A Geographical Information System (GIS) is a computer system for capturing, storing, checking, integrating, manipulating, analysing and displaying data related to positions on the Earth's surface.
Typically, a Geographical Information System is used for handling maps, onto which data can be overlaid. These layers of data usually represent a particular feature, either physically (such as a building) or virtually (such as a school catchment area). Each feature is linked to a position on the map and a record in an attribute table. Thus, GIS can relate otherwise disparate datasets on the basis of common geography, revealing hidden patterns, relationships, and trends that are not readily apparent in spreadsheets or statistical packages. Often this process creates new, valuable information from existing data resources.
Most datasets contain a geographical component: an address, postcode, census reference, ward/parish identifier, or grid reference. This component is the key to displaying and analysing tabular data in a GIS system. It is a widely accepted premise that over 80% of a Local Authority's datasets contain a geographical reference of some sort.
With GIS, you can use the spatial element of your data to display the position of assets as diverse as street lighting, buildings and trees, track crime hot-spots, analyse plant biodiversity or soil types, track animal migration patterns, find the best location for an expanding business, analyse school catchment areas, or model the path of atmospheric pollution. GIS can help provide a solution to many types of complicated problem. The possibilities are endless.
Historically, GIS has been viewed as an expensive specialised system, and to a certain extent that has been true. But over the past few years there has been a major development in the evolution of GIS, leading to the emergence of web-enabled GIS. Deploying GIS throughout an organisation (and beyond to partners and the public) using web technology has removed many of the barriers to widespread GIS use, and promotes data sharing, increases the value of data, and reduces duplication.
If you need more information about Geographical Information Systems or Spatial Mapping please contact us using the details at the top of this page.
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