Geography plays an essential role in assigning people to tasks in many government agencies. Who does building inspections in the Wilburton neighborhood? Who gets assigned to fix a water meter at 2815 Second Avenue? Paper maps used to be the answer, sometimes created by GIS. Recently, agencies have begun to automate staff assignments by linking ArcIMS with their permit, inspection, and workflow automation systems. Inspection requests get assigned immediately. Citizen complaints received overnight are assigned and waiting for staff in the morning. And agencies provide more responsive customer service by making GIS part of their workflow.
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