Since opening in 1962 the primary activity of the Chester County Planning Commission (CCPC) has been to process spatial data into useful information to support decision making. GIS tools in conjunction with the completion of the Chester County Land Records System (ChesCO-LRS) offer opportunities for CCPC staff to improve their products and services. The paper examines organizational procedures and customized ArcView GIS applications designed to facilitate use of GIS and reduce the learning curve to make the technology accessible to all. Changes to ease the transition to GIS at CCPC such as request forms, scripts, and templates are explored and illustrated.