Moving 1000+ ArcGIS for Desktop Editor users to the Web
Morag Hawkins Forester Programme Manager
Tony FarndonTechnical Development Manager
IFOS
IFOS
Economic
IFOS
Economic
IFOS
Social
IFOS
Environmental
IFOS
Forester Desktop
Forester Desktop is a bespoke GIS software application
• Over 1200 desktop users
• Distributed architecture located in 16 Forest District offices across England and Scotland and 4 offices in Natural Resources Wales (NRW)
• Users edit and manage their own data using Forester
• Embeds business rules to ensure standard, consistent, accurate and timely data is collected and recorded
IFOS
Forester Desktop
Key Points
• Forester encompasses all of the FC business
• An intuitive solution allowing non-GI users to use GI
• 60%+ of all FC staff use this solution
• 85% of users see it as a critically important to their job
• We have delivered a truly enterprise GI system for the whole organisation
IFOS
Why move 1200 users to the web?
Business drivers for change
• We want a wider user base
• Our workforce is a mobile workforce
• We want a consistent view of GB data to the make best decision for the future of FC
• Future proof Infrastructure
IFOS
Key Principles
In developing a web editing application it was of paramount that the key principles of desktop editing were adhered to:
• Embedding rules to ensure standard, consistent, accurate data is collected and recorded across countries.
• Intuitive easy to use UI thereby enabling business users who own the data to manage the data.
IFOS
Forester Web Demo
Demo
IFOS
Efficiencies
• A truly flexible web application that is configurable by the FC without software development, thereby reducing future development costs.
• Available to all staff on the FC network with no requirement for specialist GIS desktop software, only a web browser, thereby significantly reducing support and infrastructure costs
• This enables staff to work at any location across the FC, thereby reducing travelling costs.
• Intuitive and easy to use, achieved by reducing complexity. No requirement for training.
• Potentially release cycles can be more frequent and deployed instantaneously across the FC. Change can be implemented at pace.
• Ultimately reduce hardware, software, support and maintenance.
Benefits
IFOS
Resilience
• Robust technology platform that will serve the FC well for the long term future business needs.
• Forester Web accommodates organisational change and through the provision of an application that can be easily configured, ported hosted, or provided as a service
Benefits