Likelihood to Recommend We utilize ArcGIS for each of our units. For example, we just completed our unit on the Middle Ages and are starting our unit on the Renaissance. There is a GeoInquiry that has students manipulate a map to not only see but understand the spread of the plague. They can toggle on and off different layers and icons to see how deadly the plague truly was, and how it led to the rebirth of Europe
Read full review If you are a small business or have a small team in the field, anything Salesforce and its components should be avoided. Its price-point and ROI are overstated.
Read full review Pros Enterprise GIS - multi-user, multi-versioned geodatabase access through a host of apps and web tools really help people stay connected to data. Cartography - fantastic control and customization available with the ability to automate workflows. Training - tons of training videos, seminars, and other learning materials are easily accessed. The help documentation is superb. Ability to manage an organization through dashboards is extremely helpful. Read full review Color coding different accounts or data fields. Ability to see travel time and not just distance. Lots of data fields to pull from - big recent improvement. Read full review Cons There is a steep learning curve for ArcGIS users. It takes a lot of computing power for ArcGIS, as it can't be installed on every computer. At times, tools can be outdated and there are many similar competitors making more web-based tools that can replace ArcGIS. Read full review Lots of glitches Get signed out often, which interrupts the day Could be more intuitive Read full review Likelihood to Renew Simply because the program deserves it. It seems to me that it is a fundamental tool for the storage, analysis, and interpretation of medium and large-scale phenomena, unmanageable with traditional engineering software. Its versatility in the handling of the different "layers" with which the data is handled and interpolation tools, make this software a powerful ally both for companies and for the educational part of the universities.
Read full review Usability Once set up, the tools are extremely easy to use. I had a staff member develop a tool for field data collection, that included an external and internal dashboards to monitor progress in days. The field workers that collected the data, barely knew how to use a computer, and within minutes they could use the application that was configured for them.
Read full review Worked well once you figured it out. The 'help portal' was no 'help'. Once you get done self-teaching yourself enough of the terminology and workings, it is pretty quick and easy to use. But the learning curve, again, is not worth the time or effort
Read full review Support Rating Unlike other platforms (ex: EMSI), there is no "help desk" new users can easily call into for troubleshooting or errors, and so you have to spend LOTS of time trying workarounds. This is also because the help center blog posts are usually pretty confusing, and many times do not include images or videos to help you along. Any such changes would be immensely useful!
Read full review Support was comical. It was barely available and the few times I did get help the language barrier was extraordinarily problematic
Read full review Alternatives Considered ArcGIS and
QGIS have a lot of similarities between their products. Where ArcGIS stands out is with their online version of their software. ArcGIS's online solution will pair up with your on-prem solution to offer a fully synchronized system. I wasn't able to duplicate the efforts with
QGIS 's products and it also requires other 3rd party applications to offer something "somewhat" comparable.
Read full review MapAnything is very easy to use but it appears that similar companies are too. Because of the new pricing structure, they are expensive.
Read full review Return on Investment The figures we can make using ArcGIS look professional and have everything a map is supposed to. They're also highly customizable (color scales, legends, etc) and really take a presentation or report from average to excellent. As a new company, it is extremely important to have quality reports and give our best to current and potential clients. Once you have learned the methods for data analysis you use regularly, it can save loads of time compared to previous methods outside of ArcGIS. The total time needed to really get comfortable with ArcGIS varies for people. Some get it quickly and some don't. It's a powerful program with lots of capabilities and it can be difficult to figure out without some sort of training (though some people do fine without). It depends on your employees, but for us it has been a great benefit despite training time because it improves our productivity and output much more. Read full review Increased efficiency Reduced labor time Improved visibility Read full review ScreenShots