HIGICC Conference 2015 October 14-16, 2015 Rod Low

1. The Evolving GIS Enterprise
HCPO/HIGICC Conference: Island Futures
October 16, 2015
Rod Low, Esri

2. Does this story of the evolution of an enterprise GIS app look familiar?

15. Problem
The complicated,
highly customized
GIS Uber-app is
unsustainable!
Outline
Complexity
Customization
Conclusions

16. The complicated,
highly customized
GIS Uber-app is
unsustainable!
Outline
Complexity
Customization
Conclusions

19. Planning &
Analysis
Transform data
into actionable
information
Data
Management
Collect, organize,
and exchange data
Field
Mobility
Get information
into and out
of the field
Operational
Awareness
Disseminate
information where
and when it
is needed
Constituent
Engagement
Get feedback
and make
informed decisions
Location
Enablement
Empower all users to
discover, use, make
and share maps
Your Integrated Web GIS Platform
How?
Apply Fundamental Patterns That Support Activities Across Your Organization

20. The complicated,
highly customized
GIS Uber-app is
unsustainable!
Outline
Complexity
Customization
Conclusions

21. Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for Smart Government
“In the belief that every agency or government program business
process is unique, program managers have historically favored the
development of highly customized IT solutions over commercial off-
the-shelf (COTS) products or cloud-based business services. More
often than not, the presumed uniqueness of a business process
is overstated. Taking the time to decompose and document
processes with a business process management (BPM) methodology
will identify business functions where variability is low and common
practices (and software applications) can be shared.”

22. Current Trend in GIS
New GIS technologies allow configuration as an
alternative to customization.
“Application development and deployment is no
longer just for the code warriors.”

23. Approaches to Configuration
Model Builder
Workflows and Tasks
App Builders

24. Model Builder (core in ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro)
Models are:
shareable
developed on Desktop; publishable as services
GP Tools (in both ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro;
some in core and some require extensions)

25. Configuration Experience
Model to Calculate Tree Height from Lidar

26. User Experience
Model to Calculate Tree Height from Lidar

27. Configure Workflows & Tasks
A custom step might be replaced by a series
of simple out-of-the-box steps
For the Enterprise, workflows help ensure
consistency & quality

28. Workflow Manager Extension
Task Assistant Manager in ArcMap (extension)
Tasks in ArcGIS Pro (core)

29. Example Task Assistant – User and Configuration Experience
Task for Georeferencing Scanned Maps

30. Configuration Experience
Configure a step
using a command

31. Configuration Experience
Configure a step
using a GP tool

32. Enabling App Creation
Design Once, Run Everywhere . . .
Widgets
Web AppBuilder
AppStudio
(Apple, Android,
Windows, Linux)
Web App Templates
HTML5/JavaScript
Native Apps
Providing Easy, Configurable, and Extensible Tools
App Builders

33. Gallery of Web App Templates (Page 1)

34. Typical Configuration Experience

35. Other Configuration Experiences

36. Other Configuration Experiences

38. Enabling App Creation
Design Once, Run Everywhere . . .
Widgets
Web AppBuilder
AppStudio
(Apple, Android,
Windows, Linux)
Web App Templates
HTML5/JavaScript
Native Apps
Providing Easy, Configurable, and Extensible Tools
App Builders

39. Web AppBuilder Configuration Experience
Choose Theme

40. Web AppBuilder Configuration Experience
Choose Widgets

41. Web AppBuilder Configuration Experience
Configure
Each
Widget

42. Example – Painless Evolution of an Enterprise GIS
Migration of
Top 100 - Canada’s Biggest Infrastructure Projects
from a FLEX Viewer App
to a Web AppBuilder App

46. Enabling App Creation
Design Once, Run Everywhere . . .
Widgets
Web AppBuilder
AppStudio
(Apple, Android,
Windows, Linux)
Web App Templates
HTML5/JavaScript
Native Apps
Providing Easy, Configurable, and Extensible Tools
App Builders

47. Consider Embedding
 Web Apps within your Enterprise web site
pages
 Web Apps within other web apps

48. The complicated,
highly customized
GIS Uber-app is
unsustainable!
Outline
Complexity
Customization
Conclusions

49. Driving Forces
• The pace of technology change is increasing.
• Customers expect single-topic, focused, easy-to-use
apps that run on any device.

51. Antoine de Saint-Exupery:
“A designer knows he has achieved
perfection not when there is nothing left to
add, but when there is nothing left to take
away.”

52. Recommendation for the Sustainable Enterprise GIS
1) Break the processes into
simpler focused apps
 Use Traditional Patterns

53. “Configure first. Customize only when
necessary. That should be your first instinct.”
“Don’t reinvent the wheel.”

54. Commercial off the Shelf or “COTS”
Degree of Customization
Cost of Development and Deployment
Covers 100% Customer Needs
Time to Deployment
Low
Low
Low
Low
High
High
High
High
Commercial
Off-The-Shelf
Customized
COTS
APIs
Frameworks
Completely
Custom

55. Commercial off the Shelf or “COTS”
• Always deploy Commercial Off the Shelf when possible
…
• Customization only when business value is greater than
life-cycle cost of development
• An 85%-90% solution is acceptable to avoid long-term
maintenance headaches
Pinellas County’s Approach

56. Recommendation for the Sustainable Enterprise GIS
1) Break the processes into
simpler focused apps
2) Configure whenever possible
 Model Builders
 Workflows and Tasks
 App Builders

58. Rod Low
rlow@esri.com
808-947-0993 5637
Mahalo!