Proprietary Database Program

Acquisition Action By A Federal Agency

Need Assessment

A need assessment study was conducted to determine the best solution to construction project conflict avoidance. This study identified and documented the construction project coordination problem, the requirements for a solution as defined by the various agencies, the constraints for a solution as defined by the environments of the various agencies, a conceptual solution meeting the requirements and constraints, the anticipated projected costs and benefits to the solution, any risks associated with the solution, and recommendations. The study identified that the chosen solution would need to minimize costs for hardware and software. A centralized common database would be needed. The addition of GIS staff to run this application was not a solution. Finally, for the application to be useful the information had to be timely and accurate by keeping the responsibility of data input with each of the agencies.

The application would need to create a "virtual mainframe" computer environment between the UCC agencies. These influences required a unique approach for a GIS computer application. The application solution required client/server-based technology. The communication environment existed by using the internet. The identified high-end GIS functionality and administrative/security functions would require unix-based server technology. (Codd 2000)

New approaches in the GIS industry were essential for the defined solution. Due to the risks defined with this approach, it was determined that contracting for outside expertise would be necessary. The need assessment documented what the application software would be required to deliver. A contract was created for the defined application. The contract specifications were based on the need assessment documents that had been produced. The contract stipulations required software that created a "virtual mainframe" in delivering a distributed application using a centralized database, supply the defined GIS functionality, provide the identified spatial and temporal conflict analysis functions, and exploit the UCC membership's existing computers and network connections in order to minimize costs. A consulting firm with proprietary software that would enable the defined approach was found in GIS Technologies, Incorporated (GTI) of Redlands, California. (Seltzer 2008)

Creating a "virtual mainframe" environment involved client/server technology. Communications for this environment would require using the internet. Communications between the client workstation software and the server software would have to be handled using HTTP and FTP technologies. To keep costs low, the expensive high-end GIS functionality would need to be provided from the server also using the HTTP and FTP communication environment. ...