TrustRadius: an HG Insights company

ArcGIS

Score8 out of 10

148 Reviews and Ratings

What is ArcGIS?

Esri in Redlands, California offers ArcGIS, a geographic information system.

ArcGIS insight

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use ArcGIS in different ways to map different facilities and help our sales teams drive efforts in finding new leads. They find it helpful in terms of geography to where and how they can get products to potential customers and value to win contracts. It is beneficial with the multiple tools within the application that help this effort.

Pros

  • Mapping
  • Analysis
  • Detailed Charting

Cons

  • Training
  • So much functionality can be overwhelming
  • Sales process took a while

Return on Investment

  • Good insight
  • Higher sales numbers
  • Relationship building

Usability

Other Software Used

Workday Adaptive Planning, Microsoft Power BI, Profisee

ESRI review (ArcGIS)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I work at a Land Trust. I use the ESRI mobile app (FieldMaps) all the time to record photos, notes, and locations of infringements, maintenance tasks, manmade items, signage, and boundary pins. I record new / updated trail locations using FieldMaps, and sync it with my trail data layers organized by parcel in the appropriate desktop line layer. Then I sync it with the online layer with all parcels' trails consolidated, which automatically syncs into the web and mobile maps. I use ArcGIS Pro (desktop) to make trail maps and Town permit proposal maps for boardwalks on wetland areas. I created a polygon layer for all of the protected areas, with fields noting the year protected, the deed acreage, the survey acreage (if measured), and the book/page number of its recorded legal protection (e.g., deed restriction, conservation easement, trail easement, etc.).

Pros

  • Gives a way for me to see existing data and my current location, to find very specific locations when bushwhacking in the field.
  • Allows for web layers that once edited, sync with updated data everywhere they're displayed.
  • Can hold a lot of data: many photos attached to many points, all stored in an online point layer that can be accessed from multiple devices.

Cons

  • Let me edit an online data layer's fields without having to re-create a brand new layer and copy the previous data into it.
  • Save past copies of online data layers somewhere, to backtrack if need be (address the current need to save layers offline on a regular basis via ArcGIS Pro as backup)
  • Let symbology incorporate 2 fields. E.g., colors for one field (Town vs. Land Trust as the owner) and pattern for another field (leashes required or not). Right now, I just have to create a 3rd field that spells it out and has different symbology for each different option. Would love if the attribute table could stay more clean and simple, and if the symbology feature could incorporate 2+ fields.

Return on Investment

  • Has helped me organize infringement observations much better! Previously, folks used a paper map with hand-marked drawings for locations, and an excel spreadsheet with the neighboring landowners' contact information and correspondence records. Now, it can be all in one place, including a geographic location, photos, and the spreadsheet with necessary information as the attribute table of the point layer. Makes it a lot quicker and easier to find records of past observations and correspondence. Saves time and has made it much easier to actually follow up with the neighbors about their infringement observations, which is our legal duty.
  • I make our own trail maps, rather than any past contractor with fees.
  • Has helped improve communication with trail users, showing where and how different rules apply. This hopefully has been reducing incidents and conflicts, thanks to more successful education at the start.

Alternatives Considered

QGIS, Leaflet, OpenStreetMap and Mapbox

Other Software Used

Microsoft Excel, Adobe Illustrator CC, Remote Desktop Manager, Google Chrome, Dropbox, Adobe Acrobat

ArcGIS Review

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

I use ArcGIS for asset management of municipal infrastructure and updating their and our databases. I also use it for catchment delineation and analysis. Drawing up localities and flood line drawings. We use ArcGIS for identifying areas and infrastructure present in an area in a preliminary way prior to starting a project so we can determine how much information we have and what may be outstanding and the extent of the projects.

Pros

  • Easy to operate
  • Assigning information regarding shapefiles on the attribute tables
  • Creation of layouts
  • Ease of drawings catchments, etc. by means of shapefile

Cons

  • Automation of some functions or features

Most Important Features

  • Creation of shapefiles that store specific attributes relating to those features
  • Locality maps and drawings
  • Conversion of certain file types

Return on Investment

  • It has allowed the company to maintain and keep certain huge projects up and running for the past 15 years
  • There have been no negative impacts
  • It saves time with the ease of creating maps and drawings

Other Software Used

AutoCAD, Autodesk Civil 3D

ArcGIS is teacher approved!

Pros

  • Geo-inquiry lessons are already made and easy to integrate in the classroom.
  • Map manipulation allows students to fully understand geographical relationships.
  • Story maps are extremely easy for students to use and create their own.

Cons

  • PD training for me to better utilize and understand.
  • User friendly videos for my students to watch to better understand.
  • General training since some are difficult to implement.

Most Important Features

  • I absolutely love the Geo-inquiries!
  • Story maps.
  • Survey creation.

Return on Investment

  • Improved general geographical understanding for my students.
  • Map manipulation for my students.
  • Free for my students.

Alternatives Considered

Google Maps API

Other Software Used

Kahoot!, Nearpod, Quizlet

ArcGIS, I couldn't live without it. Best product in the world

Pros

  • Easy to use and learn
  • Extremely powerful for integration with other systems
  • Always being enhanced and upgraded
  • The ArcGIS.com cloud technology is rock solid

Cons

  • If your not on an Enterprise License Agreement, it can be expensive
  • If you are migrating to, this can be difficult. Use a consultant to assist

Return on Investment

  • Increased staff productivity
  • Development of a internal tools, enabled staff to do their own work, with out coming to my staff for simple requests
  • Implementation of tools, and increased data collection in the field

Alternatives Considered

QGIS, Google Maps API and Mapbox

Usability

Other Software Used

Qlik Sense, Slack, GoToMeeting, Amanda Enterprise, DocuSign