ENESGY DOCUMENTS ADVANCED FAQ

By associating documents with the footprint of a project or facility, you get the most accurate way of finding documents. Relying on addresses, parcel numbers, outdated project names, or XY coordinates has a notoriously low accuracy, generating too many or too few results.

Enesgy Documents Advanced uses GIS technology but requires no knowledge or training in GIS or any specialized GIS software.

Using our viewer through a web browser, on a mobile or desktop device. You can also develop your own viewer or connect to it from a third-party application.

Yes. The Enesgy Documents Advanced Viewer is an HTML5 application, meaning that it will run on almost any device. It does not store documents on the device itself, to prevent clogging your storage, protect your information, and give you the ability to access your documents from any device.

Most digital file formats can be stored. Download and view your files directly on your device. Alternatively, you can view files directly in the web browser, depending on whether your browser is configured to see those file types. For instance, most browsers have embedded PDF viewers but not Word file viewers.

Documents in Enesgy Documents Advanced are tagged to project areas, which are drawn on the map to symbolize the extent of one or multiple documents. All documents belonging to a project are assumed to have the same footprint, or spatial extent. The user has the option to create as many different projects as needed in order to catalog a history of development activity throughout the facility. This is one of the main benefits of Enesgy Documents Advanced, to help users accurately identify relevant documents based on location.

A project contains documents. Therefore, it is any kind of “container” you want it to be, like a “drawing set” whose documents are “sheets”, a “folder” whose documents are files, or a “property lease” whose documents are files, photos and permits. But typically, a project is exactly that, a project that was executed in the field, had a specific footprint on the ground, and had various documents associated with it. We use projects as a spatial organization tool for easy document cataloging.

“Projects” can be points, lines, or polygons – the user decides. Typically, projects represent real footprints of executed plans or developments, allowing the relevant spatial extent of documents to be appropriately discovered.

You choose the audience that can view your documents. Restrict groups within your organization from adding, editing, or deleting documents from projects.

Additionally, there are two levels that can be configured for each user: Editors who can create, edit and delete projects and add, associate, edit or delete documents; and Viewers, who can only search and retrieve documents.

Easy. You can do it from a computer, tablet or even a phone. A few minutes of training are sufficient to become proficient.

No. All tagging, digitizing, searching, and retrieving is done through an easy to learn and intuitive web browser interface. There is no software to install on individual computers and the tool runs on any device. For subscribers to our cloud hosted version, there is no server software to install.

Enesgy Documents Advanced is required to draw new project areas. However, NSGIS provides professional services to train clients with the necessary skills. NSGIS also supports clients with a large volume of documents by deploying tools that enable them to use desktop software, like ArcGIS Pro, to add new projects.

It depends on the circumstances and what is meant by “bulk”. For specifics, please contact NSGIS’s professional services at info@nsgis.com.

NSGIS’s professional services can assist clients with this issue on a case by case basis. Contact us.

As easy as adding documents. Leverage Enesgy Documents Advanced to allow or restrict users to change projects or document metadata “owned” or created by other individuals.

Yes. Documents can be hyperlinks from your ECMS or your local network file system (accessed through a web server). You can link a singularly stored document to many projects.

There are several ways to do this, depending on your ECMS system. Please contact us for specific answers.

Certainly. Each document or project has assigned permissions that determines which groups of users in the organization will be able to view or download the document.

Yes, but that depends on many factors related to your chosen software edition, network configuration, firewalls, etc. Visit:

Enesgy Documents Advanced can be licensed for on-premise deployment, behind your firewall; this type of deployment has an initial license fee and an optional annual software maintenance fee for access to upgrades. Enesgy Documents Advanced can also be licensed as a subscription from our cloud server.

On-premise deployments are more expensive up-front but can be capitalized, while cloud deployments are usually expensed out of operating budgets, and have a smaller up-front cost. In some cases, an on-premise deployment can also be licensed through an annual subscription. For more information, visit:

Yes, an on-premise deployment involves a technology stack consisting of several software packages which NSGIS will deliver and install for you. While the technology requirements are greater, they also provide numerous additional benefits to an organization, such as many additional map and database tools which can form the foundation of an entire on-premise Enterprise GIS. For specific requirements, contact us.

As part of the Enesgy Documents Advanced Online deployment, you will also get a subscription to ArcGIS Online for Organizations from Esri. This is a powerful web GIS platform which you can use to build up for your organization – if you so choose. As with the on-premise deployment, you can choose to use the system just for its core purpose, or you can jumpstart your GIS program. Contact us to learn more about additional GIS services from NSGIS for jumpstarting your GIS program.

Not at the current version. A small professional services engagement with NSGIS is required. We plan to release a client-installable and configurable version in the future. To view current deployment options, visit:

Enesgy Documents Advanced Deployment Options

Yes. This requires a professional services engagement with NSGIS, but because Enesgy uses essentially the same technology on-premise vs. in the cloud, the migration is easily accomplished.

You always own your documents, metadata, and project geometries. There are several options available to you. Please contact us.

The cloud subscription of Enesgy Documents Advanced uses your ArcGIS Online login, stores project data in your ArcGIS Online account, and can be launched from the ArcGIS Online ribbon – or as a standalone web browser application. To get started contact us.

The on-premise version of Enesgy Documents Advanced stores data in ArcGIS Server, can use your Portal for ArcGIS credentials to log in, and can optionally be launched directly from the Portal.

No. While Enesgy Documents Advanced leverages GIS and database technologies in the background, you can use Enesgy Documents Advanced just for its core purpose, spatial document cataloging and retrieval. You do not have to commit to using GIS or to becoming an expert in GIS. Visit:

There are several options. If deployed on-premise, then documents can be stored on your internal web server and managed by Enesgy Documents Advanced or they can be stored and managed in a corporate Electronic Content Management System (ECMS) and linked to Enesgy Documents Advanced. If licensed from our cloud server, documents can still reside internally in the manner described above.

For more information, visit:

Enesgy Documents Advanced can serve basic document management functions but does not claim to be a full-fledged ECMS. If your organization does not have an ECMS yet, then Enesgy Documents Advanced can serve that function. If you later acquire an ECMS, you may be able to migrate the documents while maintaining the spatial indexing – consult with NSGIS before choosing an ECMS system. If you already have an ECMS, it may integrate with Enesgy Documents Advanced, so please contact NSGIS for more information.

NSGIS offers two main licensing options: One-time license purchase with optional annual software maintenance for access to updates, ideal for on-premise or private cloud implementation, or a subscription license, suited to our cloud-hosted offering.

Clients with a well-developed IT infrastructure, especially ones with an in-house ECMS and possibly an existing GIS, will almost always prefer an on-premise implementation, despite the upfront licensing cost. On-premise implementations offer more integration options than the cloud option. On-premise clients may also choose to host the application and possibly store the data in a private cloud, whereby they own the software (rather than subscribe to it), but choose to host on servers that are physically away from their organization.

On the other hand, smaller organizations, or ones that require the spending flexibility of a subscription, and the ready-access to the system from outside a traditional office, will prefer the hosted cloud option. NSGIS takes care of maintaining the cloud infrastructure. This is the most “plug and play” approach to accessing the software.

Finally, there is a hybrid approach, where the system, the location data, and the document metadata reside in a private or hosted cloud, but the documents reside on-premise. Contact us to discuss your options.

In the private cloud the client owns the software licenses, can choose to pay for software maintenance and version upgrades, and procures its own cloud hosting. The client has administrative rights over the server infrastructure, and has exclusive use of all components of the software stack. In a hosted cloud subscription, it is NSGIS that controls all administrative access to some servers in the technology stack, but the client only has to pay a subscription to access the software.

Yes. All document and project metadata can reside in the cloud, while documents reside locally, so they never leave clients’ premises.

Subscriptions are annual and are purchased in bundles. An Editor subscription bundle comes with five licenses, while a Viewer subscription bundle comes with ten licenses. Editor allows you to add, edit and delete documents and project, while Viewer only allows you to search, view and download documents.

If your organization already has a subscription to ArcGIS Online for Organizations, the cost of the Enesgy Documents Advanced subscription will be less.

Yes, or they can use one or more of your organization’s subscription licenses, which will reduce your own allocation of people who can use the system while the third party is using your licenses.

NSGIS offers access to its support site to all paid licensees and subscribers, which contains how-to articles, a forum and a trouble ticket system. Live technical Basic Support is offered to all licensees who are current on maintenance or subscription, and Extended Support is available on a pay-as-you-go basis or discounted bundles of prepaid hours. Special projects are contracted through NSGIS’s professional services.

We provide video tutorials, a support site with how-to articles, a forum, and for clients with paid support, a trouble ticket system. Clients can also opt to receive personal on-site training. Learn more about NSGIS professional services.

Enesgy Documents Advanced is only licensed directly by NSGIS in the US. If you are interested, please contact us.

NSGIS is interested in distributors outside the US. If you are interested, contact us.

We are also interested in working with implementation partners in the US and abroad, firms with the expertise and resources to help our clients to capture and organize their documents using Enesgy Documents Advanced. If you are interested in helping your clients in this way, please contact us.