Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/1313392
31 | GEOSPATIAL STRATEGY ESSENTIALS FOR MANAGERS MATTHEW LEWIN of entirely new business opportunities. This strategy is appropriate for mature organizations that recognize a unique role for geospatial technology at the edges of the business. This type of strategy requires a commitment to innovation, often including dedicated resources to advance the research and development of new solution opportunities. Implementing out- of-the-box technology is unlikely to move the needle in this strategy. The focus is on applying geospatial analysis in unique ways to existing or future business challenges. When done successfully, an innovation strategy can become an exciting and new source of sustainable advantage. Key Tactics • Technology: Research and identify strategic business capabilities and opportunities; develop solution offerings that drive growth in key business areas or create sustainable advantages enterprise-wide; focus on technology and data best practices that promote innovation and collaboration, including elastic computing infrastructure, rapid application deployment tools and open data sharing and access • People: Acquire or develop talent educated in advanced spatial and data science analytics; establish partnerships with innovation partners and higher education • Processes: Promote broad spatial literacy through initiatives designed to create geospatial awareness, promote cross- department and public collaboration, and generate a culture of innovation and exploration 6. Aggressively Scale Up Geospatial Capabilities If Archetype Five is the most aspirational, then Archetype Six is the most transformational. Growth-focused organizations need all the help they can get. If low geospatial maturity is the status quo, a prudent strategy is to scale up aggressively to keep pace with the business. This is a time for bold moves. Incremental improvements will be insufficient and delays will cause the business to grow weary from the lack of tools and support. This strategy intends to rapidly grow capabilities in high-need areas, align to pre-existing digital transformation initiatives and improve spatial literacy at all levels. Key Tactics • Technology: Prioritize quick-win solutions that align with existing digital transformation initiatives or growth opportunities identified by the business; direct funding toward technology and data infrastructure improvements that support rapid deployment of quick-win solutions • People: Prioritize the acquisition and development of talent that can support the quick-win solutions; in parallel, build out an innovation function tasked with exploration and identification of high- growth opportunities • Processes: Promote successes broadly; align support processes with IT practices; establish robust governance processes to support the expected growth of and demand for the geospatial platform Remember, archetypes are a starting point to a strategy, not an end result. It may be that no one archetype perfectly fits your situation. That said, in most cases, you'll find they serve as a useful template to help get you on your way with building your geospatial strategy. By understanding where the realities of business and geospatial intersect, you can more easily develop and implement a geospatial strategy that fits the bill.