Service Offerings

Mission

The Geographic Information Systems Support Center (GISSC) is another term for the OGRIP office. This is more commonly used internally within state government. The GISSC broad mission includes the following functions:

• To assume a lead technical advisory role in DAS-OIT projects that require an in-depth understanding of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) data and/or technology
• To provide technical expertise in GIS databases and software on behalf of DAS-OIT
• To help state agencies develop GIS applications through technology transfer
• To provide operational support for the Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program (OGRIP)
• To offer production support to state agencies that have limited capabilities in GIS technology
• To develop enterprise applications and services (such as Enterprise Geocoding and web mapping applications) that benefit multiple state agencies
• To manage projects and programs that require a partnership between state, local, and regional GIS data users
• To offer data delivery services through an enterprise GIS data portal
• To promote GIS education and training.

Services

OGRIP services range from planning to operations. Our clients are generally other state agencies, although our program management responsibilities require interaction with the entire GIS community within the state, including the 88 county governments. In addition, we regularly work with representatives from federal agencies, regional planning groups, and the public at large.

Consulting

We offer a wide range of consulting services to organizations that have need for assistance in system planning, design, and development. Often, an agency might need some, but not all, of these services.

Planning

We help our clients create a vision of how they might deploy GIS technology, and what sorts of applications they might consider developing. Assistance might take one of the following forms:

• Providing an introductory, “GIS101” presentation to agency representatives
• Defining and estimating costs for systems, applications, and staff
• Preparation of feasibility studies
• Applications definition
• Implementation Planning

Design

Business processes drive the requirements for system design. GIS development always benefits from the careful creation of effective designs and specifications for system components. Support Center staff can help develop specifications for:

• Data
• Software
• Hardware

Development

Several members of our staff have been involved with system development projects. They advise organizations in the important areas of:

• System procurement and installation
• Data acquisition and development
• Data quality control/quality assurance
• Application design and development
• Web enabling and web interfaces
• Project management
• Training

Enterprise Software Licensing

OGRIP can help state agencies with Esri software licensing through either reviewing software you have and need or by hosting licensing for you to help realize license savings through shared software costs. Contact the OGRIP Help Desk for support. 

Help Desk

The Support Center staffs a GIS Help Desk to answer questions from the GIS community, general public, state, local and federal government agencies and the private sector.

• Complete ESRI software suite, including Desktop and Server software
• Precisely (Pitney Bowes) AddressBroker and Spatial - geocoding engine & spatial analysis
• Various other software packages

GIS Support Center Staff

Agencies wishing to procure services should contact the Support Center to schedule an initial meeting. The Support Center will work mutually with the agency’s staff to develop scope of services and document requirements to provide a clear and concise understanding of the agencies needs and expectations. The scope of services will also include anticipated costs and timeframe. A memorandum of understanding to carry out the scope of services will be approved by the agency prior to the actual commencement of any GIS services.

OGRIP Staff:

Operational Services

The OGRIP GIS Support Center provides operational support for online spatial services & solutions including:

• Internet Web Mapping Services and Application Hosting
• Enterprise Geodatabase – GIS Data Storage, Retrieval and Administration
• Enterprise Geocoding Services

We work in tandem with other OIT service areas to provide a complete solution including spatial data development and management, software and server administration, network connectivity, and storage solutions.

Internet Web Mapping Services and Application Hosting

The OGRIP office delivers dynamic interactive maps, spatial content and spatial analysis via web applications. Agencies can integrate their data through dynamic web mapping applications or directly into existing webpages. GIS is a decision support tool that integrates data from a variety of sources to be analyzed spatially and presented in the form of a map.

Web Mapping Services can be combined together or built in conjunction with the OGRIP Enterprise Geocoding Service to create a comprehensive web application to locate and display events, customers or agency assets on a map in a web browser.

Use of the Web Mapping Services also provides access to OGRIP's spatial data clearinghouse. This includes commercially licensed data for enterprise use by state agencies as well as local and federal government datasets. Among these datasets are:

• Location Based Response System (LBRS)
• Ohio Statewide Imagery Program (OSIP)
• Ohio 3D Elevation Program (3DEP)
• Municipal Boundaries 
• ZIP Code Boundaries
• TIGER/Census Geography (tracts, block groups, blocks)
• and many others

Advantages

Cost Savings –The customer will not need to procure, maintain, and support hardware and software to implement a standalone Internet mapping solution.

Economies of scale reduce customer costs. A larger number of customers generates a larger number of Internet Mapping application that reduce the cost for all customers

Experienced, Knowledgeable Staff – The customer will not need to hire and retain personnel to maintain the hardware infrastructure and software environment required for Internet mapping capabilities.

Consistency – Use of OGRIP's Web Mapping Services provide all agencies with access to the same base maps and data which provides consistent analysis and data collection results across all applications.

Current Customers

• Ohio Department of Public Safety (OIU)
• Ohio Department of Agriculture
• Ohio Geographically Referenced Information Program (OGRIP)
• Ohio Department of Administrative Services
• Ohio Treasurer of State
• Ohio Department of Commerce
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources
• Ohio Department of Homeland Security
• Ohio American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

Enterprise Geodatabase – GIS Data Storage, Retrieval and Administration

OGRIP maintains an Enterprise Geodatabase that can be utilized by any state agency. The data is stored in a GIS format within a Microsoft SQL database, allowing state of Ohio authentication and security while providing employees direct access to their data. Existing enterprise databases can either be scripted to extract transform and load (ETL) into the Enterprise Geodatabase or the data can be transferred and maintained directly in the OGRIP Enterprise Geodatabase at the customer’s discretion.
These databases can also be distributed as web services to be used in web mapping applications where data can be displayed as read-only or made editable with proper access control established so that clients can have the option to edit within the web mapping application or through desktop software directly in their enterprise database.

Advantages:

Cost Savings –The customer will not need to procure, maintain, and support hardware and software to implement an enterprise database solution.
Economies of scale reduce customer costs. A larger number of customers generates a larger number of enterprise databases that reduce the cost for all customers
Experienced, Knowledgeable Staff – The customer will not need to hire and retain personnel to maintain the hardware infrastructure and software environment required for database management capabilities.
Consistency – Use of OGRIP's enterprise geodatabase service provides agencies with access to a single dataset that can have multiple editors and viewers simultaneously, avoiding staff from having file-based copies of the data on local hard drives causing version issues and potentially negative decision making. Using a single source of authoritative data provides consistent analysis and data collection results across all applications.

Enterprise Geocoding Services

The GIS Support Center has implemented an Enterprise Geocoding Service that provides address standardization, address geocoding, and spatial analytical capabilities. This service utilize the AddressBroker system along with the Spatial+ module.

Features of the Geocoding Service

Address Standardization - Correct misspellings, incomplete or poorly formed addresses. Append +4 to ZIP Codes. Correct addresses at the point-of-entry to ensure good information is being captured. Scrub addresses in your existing databases before entering them into your Warehouse.

Geocoding – Assign the latitude and longitude to your customers. Determine the location of your customers or events.

Spatial Analysis – Analyze the location of your customers. Answer questions such as “What tax district does an address fall within?” or “Where is the closest location to renew a drivers license?”

Compatible with GIS – Put your customers on a map. Use the geocoded information in your GIS to analyze patterns and make informed decisions.

Customizable – Embed address processing into your existing applications. Access the Enterprise Geocoding Service through ActiveX, .NET, Java or C/C++ APIs. Available for real-time on-line or batch processing. Available for Web based applications.

Clients - Department of Taxation, Department of Public Safety/Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Department of Job and Family Services, Department of Health, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Administrative Services, Department of Commerce, Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services, Legislative Office of Education Oversight and Public Utilities Commission.

Geocoding Glossary

AddressBroker - An integrated address processing software product that provides address standardization, matching, geocoding, and spatial analytical functionality.

Address Elements - The components of a street address (house number, prefix direction, street name, street type, suffix direction, city, state and ZIP Code).

Address Geocoding - The process of assigning x and y coordinate values to a street address. An x and y coordinate value is assigned by interpolating a position on a street segment with address ranges. To perform this interpolation, AddressBroker compares the input address to the low and high addresses of a street segment and estimates the position.

For example, 150 Main Street is placed at the mid point and offset to the right of a segment of Main Street with addresses on the left ranging from 101 to 199 and addresses on the right ranging from 102 to 200. See illustration below. 175 Main Street is located approximately at the ¾ point offset to the left along the same street segment.

Address Matching - The process of comparing address elements that identify the same location but which are recorded in different lists. For example, customer addresses are compared and matched to addresses stored with AddressBroker.

Address Processing - The complete process of address standardization, address matching, and address geocoding. The result of address processing is a standardized and geocoded address.

Address Range - The street numbers running from lowest to highest along a street or street segment.

Address Standardization - The process of correcting address elements to meet U.S. Postal Service Standards. Poorly formed addresses, misspelled address elements, and ZIP codes will be corrected to meet specifications established by the U.S. Postal Service.

Coding Accuracy Support System (CASS) - Enables the Postal Service to evaluate the accuracy of address-matching software programs in three areas: 1) ZIP+4 delivery point coding, 2) carrier route coding, and 3) 5-digit coding. CASS allows vendors/mailers the opportunity to test their address-matching software and, after achieving a minimum percentage of accuracy, be certified by the Postal Service. However, CASS does not measure the accuracy of ZIP+4 delivery point, 5-digit ZIP, or carrier route codes in a mailer’s existing files. CASS enables mailers to measure and diagnose internally written, commercially available address-matching software packages. The effectiveness of service bureaus’ matching software can also be measured.

Geocoding Interpolation - The process of assigning x and y coordinate values to an event. Estimating an unknown value that falls between two known values.

Point-in-Polygon Analysis - Point-in-Polygon can provide answers to questions such as “Who is my State representative?” or “What taxing district do I live in?” Radial Analysis Radial Analysis is simply the distance between two geocoded addresses. This can be used to answer questions such as “Where are the 5 closest locations to get a fishing license?”

Spatial Accuracy - Refers to the locational accuracy of a feature such as a street, geocoded address, or jurisdictional boundary.

Spatial Analysis - The process of analyzing locational relationships between geocoded addresses or a geocoded address and a geographic feature such as a congressional district. Spatial analysis is performed with the Spatial+ module. Two types of spatial analysis can be performed within AddressBroker.

Spatial Data - Information about the locations and shapes of geographic features, and the relationships between them. Examples of spatial data include roads or streets, taxing districts, and geocoded addresses.

Transaction - A unit of interaction with AddressBroker. A transaction can include an address standardization and geocode, or it can optionally include a spatial lookup.