Maps and geographic information are being used in more and more areas of operations. But someone also needs to ensure that the information is available, up-to-date, and functions properly in the systems where it is to be used. For organizations with significant or recurring needs, geodata provision can therefore become a task in itself.
When Many Data Sources Need to Work Together
An energy company, for example, may need to combine property boundaries and property information with orthophotos, easements, power lines, nature and environmental data, and the company’s own data. These needs vary depending on whether the task involves planning, maintenance, expansion, or management.
Therefore, simply having the information is only the first step. It also needs to be up-to-date, interoperable, and available in the formats and systems where the business needs it.
How much should the organization manage on its own?
One approach is to collect, store, and manage the necessary data in-house. However, when multiple data sources and map layers need to be kept up to date, this also involves work related to updates, formats, coordinate systems, technical accessibility, and support.
The question then becomes not only what geodata the organization needs, but also how much of the underlying management the organization should build and manage itself.
From Data Files to Continuous Geodata Provision
Instead of treating each need as a separate request, geodata provision can be viewed as a cohesive function. Metria can collect and make geographic information from multiple sources available, delivering it in the formats and coordinate systems the business requires.
With Metria Maps, up-to-date maps and geodata can be used via a map API in GIS systems and other applications. Depending on the customer’s needs, Metria can also take on greater responsibility for the ongoing geodata supply, providing support and specialized expertise in geodata and GIS.
More time to use the information
The customer benefit, therefore, does not lie primarily in the data delivery itself. When less time needs to be spent finding, ordering, converting, updating, and managing geodata, the organization can devote more time to what the information is actually intended for—planning, analysis, and decision-making.
This does not mean that the need for internal GIS or operational expertise disappears. That expertise is needed to understand and use the information. But the organization does not necessarily have to build and maintain the entire underlying infrastructure itself to ensure that the right information is available.
What should we own ourselves—and what can we consume?
As the volume of geodata increases, the provision of information itself becomes a strategic issue. What expertise and systems need to be in place internally? What data does the organization need to manage itself? And which components can be advantageously consumed as continuously updated services?
For many organizations, the value does not lie in owning yet another data file. The value lies in having the right information available and ready to use when needed.
Do you want to simplify access to maps and geodata?
With Metria Maps and Metria’s geodata services, maps and geographic information can be made available in your organization’s existing systems without you having to manage the entire information supply chain yourself.