GIS stands for Geographic Information System.
Yes, but what really is GIS?
First you must understand that the last two words of GIS stand for
"Information System." GIS can be likened to an accounting information
system that tracks geographic or "spatially" related data instead of
financial data.
So, is GIS a map?
Yes, GIS does include a mapping component. The GIS allows you to view
information in a graphical format and add and remove layers to produce
precisely the map desired. But GIS is much more than just maps.
First and foremost, GIS is accurate, reliable information. This
information can be map data or it can consist of non-graphic or
"attribute" data that provides additional descriptive information
about the features on the map.
GIS gives us useful information about the world around us. It
shows us where things are and lets us identify trends and patterns
that we are just not able to see when the data is simply columns of
numbers.
Equally important is that GIS is accurate, reliable, useful
information in the hands and on the desktops of the people who can use
it and need it the most.
GIS brings together the map file room and all related information
in an organized and concise format to everyone's desktop.
GIS is:
- Facilities Management
- Work Order Management
- Logistics Management
- Environmental Management
- Pavement Management
- Condition Assessment
- Utility Modeling
- Corridor Analysis
- Monitoring and Compliance
GIS is this and more. A GIS can:
- Improve operating efficiencies
- Provide better customer service
- Eliminate redundancies
- Consolidate information
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