(or at least it was at GIS Ireland 2013)
I was delighted to be part of GIS Ireland 2013 on the 17th of October last. I found a great air of positivity around the event, indicative, I believe, of a vibrant, passionate and enthusiastic geospatial community in this country. On the previous day I also participated in a workshop designed to contribute to a current study on the economic value of the geospatial community in Ireland. Again, this workshop was engaged by a diverse, but passionate, group of people across many different industry sectors and disciplines; a workshop that brought suppliers, decision makers and users together to openly discuss the varying viewpoints and opinions on the value contribution of what it is we all do. Both these events clearly demonstrated to me the many different facets of Government and Business where the power of place (location) is a key enabler to better decision making.
So all is good in world of geospatial information in Ireland then? Well not quite!
I find it ironic to think that as we currently engage in a study (the first of its kind that I know of, in Ireland) that will seek to quantify (as best it can) the economic value of what it is we do as a geospatial community, we still seem to be in a state of flux as to who and what we are. During the morning panel discussion at GIS Ireland there was evidence, through the discussion and debate that took place, that there is still some ‘distress and disorientation’ with respect to what this community is about. We talked about being geographers, we talked about GIS, and in particular, we talked about not talking about GIS. And it got me thinking…. What are we afraid of? What exactly is the problem that we are trying to solve by not talking about GIS? And does anyone we engage with actually care?
For me personally, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the term ‘GIS’, as long as you make a firm commitment to clearly know and understand what the term means for you, your users and/or your customers. After that, nothing and no one else matters. ‘GIS’ is such a multidisciplinary term covering such a diverse range of use that it is simply not feasible to arrive at a common definition that everyone will subscribe to; but that doesn’t mean that we should get rid of it. In fact I would argue quite the opposite. Why should we throw away something that strongly differentiates us from other ICT and business disciplines? Why should we throw away something that enables us to engage discussion with so many different industries and business sectors around the world? Why should we throw away something that provides us with so many wide ranging opportunities for career development and progression?
I, for one, am quite comfortable with the term ‘GIS’ because I am equally comfortable with the fact that I do not ‘do’ GIS nor am I in the ‘business of’ GIS. These two questions (What do you do? and What business are you in?) seem to be the root cause of the ‘distress and disorientation’ this community finds itself in when it attempts to provide the appropriate answers to these questions. This is because instinctively you nearly always provide an answer that includes the term ‘GIS’. Inevitably the next question that comes back at you is “so what is GIS then?” at which point you crumble! You stutter and fumble about to find a simple set of words, a set of words that more often than not describe what GIS is, rather than what it delivers.
So, if I don’t ‘do’ GIS then what do I do? For me it’s quite simple – I run a business of 36 people devoted to helping public and private sector organisations make better decisions through the effective use and application of geographic information and spatial intelligence. We help customers record where things happen and analyse why.
And, if I am not in the ‘business of’ GIS then what business am I in? Well, generally, I am in the information management business, the business intelligence business and the better decision making business; but I can also be in the risk mitigation business, the cost reduction business, the process improvement business, the platform business… etc.
We have got to start thinking about what we do and how we do it in the context of the outcomes and results we deliver for our customers, stakeholders, shareholders and users; and for each of us this will be very different depending on our respective business circumstances. There is no doubt that ‘GIS’ is what brings us all together as a community of practice. But it should not be something that defines what we do nor should it be something that defines who we are.
At this stage in the growth of GIS in Ireland we simply cannot afford an identity crisis. We need to be secure and confident in what we do, how we do it and the value we contribute – building on the belief that where things happen matters. GIS is special! And if it isn’t, then why is there such a vibrant and passionate ecosystem continuing to evolve and develop in this country?
Paul Synnott
Maps make sense 