Snapshot
Over a focused three-week sprint, we pulled together the client’s internal spatial data, set common standards, and stood up a working site-selection web app with an operational dashboard in the Esri suite. The aim was simple. Give the team one place to explore options, apply their rules, shortlist sites, and brief leadership. The result is a single, reliable workspace that already supports day-to-day decisions and leaves clear room for growth.
Challenge
Before we started, useful information lived in several places. Some of it was in legacy KML or ad-hoc maps, some in newer layers with patchy metadata. People could find promising locations, but it took time to compare like for like. Decisions relied on context that was hard to reproduce. The client wanted an internal tool they could trust, centred on their own data, that would scale as the platform expands into new markets.
Our approach
Framed a master app pattern: We set a single internal “master” app as the hub, which holds authoritative in-house layers and a small set of curated references. When new audiences or regions need their own view, we can clone from this foundation without forking logic.
Ran a three-week data push: We consolidated internal datasets into a clean schema, converted KML and KMZ where needed, and normalised attributes such as capacity, status and tier. Every layer now has a lightweight record of owner, provenance and refresh cycle that keeps trust high as the catalogue grows.
Designed for how people work: We mapped a typical analyst’s day. Identified candidates, filtered against internal rules, triaged constraints, captured notes, moved to a shortlist, and shared a coherent picture. That flow guided the widget choices and the layout. It also shaped how pop-ups present key fields.
Built, tested, refined: We configured the app with in-house data as the default source of truth, tuned symbology and attribute rules, and tested common journeys for performance. Indexes, field loads and tiling were adjusted so the map stays responsive when filters stack up.
What we delivered
- A working site-selection web app in Esri, allowing users to search, filter and query tools aligned to the client’s decision criteria. Authorised users can add shortlist status and notes directly on the map, so context is not lost.
- An operational dashboard which facilitates portfolio-level views drawn from the same source. Sites are grouped by status, geography and market coverage, and the wider dashboard measures simple indicators that support weekly reviews.
- A structured data workspace highlighting clear schema, named owners, documented refresh cadence and basic transformation notes. New team members can onboard quickly.
- A staged plan integrating selected external content that adds value once the internal core has settled. Planning and ESG constraints, energy pricing and capacity signals, and published projects are all tracked in detailed documentation, with sources and refresh guidance identified for each data layer.
Skills & tools we used
Esri configuration and web mapping. Web maps, editing and query widgets, pop-ups designed for decisions, and performance tuning that reflects real use.
Data engineering for GIS. KML and KMZ conversion into managed feature classes, schema design that fits the platform, and attribute normalisation so filters behave as expected.
Standards and metadata. Naming, CRS and geometry rules, indexing guidance, and a simple metadata pattern that keeps quality high as more layers arrive.
Product thinking for GIS. A master-app pattern, a feasibility matrix to stage features that matter, and an incremental roadmap that avoids rebuilds.
First Release Highlights & Impact
Internal portfolio: Existing and announced sites, candidate locations, and the attributes needed for decisions that is ready to scale. The master-app approach supports new regions and new audiences without re-architecture. Data grows in a controlled way, and the standards keep it predictable.
Operational context: Standardised attribution of data and the conversion of legacy files has removed drift between versions. As well as this, the client holding dependable power, fibre and transport layers means that the time to a defensible shortlist is down because the overall integrity of data is trusted.
Governance: Ownership, lineage and refresh frequency recorded for every layer and teams now work in a single, documented environment. The authoritative record is the map and the dashboard, not a folder of files. Enough to audit, without slowing delivery.
One place for decisions: Teams now work in a single, documented environment. The authoritative record is the map and the dashboard, not a folder of files. An analyst opens the app, filters candidates by the thresholds that matter, checks proximity and operational context, then records a shortlist with notes. The dashboard picks up those changes straight away, which means leadership can see progress without extra slide work. When a new location enters the pipeline, the same steps apply. No side maps. No copy-paste between spreadsheets.
The client now has a dependable internal system for site selection that reflects how the team works. It is quick to use, easy to extend, and anchored in their own data. As the platform grows into new markets, the same pattern will hold. New datasets slot into a known schema, new audiences get their own view without breaking the core, and the map remains the single source of truth.