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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
International speakers address mapping upgrade seminar
Positional accuracy - further improvements in the pipeline
United Utilities and BT were among nearly 40 of Britain's leading utility and support companies at a Positional Accuracy Improvement (PAI) seminar hosted by Ordnance Survey.
As part of its commitment to data quality, Ordnance Survey is re-surveying rural towns currently mapped at 1: 2500 scale to the same accuracy as urban areas, and ensuring all large-scale mapping will be compatible with Global Positioning System (GPS) technology.
The Southampton meeting focused on how utilities can best harmonise their map data in line with the improvements to Ordnance Survey mapping and the advances in surveying techniques.
"The seminar gave electricity, gas, water and telecommunications companies the chance to share their experiences of working with digital data throughout the PAI process," says Nick Macready, Ordnance Survey's PAI Marketing Manager. "Delegates reviewed a variety of upgrade methodologies, and discussed business issues such as maintaining access to data while changes are being implemented. There is great benefit in learning from others' experience."
The reasons for PAI may vary, and there is already a lot of experience internationally. As well as hearing from British-based utility companies, the seminar provided a forum for sharing and comparing best practice from around the world. Delegates heard a presentation from the German multi-utility company Dortmunder Energie und Wasser (DEW), and there was also an opportunity for questions. DEW has recently completed its own PAI programme, which achieved dramatic time savings by using a semi-automated process to shift millions of features on its mapping database.
"It's crucial to manage the implementation from a GIS user's point of view," says DEW's Peter Wichert, "and to tell people about progress on a regular basis. We used weekly emails and a central wall map to make sure everybody knew what was going on." He went on to stress the importance of quality assurance, explaining how DEW's software supported on-screen visual checks for every object in the database.
A key feature of the seminar was the chance for delegates to see software solutions and talk to service providers exhibiting on the day. "It was a very valuable opportunity to exchange ideas with exhibitors and other utilities who are tackling PAI or similar problems," says Mark Wickstead, Technical Information Services Manager at Thames Water. "It has helped to focus our thinking around the business change aspects of PAI, as well as the technical options for tackling it."
Ordnance Survey's PAI programme is due to be completed by March 2006.
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