Solve 3 Common GIS Integration Challenges with These Proven Approaches

In today’s fast-paced, data-driven world, utilities and other asset-intensive organizations depend on a diverse range of systems and data sources to keep the business running effectively and to make informed decisions. Yet in many of these organizations, geographic information systems (GIS) and geospatial data aren’t integrated with the organization’s enterprise business systems, which often include a mix of legacy and modern solutions. That creates data accuracy issues, calls data integrity into question, and makes it difficult to leverage data for sound decision-making. 

Asset-intensive organizations recognize the need and the value of integrating GIS data and applications with enterprise systems. But conventional integration techniques create challenges of their own. By taking a fresh perspective on data and application integration, organizations can address the three most common GIS integration obstacles effectively. 

Challenge #1: Integration Complexities and Delays 

Traditional integration methods tend to be complicated and time-consuming, tying up developers and other IT resources over a lengthy period to create custom integrations. That can prevent the organization from responding to changing business requirements quickly and keep internal developers from focusing on more strategic projects. Custom integrations create additional complications long after the initial implementation since they depend on specialized skills for ongoing maintenance, whether in-house IT resources or outsourced services. 

Two proven approaches can help asset-intensive organizations speed and simplify the process of integrating GIS data and applications with enterprise business systems: 

• Take a low-code/no-code approach. Rather than devote significant time and expense to custom development, leading organizations are using established software platforms to facilitate even the most complex integrations. These platforms make it easy to configure integrations with little or no coding, allowing both technical and non-technical staff to use intuitive features like drop-down menus to accelerate the initial setup and simplify maintenance.      
• Use out-of-the-box connectors. Another effective way to accelerate integration setup and drive down the associated cost is to use pre-built, out-of-the-box integration connectors. This approach is especially effective when an organization wishes to simultaneously integrate multiple systems and data sources across the enterprise, including a mix of legacy and modern applications. Such connectors already exist for leading enterprise systems like Esri® ArcGIS®, IBM® Maximo, SAP®, ABB® Ellipse, and Oracle® Utilities, for example. 

Challenge #2: Difficulty Connecting Disparate Systems 

Most utilities and other asset-intensive organizations rely on a mix of disparate systems, including legacy systems and modern applications that don’t easily share information with each other about assets, resources, and workflows. Historically, integrating this diverse set of data sources and systems has posed technical obstacles, inhibiting the ability to connect seamlessly or in near real time.  When multiple systems all use different data formats or standards, the problem becomes especially acute.  

To accomplish smooth data exchange among disparate systems requires the ability to translate data values between those applications during the process of configuring data alignments. Today’s software-based integration platforms provide that capability by transforming data values during the integration process in a standard way, ensuring coherence across diverse systems with that likely use varied formats and standards. Translating data values efficiently during integration not only ensures smooth information flow. It also mitigates the risk of data inconsistencies, errors, and misinterpretations, while ensuring harmonization and coherence across multiple systems.  

Challenge #3: Lack of Transparency and Trust in Data Integrity 

Data is the lifeblood of an asset-intensive organization, providing the information required to make strategic and operational decisions. With access to reliable data, organizations can optimize operational efficiency, identify and head-off impending problems, and determine where to focus their finite resources. But when GIS and enterprise applications and data sources aren’t integrated, team members can loss trust in the data that resides in these systems. And without confidence in that data, staff members at all levels will find it difficult to make informed decisions. 

One way that leading organizations are addressing this challenge is by gaining greater transparency into their data integrations. For example, software-based integration solutions typically provide full transparency into integration performance by reporting on each data synchronization and identifying data discrepancies, orphans, errors, and other issues that are indicative of data integrity. The insights gleaned from these reports enable organizations to proactively monitor data health, identify problems that need attention, and take swift remedial action before issues impact their operations—all with confidence that the data they’re depending on is reliable and consistent.  

Turn to Geonexus to Solve Your Integration Challenges 

When leading utilities and asset-intensive organizations encounter integration obstacles like these, they tap Geonexus for proven solutions.  

The Geonexus Integration Platform speeds and simplifies the process of integrating GIS data and applications with both legacy and modern enterprise business systems. This fully-supported software solution eliminates the need for slow and costly custom-developed integrations, instead using out-of-the-box, no-code integration tools that connect GIS data and applications with enterprise business systems with ease. Our value translation feature streamlines the process of integrating data from systems that use different formats and standards, while our robust reporting capabilities provide a comprehensive understanding of integration performance every time data is synchronized, instilling confidence in the data and supporting effective decision-making. 

Geonexus has been integrating GIS applications and enterprise systems for 15+ years, helping asset-intensive organizations around the world access reliable data that supports sound decision-making. 

Contact Geonexus to learn how our fully-supported platform will save you time and money by speeding and simplifying integrations.