GIS Data Mapping: A real-life example of how GIS is used
Mar
We talked a little about what is GIS (Geographic Information System) in our last post, using broad strokes to try and explain such a diverse and expanding topic. In this article I thought we could use a real-life example of a GIS to help explain further how it is used in the real world.
GIS data mapping uses a GIS to create maps showing unique, customized information in a separate layer that sits on top (overlaid) of the original map.
Combined with GPS, a GIS can also become an LBS (Location-Based Service), which can make planning and routing much easier. For example, fire fighters may want to know the exact location of all the fire hydrants in the area, a trucking fleet may need to pinpoint all gas stations on a route that accept a specific type of fuel card, or even parents may want to track their child’s movements, something that has helped many an anxious parent rest easy!
How does GIS mapping work?
It might sound magical but there’s no mystery to how it works. Essentially it is spatial data displayed on a map. For example, a GIS could hold information on the location details (latitude and longitude) of all the fire hydrants in a particular location, stored in a database. This database may also include other, non-spatial data such as the pumping capacity or distance from the curb.
A GIS software program, such as GeoBase, allows a user to collect, store, edit and display this data in a format that is useful, for example a dispatch operator sending fire engines and advising personnel on the nearest hydrant.
Taking GIS a step further
Obviously creating a GIS without having a purpose for the data collected would be pointless. How can the GIS data collected solve real-life problems?
Telogis are an example of a company that uses a GIS program, in this case GeoBase, to solve the problems that fleet managers face on a daily basis – where are my fleet vehicles, when will they reach their delivery points, what vehicles will need servicing soon and are my vehicles taking the most optimized routes? Using the GIS data processed by GeoBase, Telogis Fleet can plot the movement of fleet vehicles on a web-based dashboard, giving fleet managers comprehensive insight into their fleet’s movements.
But it’s not just limited to standard mapping and navigation.
In what is a first for the fleet management software industry, Telogis Mobile users can import custom GIS vector data and layer it on to their mapping and route planning software. Now fleet managers can use their unique GIS data in a way never before used – routing to specific, customized GIS data points on a map.
This means routing no longer needs to be tied to globally-recognized points, roads or landmarks – you can route to something that is very specific and unique to your business.
Using the example above, the fire engine could automatically be guided to the hydrant using turn-by-turn GPS navigation, or a utility company could be easily directed to a specific power pole on the network. GIS map data can easily be created using GIS software, such as GeoBase, and fed into Telogis Mobile.
An example of creating GIS map data was a group of students in Bastrop, Texas, who, in 2008, mapped out the city’s fire hydrants using handheld GIS devices, information that was useful to fire departments, water departments, realtors, insurance companies, construction crews and county departments.
A GIS can sound technical but in reality GIS software and location-based services, such as Telogis Mobile, are making it a lot more accessible for businesses, governments and environmental agencies to easily use it to make better, more informed decisions and respond more quickly when there’s no time to waste.
