Advantages and Disadvantages of Geographical Information System
(GIS)
Geographic information system is a collection of information and different
computer software for the purpose of mapping, managing, analyzing and providing
geographical data. Generally, GIS enables a user to be able to search and find any
information about a particular geographic location, asses’ spatial information, change
the data and produce charts, report and maps that enable users to see their results.
Below are some of the advantages and disadvantages of GIS
Advantages of Geographical Information System
1. GIS helps to Improves decision making: when using GIS, you are presented with
detailed and specific information about one or multiple locations which facilitates
decision making and makes it easy for the user to make the right choice.
2. Increases efficiency and reduces cost: GIS is very cost effective especially given
the fact that it is not expensive to maintain in regards to schedules, scheduling
time tables or fleet movement. And also it is very efficient since it provide users
with the specific information about locations.
3. Makes record keeping easy: record keeping is very import aspect to geographers
it enables them to be able to keep track of change. When using GIS it is easy to
record geographical changes this makes it easy for the people responsible of
recording to record.
4. Geographical management: knowing what will happen in the feature in a
geographical space is very important it helps geographer to be able to plan a
course of action. GIS helps to manage all these.
5. Easy to use: GIS technology is easy to use it can be embedded in to the
framework of any organization information system.
6. Creates Employment: Installing the GIS in to an organizations system means you
need some once to run and manage it which means employing people.
7. GIS has the ability to improve the organizations integration: GIS merges
hardware and software and also uses data to capture, asses, manage and
produces all kinds of information which are referenced geographically.
8. It is a very fast way to gather data.
9. Information from GIS is very accurate and present users with better assessment
and predictions
10. GIS shows the user all the catalog of data
Disadvantages of geographical information system
1. GIS is very expensive: Geographic information system (GIS) is very costly
software to acquire.
2. If GIS is operated by non GIS personnel’s they may not know what they are doing
and geography will pay the price (suffer).
3. It is very difficult to create GIS programs that id user friendly at the same time
fast. The GIS system typically needs a complicated command language.
4. For GIS results to be correct the inputted data must be accurate, hence the GIS
personnel have to be aware of the fact that not all the data are always correct.
5. For you to have accurate results you must put in the correct input and some of
these inputs are personal information of some people which a violation of their
privacy.
6. GIS requires a large amount of data input and all this data have to be practical
for some exercises and hence additional data is inputted.
7. Given the fact that the earth is spherical and is very large in size you will be
exposed to more and more geographical errors as you get in to a larger scale.
8. GIS layers may bring about big mistakes when it is handled by a non GIS
personnel.
