Building a More Efficient Government with GIS Technology

Many public organizations are using GIS technology to become more efficient and better manage their various facilities. One great case study is how the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) developed a smartphone app to report repair issues in real-time. LAUSD is the second largest public school district in the US and manages facilities that include 1,065 K–12 schools; more than 200 education centers and occupational learning centers; and dozens of warehouses. Needless to say, there was a lot of information spread throughout their various systems and maintaining the facilities required an “army of administrators.”

To streamline the process and get more people involved, the district contracted with Esri and CitySourced to implement LAUSD Service Calls, a smartphone app permitting LAUSD students and faculty to report repair issues such as, graffiti, broken benches, or damaged sprinkler systems. When reporting an incident, the user can specify the incident location, type, required maintenance, and provide a brief description. This report and accompanying picture is sent to LAUSD’s asset management system, where it is reviewed to determine next steps. This is a great example of using innovative technology to make public organizations operate more efficiently and increase community engagement.

Another example is how the the Architect of the Capitol, the facility manager for Congress, the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court, implemented an Enterprise GIS to integrate their data across the full system. Previously, information was atomized across the AOC, which made finding accurate and up-to-date information and making quick decisions nearly impossible. Now, through a common infrastructure, end-users can easily see resources and data from all facilities and the flow of information is much more transparent. AOC is also focused on future solutions that allow staffers to make decisions or perform analysis on a desktop computer or on a mobile device.

To share the process in building the GIS, lessons learned, and best practices for using GIS technology, Esri is hosting the session, Facility Operations Management, at their annual Federal GIS Conference. Experts from AOC, Smithsonian Institution and UW Capital Projects Office will be discussing how their organizations used GIS to become more efficient, integrate data, and streamline processes.

The Esri Federal GIS Conference is the place to learn valuable skills and expertise to leverage GIS technology in your agency. The best part? Federal employees attend for free. It’s taking place February 25-27 in Washington, D.C. Check out more information below:

• Sessions include: technical sessions led by experts, user sessions focused on case studies and best practices, and Federal DevGeo sessions just for developers
• New ArcGIS for National Government sessions showcasing Esri’s comprehensive government solutions
• The Federal GIS Solutions EXPO featuring products and services from over 70 government solution providers
• Social events where you can collaborate with federal leaders, GIS professionals, and Esri staff

You can learn more and register here.

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