USING GIS TO FOSTERUSING GIS TO FOSTERDATA SHARING AND DATA SHARING AND COMMUNICATIONCOMMUNICATION
SEAN MURPHYSEAN MURPHY
IVSIVS
BURLINGTON, VTBURLINGTON, VT
TOPICS TO BE COVEREDTOPICS TO BE COVERED
• BASIC OVERVIEW OF GIS
• UTILITIES AND GIS
• DATA SHARING
• CASE STUDY: ASSETGIS
IVSIVS
• INFORMATION AND VISUALIZATION SERVICES
• FOUNDED IN 1995, STAFF OF 8
• SPECIALIZATION IN PROVIDING GIS PLATFORMS TO SMALLER USERS
SO, WHAT IS GIS?SO, WHAT IS GIS?• The complete sequence of components for acquiring,
processing, storing and managing data (Star and Estes, 1990)
• It is a configuration of computer hardware and software specifically designed for the acquisition, maintenance and use of cartographic data, (Tomlin, 1990)
• A set of computer tools for collecting, storing, retrieving, transforming and displaying spatial data from the real for a particular set of purposes, (Borrough et al. 1998)
• A system of hardware, software, data, people, organizations and institutional arrangements for collecting, storing, analyzing and disseminating information about areas of the earth.
Geographic Information SystemsGeographic Information Systems
• GIS technology = “computer system for capturing, managing, integrating, manipulating, analyzing and displaying data which is spatially referenced to the Earth
• Uses spatial databases to capture real world information
Generally speaking, you use a GIS to:Generally speaking, you use a GIS to:
• Map out features of interest
• Explore spatial relationships
• Discover patterns
• Some Examples of GIS in action…
Introduction to Data
Spatial data generally falls into three major categories:•vector data•image data•raster data
Most common for utilities are image and vector
Image DataImage Data
• Image themes do not have attribute tables, but their display can be manipulated with the Image Legend Editor.
•Image theme formats supported by ArcView are TIFF, TIFF/LZW, ERDAS, BSQ, BIL, BIP, RLC, and Sun rasterfiles.
•Supported image data sources include satellite data, digital aerial photographs, and scanned data such as base maps.
Vector layers either represent:– Points (no dimensions)
– Lines, or “arcs” (1 dimension) or
– Areas, or “polygons” (2 or 3 dimensions)
Introduction to Vector Data
WHY GIS?WHY GIS?
• BETTER MANAGEMENT OF DATA
• BETTER SERVICE TO CUSTOMERS
• BETTER FORECASTING
• EFFICIENCY THROUGH SINGLE PLATFORM
UTILITIES AND MAPPINGUTILITIES AND MAPPING
• Workers need to find their way to equipment (e.g. transformers, poles, etc) and customers
• Maps used to show current inventory
• Staff also utilized analyze events (e.g. outages, surges) and plan for growth
DIGITAL MAPPINGDIGITAL MAPPING
• Maps originally hand-drawn, notes added manually
• CAD drawings represent earliest digital representation of data
• Automated Mapping / Facilities Management (AM/FM) enhanced map production process
EVOLUTION OF GIS IN UTILITIESEVOLUTION OF GIS IN UTILITIES
• Followed “New technology” infiltration model
• Often result of frustration as mapping grew more complex
• Sometimes wanted to use maps for more than engineering
• Staff turn-overs or advancement
ATTRACTION OF GIS ATTRACTION OF GIS FOR UTILITIESFOR UTILITIES
• Move beyond drawings into information
• Ability to manage edits and data on individual entities
• Integration of spatial and tabular information
• Multiple users can access same datasets, with GUIs customized to meet their needs
CASE STUDY: UTILITY GISCASE STUDY: UTILITY GIS
• UtilityGIS evolved from previous work related to asset management for towns
• IVS designed AssetGIS for one town, whose manager was on local utility board
• Recognition of need to maintain, update and visualize critical network areas
KEY CONCEPTS FOR ASSETGISKEY CONCEPTS FOR ASSETGIS
• GIS-based
• Asset inventory and reporting tools– GASB-34 – Other reports as necessary
• Flexibility
• Easy to use at affordable price
KEY BENEFITSKEY BENEFITS
• Ability to maintain and update inventory
• Long term “diary” of field conditions
• Reporting functions all for exporting
• Customer Querying
WHERE TO GO FROM HERE?WHERE TO GO FROM HERE?
• Growth Analysis: Link existing network with data such as demographics, land use
• Capital Planning: Evaluate condition of system versus replacement costs over time
• Work Order Status
• Rate Evaluation