The Challenge of Delivering GIS at the Point of Need

GIS connects the appropriate, location-aware information with the right person at the precise moment and place of decision or action. At the point of need, GIS is the delivery layer that integrates data from disparate business systems and trusted third parties and presents only what is pertinent to the task. It is an operational principle that aligns four elements: Information, Context, Role, and Location, to enable reliable outcomes. From a geospatial perspective, location is the primary anchor that binds the others and helps determine priority. 

The point of need model

Point of Need occurs where Information, Context, Role, and Location intersect.

The point of need sits at the intersection of:

• Information: authoritative asset records, conditions, work orders, and history, combined with data from disparate data sources and third parties (for example, CMMS, CIS, permitting, IoT, and regulatory datasets), with clear schemas and metadata.

• Context: the task and timeframe, operating constraints, service levels, regulatory requirements, and current system state (outages, permits, hazards, change windows). What/how is the user able to use to see or receive the information.

• Role: the individual’s responsibilities and authorizations, driven by identity and access controls (inspector, planner, technician, supervisor).

• Location: the spatial position of assets, people, and events, including proximity and network distance.

When these dimensions overlap, spatial information becomes actionable. Location functions as the anchor: it filters what matters, exposes nearby risks or opportunities, and prioritizes the next best action.

Why is location the answer?

Location converts generic data into decision support. In the field it answers the question, “What is here, and what action is appropriate?” In a control room it answers, “Where are the issues, and who is best positioned to respond?” In planning it answers, “Where will proposed changes have impact?” Without accurate, current spatial references, the remaining elements become guesswork.

Everyday moments at the point of need

• Public movement and operations: Wayfinding for visitors, such as rideshare apps, while operations teams see closures and maintenance overlays for that same space.

• Airport connection and wayfinding information: Gate-to-gate routing, connection time windows, service disruptions, and accessibility needs, with operations viewing asset and maintenance layers for the terminal.

• Dial Before You Dig: Underground services, recent works, constraints, and redlines available before excavation with updates captured in the field.

• Work management in context: Technicians view nearby tasks and design revisions and receive routing to the nearest qualified resource.

• Retail and facility logistics: In-aisle or on-floor views tie inventory, equipment status, and safety data to precise locations.

• Emergency and natural disaster response: Live status layers, sensor feeds, and isolation plans aligned to incident geography for rapid coordination.

• Lead service line identification and remediation (EPA in USA): Providers locate suspected lead or galvanized lines, prioritize replacements, guide field verification on mobile, and support certification and reporting requirements with location-accurate records.

These are not just “more maps.” They are role-specific views that blend location with only the information needed for the task at hand.

Using GIS across applications

Point of need delivery depends on more than visible layers. It requires:

• Routing and dispatch that consider network distance, skills, and availability.

• Task awareness that surfaces nearby permits, hazards, or planned works to reduce rework.

• Integration services (APIs, standards-based web services, event streams) to allow business systems to request and publish spatial context without manual transfer.

• Validation and automation to ensure only approved, correctly structured data reaches operational systems.

How to present location and pertinent data at the point of need

Different roles require different presentations, and each should pair location with only the information that is relevant to the task. Integration with business systems is essential so views can read and, where appropriate, write back through secure services and events.

• Mobile experience for inspections, markups, restorations, and offline capture with later sync.

• Embedded maps inside asset, permitting, customer, and work management systems, so users stay in their primary workflow.

• Dedicated web apps for planning reviews, outage management, or capital works.

• Operational dashboards that combine spatial layers with KPIs, queues, and work status for supervisors and control rooms.

• Time-aware views using animation or time sliders for scheduling, change detection, and incident replay.

• Proactive notifications and alerts for incidents, evacuations, and routing, tied to geography and role.

• Analytics and decision support that join space, time, cost, and risk to guide prioritization and investment.

• System integrations using open standards and APIs to connect GIS with internal and external data sources, with supporting audit trails and governance.

Foundations for success

Point of need only works when the foundation is in place. Most organizations will need to address two areas: infrastructure and data.

Infrastructure

Modern GIS benefits from cloud-based access with the flexibility to connect to on-premises datasets where needed. Key elements include secure identity, role-based access, service endpoints for data exchange, and monitoring to keep performance predictable. Integration is essential. GIS should integrate with work management, customer, document, and analytics platforms using open standards, allowing data to flow in both directions.

Data

Availability, quality, metadata, currency, and governance determine whether a layer is useful in the field or in a control room. At a minimum:

• Know your authoritative sources and who owns them.

• Keep schemas, domains, and coordinate systems clearly documented.

• Capture data at the highest quality you can afford at the time of construction.

• Incorporate IoT and third-party feeds where they improve decisions and record the source.

• Maintain update cycles and audit trails so users can trust what they see.

Need versus want

Point of need is governed by criticality and budget. For non-critical programs, a small set of trusted layers and lightweight apps may be appropriate. For critical infrastructure and public safety, requirements expand to redundancy, offline capability, tighter governance, and faster refresh rates. Being explicit about criticality helps teams make design and budget choices that align with risk and impact.

Closing thoughts

GIS at the point of need is not about creating more maps or introducing another online portal; it is the practice of delivering location-anchored information in the right context to the right role, precisely when decisions and tasks happen. When organizations align information, context, role, and location, and treat location as the anchor that filters and orders action, teams move faster, errors decrease, and outcomes improve for customers and communities.

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