What is Geographic Information?
A geographic information system, or GIS, consists of a computer system that both analyzes and displays geographic information by applying data from a specific location. The phrase was first coined in the 1960s by geographer Roger Tomlinson when he combined land-use mapping and early computer technology to develop the Canada Geographic Information System, the first computerized GIS in the world.
GIS Mapping
GIS mapping can be used to produce a visual representation for any number of different data sets. Some data examples include population, income, and education level; the sites of schools, businesses, and factories; and the locations of highways, city streets, and rural roads. By inputting this data into a GIS software system, you can get a real-world look at a specific area, which can then be used to determine the best areas for commercial development, where to build a new school or other municipal project, or what are the best routes for your fleet to use to help make your business even more efficient.
How Do Geographic Information Systems Work?
Using several diverse data sets, GIS takes this information and creates different layers using a specific location as the foundation. This can be an entire country, a state, a town or city, or even just a neighborhood. As most of the data inputted has some form of geographic component, the system can then create a visual map that displays the information in a way that is much more digestible, and it can even help in the decision-making process. GIS can help evaluate, estimate, and predict whether the area is right for a certain type of project, or even help interpret the data and offer an understanding that will possibly lead to greater insight into your current and future plans or projects. For a fleet, they can help you determine whether the routes you have chosen are the most effective, and whether you can even right-size your fleet to decrease costs and improve efficiencies.
Sources of Geographic Information System
While there are several sources of information that help contribute to GIS, on a regional, national, and global scale, this information comes in two forms — vector data and raster data. Vector data represent certain geographical features on the Earth’s surface, with attributes assigned to each one. They are composed of distinct geometric locations, or vertices, that determine the shape of the object. The most common example of this data is represented by Google Maps.
Raster data, on the other hand, is data that is represented by pixels or grids, where each section is connected to a specific geographical location. The value of the grid or pixel can represent something like elevation or land use, but it always represents a real-world feature.
Advantages of Geographical Information System
GIS has a number of advantages that can benefit fleets to perform more efficiently, reduce costs, and increase their overall business. By reviewing GIS data from a specific region in which a fleet does business, they can determine if their routes are being optimized by determining if a driver is having to backtrack to make certain deliveries. Fleet managers may also notice that two different routes overlap and can be combined into one.
GIS data can also help fleet managers identify traffic issues, including current and future road construction and closures, allowing them to keep drivers informed in real-time and helping them avoid delays. GIS data is also effective in deterring risky driver behaviors, including distracted driving and speeding, giving fleet managers the ability to coach drivers both along their routes and after they have finished their deliveries.
Disadvantages of Geographical Information System
For some fleets, including those with fewer vehicles, GIS technology can be seen as a costly investment. Applying GIS to your business takes time, as it requires time to input the data, which some fleets do not have. Also, if the system is not fully understood, fleet can sometimes make the wrong decision in terms of routing or purchasing more, or less, vehicles. This is why it is important to partner with a solution provider that can help you effectively implement the system.
The Future of Geographic Information Systems
The possibilities of applying GIS technology to your business are becoming limitless. As cars, trucks, and vans evolve, and connected vehicle technology becomes more incorporated in how companies do business, GIS will make even greater headway in improving business around the world. With autonomous vehicles going beyond testing and providing services in real-world environments, GIS can help support the further integration of this emerging technology, improving safety and increasing global acceptance.
How Does LifeSaver Mobile Supplement Geographic Information Systems?
GIS is core to routing software used by delivery fleets. LifeSaver Mobile, while not directly working with routing software, is within the same ecosystem as GIS as a distracted driving prevention technology in the fleet industry. While GIS makes last mile delivery more efficient, LifeSaver Mobile helps to make it safer with mobile distraction prevention behind the wheel for drivers.
