An example of using Portal for ArcGIS in your organization

This topic describes how Portal for ArcGIS can be leveraged in the structure of a typical organization on a regular business day.

9:30 a.m.

Randall, the GIS manager, meets with the organization's directors to discuss opening a new office at one of five potential properties in the region. The directors want a map that shows each property, along with some detailed information such as tax assessments, soil surveys, and local hazards. The directors tell Randall that they need a web map showing this information on the Portal for ArcGIS website because they'll be presenting this to the CEO, Linda, at the end of the day.

10:30 a.m.

Randall sends an email to Nicole, a GIS analyst, the details of the project and a CSV file of the property and tax assessment information. Nicole opens the CSV file and notices that there is address information for each property.

Instead of opening ArcMap to make a map, she drags and drops the spreadsheet into the Portal for ArcGIS map viewer. A map is created of the five properties along with the other data in the spreadsheet.

To make the map more attractive, Nicole configures a pop-up window for each property location and filters the information to display the statistics and tax information Randall specified in his email. Nicole knows that there are two other map services hosted on their internal ArcGIS Server that include local hazards and recent soil surveys of the properties. She adds these services to the map.

Nicole saves the web map and shares it with a group within the organization called Property Assessment. Randall and the directors are all members of this group. Nicole replies back to Randall's original email and includes a URL to the completed map.

1:00 p.m.

Randall returns from lunch and sees the email from Nicole. He opens the web map and reviews the content. It contains all the information the directors need. He inserts the web map into a PowerPoint slide using Esri Maps for Office. He then forwards the PowerPoint slide along to the directors for use in their meeting with the CEO.

3:00 p.m.

Linda steps into a meeting with the directors where they discuss a wide range of items, in which one of them includes property assessments for the new office location. In their PowerPoint, they go to a slide that displays a map of the properties along with the soil surveys and local hazards. One of the directors clicks the play button at the top left corner of the slide and the map transforms into a live web map.

As the director pans and zooms, Linda is able to see detailed local information for each property. After a few minutes, Linda determines that property number three is the best candidate for the new office location. The directors agree, and they move on to other items.

Summary

In the example above, Portal for ArcGIS allowed collaboration between GIS professionals and non-GIS professionals. The directors were able to communicate what information the map needed to contain and Randall and Nicole were able to provide a map in a meaningful medium to the directors. The directors were able to present this map to Linda, the CEO, where an informed decision was made. All of this was achieved in a single business day.