How Te Miro uses Equator to create maps efficiently for water projects
Overview
Challenge
When Mike started his consulting business, he needed to find a workflow solution for mapping. He wanted to be able to view, create and publish maps for his project work, in a way that was professional but not too time consuming.
Mike came from a large corporate firm before starting his own company. He knew that he wanted to continue producing the professional looking maps he had access to in the corporate environment, without the GIS specialists that helped make them happen.
Before discovering Equator, Mike was using a mix of QGIS, Google Earth, and occasionally ArcGIS. While free and fully-featured, Mike found that basic mapping was overly complicated in QGIS. At the other end of the spectrum, Google Earth was quick and easy to use, but lacked the customization he needed.
Mike was looking for mapping software to facilitate a faster turnaround and delivery of projects. Specifically, he wanted to be able to view spatial data and create professional looking maps that could compete with the capability and technology of larger firms, without spending too much time or money.
“As a small business, I was worried about competing with firms on presentation and professional looking maps, but Equator solved all of that and more!”
— MIKE CHAPMAN, DIRECTOR AND WATER RESOURCES SPECIALIST @ TI MIRO WATER
Solution
Results
While having an easy to use, functional software is half the battle, seeing real and tangible results come out of using it is the other. Although Mike is still fairly new to Equator, he’s already seen impressive results that make him excited for the future. In the past, he said it would take him about 3-4 hours to make a map in other platforms (ex. QGIS), whereas now he can make a more impressive map in a third of the time. Local industry leaders have been impressed with the work he’s been putting out using Equator, while other peers have been interested in learning more about what he used to create these standout maps. We’re thrilled to hear about Mike’s success with Equator, and can’t wait to hear even more results from him and Te Miro in the future!
Mike’s map: Ecological impacts of more frequent flooding and longer water retention in Waikato District
“I was looking to change to simplicity, with a faster turnaround and delivery of projects! Making professional maps in Equator takes 1/3 of the time it used to take me.”
— MIKE CHAPMAN, DIRECTOR AND WATER RESOURCES SPECIALIST @ TI MIRO WATER