Conversion of existing paper and digital information into a GIS is a costly endeavor. There are numerous questions and issues to address to ensure a successful conversion project. How do you go about estimating the cost and delivery time for conversion? What information needs to be converted and into what form? What decisions need to be made prior to asking for cost estimates and actual conversion? What do you need to tell conversion vendors to get accurate proposals and ultimately a data product that is what you really want and need? How do you compare vendor proposals to select the right one for your organization? What do you need to do to prepare your sources for conversion? Do you need to "scrub" all the sources prior to conversion? How do you go about checking the converted data to make sure you are getting what you asked and paid for? This presentation will provide answers to many of the most common questions and information on some of the often overlooked aspects of preparing for conversion.
Mickey A. Fain
SMARTSCAN, Inc.
2344 Spruce St.
Boulder, CO 80302
Telephone: 303-443-7226
Fax: 303-443-2997