Photogrammetry in context;:
a management perspective
by prof. ir. R. Groot, ITC, The Netherlands.
SAMENVATTING
Fotogrammetrie in samenhang
een management perspectief
Dit artikel plaatst fotogrammetrie in de context van de vele hulpmiddelen die de laatste jaren beschikbaar
zijn gekomen voor het verzamelen, classificeren, kwalificeren, verwerken, de opslag, analyse, en weergave
van ruimtelijke informatie. De toepassing van deze hulpmiddelen volgen voornamelijk de integratie,
decentralisatie en klantgerichte karakteristieken van informatie technologie. In dit artikel wordt daaronder
verstaan de combinatie van computer-, communicatie- en procestechnologie. Om de integrale toepassing
van deze technieken in één woord samen te vatten wordt in Canada het woord ,,Geomatics" gebruikt, maar
op het ITC geeft men de voorkeur aan ,,Geo-informatie".
Samen met de decentralisatie en klantgerichte aspecten heeft geo-informatie belangrijke invloeden op de
beheerstaken en de prioriteitsstelling van de betrokken instituten. Dit artikel benadrukt de verschuivingen
van macht binnen en tussen de organisaties en concludeert dat er een noodzaak is voor de opleiding van
geo-informatie managers die meer aansluit bij de huidige eisen.
mSÊ
SUMMARY
This article puts photogrammetry in context of the many tools that
have become available in recent years for the collection, classifi
cation, qualification, processing, storage, analysis and depiction of
spatial information. The application of these tools follow by and large
the integrative, decentralizing and customizing characteristics of
information technology which for the purpose of this paper is the
combination of computer, communication and process technology.
To capture the integrative application of these tools in one word the
name Geomatics is being used in Canada, while at ITC one feels a
little more comfortable with Geo-informatics.
Together with the decentralization and customizing character of the
technology, geo-informatics has significant implications for the
management tasks and priorities of the associated organizations.
This article highlights the power shifts within and between organi
zations and concludes that there is a need for preparation of
geo-informatics managers which is more in tune with these new
requirements.
Introduction
Previous articles in this issue of NGT Geodesia give an
impression of some historical aspects of photogram
metry, its current status, and the research issues that
photogrammetrists are currently confronted with.
In a celebration of the anniversary of The Netherlands'
Society for Photogrammetry this is to be expected and
indeed, there is good reason to be proud of the achieve
ments of this Society, both nationally and internationally.
The organizers of this event have given me the task to
provide a slightly different perspective on photogram
metry and photogrammetrists which will be that of a
manager. „Why do we need a managers perspective?"
one may ask. Well, a research agenda is indicated earlier
and photogrammetry related equipment will have to be
acquired and maintained, training and retraining of staff
will need to done, all of which costs money. Since a
manager is accountable for getting something done
with someone else's money it stands to reason that it
may take some convincing arguments to get him or her to
agree on the importance of investments in photogram
metry relative to others.
Therefore the purpose of this article is to sketch the arena
in which photogrammetrists find themselves today, but
particularly in which their superiors find themselves, to
help making those arguments. This is done by describing
the changes that have occurred in the things that require
managerial attention over the last twenty years and why
392
this has happened. From that perspective some general
observations about the future of photogrammetry and the
role of photogrammetrists are ventured.
Obviously this perspective is influenced by my Canadian
experience. I hope, however, that the patterns will be
sufficiently generic to enable to identify them. To give a
bench mark for this let us step back in time to the period
shortly after the Second World War. Photogrammetry and
airphoto- interpretation methods all received a significant
development boost during this war. Indeed other new
surveying methods such as the early electronic survey
methods were developed in this time as well. The re
construction after the war required surveys and maps and
the directors of governmental surveying and mapping
organizations looked with a great deal of expectation and
sometimes with suspicion to the potential of photo-inter
pretation and photogrammetry to speed up the map
production process.
As they left the realm of the plane table, their organiza
tions looked, in a highly simplified diagrammatical form
like the one in fig. 1. They produced mostly highly stan
dardized products that had to meet the requirements of
both military and civilian applications. Their engineering
or development units were focused on finding ways to
improve the efficiency of the many individual components
Political system
Executive
Engineering
support
Sales 4
Distribution
Production
management
Production
Aerial or
terrestrial
survey
Photogrammetry
Restitution
Compilation
Cartography
4 Reproduction
Fig. 1. Focus of management wasinward" to improve efficiency of
standard production tines to satisfy multiple users with one
product largely to military or engineering specifications.
NGT GEODESIA 93 - 8
