Risks in the Geospatial Industry Sector

Introduction

Almost every department is related with some hazards that generally have a negative impact on the company. It is therefore critical to frequently examine the risk of a certain field in order to know how to manage the risks and employ the best ways to attempt and control a widespread risk. In the case of risk analysis, a contingency plan is employed to limit harm. Risk analysis is a component of risk management. The process of detecting a risk can be described as risk management. The measurement assists the management or the people in charge to be able to know what kind of a task they are up to and the best action to take for the kind of risk. Analytics and Modern Warfare, Risk Management (Taillard, 2014 p 139-151).Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) is an approach that assists one to manage the risk in whatever field one is dealing with. A Governance, Risk and Compliance Capability Model Red Book 2.0, (Batenburg, 2014).

Geospatial Technology in Government Agencies

Government agencies that take part in doing research work employ geospatial technology to look for information, store the data acquired and also to manage the already gathered information. Some of the Geospatial technologies include Global Positioning System (GPS), various satellite systems that measure angles and distances of navigation and those others that carry out light detection and ranging tasks (LIDAR), remote sensing and other satellite and aerial imaging. Location-based services (LBS) and computer-aided design (CAD) and the Geographic information systems are also other technologies in this sector. (Batenburg, 2014).

The sector is inclusive of carrying out research work, improvements to the technical services, and other applications that address planning, decision making and conducting operations for the government or private companies. Geomatics products differ regarding the levels of accuracy where there is consumer grade, resource grade, and the survey grade.

Applications of Geospatial Technology

Geospatial technology is used in very many organizations and also in industries where professionalism is key. In fields such as oil and gas transportation and planning of land and its usage, it is best applicable. In other areas such as human geography, forecasting, geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) and crowdsourcing, geospatial is also important.

In our current world, GIS is being used in very many fields in either application organizations or industries. In a research conducted in 2013, almost 770 million smartphones had been installed with GPS and GNSS sensors by then, and this number is still increasing daily. New applications have grown as a result of the use of GPS and GNSS. Location and the spatial information play a very important role in analyzing and also to visualize data. Geospatial technology is used in very many fields, and this has created advancements in the computer science and technology and has overgrown and been made accessible to almost every country and every individual. (Batenburg, 2014).

Risks in the Geospatial Industry Sector

Just like any other field, the Geospatial Industry sector also experiences risks and challenges. It is important to understand the risks associated with the various departments that are in the Geospatial department, conduct an analysis and finally come up with management tools with the risks encountered. In the very many fields of Geospatial, various risks are encountered. In this research work, we are going to discuss ways of managing risks and also the role of the risk management in those fields.

In various countries, there is a different use of Geospatial technology which differs according to the type of activity that an organization or an industry deals with. Taking India as a case study, agriculture, telecommunication services, forestry, the safety of the public and infrastructure depend so much on this technology. The government of India assists the geospatial department in its strive to fulfill the objectives and boost all those services and departments. Some of those objectives are to raise awareness among the residents of the country and encourage the use of geospatial technologies. To generate good decisions, to collaborate with the Indian government and address various political issues and also to facilitate a platform for all stakeholders to ensure that there is a strengthened mechanism among the government and the industries that are in that country.

The GDP of India has risen greatly due to the use of the technology in the sectors of agriculture, industrialization and also in other organizational services. In future, it is expected that they will continue increasing as the use of the technology is being used not only in the three fields but also in almost every department. India is ranked as one of the countries that took this geospatial system for a long period usually a decade from now. The system is used in industries and countries that conduct activities of analysis of demography, expansion and also risk management among several others.

The country faces several challenges, but with the risk management, most of the risks are controlled. Some of the challenges that the growth of the GIS face includes lack of enough workforce and unskilled personnel to handle the geospatial technologies, unreliable and inefficient policies governing the geospatial projects in certain areas. And also lack of a smooth means of acquiring and sharing of data, security of data and also that of the systems used is also a challenge or a risk that need to be addressed. Asian countries also produce geospatial systems and therefore pose competition to the Indian systems. The listed challenges act as risks that are encountered by the organizations and industries that are in India. However, with the development of the country plus the assistance of the government, the Indian has come up with efficient and reliable ways of managing risks. They are discussed below.

Strategic Controls to Minimize Risk

Central and State governments greatly support the geospatial sector, and it helps them achieve their goals. From its developed Information Technology sector and complex programs, India offers the best infrastructure and expertise in the data collected for the geospatial field. It is of great importance to recognize the fact that the government has a great take in the working of the system and that which assists the sector then quality products and services are expected.

There are more than 35 learning institutions that have been set up with the aim of providing degree and diploma classes for people taking studies in Geospatial Industry. According to the Industry outlook on Industry that was conducted in 2011.

The Geospatial Sector in India is expected to continue rising simply because the government continues to assist them in improving their services. Through the policies set by the government, they can boost their services through good management of risks. National Map policy of 2005 is one policy that has provided an innovative approach and is useful because it deals with the security issues that might emerge in the country. The Defense Series Maps used are meant to cater to the demands of civilians and for security agencies. (Soni, 2009). It has helped greatly to ensure that there is continued security and that the people do not have to fear to establish Geospatial systems due to insecurity purposes. Through the policy, they are now able to venture into the field with full confidence, and it helps to improve their facilities.

Remote Sensing Data Policy of 2011 was established with the aim of assisting one in acquiring data through the use of sensors, and it leads to the increased development of activities and also the spread of data all over the country hence ensuring that data is accessed by a large population of people. It is really sad for one to come up with a system that does not get services to the intended people. It is, therefore, encouraging that the government of India sets a policy that enables a wide spread of data such that people will no longer have to fear about setting up a system that does not get to the intended clients. Indian Geospatial Market Report (Soni, 2009).

Role of Risk Management

In a publication done by Luiz A. Manfre and others, an analysis of geospatial technologies for risk management outlines the use of spatial data as an important thing in the process of risk management. Because the remote sensors are used broadly in various fields, the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) are important features that are used in the risk and disaster management. The two techniques are used to conduct an analysis of the remote sensing Information and also allow the process to be fully implemented and ensure that the standards of the systems are weighed and found out to be according to the users wants. The use of Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) is used to detect the transport networks and uses the information to come up with an analysis of the routing schemes and reduce the response time to curb the risks and the disasters that might be encountered. (Luiz, Manfre and others, 2012).

Data sharing systems that are based on the web also play a great role in the risk management. Spatial data is used in collaboration with other technologies to enhance good decision making. There is usually the challenge associated with the data sharing system of establishing technologies and also getting reliable personnel that will be able to run the systems. Spatial Disaster Infrastructure (SDI) is a reliable way of curbing the challenges that are faced of technology and also labor. SDI facilitates the development of risk assessments to ensure that the damage or the risks are minimized. The use of SDIs helps to create the technology for web-based access to spatial information through organizations’ involvement as the main stakeholders for producing, updating, and also to maintain the required spatial datasets. SDI is a key element that facilitates decision making which is a way of risk management. (Luiz, Manfre and others, 2012). There is an example of an initiative established by the European Commission whose aim was to promote easy access of geo-information and also implement policies of the European Union. In general, the Spatial Data Infrastructure facilitates and coordinates a smooth exchange of data and also enhances data sharing. Geospatial Technologies for Good Governance, (2011).

A volunteered Geographical Information (VGI) is also a third way to ensure a good way of risk management. The effectiveness of technology is determined by its ability to allow easy communication and also prevent time wastage. It is, however, important to promote preventive measures, for instance, those of investment of resources, conducting training and coordination of government and also the shareholders such as companies and industries. There is a study case of a disaster that happened in Australia in (February 2009) where volunteers came out in large numbers during the fires in the States of Victoria. The volunteers mapped the fires online with dots in the Google maps API. They were linked with several characteristics of status, type, size, name, and others. It is a good example illustrated of managing disaster or risks through a third party involvement.

A different case is that of Brazil where there were volunteers who mapped websites like the Wikimapa, Wikicrimes and Open Street Map. The mapping technology was used after there was an occurrence of the landslides which had affected the southern region. Geospatial Systems should also work to ensure risk management in the different fields because it helps to prevent loss because the surrounding environment is set ready to help in case of misfortune.

The three methods that are described exclusively explain how best we can manage risks that are associated with the Geospatial Systems in different industries or organizations. It is necessary for one to weigh the already discussed remedies and come up with the best option that applies to the field that one is dealing with.

Geospatial Measurements

From the already discussed information on the Spatial Information Technology, a large amount of spatial data is attained from various sources which have different measurements. Many measurements scales are recognized as key research units in Geography. It is important to study the process of integrating data effectively. There is a difference between the two types of spatial scales. On is entirely concerned on the scales that are used in the measurements and the other is concerned with scales of spatial variation where data is available. The two types of spatial scales are dependent on each other and are almost similar. Geographic reality is observed from a spatial sampling framework to produce spatial data, and so the after results will be a version of the reality version. Geospatial Technologies for Good Governance, (2011),

The spatial sector has continually been active in large part of very many countries’ economy and continues to transform many countries from low rated to top countries. Australia is a good example of a country that has had very many opportunities as a result of the spatial system. It has enabled the country to have developed technological systems, a good integration of the spatial technologies and also to expand the focus of services provided by the spatial industries among other infrastructures.

It is necessary to evaluate the sampling framework and the process of measuring taking into consideration the sampling coverage and the spatial resolution. The spatial sampling is used exclusively in the process of measuring and provide the basis for examining scales in various measurements.

Development of geospatial standards offers the major shareholders independence in discussing the various issues either related to health or business. It is done by identifying information that exists in an organization or a firm and reduces people copying or using the same efforts to have the targeted data sets. It is also important to share out the benefits of the work that one is doing. The Open Geospatial Consortium created a Business Value Committee (BVC) which brought together management and other top officials with the aim of promoting the business value of geospatial standards. (Taillard, 2014).

Issues related to Risk Management

There are several issues relating to the risk management problems some which will continue evolving in the future. They are those that are experienced in very many organizations or firms.

Lack of a good structure for decision making. In very many organizations, the top management officials are the ones who make decisions and especially when it comes to critical matters. They normally come up with solutions even without consulting the rest of the employees or workers in an organization. They might go for right decisions or wrong decisions. When they come up with wrong decisions, they affect almost everyone in the organizations. Therefore, important to come up with a body of maybe a certain number of people whose duty will be to make decisions. Therefore, this will assume a scenario of making wrong decisions, and if they happen, they will also be minimal. The management of the Geospatial Sector can also interfere with decisions making. Hence hindering performances of very many activities performed in a company or industries. (Batenburg, 2014).

Lack of a meaningful process of assessing risks. A meaningful process ensures that the process of identifying risk has its focus is to achieve the goals of the organization. Then, the best alternatives should be used as a control on the management of risks identified. A good strategy for assessing risks will ensure an efficient allocation or risk mitigation resources and might also save money. Every department should ensure that the process of assessing risks is focused on the main goals of an organization.

Lack of an open and a risk-ware culture. The executives in business need to form a culture of transparency so that this will build down to the last worker. This culture will ensure that all risks are identified so that the right measures can be taken.

Management of Different Fields

KPMG is a good example that gives a summary of the strategic, operational and external risks that a risk management should look at keenly. Some work in general for almost every organization.

Strategic level

Cases of fraud and other forms of misconduct should be monitored in firms. The employees, employers and even the stakeholders should on a personal level try to reduce those activities putting them in those risks.

Operational level

Technology risk management. Due to the risk associated with the technology in many organizations, many businesses have come up with an (ITRM). The geospatial sector has absorbed this process and is being used exclusively. The function of the system is to manage and also to monitor the risks that are associated with the technology. (Taillard, 2014). Third party management entails the interaction between the governments and companies and is the main factor to the growth of the supply chains in organizations. It is therefore advised that a company identifies the activities that are putting them to risk and what solution to take.

External risks

Executive officers should also ensure that their companies’ have a structure of dealing with the crisis. In case of an occurrence of a crisis, how quick a company is to respond to whichever kind of a crisis it is. A setting can also be done to choose the best person to give the contract. On data security, companies are today connected to more organizations, and it is the work of the Chief risk officers (CRO) to monitor. (Batenburg, 2014). The CROs should also give their customers or partners trust. It is equally important that the companies should have a mechanism to understand the regulations and directions on monitoring, testing, and other activities.

References

Batenburg, (2014).Analytics and Modern Warfare, Risk Management. A Governance, Risk and Compliance Capability Model. Red Book 2.0.

Future U.S Workforce for Geospatial Intelligence (2013) Emerging Areas of Geospatial Intelligence, p35.

Geospatial Technologies for Good Governance, (2011), Federation House, New Delhi (http://ficci.com/past-Events-page.asp?evid=20814).Indian Geospatial Market Report (2009).

Luiz A. Manfré ,Eliane H., Janaína B. S, Eduardo J. S, Mariana A. G, Ana Paula C. Larocca and José A. Quintanilha (2012). An Analysis of Geospatial Technologies for Risk and Natural Disaster Management.

Soni, (2009).Indian Geospatial Market Report.

Taillard. M, (2014). Analytics and Modern Warfare, Risk Management. P 139-151.