected]
Increasing GIS Significance:
What GIS Managers Can Do to Maximize GIS Results
Wade Kloos,
GIS Director, Utah Department of Natural Resources
Why does GIS exist at your organization?
Organizations invest in GIS so they can succeed, achieve
their goals and seize opportunities
So understand the mission, priorities, and pain
1. Organizations (and leaders) can be fickle
2. Leaders probably do not fully appreciate how GIS helps them succeed
3. Without that appreciation, the true value of GIS is under estimated
Reasons to increase the significance of GIS:
Data maintenance
Ad hoc mapping/data requests
Analyzing data
Creating standards
Developing applications
Making data more accessible
Business system integration
Supporting field data collection
Adding maps to the web
Telling stories with spatial data
Increasing transparency
Facilitating collaboration with maps
Trying new GIS functionality
Situational awareness apps
Automating spatial or business tasks
Organizing organizational data
Hiring more staff
Take GIS training
Manage consultants
Drafting the GIS budget
Ordering supplies
Read trade journals
Build new data sets
Work on meta data
Manage ArcGIS Online
Meet with anyone
Conduct staff performance reviews
Converting shapefiles into GDB
Working with aerial imagery
Working with GPS data
Data modeling
Designing your system architecture
Addressing networking issues
Working with outside data
Preparing map books
Documenting GIS workflows
Replace IIS with Apache
Figure out data forms
Explain the difference between GIS and geology
Engage your constituents with maps
Call your mother
Learn Python
Tell your mother python is important
Call Esri customer service just to say “hi”
Review Esri’s Scope of Use
Experiment with your fuzzy tolerance settings
Use maps to direct staff to the restaurant of choice
I know there is more….but I just can’t go there right now.
Challenges of the GIS Manager:What to do and how to prioritize…..
Data maintenance
Ad hoc mapping/data requests
Analyzing data
Creating standards
Developing applications
Making data more accessible
Business system integration
Supporting field data collection
Adding maps to the web
Telling stories with spatial data
Increasing transparency
Facilitating collaboration with maps
Trying new GIS functionality
Situational awareness apps
Automating spatial or business tasks
Organizing organizational data
Hiring more staff
Take GIS training
Manage consultants
Drafting the GIS budget
Ordering supplies
Read trade journals
Build new data sets
Work on meta data
Manage ArcGIS Online
Meet with anyone
Conduct staff performance reviews
Converting shapefiles into GDB
Working with aerial imagery
Working with GPS data
Data modeling
Designing your system architecture
Addressing networking issues
Working with outside data
Preparing map books
Documenting GIS workflows
Replace IIS with Apache
Figure out data forms
Explain the difference between GIS and geology
Engage your constituents with maps
Call your mother
Learn Python
Tell your mother python is important
Call Esri customer service just to say “hi”
Review Esri’s Scope of Use
Experiment with your fuzzy tolerance settings
Use maps to direct staff to the restaurant of choice
I know there is more….but I just can’t go there right now.
Challenges of the GIS Manager:What to do and how to prioritize…..
How will you continue to learn what’s really important
to your organization?
The whirlwind of work
The biggest challenge to raising significance:
Your Organization’s Leadership Meeting:
You need to be here!!
Most likely hereTheGISLead
…but look moreawake thanthis guy!
GIS Practice No. 1:
You’re gaining critical exposure
Getting hereis good
Getting to hereis better
Getting to hereis best
…but I’mdown here
Aim high…You’ll get there
Your Organization
Your Organization’s Leadership Meeting: You’re there, now what…GIS Practice No. 1:
Listen forspatial
opportunities
Identify business
limitations
Help to visualize relevant
informationDon’t ask for more money, be resourceful and contribute
You’ve gotmy attention
Was it myidea to invite
this guy?
Data Perspective
Spatial informationperspective…
…and new capabilitiesShift executive thinking about problem solving
Discover what’s most important to divisions and programs: GIS Practice No. 2:
Engage withprogram managers
Ask probing questions about
operations, information and vision
Create a short list of GIS solutions and have the manager
prioritize them
You’re building relevancy
Your Organization
Discover what’s most important to divisions and programs: GIS Practice No. 2:
YouInformation and
application know-how
High-impactprogram
opportunities
Dedicate 10-15%of your time for building relevancy
Gaining businessinsight earns you
organizational“currency”
Commit to changingGIS behaviorin this regard
Convert that currency into GIS value
Document GIS Results: GIS Practice No. 3:
Ask finance or business analysts
for meaningful metricsGIS VALUE
Create a simpleROI and benefit
analysis form
Document GIS Results: GIS Practice No. 3:
Ask finance or business analysts
for meaningful metrics
The documentationprocess must be
personally beneficialto staff
If you don’t measure it,how do you communicate it?
GIS VALUE
Create a simpleROI and benefit
analysis form
Commit to changingGIS behaviorin this regard
What one resource, if you had more of it, would dramatically
increase GIS significance?Your Management’s Attention
Practice 1: Participating at leadership meetingsPractice 2: Discovering program prioritiesPractice 3: Documenting GIS results
GIS ROI Contest
• 19 Submissions• 17 People (GIS and Non-GIS staff)• 5 Divisions
GIS ROI Contest - Results
• Total Annual Hours Saved 9,094• Annual Labor Savings $185,106• 3 Year Labor Savings $543,430
GIS ROI Contest - Results
• Average Workflow Improvement 75%• Average ROI 1,315 %• 3 Year Average ROI 3 4,355%• Average Cost of GIS Project $1,220
ROI Contest Observations
Meaningful contributionsGrowing your skill setsAutonomy to exercise your judgmentROI reports can be personally beneficial too!
