GBS Highlights of 2022
Here we are at the end of another year, one that has felt a bit different when compared to the previous two. With borders open and lockdowns a thing of the past, GBS and the team settled into a new version of normal. Looking ahead to 2023, it’s always good practice to take key learnings and highlights into the year ahead. The GBS directors, Tony Elson and Harley Prowse, have shared some of their reflections below.
Challenges & Achievements
There’s definitely been a knock-on effect from the lockdowns of 2021 which has presented a number of challenges. Some of these challenges can be centred on the shortage of human resources, specifically in relation to the retention and recruitment of staff. We know other I.T. and GIS companies are feeling this also. It can be a tricky situation due to the increased demand for geospatial services being accompanied by a tight employment market.
“Despite this, we’re pleased to have a high retention rate and have welcomed some new team members this year as well,” says Tony.
The collaborative partnership that GBS provides within its suite of services has culminated in some great achievements for clients this year.
“We completed a large upgrade for Powerco this year, shifting to ArcGIS Experience Builder for their Outage Planner. It was a great example of a collaborative partnership between ourselves and a client using Agile methodologies,” says Harley.
With the return of industry events this year, the GBS team were also pleased to attend the NZEUC in person which spanned the first week of September. This created a great opportunity to showcase two new additions to the GBS offering; Cityworks and Edit+.
Becoming the NZ distributor for Cityworks was a big highlight of 2022 for GBS. For more than 20 years, Cityworks has been the leading GIS-centric solutions for public asset management. Cityworks AMS is designed to help organisations manage public assets, and their associated data, work activities, and business processes. The addition of Cityworks to the GBS offering is a great advantage for current and prospective clients to harness.
Formalising GBS’ Geospatial Support Program (GSP) to include the GIS Managed Services offering as well as the traditional reactive and advisory base support services was also an important addition in 2022. The work completed on these services this year will allow the addition of more customers to this program while bringing peace of mind to the ongoing operation of the Enterprise GIS as a whole.
People & Partnerships
People and partnerships remain at the core of GBS’ company values, now more than ever. GBS has recently celebrated being in operation for 20 years with the GBS team, customers, colleagues, partners and friends.
“It was a proud moment for not just the Directors, but also some of the long-term staff members too,” says Tony.
And across the board, it’s been a year of developing our skill sets and extending our knowledge across the wider team. “GBS (including our wider GBS network in Korea and the U.S.) has extended and deepened its skills with respect to the implementation and ongoing support for ArcGIS Enterprise, and our staff have continued to add Esri certificates to their names as well,” says Harley.
Looking ahead to 2023
GBS is looking forward to having the team back together in the office with less disruptions in 2023, and continuing the journey of achievements and growth. Next year we are keen to see (and help our customers with) increased adoption of cloud-based services and taking greater advantage of the advances in automation.
“The increased adoption of the Esri Utility Network, especially in the gas, electricity and water sectors will be the ones to watch too,” says Tony.
From the team here at GBS, we’re wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday break, and a prosperous 2023. We are grateful to have earned a well-deserved break, but look forward to a new year filled with plenty of exciting work and opportunities. It is a pleasure working with our clients, colleagues, partners and associates, and of course our staff – thank you for your continued support.
Merry Christmas!