AIQoD :Articles by: Shailaja G
CategoriesTechnology
byShailaja G

Decoding Geographic Information Systems: A Comprehensive Dive into How They Operate

What is GIS?

87% of respondents from a survey believe that GIS is extremely important or significant for their firms, indicating that GIS is crucial to their operational procedures. Given that we anticipate that the readers of this journal are already familiar with the numerous uses for GIS across a wide range of industries.

Geospatial information systems (GIS) have completely changed how we gather, examine, and display spatial data. In this blog post, we will delve into the world of GIS, exploring its impressive statistics, the challenges it faces, and the numerous advantages it brings to various industries.

Importance of Spatial Data:

Location-Based Insights: Spatial data adds a critical dimension to information by tying it to specific locations on the Earth’s surface. This enables a better understanding of how geographic factors influence various phenomena.

Decision-Making: Many decisions have a spatial component, whether it’s determining the optimal location for a new store, identifying areas prone to natural disasters, or planning transportation routes. Spatial data helps in making informed decisions.

Problem-Solving: GIS mapping aids in solving complex problems by analysing patterns and relationships in spatial data. This is particularly useful in fields such as urban planning, environmental management, and public health.

Visualization: Maps are powerful tools for visualizing complex data. By displaying information spatially, patterns and trends become easier to identify and comprehend.

Communication: Maps are universally understood, making them an effective means of communicating information to various stakeholders, including policymakers, communities, and the public.

Predictive Modelling: Spatial data can be used for predictive modelling, helping to anticipate future trends or events based on historical patterns and relationships.

Future Trends in GIS Mapping:

The field of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping is continuously evolving, driven by advancements in technology and new ways of collecting, analysing, and visualizing spatial data. In this section, we’ll explore three exciting future trends that are shaping the landscape of GIS mapping: AI and Machine Learning Integration, Real-time GIS and Internet of Things (IoT), and Augmented Reality in Mapping.

  1. Work order and asset management
  • Field techs and office staff can analyse key GIS data on their mobile app to stay updated on crucial location-based notifications. 
  • The position of field technicians and client addresses is provided by GIS, making the construction of field maps and call responses simpler. 
  • With location-based updates, incidents can be identified and reported considerably more quickly. The status of work orders can be simultaneously updated for managers, which can assist them in reallocating the nearest resources.  
  • Enhances asset upkeep by making it simple to access assets, attribute data, and equipment tracking. 
  • Managers can effectively find and create work orders using interactive maps. The maps can also have annotations added to them, and they can be joined to work orders.
  • By locating widely dispersed equipment, preventive maintenance and inspection of it can be efficiently planned. 
  • Productivity per resource can be significantly increased by combining fieldwork assignments through task groupings in specified geographic locations.
  1. AI and Machine Learning Integration:

Automated Analysis: AI and machine learning algorithms are being integrated into GIS to automate complex spatial analyses. These algorithms can identify patterns, detect anomalies, and predict trends from large datasets, enhancing decision-making.

Image Analysis: AI can analyse satellite and aerial imagery to classify land cover, detect changes over time, and identify objects of interest like buildings or roads.

Routing Optimization: Machine learning can improve routing algorithms by considering real-time traffic data, historical patterns, and user preferences, leading to more efficient navigation.

Benefits:

Faster and more accurate analysis of large and complex spatial datasets.

Improved predictive modelling for various applications, such as urban growth and environmental changes.

Enhanced mapping of dynamic phenomena like disease outbreaks and traffic patterns.

  1. Dashboard:

A GIS (Geographic Information System) dashboard is a visual representation of geographic and spatial data in a user-friendly and accessible format. It typically displays data on a map along with charts, graphs, and other visual elements to provide a comprehensive view of geographic information and trends. Creating a GIS dashboard involves integrating various layers of spatial data and non-spatial data to generate meaningful insights for decision-making.

Benefits: 

GIS dashboards provide a visual representation of complex geographic and spatial data, making it easier to understand patterns, trends, and relationships.

Admin dashboard that enables role-based user creation, so you can ensure that everyone on your team has the access they need to do their job.

SMS or Email notification for any task assignments/alerts as required

  1. Real-time GIS and IoT:

Data Streaming: Integrating real-time data from Internet of Things (IoT) devices provides continuous updates on various environmental and urban parameters, enabling dynamic mapping and analysis.

Situational Awareness: Real-time GIS allows emergency responders to monitor events as they unfold, aiding in disaster management, tracking assets, and coordinating responses.

Smart City Applications: Real-time data from sensors and devices can be used to optimize traffic flow, manage waste collection, and monitor air quality, contributing to the development of smarter cities.

Benefits:

Timely decision-making based on current, accurate data.

Enhanced ability to respond to dynamic events and emergencies.

Improved management of urban services and infrastructure.

  1. Augmented Reality in Mapping:

Interactive Visualization: Augmented reality (AR) technologies enable the superimposition of digital information into the real world, enhancing the visualization of spatial data on mobile devices or AR glasses.

Field Data Collection: AR applications can assist field workers by overlaying relevant information on their view, such as utility lines or property boundaries.

Public Engagement: AR can provide immersive experiences for public participation in urban planning projects, allowing stakeholders to visualize proposed changes in real-world contexts.

Benefits:

Enhanced understanding of spatial relationships and data through interactive visualizations.

Improved accuracy in field data collection and navigation.

Engaging and informative public engagement in urban planning and development.

Advantages:

Informed Decision-Making: GIS provides a visual and spatial context for data, enabling better decision-making. Urban planners can use GIS to analyse traffic patterns, healthcare professionals can map disease outbreaks, and businesses can identify ideal locations for new stores.

Resource Management: Industries such as agriculture, forestry, and water resource management benefit from GIS by optimizing land usage, monitoring crop health, and tracking resource distribution.

Emergency Response: GIS plays a crucial role in disaster management by helping emergency responders identify affected areas, allocate resources, and coordinate rescue operations effectively.

Environmental Conservation: GIS aids environmentalists in tracking deforestation, monitoring wildlife habitats, and assessing the impact of climate change. This information is vital for developing conservation strategies.

Infrastructure Planning: Urban planners use GIS to design infrastructure projects, such as roads and utilities, by analysing existing infrastructure, traffic patterns, and population density.

Summary

The future of GIS mapping is characterized by the integration of cutting-edge technologies that enhance analysis, visualization, and decision-making. As AI, real-time data, and augmented reality continue to shape the field, GIS professionals and enthusiasts have exciting opportunities to innovate and create solutions that address complex spatial challenges across various industries. These trends are not only transforming how we interact with spatial data, but also unlocking new insights that drive sustainable development and better-informed decision-making.

CategoriesIgnite Time Management
byShailaja G

How to Manage Time, Instead of Time Managing Us !!! – Part 6

Welcome to Part 6 the last part of the six-part series on “How to Manage your Time, Instead of Time Managing Us “.

In the previous parts, we have explored how “Staying Healthy”, “Planning the Day”, “Managing the Daily Tasks”, Staying Motivated” & “Discipline” can help us in Manage our Time effectively. In this final part, let us all evaluate what worked and what didn’t for each one of us…..

6 .  Checkpoint

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CategoriesIgnite Time Management
byShailaja G

How to Manage Time, Instead of Time Managing Us !!! – Part 5

Welcome to Part 5 of the six-part series on “How to Manage your Time, Instead of Time Managing Us “.

In the previous four parts, we have explored how “Staying Healthy”, “Planning the Day”, “Managing the Daily Tasks” & Staying Motivated” can help us in Managing our Time effectively. In Part-5, we will discuss about “Discipline”.

5 . Discipline

Self-discipline is an art of getting yourself to take actions irrespective of your mental state

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CategoriesIgnite Time Management
byShailaja G

How to Manage Time, Instead of Time Managing Us !!! – Part 4

Welcome to Part 4 of the six-part series on “How to Manage your Time, Instead of Time Managing Us “.

In Part 1 ,2 & 3, we have explored how “Staying Healthy”, “Planning the Day” & “Managing the Daily Tasks” helps us in Managing our valuable Time. In Part-4, let’s understand how “Staying Motivated“ is important

4.  Staying Motivated

To be able to stick to our plan, it is important that we also stay motivated until the time the task is complete. Staying motivated need, a lot of work on self. We cannot depend on external factors to keep ourselves motivated and expect to be happy and motivated throughout. We have to have a very good self-control and a strong will power to be able to manage our motivation.

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CategoriesIgnite Time Management
byShailaja G

How to Manage Time, Instead of Time Managing Us !!! – Part 3

Welcome to Part 3 of the six-part series on “How to Manage your Time, Instead of Time Managing Us “.

In Part 1 & Part 2, we explored how “Staying Healthy” & “Planning the Day” helps us in Managing our Time. In Part-3, lets explore how to “Manage the Daily Tasks”. 

3.      Managing the Daily Tasks

Once planning and prioritization is done, the next important activity is to make sure we are able to manage the tasks in the given timeline. Else, the entire planning effort goes waste.

 

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CategoriesIgnite Time Management
byShailaja G

How to Manage Time, Instead of Time Managing Us!!! – Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of the six part series on “How to Manage your Time, Instead of Time Managing Us “.

In Part 1, we explored how “Staying Healthy” helps us in Managing our Time. In Part-2 , we will dig deep into “ Planning the Day” 

2.     Planning the Day

This is the most critical step to achieve your day’s goal. Planning has to be good to make sure we are satisfied with our accomplishments at the end of the day.

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CategoriesDocument Digitization
byShailaja G

5M’s of Document Digitization

Documents are part of every organization in one or the other form and handling/processing them become a cumbersome task when they are in bulk and when there is a huge number of documents to be processed manually.

Usually, an organization encounters the following major problems while dealing with its documents:

1. Manual Errors

It is a common proverb that says “To err is to human”. Manual errors are a part of documents whether are missing document entries, misplacing documents, typing errors, or errors with digits in financial documents leading to losses. These result in rework to find and rectify the error caused and usually gets unnoticed due to the workload and is realized only when the error can’t be corrected. It is the most common problem encountered by staff members which is tiring, and time-consuming and is also responsible for about 62 percent of the cost being incurred by organizations for labor.

2. Managing Inefficiencies

Efficiency in simpler terms is a ratio between the output and input. To improve efficiencies organizations usually tend to decrease their input as much as possible to reap the maximum output. But in the case of documents the scenario is worse, due to the number of documents generated daily, it is not only time-consuming but also laborious to manage the efficiency.

Other than this the type of information to be used from structured or unstructured sources makes the process more complicated and adds delay and further decreases the efficiency.

3. Maintaining Audit Trail

Auditing is a process that helps in matching the to and from the movement of information in any kind of document. It is not as simpler as it seems in the previous sentence as it includes the individual matching the information on all the documents from where it has been used from. For example, in the case of Invoices- the manual invoice is to be matched with the Purchase Order (PO) and the Goods Receivable Note (GRN) to reconcile the entries and release the payments. But as the example states, the more the number of items in the invoice as well as the invoices generated/ received by any organization daily/weekly/monthly the job becomes more complicated, prone to errors and inaccuracies, and hard to deliver within the stipulated time.

4. Manual Data Entry

Data Entry is a kind of job wherein an individual manually sits and enters the information on the documents in paper format in the ERP or other financial documents of the organization so as to ease the processing. But since it is being entered manually field by field, item by item, etc. by the individual the chances of typing errors, fields being missed and entries in wrong fields are common. These account for about tons of information being approved by top authorities and consumes too much time as well to digitize the information on the paper prone to errors and decreased accuracy.

5. Meeting Deadlines

The documents usually in the form of invoices, contracts, bills, etc. are to be processed within a given time limit to be realized in the systems as well as for payments to be carried out. The increased workloads, busy schedules, and delays in approval leads to lost opportunities and tarnish the relationship between the stakeholders of the organization. Another challenge is the uneven workload and too much load during the last few days of the month-end or quarter-end or filing process.

Are you fed up with these M’s? Then it is time for your organization or business to consider automating the document digitization process to eliminate the errors, save time and improve your overall efficiency and accuracy.

For more information, contact us for a demo at info@AIQoD.com

CategoriesChallenges
byShailaja G

Why Documentation in BFSI sector is not a challenge anymore?

Apart from government agencies, employees working in banks & other financial institutions have to adhere to the enormous amount of rules & regulations when it comes to managing information.

Information also includes the confidential data that is maintained on the bank’s servers, as well as documents that are submitted by customers & businesses that have some kind of working relationship with the bank.

Document ‘Identification’ & ‘Maintenance’ – A growing challenge for Banks & other Financial Institutions

As per a report, Identity of Client (bank accounts opened with names similar to other established business entities, false identification documents, etc.) is one of the most important factors that can make or break the reputation of a bank. Employees have to deal with a significant amount of paperwork, though financial institutions are trying their best in order to keep the costs of maintaining these paper documents under control. Take the case of maintaining the documents submitted by a new customer at the time of opening a new bank account. There is a significant amount of data from the account opening form that needs to be fed to the back-end system and any error caused by the  manual entry can result in loss of business, indirectly impacting the ‘client satisfaction index’. As banks have to adhere to a lot of regulatory and compliance standards, maintaining documentation for compliance is also a big task. Irrespective of the nature of the documents e.g. account opening forms, loan processing forms, KYC (Know Your Customer), mortgage forms, etc.; they need to be maintained in a manner where less effort is spent on ‘Document Identification’. If the bank falters in any of these tasks, it would hamper the productivity of the staff.

Document ‘Standards’ & ‘Retrieval’: Unstructured & non-uniform formats followed by different departments impacting ‘customer experience’

Irrespective of the size of the bank, the overall structure of any banking organization is considered to be highly complex as there are a number of departments providing different services to their esteemed customers. Hence, each department might be having its own format of document descriptions, document folder structure, metadata, etc. which makes the task of accessing/editing/searching ‘common’ documents across departments a tedious task. Inadequate content management can make retrieval of important documents highly complex, thereby impacting the pace at which the other follow-on activities are executed. These delays can result in a sub-optimal customer experience which can negatively impact the bank’s brand & business. The tasks like document processing, extracting customer information from the form, matching customer signature to prevent frauds, etc. are mundane in nature, yet very critical in nature; so they need to be performed with utmost precision. However, due to the mundane nature of these tasks, they are more prone to manual errors. Though the problems mentioned so far are different in nature, there is a common pattern in each of them – bank representatives have to review a number of documents and in most scenarios, he/she has to manually enter the details at the back-end. How can banks get out of this ‘document chaos’ and keep their employees motivated to provide excellent services to their customers?

Intelligent information Management (IIM) – Solving the ‘documentation crisis’ faced by the BFSI sector

Intelligent information Management (IIM) platform from AIQoD can be instrumental in automating critical activities mentioned below

  • Capture – Gather input from tools like scanners, ERP, spreadsheets, etc.
  • Processing – Match, structure, and figure out ‘any’ discrepancy in the data
  • Routing – Insertion of data in the ERP or any other backend/accounting system
  • Retrieval – Retrieve or query data from ERP or any other backend/accounting system

The platform leverages technologies like Machine Learning (ML), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Image Processing, etc. in order to bring intelligence to a routine, yet critical job like ‘Documentation’. Highly accurate Handwriting Recognition feature in the platform can be used for signature verification. Optical Character Recognition (OCR) feature in cognizance with mobile capture & recognition feature identifies and extracts text from documents and images, thereby eliminating chances of error in processing and management. Irrespective of the department, employees within the bank can use a common automated workflow for input, indexing, search, and processing of documents so that they can focus on activities that require creative intelligence, rather than spending their time in scouting for documents. Incorporation of IIM in a task like ‘documentation’ can have far-fetched benefits, some of which are listed below

  • Centralized Access to documents
  • Faster retrieval & processing of documents
  • Compliance with the required financial regulations
  • Enhanced accuracy of documents
  • Boost in employee’s morale and productivity

Conclusion

RPA for ‘documentation identification & maintenance’ for BFSI sector has multi-fold benefits and can help in providing enhanced customer experience, engaging employees with important tasks and saving overhead costs.