The analysis of current condition of GIS in the waterworks companies
Workshop
Project Professional assistance for Slovak regional waterworks companies has come into phase when its solution change into concrete outputs for waterworks comapnies.
The analysis of the condition of GIS in the waterworks companies is one of the concrete outputs. It was realized within the task 4.3 Strategy for plan creation and its application for GIS. Except of examination of current condition of GIS in single waterworks comapny we chose for each waterworks company – beneficiary of the project and we also created a strategy proposal for the development of geographical – information system. which also consists of action plan for its realization. Action plan consists of timetable and financial aspects of the realization.
Within the examinationof current condtion of GIS we evaluate:
- condition of technical security
- condition of personnel and organizational security
- condition of data base
- condition of technological security
- condition of GIS in the point of view of primary processes support
Project OPSRVS will contribute to concrete solution of the development of GIS for each waterworks company. Thus by the realization of mentioned projects the project experts were familiarised with the request of waterworks companies for the further development of GIS which were evaluated with consideration of possibilities of the project and contribution of its realization for further development of the system based on curret position of waterworks company.
In order to present the results of the Analysis of the condition of GIS a workshop took place in hotel Academic in Zvolen on June 19, 2007. Presentations of the GIS analysis results which were realized in all project beneficiaries (Ing. M. Zemčák, Ing. I. Schindler – NKE OPSRVS) were supplemented with the results of the analysis of management information systems (Mgr. P. Bajan, NKE OPSRVS, Centire, s.r.o.) which was, for now, realized in three waterworks companies. Participants of the workshop were satisfied with the results. These results helped to provide waterworks companies with exchange of experience and mutual comparison of each other.
Apart from presentation of results analysis the program of the workshop was extended by providing of the information of the possibilities of information system integration (Ing. M. Zemčák – NKE OPSRVS, M. Trávniček – Intergraph ČR s.r.o.) and preparation of INSPIRE directive implementation (V. Stromček – Intergraph SR s.r.o.).
Within presentations the opinions on necessity of support of primary and supportive processes for the information systems were presented. Current solutions for waterworks information systems come from several providers. Each process at the beggining takes the information and at the end hand it in to the following process. When these solutions are not compatible (especially compatible in data architecture) or integrated the loss of information during the process can happen as well as the loss of efficient support of information system can happen. In such a case the information is used only for local process (or just for the part of the process) and when there is a need for repeated use if such information it is usually difficult to find such an information. When such a problem occurs very often unwanted suluton is used: the information is edit again and several negative consequences arise:
- there are several versions of the information and it is difficult to find out which one is the current one
- there is an absence of sponsor of the information because the source of the information is connected to the several sources at the same time
To reduce such complications it is necessary to create connetion and integration of information systems. As for integration it has to be said that the more supplier of information systems in the company are the more expensive is its integration. Current trend is to have the minimum number of information system suppliers. System integration is for the support of main processes in the company essential.
It is good to save all data to the same databaze – strategic orientation on data. To have copies of information about graphics and descriptive attribute is nowadays obsolete solution. This also applied to solution of partial tasks by means of isolated applications what brings complications and additional expenses for the system maintenance. It also brings problems with date update and data reliability. Solutions which are currently use are satisfactory but SDO technology defined by OPEN GIS consortium seems to be good. A big advantage of this solution is the fact that by the system modification which is supported by given standards the loss of data can not occur. It means that this solution save finances needed for data conversion. Technological contributions of such solutions can be divided into these areas:
- standard environment of administration and data processing
- reliability and high performance
- common system administration
- basic software standardization
- simplicity, user‘s point of view of application
- company integration
For the following GIS development in single waterworks companies action plans which consist of time framework as well as financial aspect were created. At the end of workshop next steps that have to be taken to realize this second stage of the task were presented. The main goal is to secure the implementation of geographical information system for the waterworks companies. The system has to be in accordance with action plan for realization of GIS because GIS is essential part of information system for the management of network sector and it is essential for efective realization of operation and devoloping activities.
The meeting was attended by waterwrks companies‘ management representatives, professional workers supplying waterworks comapnies with GIS and representaives from Department of environment of Slovak republic.
Active attitide of participants and fruitfull discussion during whole event as well as cooperation manifests that this issue is topical for waterworks companies.
E. Rajczyková