The Atlas case focuses on resources and their use.

The Atlas Case (in work)

Data Resource Management

  • The "horizons" for Atlas parallel those of DRM, namely protect, access, and leverage.

Reuse and repeatability

  • Atlas intends to maximize reuse of maps by standardizing areas and themes.

Services

  • Atlas intends to reduce existing and future requirements for community-related GIS services from King County while increasing the value of those services.
  • Atlas intends to increase King County‘s "local" capabilities to provide GIS services locally at minimal county expense.

Case Summary

The cost of GIS

GIS has been argued to be the most complex information system in existence today. Whether the "most complex" or not, GIS is still comprehensive enough to require, in many cases, special skills to access the data and special talents to produce information.

This simply means that GIS skills and talent are in relatively high demand. Coupled with the cost of creating these resources (e.g. education, software, experience, etc.) the skills and talents command relatively high salaries.

The Atlas Case focuses on the ways the program can minimize the cost needed to leverage these critical skills and talents.

The design objectives of reuse and repeatability are examples of this focus.