If a mechanic from your neighbourhood offers you his home-made solar 1-seated automobile and claims it is equally road worthy or as good as your sedan car, you must think he is kidding, right?
I reckon few things immediately come into your mind:-
- What if you need the car at night when the solar is out of power?
- What if you need to take your family for a road trip?
- What if the mechanic is out-station and your car need a fix-up?
- Anyone knows this custom-built car without totally relying on that inventor mechanic?
- What if the mechanic suddenly decided to quit (after earning enough and go for his/her retirement) and handover his inventor manual (if you are lucky), will you want or ready to take over the maintenance of that vehicle all by yourself?
Most likely the answer is “No”, unless you are equally skilled as your mechanic neighbour or want to remain as mechanic for the rest of your life – whereas your smart mechanic neighbour has decided to retire.
For most of us, we need car as mode of transport to get us from one place to another. We might know a bit basic about car but most of us are no way a mechanic. At least for me, I don’t fancy becoming one if the inventor mechanic decided to quit or move out from my neighbourhood. I prefer an all-weather and multi-purpose vehicle that will suit my all rounded needs i.e. able to drive long distance, travel with my family, can easily get help when it breakdown, or else I wouldn’t even want to consider having it in my garage.
You know where I’m heading, right? If someone come to you and say his/her custom-built or self invented software is equally as good as your enterprise GIS platform, tell him/her that you are looking for scalable, extendable, reliable, fully supported GIS platform. Else you might be end up penny wise but pound foolish in getting a non-upgradeable, non-supported, single purpose, GIS software that will not perform as you wish, and worst when you need it the most.
However, you might able to beat the odd, such as:-
- The software inventor can be with you all the time (not resigning, transferring, promotion, retiring, etc)
- Your software inventor left, but leave behind a complete/ understandable/ updated documents for your D-I-Y (do it yourself)
- You are equally skilful as the software inventor and assuming his/her role (not resigning, transferring, promotion, retiring, etc)
Either way, good luck and God bless you.
Simply MY GIS - GIS from Senior Executive Perspective 