GIS Data Management

Why is GIS Data Management

Important?
 Outline and Introduction

Peter Veenstra

M.Sc. GIS – University of Edinburgh, UK

13 years GIS Consulting and Software Development
experience

Introduction

What is GIS Data Management?

Why is GIS Data Management important?

The Benefits of GIS Data Management

Conclusions
 Introduction

Pipeline systems present unique data
management challenges

Long thin corridors of data spanning jurisdictional boundaries

Massive volumes of data

Increased regulatory requirements (Sarbanes-Oxley)

Disparate data sources

Geographic Information Systems

GIS provides solutions to data integration, visualization, data
management, systems integration
 What is GIS Data
Management?
“Pipeline GIS data management represents a set of
technologies, organization and processes that revolve
around creating and managing geographic-style
mapping data for the purposes of supporting the
business objectives of a pipeline operating company.”

Technology  hardware & software systems

Organization  people and business

Processes  requirements and work flow
 Organization

Objectives and organization structure of the
business

People, departments, hierarchy

Business requirements – financial, regulatory, operational

Used to define the requirements of the GIS

What should the system be and what data should it hold?

Who should it serve?

Why should it be built?

How should it integrate with the existing business?

When should it happen?
 Processes

Daily processes?

How is the data collected and maintained?

Why is the data required?

Who is collecting and maintaining the data?

When is the data required?

Where is the data stored? (Data Models, Databases)

Tangible business benefits?

What applications are required by the business?

What applications must utilize the data?

What results is the data going to provide?
 Technology

Secure and transactional multi-user editing

Integrated geographic features

Archiving, auditing, and retrieval

Real-time access to the latest information

Data structure and data models

Enabling technologies
 Multi-User Editing

Data creation and maintenance costs money

GIS data management system support …

Data that is secured yet accessible to many different kinds of
users

Security involves …

Distinct transactions

Defined user permissions and roles

Features/Rows are managed as ‘objects’

Single data store for both geometry and attributes
 Integrated Features

GIS data management systems support …

Features are managed as a single object

Geometry and attributes describe the feature

Located in a single table structure not in disparate tables
or systems

Creation, retrieval, update and deletion of feature occurs
in single operation

Features are presented in different views

Map view

Attribute view

Behavioral view
 Archiving

GIS data management systems support …

Data storage for …

Retrieval for regulatory audits

Retrieval for annual regulatory reporting

Retrieval for integrity management planning

Data management system preserves …

History of the pipeline both location and state

Events and activities that influence a feature

Changes in the state, structure and operational status
 Access and Integration

GIS Data management system supports …

Access to the data using a variety of industry standard tools

A variety of users with a variety of skill levels

Ad hoc and pre-defined queries

Provides easy access to the latest data

Provides an architecture …

That incorporates industry standard technologies

For integration with other systems

That is open and flexible that can be easily expanded

That is not proprietary or closed
 Data Structure-Models

GIS data management systems support …

Absolute positioning of spatial features

Relative position of spatial features (Linear Referencing)

Storage and location of features using both positioning
methods

Utilization of industry standard pipeline data models

Documentation of the structure, content and behavior of
these data models
 Enabling Technologies

GIS data management systems support …

And integrate with enabling technologies such as …

GPS,

Hand-held field collection devices,

Wireless devices,

Database replication,

Remote data access,

Integrity management systems,

Cathodic protection systems,

Document management systems,

Engineering design systems,

Right-of-way management systems,

Client information management systems,

Network flow analysis systems,

Real-time monitoring systems (SCADA)

Other systems by provide technology hooks used for integration
 Why is GIS Data
Management Important?

Exponential increases in the amount of data
collected and required by a pipeline operation

Rising maintenance and integration costs

Increased regulatory requirements

Increased user demands for information

“If a picture is worth a thousand words, a map is worth a million”

 The Benefits of GIS
Data Management

Easy access to data by any kind of user

Re-combination of data to provide more or
better data

Integration of seemingly disparate data into a
unified data model/structure

Create automated processes for spatial
analysis and improve business processes

Integration of disparate systems with the GIS
to provide … (start at the top of this slide)
 Conclusions

GIS data management system can form an
integral part of the enterprise

Implementing such systems requires careful
planning that involves understanding the
Technological, Organizational and Procedural
requirements of the system

Provides meaningful access to GIS data for
all users in the enterprise

Increases productivity and capability