Hongkong University1 Strategies for the Use of Geographic Information Systems An information centered approach Andrew U. Frank Department of Geoinformation TU Vienna

Hongkong University2 Overview Difficulties with GIS as projects A three step process: – Spatial Information Products GIS to produce Spatial Information Products Assessment

Hongkong University3 Project management for GIS projects Classical method: compare current situation with desired situation, cost/benefit calculation - difficult to assess benefits

Hongkong University4 Problems with GIS projects (cont.) tendency to include too many desirable features often systems are well designed and work - just do not find users

Hongkong University5 Product orientation of GIS a GIS is a system which produces information information can be seen as a product this product is used apply the regular methods for product management

Hongkong University6 GIS project in three phases: Design Spatial Information Product Plan the GIS to produce this Spatial Information Product Assess the economical feasability

Hongkong University7 Spatial Information Product: A GIS is a Spatial Information System Information systems produce information Information answers human questions

Hongkong University8 Spatial Information information about space and objects in space information about different objects at the same location can be integrated

Hongkong University9 Use of Information Information is used in decision processes Decision can be very simple: – Should I turn left at the next intersection? or very complex: – How to develop a district of a city?

Hongkong University10 Information Product information embodied as a usable product – tourist map – parcel map – travel schedule – road navigation assistance

Hongkong University11 Concept of a Product user intended use form (to facilitate use) distribution process

Hongkong University12 GIS as a Factory The GIS produces the spatial information product The factory can only be designed after the product is designed

Hongkong University13 Three Step Process: design the product design the factory assess the feasibility

Hongkong University14 Spatial Information Design determine intended users and uses – what is the decision process that should be supported? derive the form

Hongkong University15 Investigate the environment physical legal social

Hongkong University16 Produce prototype make an example of the information product, i.e. the output of the GIS as it will be produced sketch, paper and pencil - but concrete example data

Hongkong University17 Test prototypye check with the intended users, to avoid later surprises and to makes the project concrete for the users

Hongkong University18 Influences from legal environment what is the legal base for the decision process? present only the pieces of information named in the regulation

Hongkong University19 Influence from physical environment Where should the spatial information product be used? Which communication channels can be used? Form of presentation

Hongkong University20 Influences from social environment Language of the user Technical sophistication

Hongkong University21 Distribution of the product How does the product reach the user? – path – bandwidth necessary How to inform the potential user? – advertisement

Hongkong University22 Value of Product Utility to the user: What does a user save using this product? How much is her decision improved? What would a user be willing to pay?

Hongkong University23 Potential market how many times is the decision made per year? how many different users?

Hongkong University24 Second Step: GIS design The GIS is designed after the details of the information product are fixed. Most GIS design decision follow directly from the product description Technical decisions - not in the language of the user

Hongkong University25 What data are necessary What data go into the product? What data are necessary to derive the needed ones?

Hongkong University26 What GIS functionality is required? List functions which are needed to transform the input data into the product (output) Decide on the type of GIS software needed Test

Hongkong University27 Hardware: Input data is known - calculate the storage size I/O devices follow from the form of the output Speed of the production is known: how many products in which time period Communication network: path to the user

Hongkong University28 Technical design no user input no judgement

Hongkong University29 Third Step: Cost Benefit Assessment typically a very difficult part of GIS feasibility studies now easy: – cost of production compared with – value of product

Hongkong University30 Cost of Production The cost of the production of the spatial information product can be calculated, using standard accounting methods:

Hongkong University31 Cost of the data: acquisition cost for data from others – typically assume that data available in the organization are a ‘sunk cost’ and do not charge the project maintenance of data is a cost to be included

Hongkong University32 Assess other costs: Hardware: Personnel standard accounting rules apply - even if a public agency internally uses different rules

Hongkong University33 Benefits Value of the product to the user – minus the cost of the acquisition to the user

Hongkong University34 Price economic theories say that the price and quantity produced will be at the equilibrium where production cost and utility curves intersect

Hongkong University35 Price

Hongkong University36 Benefits: Multiply price with the number of copies used if in a commercial situation, consider – product differentiation – price differentiation to maximize profit Monopolistic dominance of market?

Hongkong University37 Comparison draw a chart for accumulated cost vs. accumulated benefits shows the return on investment

Hongkong University38 Question - How does this include update of data Most of the cost in a GIS is in the effort to keep the data up to date Data which is not maintained is worthless – general rule: data which cannot be updated is usually not worth collecting initially

Hongkong University39 Update of data is a cost Benefits of the information product is increased through updates Compare: Assess value of updates against cost determine the best update interval

Hongkong University40 Examples information about daily menus in restaurants in Vienna value of updated topographic maps for emergency dispatch

Hongkong University41 Commercial situation additional issues: collection of fees – actual traffic situation information fees can be collect through advertisement

Hongkong University42 Question: Multiple use of a dataset: additional benefits start with one (or very few) most important products, build more afterwards theory vs. practice of economy and marketing

Hongkong University43 Geographic Information Policy background: study done for the European Community

Hongkong University44 Major problems and Impediments in Europe: knowledge about data missing data in electronic form not available – not collected, not in electronic form, not available for legal or commercial reasons lack of personnel with the necessary technical and marketing skills

Hongkong University45 Copyright of data two models – USA – Europe (especially UK)

Hongkong University46 USA: public domain data collated by the federal government is free of copyright and widely available quality of the data is ‘as is’ (often low) lead to blooming industry in repacking and distribution

Hongkong University47 Copyright protection for data: necessary for commercial exploitation new (EU) rules for protection of databases other protections are commercially more important than copyright marketing, distribution channels

Hongkong University48 National Mapping Agencies have large data holdings lack often a mandate to exploit or distribute the data public accounting methods does not lead to initiatives potential for ‘unfair’ competition with commercial sector

Hongkong University49 Trend: Open GIS previous method for data sharing: transfer and translate data – problem: distribution of updates, maintenance of the translated data data sets are maintained under different GIS software

Hongkong University50 Open GIS gives: access to a ‘distributed GIS’ software components for the analysis interact freely with GIS software from different vendors

Hongkong University51 Data standards data-exchange standards standardization of access points and services Open GIS consortium: – standardization lead by the industry

Hongkong University52 Conclusions: Spatial information product 1. Identify user and use of product (relate to decision process) 2. Design the product, make a prototype and test it the discussion is with the user in the language of the user

Hongkong University53 Conclusions (2): 3. Design the GIS to produce this product: – what data are necessary – which GIS functionality – what hardware These are technical decisions, not related to the user

Hongkong University54 Conclusions (3): 4. Assess the Cost/Benefit – from the decision process follows the value

Hongkong University55 Open GIS is the environment in which novel spatial information products can be designed, effectively produced and brought to the market

Hongkong University56 Future of GIS: enormous potential for new products: – 80% of decisions have a spatial component!