Raising the Profile of the Spatial Industry

Jose Diacono – Communica

Megan Stanley - Aurecon

Setting the scene

• Why are we here?• What we did• What we found out• What we recommend• Follow up

Survey 1 – Wider Community

Survey 2 – Aurecon Case Study

Why do we need to raise the profile?

Business Leaders

Politicians

Understanding

Appreciation

Attention

Attract new blood

(Skills Shortage)

Improvedecision making

Government/Business/

Community

Data Sharing/Licensing

Budgets

Data Quality/

Accuracy

Benefit/efficiency

of Application

Spatial

Survey–Wider Spatial Community

Sent out to SSSI distribution Our own contacts You can still fill it in

www.communica.com.au

Survey Questions

Is raising the profile important?

Who do we raise it with? What do you have

difficulty explaining? How do you get

connected/pool ideas? What successes have

you had? Who are you?

7%

93%

Yes

No

Who should we raise the profile with?

Very Important: 62% senior management 59% clients, 56% schools

What is hard to explain?

We stay connected through associations and conferences

Surveyors, GIS specialists, Project

Managers, ConsultantsTeachers

Image courtesy Pitney Bowes

What Helps?

Be relevant. Keep it simple and give real life examples

“ We need to better understand the value we can add from the users perspective, not our perspective”.

Show how we fit in

We cross so many boundaries We integrate knowledge Science, engineering, maths Solutions for Climate change Disease control “Just part of the greater continuum and

overlapping activity of multiple disciplines”. 

The words we use

“The title "Spatial" is a nonsense to most of the public.”

“Calling it Spatial is a mistake”

“Spatial Awareness: a term usually attributed to peoples ability to drive without collision!”

Everybody thinks "spatial" industry means rockets and space exploration.

“We deal with maps and location”

What do people search for in Google?

Case Study

Global network, global resources

Offices: 87

Countries: 28

Employees: 6 700

Raising the awareness of Spatial in Aurecon

Step 1 – Awareness Raising – Survey

Step 2 – Communication and Resources and Marketing

Step 3 – Add value to projects and end products for clients

Results of the Aurecon SurveyRespondents Role – Large Proportion Engineers and Business Leaders

67% wanted to know more

Over 70% regard Spatial Important to business

Results• 65% used Google Earth/ Google Maps as main spatial GIS resource in day to day business

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

GIS Analyst 

CAD/Drafter

Surveyors

World Wide Web

Google Earth

Google Maps/Streetview  

Whereis/ RACQ

UBD Hard copy Maps

GIS Softw are (eg. ESRI/MapInfo) 

GPS/Mobile Phone

Dont use GIS/Spatial resource or tools

Other  

Number of respondents

11%

4%

72%

12%1%

Canberra

Mosman

Neutral Bay

Newcastle

Parramatta

• 72% respondents were located in the Neutral Bay Office

Results

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Lunchtime seminars Presentations atMarket/Sector

Meetings

Intranet/GISInterest group page

Aurecon InternetWebpage

Training Courses inhouse

• Face to face communication was evident with lunch time seminars and training courses rated the most helpful communication source

Research

• AIIA, ACS• ICT Careers week• Department of

Industry – small business seminars

• Event organisers• Extreme Science &

STELR

Research

• www.destinationspatial.org

• Landmark magazine

• Youtube

• Geospatial revolution project

Recommendations

• Put our feet in their shoes

• Practical examples• Use their language• What is in the news?• Don’t get bogged in

technical detail• New media (youtube)

Recommendations

• Industry Associations and groups

• Piggy back on other initiatives

• Share, reuse & recycle

• Publicise what we already have– Destinationspatial.org for schools– Collect examples, articles, case studies– Make sure Google finds it – Link to other sites

Conclusions

Thirst for knowledge Look outwards Focus on the value “It is less about the profile of the spatial

industry and more about the importance of spatial data to an organisation. How spatial data can add value to current business outcomes.”

Conclusions

Thirst for knowledge Look outwards Focus on the value “Instead of trying to educate and impose some image of

'spatial', we should improve our ability to communicate with the world about what interests the world, and then quietly embed spatial, in situations where it is the right tool.

“Instead of trying to educate and impose some image of 'spatial', technologists in spatial should improve their ability to communicate with the world about what interests the world, and then quietly embed spatial, in situations where it is the right tool.

What now?

• Please talk to us

www.communica.com.au

Thank you&

Questions