What is GIS
A Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system of spatial or geographical data arranged and categorized to allow such data to be captured, stored, managed, analyzed, and presented. GIS applications, or tools, allow users to access and work with geographical data and relationships. GIS relates disparate data using location as the key index variable. Doing this allows the visualization and interpretation of underlying relationships, trends, and patterns.
GIS has a wide range of economic and strategy benefits to various types and sizes of organizations and industries. There is a growing awareness of usage of GID in part because of data standardizing and in part because of quantum leaps in the computing power and applications necessary to capture and analyze this data.
GIS applications aim to increase efficiency, improve communication and decision making, and allow geographical management, tracking, and recordkeeping. Examples range from Google Maps and transportation fleet optimization, to disaster response and augmented reality games and applications like Pokemon Go. Academic and political institutions have begun looking to GIS for insight into public health, environmental concerns, archeology and demographics.
GIS Capabilities
Data Collection
Survey data can often be entered directly into a GIS from the digital collection systems used in the field.
GIS Design and Development
Uses the output from the GIS Needs Assessment process to create a system architecture plan.
GIS Implementation
Takes the design and creates a system and operational reality from the requirements and design phase through the built-out phase, to the implementation phase.
Special Problem Analysis
With more people and systems than ever before accessing the power of GIS technology and spatial information, various problems can manifest in the GIS data, which can compromise the quality of existing data.
GIS Maintenance
This includes the ability to maintenance existing hard-copy data as well as those in digital formats.