Our blog post editor sometimes asks me “Where are you going with this one?” He will at times reign me in. Other times, as in this case, he let’s me at the topic.

So another question here: Offline ArcGIS Asset Management. Really? You might be able to tell that I am sensing something is not quite right.

Let’s explore — >Read the article.

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Getting Rich with GIS? That is just what Uber have done. They are one great example of an organization using the ability to answer a core ‘where’ question to build an incredible business.

Getting Rich with GIS

Let’s look at Uber. They have transformed the taxi industry. How?

By using the power of ‘where’ and maps.

Its hard sometimes to step out of our GIS-centric world and think more widely about the opportunities to solve non asset focused problems. Traditional applications of geospatial technology has centred on managing ‘stuff’: water valves, gas pipelines, roads etc. Obvious. But questions which revolve around ‘where’ are far wider than assets and infrastructure. On the surface these are less obvious. But scratch beneath the surface and you find innovators like Uber.

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As 2016 nears its end, this is a good time to reflect. The rapid evolution of the geospatial industry has continued this year. The technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace. Platforms and SaaS have become part of the vernacular. New terms have emerged like Web GIS. Rapid change is upon us.

The geospatial industry has traditionally served the public and infrastructure sectors respectively. So local and state government, oil and gas, utilities etc. Organizations which manage assets: pipelines, water valves, roads, oil wells, parks etc. These assets have a location. The where questions, in relation to their management and upkeep, are obvious. These organizations have GIS departments; people trained to think spatially and use geospatial tools to answer where questions. In 2016 it became apparent that there is a growing awareness within the wider world, organizations new to geospatial, that there has been a focus on the Who, What, Why, and When but the Where has remained largely unanswered. These organizations are showing increasing interest in geospatial technology.

So, given this context, what high level (big picture) trends did we see in 2016?

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Think about your Thanksgiving dinner. Hours of preparation, pots and pans galore, chopping here, sampling there. Finally the dinner table is covered with dishes heaped with food. Turkey, mashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, rolls, carrots on and on. All sit down to the feast. So how are you going to eat the meal? What combination of food will you eat? How will you assemble what you choose – cover all with gravy, make sure the potatoes don’t touch the carrots (my kids), avoid the turkey (vegetarians like myself)?

You have all the pieces you need to assemble that delicious meal. So how does this relate to ArcGIS and intelligent maps?

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I’ll admit to loving brain-storming sessions. I’m a big picture person, so stepping back, pulling together and linking ‘pieces’ is an exercise I love doing. We had one of those sessions this week. Our ‘big hairy’ question: “What questions does ArcGIS help answer?”

Yep, there are a million answers to this question. And ‘the where’ is at the heart of everything. But, taking a big picture perspective, we started throwing ideas on the white board …  hazard maps, reporting on pot hole apps, offline editing, routing, listing land for sale in a story map .. the white board became covered with thoughts and ideas.

With no more space left on the white board we attempted to group each of the ideas. What emerged was fascinating.

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Let me be brutally honest. I did not like the first set of Esri story map templates released. They were far too GIS-ey. When I shared them with my non-GIS, non-mappy friends there were a few raised eyebrows: “How do I use this bloody thing” I heard often. In my mind, story maps were a good idea, but the early releases missed the mark. That said, the new generation of Esri story maps have really caught my attention.

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The new ArcGIS platform has helped broaden the spectrum of ‘where’ questions which subscribers can answer. Publishing data and generating maps has never been easier. Configuring simple map based web applications which provide focused functionality (editing, public engagement etc) is simple. But we see 3 common mistakes being made when using the platform to answer ‘where’ questions.

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