How difficult is it to migrate existing GIS systems to OS NGD?

Migrating to the Ordnance Survey National Geographic Database (OS NGD) can be relatively straightforward for some GIS users and a much bigger exercise for others. The difference is usually determined by what your existing OS data is connected to. If mapping is primarily used as a background layer, for example, then the work involved in making the transition is likely to be minimal. But if you’re using an established OS dataset to feed asset-management systems, automated queries, applications, reporting or other business processes – then migration needs more planning.

That’s because OS NGD isn’t simply the same data in a newer format. It provides more granular features, richer attribution and a different data structure. Existing GIS workflows built around familiar product schemas, classifications and identifiers may therefore need to be reviewed.

What might need to change?

Queries and scripts may refer to attributes that are structured differently in OS NGD. Existing map styling may need adapting. Data transformation processes, integrations and automated workflows may also need modification, while users need to understand which OS NGD features replace or improve upon the information they previously used.

What doesn’t necessarily need to change?

Your GIS platform and wider spatial-data strategy don’t automatically need replacing. Nor does every workflow need redesigning simply because the underlying OS product has changed. The objective should be to identify dependencies first and change only what needs changing.

Delivery is another consideration. Migration provides an opportunity to decide whether continuing to download and maintain data internally remains the best approach. OS NGD can also be accessed through APIs and web services, depending on the data and workflow required.

So how long does migration take? There isn’t a meaningful universal answer. A contained GIS workflow may be comparatively quick to adapt, while an enterprise utility with multiple systems, integrations and teams could require a phased migration involving discovery, testing and implementation.

Idox Geospatial helps organisations assess that complexity before migration begins: identifying where legacy OS data is used, mapping dependencies, determining the appropriate OS NGD replacement and testing how existing processes will be affected. That makes the first step much simpler – understand the size of the change before deciding how to implement it.

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