Geographic Information System
A geographic information system (GIS) uses computers and software to leverage the fundamental principle of geography that location is important in people's lives. It helps route delivery trucks and manage road paving. It helps marketers find new prospects, and it helps farmers increase production and manage their land more efficiently. GIS takes the numbers and words
from the rows and columns in databases and spreadsheets and puts them on a map. Placing your data on a map highlights where you have many customers if you own a store or multiple leaks in your water system if you run a water company. It allows you to view, understand, question, interpret, and visualize your data in ways simply not possible in the rows and columns of a spreadsheet. And, with data on a map, you can ask more questions. You can ask where, why, and how, all with location information on hand. You can make better decisions with the knowledge that geography and spatial analysis are included. GIS Is Part of Your World. If you flipped on a light switch today, chances are a GIS helped make sure the electricity was there to light up the room. If you drove down a highway today, chances are a GIS managed the signs and streets along the way. If you received a delivery today, chances are a GIS helped the driver find the way to your house. If you bought fresh vegetables today, chances are a GIS helped manage the land and calculate the fertilizer needed for the crop. If you looked at a map on the internet, chances are a GIS had a hand in that too. Whether you use GIS technology yourself or see its impacts indirectly, it is a technology at work today to make your world better.
