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Item: Infoex™ 3.0—Advancing the Data Analysis Capabilities of Canada's Diverse Avalanche Community

    • Title: Infoexâ„¢ 3.0—Advancing the Data Analysis Capabilities of Canada's Diverse Avalanche Community

      Proceedings: International Snow Science Workshop 2014 Proceedings, Banff, Canada

      Authors:

      • Pascal Haegeli  [ Avisualanche Consulting, Vancouver, BC, Canada ]
      • Joe Obad  [ Canadian Avalanche Association, Revelstoke, BC, Canada ]
      • Brad Harrison  [ Chair of InfoEx Advisory Group, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops BC, Canada ]
      • Brad Murray  [ Hookano, Calgary, AB, Canada ]
      • Jessica Engblom  [ Hookano, Calgary, AB, Canada ]
      • Jonathan Neufeld  [ TECTERRA, Calgary, AB, Canada ]

      Date: 2014-09-29

      Abstract: The Canadian Avalanche Association's Industry Information Exchange (InfoEx) is a daily exchange of technical snow, weather, avalanche and terrain information among subscribers from all types of avalanche safety operations in Canada. In addition to providing a platform for a candid and timely exchange of observations and assessments to enhance the decision-making context for subscribers, InfoEx is also a data cornerstone for the production of public avalanche bulletins by Avalanche Canada. Historically, InfoEx consisted of daily static, multi-page text reports, initially distributed by fax, later by email and an online portal. Increased information volume and subscriber growth, however, made the text format increasingly inefficient and cumbersome as a risk management tool in a time-pressured environment. In 2012, TECTERRA provided funding to completely redesign InfoEx's infrastructure and turning it into an explicit geospatial data system. TECTERRA's investment created a positive, but formidable challenge. This paper describes the principles and design choices taken to create a flexible, expandable InfoEx system that supports the diverse needs of the community, and elaborates on the lessons learned from the community's transition to new technologies.

      Language of Article: English

      Presenters:

      Keywords: Information exchange, operational recordkeeping, software design, mapping, visualization, decision-making

      Page Number(s): 954-961

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