This is a common scenario.  A new user is attempting to do some fairly complex GIS.  The workflow of using GPS and then integrating it with an existing GIS is riddled with potential pitfalls that can trip up experienced GIS professionals.  Newbies without proper training or oversight can wreak serious havoc on an existing GIS.  I am a huge supporter of GIS training.  It’s what prompted me to pursue a career at ESRI as an instructor and what keeps me participating in ESRI’s Authorized Training Program as an independent GIS trainer.

Spatial data is complex.  There are many different formats — shapefiles, geodatabase, CAD, and many more — each with its own unique behavior.  Spatial data has to be properly georeferenced.  If it is not – as is all too common with spatial data – you need to know how to asess the problem and which tools will solve it.   Some spatial formats can be edited, some cannot.  You can convert some formats directly to your desired format while others require a bit more maneuvering.  Then there is the information about the accuracy of the data, how and when the data were collected, usage restrictions, and so on.  Oh, and let’s not forget about how to share the data with others.   Do you send the shapefile’s SHP, the layer file’s LYR, the MXD, or the entire geodatabase?  A GIS  professional needs to understand all of these issues.  These are just a few of the nuts and bolts of GIS.

Add GPS data collection to the workflow and you introduce a whole new toolbox full of more nuts and bolts.  Avoiding datum shift, applying differential GPS in the field or back in the office, converting data formats from your GPS format to your GIS, and so on.  GPS makes it very easy to go out and collect data for your GIS and it has become extremely popular for organziations to purchase their own GPS equipment and collect their own field data.  It is seemingly much cheaper to do it in-house than to hire a contractor.  Whether or not that is the case depends entirely on the training and skill of both the GIS manager and the GPS field workers.  I see too many emails like the one above for me to believe that organizations who do not invest in proper GIS & GPS training are really saving money.  They are running the risk of generating a whole lot of error-ridden data.

I’ve been helping organizations integrate GPS and GIS for years and I’ve identified the common pitfalls the GIS professional faces.  I am adamant in my training about educating GIS users how to avoid these pitfalls.  My Working with Coordinate Systems in GIS and GPS training CD addresses the  number one pitfall.  You can view a sample of the course here and order it by emailing training@geomattix.com.