ConsultancyCorporate Mapping Health Check
Local Authorities are finding themselves increasingly under pressure from reducing budgets and the demand to do more with less. Alongside this is the ever-growing requirement to provide easier and wider access to information both internally and externally to partners and citizens. With these issues in mind it is important to ensure that corporate mapping and GIS systems are providing maximum benefit for minimum cost outlay.
We are increasingly discovering that large organisations are not making the best use of available technology. The gradual distribution of desktop GIS licences over several years to users across an organisation, as and when demands arise, often leads to situations where there are numerous redundant licences lying around. Furthermore, recent advances in browser-based mapping tools often means that only GIS power users require the level of functionality afforded through desktop solutions.
If you are unsure whether this reflects the situation in your own Council then you probably need a Salford GIS “Corporate Mapping Health Check”.
Salford GIS’s team of independent consultants have worked in the mapping sector of local government for over twenty years during which time they have provided strategy reviews, system and data audits, re-engineering services, technical consultancy, project management and hands-on product training to hundreds of organisations. With cost-savings being the priority for most IT and GIS Managers, a ‘Health Check’ is the ideal opportunity to identify where efficiencies can be found and the technology better used.
All it takes is for one of our consultants to spend a few days on-site auditing and fact finding. The deliverable will be a written ‘Health Report’ which would include the following;
- An overview of how GIS is currently being used and managed
- Areas where economies could be achieved
- Identification of efficiency savings in; licenses, maintenance, support, data and staffing
- Opportunities to Reduce Avoidable Contact (DCLG National Indicator 14)
- Suggestions for improvements in workflows that could make the work force more efficient and effective
- Areas where new or closer back-office integration would bring efficiencies
- A discussion on how geographical data fits within the organisation’s whole Information Management Strategy
- Ensuring that the organisation has considered future requirements and statutory commitments such as; Census 2011, LLPG, DNF and INSPIRE.
An optional formal presentation to senior managers could also be provided. We are confident that we can demonstrate that a small investment in a ‘Health Check’ can provide significant long term savings across your organisation.