WHAT DOES A GIS DO?
Updated: July 06, 2025 - The Geographic Information System (GIS) professional integrates hardware, software, and data to capture, manage, analyze, and display spatial information. This role supports decision-making in sectors such as urban planning, environmental management, transportation, and public health. The individual enables accurate mapping, efficient data analysis, and enhanced visualization of geographic patterns and relationships.
A Review of Professional Skills and Functions for Geographic Information System
1. GIS Analyst Duties
- Data Collection: Collecting, importing, collaborating, creating, editing, managing, and analyzing GIS data in the ESRI ArcGIS Enterprise environment (ArcGIS Enterprise, including Portal, ArcGIS Pro, Survey123, Collector, ArcGIS Online)
- Map Creation: Creating high-quality web maps and web applications
- Data Importing: Importing/exporting various formats of spatial data to Enterprise GIS
- Data Analysis: Manipulating and analyzing geographical information to be presented in reports or presentations
- Program Development: Developing programs that convert GIS information from one format to another and developing tools for loading or transferring data between different systems
- Data Maintenance: Maintaining feature classes, REST endpoints, and other sources of spatial information
- Change Documentation: Ensuring all changes/updates to the Enterprise GIS database are documented, tested, and approved
- Staff Training: Training staff on Enterprise GIS capabilities, field data collection apps, and viewing apps in Portal, ArcGIS Online, and other IT-integrated GIS applications and software
- Field Training: Perform field trips to collect data and train field workers
- User Administration: Assist in the administration of users and their roles and associated applications
- Technical Support: Provide technical GIS support and troubleshooting of GIS applications and web services
- Procedure Development: Develop documentation, procedures, and standards to ensure compliance
- Technology Monitoring: Keeping well-informed of technical changes, innovations, and GIS best practices
2. Geographic Information System Analyst Details
- GIS Operations: Perform a range of GIS tasks at an advanced level
- Data Management: Creating, editing, and managing GIS datasets and creating project-based map layouts on short notice
- Data Analysis: Perform high-level analysis of multiple sources of data via the ESRI ArcGIS software suite
- Schema Development: Develop geodatabase schemas and analysis methods to support project goals
- Web Development: Develop and support web GIS applications using ESRI Web App Builder, Story Maps, Collector, and Survey 123
- Document Interpretation: Read and interpret as-built, record, and other engineering documents and make appropriate edits to water, sewer, and stormwater data
- Attribute Updating: Attribute and geometric updates from plans, record drawings, or incorporate data collected in the field
- Workflow Coordination: Guide collaboration with team members for consistency in work products including establishing repeatable workflows and QA/QC processes
- Quality Control: Perform quality control checks via various GIS-related software such as Data Reviewer
3. GIS Developer Responsibilities
- Client Interaction: Work in client-facing roles to contribute to the end-to-end delivery lifecycle of complex and large-scale Geographical Information Systems
- Customer Service: Strong customer service focus with an ability to respond to changing customer priorities
- Test Planning: Inputs to Test Plan and Test Strategy
- Code Development: Develop code using Test Driven Development (TDD)
- Quality Assurance: Ensuring software developed meets quality standards through code and design reviews
- Documentation Support: Participate or provide documentation for any product reviews of deliverables during the project execution
- Status Reporting: Contribute to Status Reports
- Independent Work: Work independently with minimal assistance
4. Senior GIS Developer Job Summary
- Requirement Gathering: Interacts with customers/users to understand requirements
- Requirement Analysis: Carries out detailed analysis to understand requirements
- Solution Development: Creates codes/builds solutions from information as per requirements in development/maintenance projects
- Technical Guidance: Provide technical guidance to the team for the design, development and delivery of products and services
- Quality Control: Ensures quality control through reviews, inspections and testing of the work items
- Risk Management: Identifies technical risks, plans contingency, and mitigation actions
- Technical Leadership: Leads the technical implementation and functions as a point of escalation for the resolution of technical matters
- Process Compliance: Ensures compliance with all applicable TCS processes within the team
5. GIS Project Manager Accountabilities
- Architecture Management: Manage all aspects of application, web GIS, and system architecture support for an extensive project portfolio
- Project Leadership: Lead project teams through all phases of the application process including requirements building, designing, developing, testing and deployment
- Project Management: Manage scope, budget, timeline, and deliverables
- Data Analysis: Data preparation, processing and analysis
- Proposal Writing: Proposal writing, technical writing, strategy, and capture management
- Business Development: Sales leads follow-up, new business introductory calls/meetings, explore new potential business channels, and new business development
- System Administration: Administration and support of ArcGIS Enterprise, ArcGIS Online, and Amazon Web Services
- Team Management: Manage team members and advise on staff allocation
- Time Tracking: Review timesheets and invoicing to ensure projects are on track
- Performance Review: Performance management process
- Event Networking: Attend networking and conference events
6. Geographic Information System Specialist Functions
- Database Management: Manage project GIS databases including data loading, quality assurance and metadata
- Data Production: Produce maps, charts, reports and other data deliverables for internal and external issues
- Service Maintenance: Develop and maintain map services and other content for web-based GIS portals
- Query Response: Respond to project queries daily
- Team Collaboration: Collaborate with engineers and designers on pipeline routing and other GIS analysis tasks
- Meeting Participation: Participate in project meetings and workshops
- Specification Contribution: Contribute to GIS data specifications and other technical material
- Training Support: Support internal and external training programs on GIS applications
- Technology Promotion: Raise awareness and support the wider adoption of GIS technology through workshops, presentations and marketing materials
7. GIS Technician Duties
- Design Review: Work with Otelco Engineering and Mapping and review the current Outside Plant (OSP) design to understand the principles and practices of the current system designs
- Database Updating: Perform database updating for OSP Infrastructure in Fiber-to-the-Premise, Copper/DSL Telephony, and Hybrid Fiber Coax systems utilizing As-Built drawings and mobile electronic data collection
- Network Mapping: Mapping of all network designs for Fiber to the Premise deployment and other telecommunications customers
- Map Production: Produce maps of the existing, engineered, and planned Outside Plant design
- Field Coordination: Work with Field Engineers to ensure OSP and address data in all systems accurately reflect the As-Built state
- Order Documentation: Document completed construction service orders daily in Map Wise and iVUE
- Report Generation: Produce monthly reports detailing footage for existing, engineered, and planned OSP by aerial, Underground, Fiber Type, Fiber Count by market, by use (Metro or Long Haul), with available capacity
- Record Updating: Review tickets assigned by field personnel to fix or modify/update records after fiber damage, road moves, and audits
- Asset Management: Works closely with Accounting to maintain inventory and plant asset accounts