In order to maximize the impact of GIS in your organization, garner executive sponsorship for GIS, and increase your personal career potential, we have got to shift the conversation from technology to capability, and that capability is Location Intelligence (LI). This presentation will review the 5 pillars of LI (Strategy, Organization, Data & Technology, Culture, Literacy), as well as provide real examples of GIS practitioners that are using these techniques to move up in their organizations and increase the value of their GIS program.
In 2017, Jack Levis from UPS, presented at the Senior Executive Seminar during the Esri International User Conference on the work he did on Project ORION. Here is a really interesting TED Talk on the same subject with his lessons learned. A great watch for anyone that is innovating.
As I see the news about the horrific devastation that the wildfires are bringing to California, I am reminded over and over again about the hard working people at the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES).
This is a really great case study video. It shows a real digital transformation story, and the role that ArcGIS played in that transformation. It clearly shows the Before and After states, from paper-based, traditional GIS, to a web-based location intelligence platform, and how it changed the organization for the better.
They focused on the business needs of the organization, and identified the gap that existed between those needs, and the services being provided by their GIS. They looked at the capabilities available to them with the ArcGIS platform, and then re-engineered their business processes, by migrating to new workflows and introducing new services. It didn't take long to realize the new state of business, only six to nine months. Afterwards they had more ideas on where to take the technology next.
Have you looked at your business in this manner to see how you can transform to take advantage of the current capabilities of the ArcGIS platform? Call your Esri account team and see how they can help you do that.
And to all of those affected by the 2018 wildfire season, we're with you all the way...
In this video from the 2018 Esri International User Conference Plenary, you will see how staff from Cobb Co., GA utilize the ArcGIS platform to support the mission of the County. You will see Sharon Stanley, the Director of Information Services, talk about how they use their enterprise GIS for everything.
After the plenary, at the Map Gallery Reception, I had a chance to chat with Sharon, and I asked her how she justifies their increased investment in enterprise GIS. She gave a great answer, that applies to all organizations, when it comes to justifying investment in technology. She said she looks to do three things with technology:
So if you are looking to get support for an increase in your enterprise GIS budget, or just defend your existing budget, look to do these three things, and make sure your work is aligned with the priorities and initiatives of your organization's leaders. Make sure you have documented evidence and data to backup your position, don't just use anecdotes. For more information on how to document GIS ROI, check out these articles by Wade Kloos:
The ROI Mind-Set for GIS Managers | ArcUser
Downsizing the ROI Report | ArcUser