Demand for geospatial insight is growing faster than many organisations can comfortably manage, research from Landmark Geodata suggests.
The company’s report, The State of Geospatial Intelligence Adoption, found that 83% of geospatial and GIS professionals have seen demand for location-based data, analysis and intelligence increase over the last 12 months.
At the same time, 95% believe geospatial insight will play a greater role in business decision-making over the next two to three years.
The findings reflect the growing importance of location intelligence across sectors including property, infrastructure, environmental management, utilities and finance, where organisations increasingly rely on geospatial data to assess risk, support planning decisions and manage assets.
OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES
However, the report suggests many organisations are struggling to keep pace with demand.
More than three-quarters of respondents (78%) said demand for geospatial outputs is increasing faster than team capacity, while 80% expect demand for geospatial and GIS skills to outstrip supply over the coming years.
Despite growing investment in data and technology, significant operational challenges remain.
Only 19% of respondents described their systems and data sources as highly interoperable, with integration issues identified as the biggest obstacle to making effective use of geospatial information.
RISK ASSESSMENT
The research also found that teams spend around one-third of their time preparing and organising data before analysis can begin, reducing the time available for higher-value activities such as risk assessment and decision-making.
Artificial intelligence is increasingly being viewed as part of the solution. More than two-thirds (68%) of organisations already use AI within geospatial workflows, while a further quarter plan to introduce it within the next year.
Among existing users, 83% are applying AI to support analysis and insight generation, with 88% expecting automation to play a greater role in geospatial processes over the next two to three years.
PLANNING ISSUES
Josh Rains (main picture, inset), Managing Director of Landmark Geodata, says: “The challenge for many organisations is not a lack of data. Most now have access to more information than ever before.
“The challenge is turning that information into decisions quickly enough to keep pace with growing demands on teams and increasing complexity across infrastructure, property and environmental management.”
He added: “As location-based insight becomes more central to planning, asset management and risk assessment, the opportunity lies in making geospatial data easier to access, structure and use.”
