.png?width=682&height=171&name=Advantage-Logo-Tagline-Color%20(1).png){kind=logo}
Global Information Systems (GIS) build bridges across countries and continents, providing clarity and connection across a sea of complex data points.
GIS solutions support IT leaders within multinational enterprises (MNEs) to transform their approaches and prepare their organizations for the future.
However, effectively managing these solutions and enterprise IT is much easier said than done.
In this article, we’ll discuss the essentiality of global information systems before delving into five hurdles MNEs must surpass to manage them effectively.
What is a global information system (GIS)?
Global Information Systems are frameworks of tools and technologies that aggregate, store, interpret, analyze, and display data from a wide variety of global sources.
These extensive networks process non-spatial and spatial data—data referencing a specific geographical location—to reveal relationships, activity clusters, and more.
Global enterprises leverage GIS solutions to uncover invaluable insights and optimize decision-making.
These systems are incredibly useful in the IT space. They present impactful findings via data maps, visualizations, and analyses that help leaders deepen their understanding and streamline IT operations.
Why must multinational corporations use global information systems?
As economies and cultures remain exceedingly interconnected and interdependent, multilocation businesses must develop a broad, holistic understanding of international contexts and their organization’s place within them.
Why?
Globalization isn’t going anywhere. Without a bird's-eye view, leaders cannot effectively enhance strategic planning capacities, mitigate risks, or augment innovation potential.
GIS solutions offer multinational enterprises (MNEs) the global data visibility they need by integrating data from diverse sources worldwide, enabling spatial data analysis, and unveiling game-changing insights.
They also offer leaders a comprehensive swath of other crucial advantages—from revelatory data maps to transformative centralized management capabilities—aiding disparate enterprise leaders who seek to enhance workflows and future-proof their businesses.
Because these solutions provide a strong data-driven foundation enabling better decision-making, they’re non-negotiable for MNEs trying to compete in our interconnected, hyper-digitized, and complex world.
The challenges of managing global information systems
There are five obstacles that MNEs must overcome when developing and maintaining these systems.
Challenge #1: Diverse workforces and cultures
Global organizations with workforces scattered throughout regions have incredibly diverse teams. This diversity engenders a range of cultural differences, including varied (and sometimes conflicting) communication styles, work ethic, and data privacy expectations.
As a result, it’s much more challenging to create consistent GIS protocols, satisfy the software and hardware needs of teams across locations, and implement solutions effectively.
Linguistic and geographic diversity presents additional difficulties to professionals managing GIS across a global workforce. Language barriers produce multilingual support needs, leading to implementation costs, quality control issues, and technical inconsistencies.
Geographic workforce dispersion across borders generates complex compliance requirements, logistical interconnectivity barriers, and communication challenges due to differing time zones.
Challenge #2: Siloed infrastructure and technology
As different regions have varying technological maturity, maintaining consistent infrastructure and systems across locations is tricky, and GIS management is much more complex.
Different locations also have disparate and divergent technological systems, IT infrastructure, and management techniques. These divisions create silos between teams and locations, which present many obstacles to successful systems integration and organizational alignment. This complicates GIS processes like data collection, data management, and information exchange.
Conducting these activities is also riskier within siloed structures. A 2024 Hyperproof IT compliance report and benchmark survey found that 70% of respondents operating in data silos experienced a breach in the last 24 months.
Challenge #3: Inconsistent data management
To ensure the reliability of data quality, enterprises must consistently manage data across global systems.
As Ramke Ramakrishnan, VP Analyst at Gartner, said, “If data is not trusted, it may not be used correctly to make decisions.”
This task is exceedingly challenging for multinational enterprises, as activities like ensuring data integrity, synchronizing data, and replicating data are far more convoluted when handling global information systems and global IT for sprawling organizations.
Inconsistent data management is a widespread issue for MNEs, so leaders must work diligently and implement robust data governance practices to ensure data compliance, bolster security, and foster reliability.
Challenge #4: Talent recruitment with GIS skill sets
Global enterprises need to develop a skilled, capable, and experienced team of IT experts who already know how to implement and leverage GIS solutions.
However, recruiting and retaining a team with comprehensive GIS skills is incredibly challenging. As Gina Smith, PhD, research director for IDC's IT Skills for Digital Business service, said in an IDC press release, “Getting the right people with the right skills into the right roles has never been so difficult.”
As the IT skills crisis continues to loom large, MNEs must innovate their approaches to recruiting talent experienced with GIS—which requires thoughtful strategic planning and preparation.
Challenge #5: Security vulnerabilities
Large corporations managing global information systems in multiple countries have countless interconnected systems, a large attack surface, and extended supply chains. As a result, myriad security vulnerabilities—from software misconfigurations to outdated third-party vendor system elements—emerge and present risks to MNEs.
Since data security needs and compliance vary significantly in different locations, enterprises operating across borders must meet diverse requirements. These diverse needs produce a heavy administrative burden, conflicting system setups and protocols, and barriers to centralized oversight.
As a result, they create additional vulnerabilities that make securing GIS solutions, IT infrastructure, and sensitive data much more challenging.
Conclusion: Navigating global connectivity challenges with business consultancy and advisory services support
GIS solutions are crucial for multinational enterprises, but managing them is a complicated and arduous task. Leaders must overcome obstacles such as diverse workforces and security vulnerabilities to successfully manage their global information systems and IT operations.
Thankfully, MNEs don’t have to go it alone. Third-party telecommunications services experts like Advantage Communications Group work to support IT leaders as they navigate global connectivity challenges, undergo digital transformations and optimize their businesses.
Drop us a line today to discover how our IT consultancy, advisory, and information services can help you overcome GIS and IT challenges.