I am sometimes asked “In which area of ArcGIS do you see the biggest skill shortage?” My answer: ArcGIS business solution experts!

A follow up question from this response is often “What is an ArcGIS business solution expert?” Let’s explore in this blog post.

ArcGIS business solution experts

The GIS and intelligent maps industry is filled with people trained like myself. Technical folks. Programmers, ArcGIS administrators, analysts and the like. I learned GIS through developing Web applications; from MapObjects IMS to ArcIMS and onto ArcGIS. A fun journey. Then I was fluent in ArcGIS-tech-talk. Our own very special niche language. Stop there!

Niche language?

I use this term ‘niche’ often. The GIS and intelligent maps industry is in the process of very wide adoption, far beyond our traditional public sector and infrastructure niche. Banking, logistics, real estate, retailers, investment companies the list goes on. These are organization who lack ArcGIS trained staff, but have business problems in need of solutions. They all have ‘where’ questions.

So back to ArcGIS business solution experts. Using my (often used) house building analogy: if you are looking to have a house built do you first talk to a plumber or carpenter? No. You talk to a house solutions expert. Often that is an architect or designer. These are people who understand the house building process, they know every piece of the pie – from nothing to something. They help you get started and move you down the path.

Now I hear you ArcGIS experts say: don’t compare me to a plumber! But think about it. You are highly skilled at putting your piece in place: data preparation, set up and configuration, application development etc. Its your combined efforts which move problems to solutions. Just the same as house building.

GIS has many skilled ‘house builders’, but a desperate shortage of solution experts. These are folks who are problem to solution focused, those who can tease out the GIS story, can translate a need into a tangible solution path to pass onto those ‘building the house’.

The future success of ArcGIS and intelligent maps, as the technology enters the mainstream, hinges on the emergence of more ArcGIS business solution experts.

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