How to enable your spatial data flow?
Data flow is like a river; it may have several sources, it can cross through several points and it usually pours into a larger body in the end. We think that monitoring these streams and enabling them to flow as seamlessly as possible is very important. Opening data from silos and breaking down barriers along the flow will eventually lead into better data and information for the whole society.
Data flow is like a river; it may have several sources, it can cross through several points and it usually pours into a larger body in the end. We think that monitoring these streams and enabling them to flow as seamlessly as possible is very important. Opening data from silos and breaking down barriers along the flow will eventually lead into better data and information for the whole society.
But why are we talking about this? We have a few key ideas on how to make the data flow better. Enable your data to be used by all stakeholders, make sure there are no barriers for utilization and better knowing the usage.
- Enable the usage of your data in every corner
- Even in the term data flow it is implied that the data could be used throughout the flow. Let your data be used “at its source” and let different stakeholders choose at which state they use the data – Some might want the “raw information” directly from the source and some others might want refined data in visualized or enriched form.
- Break the barriers of usage
- Is your data mostly open data, and if not, why? We could have a whole discussion about the benefits of open data, but in the end it boils down to the fact that it does not affect your organisation negatively if you offer data (flow) openly. It usually brings benefits beyond what your organization was originally capable to offer. Also, in case your data is commercial, how easily it can be utilised is in many cases crucial.
- Know your usage
- To enable a better flow of data, you should know how your data is used. Which data layers are used the most, from where your data is being fetched from (a.k.a referrer) and should you focus on improving certain aspects of your services?
