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Intersect

GIS Says “Upgrade!” IT Says “Wait!” Which Is It? INTERSECT GIS Janet says … Which is it, upgrade or wait? I say neither; the answer is communication. And it needs to happen sooner rather than later. Consider the common phrase, “One step forward, two steps back.” I’ve not only heard the phrase, but I’ve lived BY JANET JACKSON through the “move forward only to back & MARK DOLEZEL up” nightmare many times in my GIS life. So my recommendation is to communicate with your IT group before you load or upgrade any GIS software on your computer. And likewise, IT needs to let you know about any new releases “pushed out” before you come in and start your computer on Monday morning. Why is all this communication a must? Because although each group has talented and qualiﬁed personnel, I’ll bet neither has employed mind readers. So if you don’t meet and communicate, IT might think waiting is the answer. From where you sit, now may be the perfect time to upgrade for a variety of reasons: 1) you have just received the proper training for the new release and want to jump to that version before you forget what you just learned; or 2) your big GIS production job is ready to start and, due to the amount of custom programming that will need to be done in the latest GIS software, you need some lead time to get it done and test it before you start into production. And don’t forget that your IT group will need to know who has editing rights, layer access and permissions to perform certain analysis, versioning and archiving abilities. These are important details that need to be worked out ahead of time so everyone stays productive. Waiting might not be in your group’s or, ultimately, clients’ best interest. With so many new GIS functions, applications and geoprocessing tools connected directly to, in Janet Jackson, and around Web servers, it would be difﬁcult to have a GIS professional, your GIS upgrade function correctly without IT’s help, and Mark Dolezel, especially if you’re using an enterprise system. Chrisan IT specialist, topher Thomas, ESRI state and local government work together at industry manager, deﬁnes an enterprise system as McKim & Creed; “when you have a centralized database that every e-mail: intersect@ department in the organization contributes to.” mckimcreed.com. Enterprise systems can make upgrades complex, making it vitally important to coordinate activities with all the stakeholders involved. Gone are the days when the lone GIS person puts a CD into his or her desktop computer with one hand while eating a ham-and-cheese sandwich with the other, expecting that by the time lunch is ﬁnished, the GIS upgrade will be completed. GIS has become so central and such a critical function to most departments that more than one person using the software is involved. It now has become a “we” activity, involving IT and GIS. ESRI’s Thomas also says, “You really don’t have an enterprise until you have buy-in—until everybody Communicate with your IT group before you load or upgrade any GIS software on your computer. And likewise, IT needs to let you know about any new releases “pushed out” before you come in and start your computer on Monday morning. feels that they are part of it. When the technology is making a big difference in what people are doing in their jobs, they feel like they are contributing to the program and are not just recipients. They can communicate the value of the system. That’s when they’ve gotten to ‘we.’” With so much at stake and so many dependent on the “latest and greatest” GIS versions, it’s OK to say “upgrade” and for someone else to say “wait”; the important part is that you’re talking to each other. 14 GEOWORLD /JULY2O10

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