A GIS Success Story at Berea College

By Jena Armstrong

The Challenge:

Christina Hoddinott, GIS Manager within Facilities Management here at Berea College, plays a pivotal role in leveraging geographic information systems to support decision-making across campus. From mapping utilities to analyzing spatial data, GIS projects provide critical insights that guide resource allocation, ensuring funds and efforts are directed where they are needed most: among students and the greater campus community.

However, Christina and her team faced a growing challenge. Despite their passion for technology and commitment to service, inefficiencies were consuming valuable time. The process of locating and organizing data was cumbersome, expectations were unclear, and they were often taking on too much work. These issues slowed down the ability to meet customer demands effectively.

The goal was clear: streamline GIS workflows and reduce time spent searching for information.

Strengths That Drive Success:

Despite these challenges, Christina and her team had significant advantages that fueled improvement:

Turning Challenges into Opportunities:

To address these inefficiencies, the Office of Continuous Improvement collaborated with Christina to introduce Lean methodology. The primary objective was to standardize procedures, establish a data governance policy, and improve data storage. Through targeted countermeasures, the process became significantly more efficient.

Countermeasures implemented:

Campus Impact:  

Christina’s improvements had a measurable and meaningful impact:

Why does this Matter?

Christina’s journey demonstrates that process improvement is more than just efficiency; it’s about creating clarity, confidence, and impact. By reducing waste and standardizing workflows, her team can now deliver accurate, reliable data that informs critical campus decisions. These improvements ripple beyond the GIS office, shaping student experiences, guiding resource allocation, and supporting Berea College’s long-term vision. When systems work better, people work better; that’s the true value of continuous improvement.