GIS Acquisition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

GIS Acquisition - Essay Example The main objective of implementing GIS in an organization is to construct a business case for the proposal of GIS acquisition. Network dictionary defined a geographical information system as â€Å"a computer system capable of capturing, storing, analyzing, and displaying geographically referenced information, that is, data identified according to location. Practitioners also define a GIS as including the procedures, operating personnel, and spatial data that go into the system†. For acquiring GIS, cost, risks, benefits, and impacts associated with the GIS are calculated, in order to continue with the current data and information products. If fundamental different approaches are included in the preliminary design models, for instance, centralized systems versus distributed systems, analyzing cost benefit analysis are essential. The activities that are involved in cost benefit analysis are: Estimating all the cost Identification of all benefits Evaluation of economic value for i rrefutable profit Evaluating impact on the staff and organization Evaluating Risk Examining results The implementation cost for the GIS includes acquisition and maintenance for software, hardware, maintenance, data capture, and training. The highly qualified staff is required for management of systems, programming, support, operation of applications, and preparation for the site with all related expenses along with an acquisition cost. Discounted on the present value, recurrent cost needs to be analyzed for five years over an insignificant system life. As identified in the preliminary stages, the cost associated with software, hardware, maintenance and training cost needs to be obtained from more than two vendors. If it is achievable, than the validation of these cost will be achieved by discussions by existing agencies. Moreover, the data capture cost will be significant and vary from 10 to 1000 times from the software and hardware cost. The benefits related to efficiency are assoc iated with time and cost via robust data processing and eliminating the duplication processes. On the other hand, effectiveness benefits are linked with improvements in the decision-making processes via new data in a timely manner. Moreover, the intangible benefits consist of an advanced image of the public for the organization. The ambiguous data reduce the confusion enables superior communication between users via enhanced staff professionalism and morale, superior co-operation between the users by data sharing, capability to handle unexpected events. In addition, unanticipated applications and enhanced data analysis will provide new knowledge. The definition of economic value is available at ‘www.investorwords.com’ that states as â€Å"The value of an asset deriving from its ability to generate income† (, what is economic value? Definition and Meaning). Economic value enthusiastically can be allocated to efficiency benefits. The usefulness, value and benefits are not easy to calculate. There may be key impacts of the proposed GIS on the staff and organization, and may have a considerable comportment on the cost benefit analysis. From the user requirement analysis, the impacts for the data processing, decision making and data collection can be accessed. The management and organizational structure linked with the new technology, new procedures, new roles and new necessities for co-operation and consultation will contribute to make an impact on the organization. These issues may contribution towards the successful GIS as compared to technical issues. Discussions and consultations of impacts with the staff in the early states facilitate to eliminate disputes during the deployment. Moreover, eyeing on authority, responsibility and undertaking related to propagation of information products and data maintenance, there are legal and political connotation for the organizations. The inclusion of risk assessment defining that the project will not b e able to