1. Look to use GIS to solve business problems. Today GIS talks easily to other business systems. Collaborating directly with a GIS will reduce complexity, provide rich location analytics, reduce costs and much more. See our recent blog post: What is ArcGIS Geo-Enablement?.

2. Still printing or generating pdf maps? Use GIS for more than just maps. GIS answers any and all location focused questions: show me which valves need inspecting? Where are our most profitable stores? Which homes are in areas at greatest risk of flooding?

3. Start thinking about platform. ArcGIS is one product made up of many complementary elements. Integration or geo-enabling has never been easier. See our white paper on our approach to leveraging and integrating with ArcGIS.

4. Consider configuration, before customization. For ArcGIS, Esri have made available over 50 applications or templates which are ready to be used. Simply configure and launch. Check out our ArcGIS Templates package if you need help.

5. Think about your data. Bad data, means a bad GIS – fix your data: the incorrect, incomplete, or old data. Simplify your asset data model: favour simplicity over complexity. Build the cleanest data system with only the core attributes, and remove data duplication.

6. Implement cross-device ArcGIS applications. In the utility sector close to 70% of field staff still use laptops in preference to, or in combination with tablets. The trend is towards greater tablet adoption, particularly as more ruggedized versions are released. But, given this mix of field devices, it make sense to adopt or develop GIS applications which work across devices. That means applications which is usable on laptops, tablets even smartphones. Web technology provides true cross-device access. Great strides have been made with Javascript/HTML5. It is now possible to build a single web app which can be used on any device: laptop or mobile. More than that Javascript/HTML5 provide advanced functionality. We have been building ArcGIS web applications which provide disconnected capabilities. See our white paper on offline ArcGIS