Customizing GIS Solutions for Local Governments: The InteractiveGIS Advantage

At the core of InteractiveGIS’s approach is the ability to customize everything – from interface design to data integration – ensuring that users get a streamlined experience. Unlike off-the-shelf GIS platforms, which can require significant manual adjustment, InteractiveGIS collaborates directly with county and local officials to understand their workflows, goals, and challenges. This level of customization extends to critical functionalities such as real-time data updates, property tax records integration, and automated reporting, making it a seamless fit for departments such as zoning, planning, and public works.

One of the most impressive aspects of our software is its ability to work across departments. Local governments often face the challenge of siloed data systems that don’t communicate well with one another. By using a custom-built GIS, all departments—from emergency response teams to environmental management—can access and share the same critical information, improving decision-making and operational efficiency.

In addition, these maps are user-friendly, requiring little technical expertise to operate. This accessibility empowers government staff at all levels to leverage sophisticated mapping tools without the steep learning curve.

Here are five specific ways that we have offered customization options for current clients:

1. Utility Work Order and Field Data Management: Created a utility work order and field data management module so that communication in a local public works department is seamless between field technicians providing assessment in areas such as water lines, gas lines, sidewalk and road maintenance and those that perform maintenance and manage projects.  The data is input on-site and the map module is shared collaboratively among public works team members to create efficient communication and allows for up-to-date status notifications.
   
2. Photo and Video Implementation to Boost Tourism: Implemented the ability for a county, town, or city to provide access to 360° photos as well as videos to promote tourism regarding recreational trails and natural resources in the region.  This feature benefits employees, as they can easily see a section of a trail for assessment, but also is a public-facing module that allows a user to catch a glimpse of recreational opportunities so that they can better plan their visit.  Please see last week’s blog for some in-depth detail on this concept.
   
3. Customized Task Management Systems: Modified a city, town or county’s work order module to provide a custom color-coded system for efficient and clear task management and communication.
   
4. Road Quality Assessment Module: Designed a visual component to the mapping system so that they could gain a first-step assessment to paving quality and determine if work orders need to be placed or maintenance needs to be scheduled to assure road quality and get ahead of problems before they start.
   
5. Mobile-Friendly Applications: Created fully customized mobile GIS applications for fieldwork. These apps enable employees to collect and update data on the go, such as road repairs, utility inspections, or environmental monitoring, with real-time syncing to central databases.

Here are some other customization ideas that could be implemented to meet your mapping needs:

• Advanced Data Visualization Tools: iGIS© could develop interactive dashboards that integrate various types of spatial and non-spatial data (e.g., demographic, economic, or environmental data) to allow local officials to perform scenario analysis or predictive modeling.

• Custom Alert Systems: For emergency management, iGIS could build custom alert systems tied to GIS data, notifying officials when certain conditions are met (e.g., flood zones at risk, infrastructure degradation, or traffic congestion).

• Integration with External APIs: Customizing iGIS to integrate with third-party APIs such as weather data providers, traffic management systems, or census data could add layers of real-time information relevant to operations.

• Custom Public Portals: iGIS could create highly customized public portals that provide interactive maps for citizens, allowing them to view real-time updates on everything from road conditions and construction projects to voting districts or recreational areas.

• Advanced Land Use Planning Tools: Customization to include zoning and land-use simulation models where planners can visualize future developments, simulate population growth impacts, or analyze the environmental effects of new construction projects.

• Specialized Permitting and Licensing Tools: iGIS could integrate custom workflows for permitting processes, allowing city, town, or county officials to streamline applications for building permits, licenses, or land-use changes. This could include features for public hearings or citizen feedback.

• Citizen Reporting Features: Developing a module that allows citizens to report issues directly (e.g., potholes, illegal dumping, damaged public infrastructure) via mobile or web-based GIS tools, linked to the government’s maintenance and repair workflows.

• Election and Voter Analysis Tools: Custom GIS modules that track voter turnout, manage polling stations, or visualize voter district changes could be developed to assist counties in election management and demographic analysis.

• Environmental Impact Assessments: Creating a tailored GIS solution to assess environmental impacts, such as watershed management, habitat preservation, or air quality tracking, with tools designed for local environmental regulations and sustainability goals.

For localgovernments looking to modernize and simplify their spatial data management, InteractiveGIS offers an unparalleled level of customization, making it the ideal partner for transforming public services through GIS. 

How about you?  What customization features would you like to see in your web GIS?  What needs can we help meet?  Contact us – we’d love to hear your ideas!