Greg Babinski gave a presentation on using GIS (geographic information systems) to prospect for profits. GIS combines geographic theory, spatial analysis, and geospatial technology to help manage natural resources and communities on Earth's finite space. Studies have shown GIS provides significant ROI (return on investment) for organizations, such as delivering $776 million in net benefits for King County from 1998-2010. International reports also estimate the global geoservices industry generates $150-270 billion annually, comparable to the video game or airline industries.

1. Prospecting for Profits
with GIS
Northwest-Seattle Chapter of TDWI
June 3, 2015
Greg Babinski, MA, GISP
Finance & Marketing Manager
King County GIS Center
URISA Past-President
GIS Management Institute® Past-Chair
Summit Founder and Past Chief Editor
REI: 77528

2. What is GIS & what does a GIS do?

3. GIS combines geographic theory, spatial analysis, and
geospatial technology to help society manage the
Earth’s finite space, with its natural resources and
communities.
‘Geographic Theory?’
 Maps can represent the real world
 Space is finite, which gives property value
 Features are distributed systematically across the
earth’s surface
 Getting from point A to point B takes time, and time
is money

5. 5

6. GIS – Fool’s Gold – or Real ROI?

7. Assay offices are
institutions set up to
assay (test the purity of)
precious metals, in order
to protect consumers.
.
The U.S. Assay Office in Seattle
operated 1898 to 1955
But how do we assay the
value of GIS or of any
information technology?

8. 8
The Geospatial Revolution in King
County (2013): 4,600+ GIS Users
Cost to develop, implement, operate and use
KCGIS from 1991-2011: $215,216,830

9. AN ANALYSIS OF BENEFITS FROM USE OF
GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS BY
KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON
-Prof. R. O. Zerbe
http://tinyurl.com/kcgisroi
GIS delivers significant ROI for King
County:
$776 million in net financial benefits
from 1998-2010, and $87-180 million
in 2010 alone.

10. THE ECONOMIC
CONTRIBUTION OF
ORDNANCE SURVEY GB
(1999):
Oxford Economic
Research Associates Ltd

11. Spatial information in the New Zealand economy (2009):
ACIL-Tasman Consulting

12. The value of Danish GIS address data (2010): COWI A/S

13. The value of Spatial Information in the Australian
Economy (2008): ACIL-Allen

14. Google [in 2013] published an
Oxera report that estimates the
revenues from global Geo
services at $150 billion to $270
billion per year.
For context, these findings
suggest that this growing
industry is already larger than
estimates of the size of the video
game industry, and generates
around one-third of the annual
revenue generated by the airline
industry.

15. Canadian Geomatics
Environmental Scan and
Value Study (2015): ACIL-
Allen, ConsultingWhere,
Fujitsu, & Hickings Arthurs
Low

16. your data

17. What is GIS & what does a GIS do?

18. What is GIS & what does a GIS do?

19. For more information please contact:
Greg Babinski, MA, GISP
URISA Past-President
GIS Management Institute Past-Chair
Finance & Marketing Manager
King County GIS Center
(206) 477-4402
greg.babinski@kingcounty.gov
www.kingcounty.gov/gis