Lecture 7

Question 1

How is GIS being applied in the context of the organisation?

Operational applications

Answer 1

– Day to day management of facilities and assets

– E.g. electricity company monitoring its infrastructure

Question 2

How is GIS being applied in the context of the organisation?

Management/tactical applications

Answer 2

– Using GIS to assist management decision making

– E.g. choosing where to site a new shop

Question 3

How is GIS being applied in the context of the organisation?

Strategic applications

Answer 3

– Using GIS to make long-term strategy decisions

– E.g. Which parts of the country to expand into over next 5 years?

Question 4

Investing in GIS

Much of the cost of GIS is to do with

Answer 4

…data

Less so now with so much available from OS under the Open Data license!
– Initial investment is steeper, with some cost associated with maintaining the database
– Cost-benefit analysis : • Either between systems • Or GIS altogether
• Payback period (years)

Question 5

Benefits of GIS

Direct

Answer 5

Savings over paying independent people
More effective- more skills and opportunities
Brand new products

Question 6

Benefits of GIS

Indirect

Answer 6

Improved information sharing 
Better informed decision making 
Greater understanding 
Better justification 
More competitive

Question 7

‘Costs’ of `GIS

Direct

Answer 7

Hardware/ Software
Data
Human and administrative costs

Question 8

‘Costs’ of `GIS

Indirect

Answer 8

Increased reliance on computers

Higher skilled workforce

Question 9

Cost- benefit, cost vs risk

Investment in GiS applications brings some risks
Three broad user groups, each with varied levels of cost and risks:

Answer 9

Routine users e.g local government
-Low cost, low risk

Opportunists
- Medium costs, medium risks

Pioneers
- High cost, high risk

Question 10

There are multiple ways to express the second domain on benefits

Answer 10

– Sanctions (>2SD)

– Relative proportion (>2SD) – Quintiles of prevalence