We started Seaconis in 2006 to develop new methods of building and using spatial and cadastral information systems. After many years with ESRI, the leading GIS software company, our founder started Seaconis to work more closely with clients on innovative projects and solutions. Although we have a focus on cadastral systems, we have also provided general consulting on spatial technology, assisted clients with management of their own products, and we have developed our own special software.
Seaconis home is located in California, but we work internationally. Our interest in the advancement of cadastral solutions has generally taken us to countries with national cadastres. However, we are currently creating solutions that work for developing countries - without the need for advanced IT staff and infrastructures. Of course, this approach works well at controlling cost for local government anywhere.
If you want to solve a problem, you first need to understand it. We have worked with many clients and partners throughout the world, and we have worked in many disciplines. This has increased our understanding of the specific languages of say cadastre and utilities, and also the common problems. This experience is more valuable than our technical skills, because it means we can help choose the proper plan of action.
In cadastre, we have worked with both the national level and at the local level. We have worked with the Swedish National Cadastre and the Land and Property management Authority of New South Wales, Australia. In Sweden, the work was primarily to assist in the product positioning and planning of their ArcCadastre product. In New South Wales, we built an innovative plan examination system (the forerunner of PlanTest) which is in now used in production. The Seaconis principal helped create ESRI products, such as ArcGIS and the Parcel Editor (Cadastral Editor before version 10).
Seaconis expertise is to bring spatial systems and GIS together with survey data to create a new way of building cadastral databases. The principals work with ESRI in the survey integration projects was the first step of this. The next level was the creation of cadastral transactions analysis to serve as the quality control for digital data land survey submissions. Without this step, much of the effectiveness of computerisation of cadastral plans is lost, as the digital records would still need to be checked by eye.
We consider our software product development and our client projects to share the same processes, and we apply product management methods to solve the real business problems, maintain scope and control costs.
We balance business and technology concerns. It is not enough to write one specification for business functionality and another for technology. Both must be brought together the make the best decisions. If technical options are considered, a business function may be altered or even removed, with an improvement to the business. Business considerations can also drive a search for creative solutions, and not just acceptance of common technology practices.
We understand the need to have a big picture, yet work must deliver benefits quickly. We approach projects as our own software product development; with multiple releases, each having real products that incrementally achieve the long term vision. This means smaller sequential projects are better than large long monolithic projects, and that frequent deliverables are best. We always work from a known position to the next known position, much like surveying, and nothing is really known if it can't be tested.
It is better to have a small team than a large team. This improves communication and focus. Of course, the more expert the small team, the better. An important part of the team is you, the client. When your people are part of the project, the result is a deep knowledge of the system by those who ultimately own it.
