geographic information systems (gis) for facility management

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for Facility Management

Stuart RichChief Technology OfficerPenBay Solutions LLC

Kevin H. DavisDirector of Business DevelopmentPenBay Solutions LLC


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2010 IFMA Foundation

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

About the Authors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Foreword . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Part 1 Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Part 2 Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Part 3 An Overview of Geographic Information Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.1 GIS Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.1.1 GIS Has Layers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73.1.2 GIS Provides Seamless Scaling. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.1.3 GIS Attribute Data Is Strongly Typed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.1.4 Basic Kinds of GIS Feature Classes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83.1.5 GIS Supports Topologically Rich Data Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.2 GIS Data Storage and Organization. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.3 Enterprise GIS Framework . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

3.4 Spatial Data Infrastructure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Part 4 GIS in Facility Management. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114.1 Spatial Data Infrastructure for Facilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Part 5 GIS Integration With Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) and Others. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135.1 Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135.2 Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) and Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

5.3 Approaches to Integration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.3.1 Open Application Programming Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.3.2 “Map It” Approach. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.3.3 Fully Integrated GIS/IWMS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

5.4 Market Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 145.4.1 Project Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155.4.2 Real Estate and Portfolio Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155.4.3 Facility and Space Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165.4.4 Maintenance Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 165.4.5 Environmental Sustainability and Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

5.5 Market Drivers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175.5.1 Facility Real Estate Consolidation and Portfolio Rationalization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.2 Globalization: Requiring a Worldwide Portfolio View. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.3 Life Cycle Approach to Facility and Real Estate Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.4 Requirements to Enhance the User Experience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.5 Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.6 Compliance With US Government Legislation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 185.5.7 GIS and the Future of the IWMS Sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195.5.8 Other Enterprise Integrations With GIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

5.6 Summary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Part 6 GIS in Emergency Preparedness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

Part 7 GIS Complements Building Information Modeling (BIM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 237.1 Uses of Building Information Models . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23


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7.1.1 Data Exchange From the Construction Phase to the Operations and Maintenance Phase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247.1.2 Laser Scanners. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 247.1.3 Collection and Cataloging of Room Data Information Logistics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

7.2 buidingSMART alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

7.3 Open Geospatial Consortium CityGML . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

7.4 BIM for Design and Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

7.5 BIM for Operations and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Part 8 GIS Data Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Part 9 GIS Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Part 10 GIS Visualization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Part 11 In-Building GIS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Part 12 Making the Business Case for GIS in Facility Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3912.1 Site Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

12.2 Market and Customer Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

12.3 Emergency Action Planning: Floods, Fires and Incident Planning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

12.4 Developing Efficient Workflows and Business Processes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41

12.5 Visualization of Time-Based Phenomena From the Local to the Global Scale . . . . . . . . . . 41

12.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

Part 13 Case Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4313.1 MacDill Air Force Base, Facility Management Mapping. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4313.1.1 Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4313.1.2 Solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

13.2 Air Combat Command Web Map Viewer and Training Management System . . . . . . . . . . .4413.2.1 Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4413.2.2 Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

13.3 Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, GIS Implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4513.3.1 Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4613.3.2 Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

13.4 US Army Corps of Engineers GIS for Spatial Allocation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4713.4.1 Challenge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4713.4.2 Solution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

13.5 NASA Optimization and Associated Technology Status and Plan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4913.5.1 LaRC Investment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5013.5.2 Near-Term and Future Tactical Efforts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50

13.6 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

Part 14 Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5214.1 Appendix A: References . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

14.2 Appendix B: Additional Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

14.3 Appendix C: Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

TABLE OF CONTENTS


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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

‘Expand knowledge of the built environment, in a changing world, through scholarships, education and research’

The Vision Statement of the IFMA Foundation

We acknowledge the following people and organi-zations not only for their assistance in the produc-tion of this white paper, but also for their thought leadership in the application of geographic infor-mation systems (GIS) to facility management: • John Young, ESRI• Matt Davis, ESRI• Eric Wittner, ESRI• Mark Sorensen, GPC, Inc.• Mike Parkin, Massachusetts Institute of

Technology• John Przybyla, Woolpert, Inc. • Neils LaCour, University of Massachusetts

Amherst• Brad Ball, NASA• Troy Hergenrader, Teng & Associates, Inc.• Ray Dinello, University of North Carolina at

CharlotteWe also acknowledge BISDM, the Building Infor-mation Spatial Data Model committee, and IFMA, the International Facility Management Association, for their efforts to influence the application of GIS to facility management.The Building Information Spatial Data Model (BISDM) committee was formed in late 2007 as a community of interest focused on creating a GIS

data model for buildings. The BISDM committee is a volunteer organization dedicated to providing a collection of best practices, case studies and templates that individuals can adopt or adapt to specific project needs.IFMA is the world’s largest and most widely rec-ognized international association for professional facility managers, supporting more than 19,000 members in 78 countries. The association’s mem-bers, represented in 123 chapters and 16 councils worldwide, manage more than 37 billion square feet of property and annually purchase more than $100 billion (US dollars) in products and services. Formed in 1980, IFMA certifies facility managers, conducts research, provides educational pro-grams, recognizes facility management certificate programs and produces World Workplace, the world’s largest facility management conference and exposition.Finally, we would like to extend our gratitude to Ann Marie Lynch, marketing communications manager, PenBay Solutions LLC, for her assis-tance on this project. Ann Marie edited this publi-cation, taking the seemingly incoherent notes and ramblings of the authors and organizing them into a cohesive paper, which we hope makes a positive contribution to the discussion of the intersection between facility management and GIS technology.

Reviewers

Russ Anderson, PMP, MCSD Facilities Solutions Group

Troy Hergenrader Teng & Associates, Inc

Eberhard Laepple, PhD, LEED AP HOK

Angela Lewis, PE, LEED AP University of Reading; Building Intelligence Group

Paul Teicholz, PhD Founder of CIFE at Stanford University

Burcu Akinci, PhD Carnegie Mellon University


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Stuart Rich

Stuart Rich is chief technology officer at PenBay Solutions LLC with more than 15 years’ experience developing database applications and geographic information systems (GIS) for government and com-mercial organizations across the United States and internationally. He has been a technical pioneer in bringing GIS inside the building, leading PenBay in its innovative efforts of providing spatial robotic data collection and 3D visualization technologies to a variety of industries around the world. Stuart has been a leader in the development of the Building Interior Space Data Model (BISDM), a data model for creating, storing and sharing information about structures and their assets. He has several years of extensive GIS experience, with expertise in ESRI technology and a focus on project management, data analysis and modeling, business process analysis and workflow methodology design.

Kevin H. Davis

Kevin H. Davis is the director of business develop-ment at PenBay Solutions LLC with more than 20 years’ experience in business management within the enterprise technology market and the real estate development and construction industries. At PenBay, he is leading the effort to bring GIS to the field of facility management. As director of busi-ness development, Kevin is responsible for account and channel management, as well as new market development for products and services related to the application of GIS technology in facility man-agement. Kevin focuses on a number of markets, including health care, higher education and airports. Kevin also concentrates on partner strategy and re-lationship management for the integrated workplace management system and computer aided facility management (IWMS/CAFM) market, which includes application vendors and vertical market services companies.

This Publication is Sponsored by: Manhattan Software

425 Fortune Boulevard, Suite 200 Milford, MA 01757 USA

www.manhattansoftware.com

ESRI 380 New York Street

Redlands, CA 92373 USAwww.esri.com

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

http://www.manhattansoftware.com

http://www.manhattansoftware.com


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In modern society, people spend the vast majority of their waking and sleeping hours inside of buildings. Buildings are man-made ecosystems – vast assemblages of interdependent living and nonliving components. Facilities have become the primary habitat for humans.

As technology advances at a record pace, our man-made ecosystems are becoming more complex and sophisticated. These intricate collections of materials, infrastructure, machinery and people, with countless spatial and temporal relationships and dependencies, require progressively more sophisticated tools to design and manage them.

Given the importance of facilities and their place in society, a revolution in facilities management is occurring. Geographic information systems (GIS) are designed specifically for the management and analysis of spatial relationships, and offer many benefits to the facilities management community.

In the past, GIS was commonly used to help measure the impact of a facility on a natural ecosystem. Today, GIS is increasingly being used to plan, manage and operate the man-made ecosystem – the facility. Facilities managers are finding GIS tools, which have been used successfully for many years in fields such as environmental analysis and landscape planning, support a broad range of applications inside and outside of buildings, such as operations planning, emergency management, Americans

with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance, safety and security planning, space utilization and optimization, and more.

GIS can be used throughout the life cycle of a facility – from site selection, design and construction to use, maintenance and adaptation, and ultimately through closing, repurposing and reclamation. The challenge is to manage each step of the process in a way that maximizes the benefits of the facility to society while minimizing short- and long-term impacts on the natural environment. As an integrative platform for management and analysis of all spatial things, I believe, as the authors of this white paper have eloquently stated, GIS “is the only technology that has the ability to scale across any expanse, from the individual asset within a building to a virtually global context.”

Jack Dangermond President ESRI

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS (GIS) FOR FACILITY MANAGEMENT

FOREWORD


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White Paper Editorial and Production Team

Executive Editor: Eric Teicholz, IFMA Fellow, President, Graphic Systems

Editorial Assistant: Angela Lewis, PE, LEED AP, PhD Candidate, University of Reading; High Performance Buildings Engineer, Building Intelligence Group

Copy Editor: Lisa Berman, Editing and Writing Consultant

Production: Troy Carpenter, Graphic Design and Production Layout

International Facility Management Association

August 2010

IFMA Foundation

1 E. Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100 Houston, TX 77046-0194 Phone: 713-623-4362

www.ifmafoundation.org

The Mission of the IFMA Foundation is to promote and support scholarships, educational and research opportunities for the advancement of facility management worldwide.

Established in 1990 as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation, the IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of a community of individuals – IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors – and is proud to be an instrument of information and opportunities for the profession and its representatives.

A separate entity from IFMA, the IFMA Foundation receives no funding from annual membership dues to carry out its mission. Supported by the generosity of the FM commu-nity, the IFMA Foundation provides education, research and scholarships for the benefit of FM professionals and students. Foundation contributors share the belief that education and research improve the FM profession.

http://www.ifmafoundation.org


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1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Geographic information systems (GIS) are one technology that has many practical uses for facility managers. A GIS is a system that allows one to view, understand, question, interpret and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports and charts. A GIS can be used by facility managers for space management, visualization and planning, and emergency and disaster planning and response, as well as many other applications.

This white paper provides a detailed overview about geographic information systems, including five case studies. The white paper is intended to be useful for individuals and leaders within facility management, as well as real estate managers, property developers, architects, engineers, consultants and government entities. Students in facility management will also find this white paper relevant.

The paper includes detailed discussion about the following topics:• GIS basics• How GIS can be used in facility management

○ Real estate and portfolio management

○ Facility and space management ○ Maintenance management ○ Environmental and sustainability

management ○ Emergency preparedness ○ Visualization

• How GIS can be integrated with other applications, such as computer aided facility management (CAFM) and integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) and building information modeling (BIM)

• Market drivers• Case studies

○ Space management for janitorial contracts

○ Information sharing and decision making

○ Spatial data utilization ○ Space assignment and utilization


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2 INTRODUCTION

Our world is growing smaller by the day and, as a result, business processes that just a few decades ago involved only a relatively small business footprint now span campus, regional and national borders. This phenomenon is increasingly evident in the realm of facility management. Yet the tools and applications that professional facility managers use to manage buildings, capital assets, maintenance, infrastructure – and a dizzying array of business processes – were not designed to be truly scalable. Thus, these tools and applications are not ideally suited to meet the requirements for managing broadly geographically dispersed portfolios of physical assets and business processes.

Out of necessity, the facility management application industry has adopted architectural floor plans as the common denominator for viewing the built environment. This is understandable because architectural floor plans, and by extension, computer aided design (CAD), historically represented the only media available for understanding and interacting with buildings and their contents and associated workflows. The progression from hand-drawn floor plans to CAD drawings, and now building information models (BIM), is essentially a progression from single floor plate views to whole building representations. To be truly effective across geographies the tools used to manage these distributed and disparate assets and workflows need to be able to scale far beyond individual buildings and individual site maps.

CAD was conceived as a set of tools and applications for design and construction. By contrast, geographic information systems (GIS) were conceived of and developed as a technology for managing information related to entities across the landscape. The value proposition for utilizing GIS for facility management business processes is not as a replacement for CAD and other enterprise facility management applications, like integrated

workplace management systems (IWMS). The true value of GIS to facility management is as a complementary technology that, when integrated with the myriad facility management technologies and applications already in use, provides much greater benefits than the sum of its parts.

While CAD traditionally was concerned only with buildings and building interiors, GIS focused on what is referred to as the landscape or exterior environment. Neither technology crosses the boundary of the other, yet business processes do not have such artificial boundaries. There are many examples where facility management processes cross these boundaries: • Utilities – Power and water would not be of

much use if they stopped at the outside of the building.

• Maintenance management – Maintenance workflows require work both inside and outside buildings and across the entire supply chain.

Before GIS, there has not been a single technology that provides a holistic view and supports integrated workflows that place the material components of these workflows into their real world, landscape-level context both inside and outside the built environment. Only GIS can do this effectively because it is the only technology that has the ability to scale across any expanse, from the individual asset within a building to a virtually global context. This is not to say that GIS can replace CAD and, more importantly, BIM. When a workflow calls for interaction with extremely detailed construction and engineering information within a structure, these tools are by far the appropriate choice and can be accessed (integrated) from the GIS, similar to any other application. When the workflow calls for managing assets simultaneously inside and outside of the built structure, GIS is the only option for a foundation technology platform that seamlessly provides “world-to-the-widget” scalability.


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AN OVERVIEW OF GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS3

Modern GIS is an integrated system of computer software and data and information about the location and geography of things and phenomena and the relationships between them. GIS is used to interact with, manage and display geographic information.

The map below (Figure 1) is one of the earliest representations of spatial relationships and phenomena. The map is of Victorian London, produced by Dr. John Snow in 1854 (Johnson 2006) to represent the relationship between the location of cholera deaths and a water pump that he suspected of being the source of deadly bacteria during the 1840 London cholera epidemic. Snow produced this map showing the location of the Broad Street pump and other water pumps in the vicinity, as well as the points where each of the cholera victims died. By establishing that each of the residences that drew water from the Broad Street pump was also the location of a cholera death, Snow proved the source of the contamination. This is a wonderful early example of mapping spatial (location) and temporal (timing) relationships between things, in this case pumps and residences, and phenomena, deaths and drawing water.

GIS was first computerized in the 1960s (GIS.net 2010) as an effort to automate the landscape planning process of separating design influences, such as hydrography, vegetation, soils and ownership boundaries, into different layers. The approach before computerization was to draw each of the layers to scale on a separate page of acetate and then physically recombine them by stacking the pages in order to visualize different aspects of a proposed design. In the ensuing decades, GIS has matured into an enterprise-class technology platform that allows users to model the spatial relationships between and among many important aspects of our complex world.

Before the specifics of how GIS is being applied to facility management are discussed, it is important to review some of the core concepts that define what a GIS is and how it works to better understand how this technology complements and extends other technologies that support the needs of facility managers.

3.1 GIS Basics There are five basic core concepts of GIS:• GIS has layers• GIS provides seamless scaling • GIS attribute data is strongly typed• There are several kinds of GIS feature classes• GIS supports topologically rich data models

Each of these core concepts is further discussed below.

3.1.1 GIS Has LayersThe layers in a GIS correspond to groups of features that have similar attributes and/or behaviors. Road centerlines are a good example

GIS has matured into an enterprise-class technology platform that enables us-ers to understand spatial relationships that are helpful to manage the complexities of

facilities.

Figure 1: Dr. John Snow’s map of cholera victims living near the Broad Street pump in London, 1854


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of a common GIS layer. Each segment in a road centerline layer might have attributes that describe pavement width, number of lanes, speed limit or turn restrictions. A specific layer in a GIS is called a feature class. All of the features in a feature class share the same attributes and spatial reference. Traditional geospatial data layers that might be of interest to facility managers include:• Transportation (road centerlines, edge of

pavement, rail lines, airports)• Hydrography (lakes, ponds, rivers, streams)• Utilities• Pedestrian corridors• Land use• Zoning• Parcel ownership• Aerial imagery• Digital elevation models• Demographics• Facility condition index (FCI) • Performance measurement by building• Total cost of occupancy by building

The GIS data layers bulleted above are typical of traditional applications of GIS. Additional data layers specifically identifying components of the built environment, and possibly of greater interest to the facility management community, will be discussed in Part 4 GIS in Facility Management and Part 11 In-Building GIS.

3.1.2 GIS Provides Seamless ScalingGIS provides seamless scaling from very large-scale global data to very small-scale local perspectives. The various scales at which GIS is useful for facility management include from global, regional and local to campus and room or space scales. At the global scale GIS can: • Visualize patterns in portfolio performance• Symbolize portfolio elements by a key

performance indicator (KPI) and show them on a map

At the regional to local scale, GIS can tie facilities, portfolio elements and customers together into a geographic context by: • Providing an understanding of how well

the portfolio is geographically aligned with customer base

• Supporting site selection based on business demographics

• Supporting site selection based on proximity to workforce

• Optimizing work order assignments and support with routing

At the local or campus scale GIS can:• Provide analysis and visualization of 2.5D

space data across the campus• Visualize departmental fragmentation across

campuses• Analyze relationships between office and

parking assignments• Analyze potential use conflicts• Visualize spatial and temporal space use

patterns• Understand work order patterns and asset

locations• Spatially enable infrastructure asset inventory

2.5D refers to visualization of buildings and other models in apparent 3D that is derived from a single averaged measurement of ceiling and/or floor-to-floor heights and then used to construct generally representative building models that show length (on the x axis), width (on the y axis) and height (on the z axis) of the structure. In contrast, true 3D is an architecturally accurate building model in three dimensions. For building and construction purposes, 3D modeling is sometimes the required standard. For the vast majority of maintenance and operations purposes, 2.5D is typically adequate and it is much less expensive and time consuming to establish.

At the room and space scale, GIS can visually interact with assets, inventory and their exact locations to support regulatory, maintenance and resourcing. 3.1.3 GIS Attribute Data Is Strongly TypedGIS attribute data is descriptive data that is linked to map features. If an attribute in a feature class is, for example, of a date type, it will only accept properly formatted dates as inputs, and if it is a number type, it will not accept text characters. The result of this is strong data typing, and is ideally suited for GIS data and analysis. Unlike CAD attribute blocks where annotation is stored as all text and annotation is only loosely associated with a feature, GIS attributes are directly tied to features and all of the attributes are strongly typed.

3.1.4 Basic Kinds of GIS Feature ClassesA GIS feature class is a homogenous collection of common features, each having the same spatial representation. The most basic kinds of GIS feature classes are points, lines and areas (polygons). In recent years, however, new kinds of data have found their way into the GIS platform. As 3D becomes more important to modeling, new


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types of data, such as surfaces and multipatches (see Glossary), are allowing for more precise modeling of three-dimensional features.

3.1.5 GIS Supports Topologically Rich Data ModelsAs different components of the world were modeled digitally, it was determined quickly that things have important relationships to other things. For example, valves have important relationships to pipes when modeling how water can be delivered from one place to another. A GIS allows relationships to be built between features in different feature classes. For example, pipes in a line feature class and valves in a point feature class create more complex topological structure, such as geometric networks and transportation networks.

3.2 GIS Data Storage and Organization The way GIS data is organized and stored makes it ideally suited for storage in database systems and for analysis. As GIS data is typically stored in a real-world spatial reference system, the analysis of the data can be applied across a campus, region, country or the world.

A few of the many different types of geospatial analyses that are appropriate on facility data might include:• Buffer analysis – How many unoccupied

offices are within 1,000 ft. (305 m) of this parking space?

• Overlay analysis – Which wet labs are within the proposed project area?

• Find ‘n’ nearest – Find the five closest assets with open work orders to this particular point. (where n represents the number sought)

• Line of sight – What can be seen from this window?

• Way finding – What is the shortest wheelchair accessible route from room x to room y?

• Travel time – How many employees will have to travel more than half an hour to get to this office location?

As the application of GIS has become more frequently used, particularly in the government arena, an enormous amount of geospatial data has been developed at a variety of scales. Much of this data is freely available over the Internet from a variety of GIS data portals like the US national geospatial data site geodata.gov.

3.3 Enterprise GIS FrameworkIn most sizable organizations, information technology (IT) management has been recognized as an essential strategic asset. The modern organization can no longer exist without a secure network backbone, centralized user authentication and entitlement control, e-mail administration, enterprise database management and support for a variety of enterprise applications, like accounting, personnel management and an array of loosely connected Web applications.

Over the past decade, GIS has similarly become a recognized component of the enterprise IT suite of capabilities. GIS can now be implemented on enterprise-class databases, published through Web services and integrated with a variety of mobile device platforms. While it is certainly possible, and in some cases most appropriate, to create a stand-alone GIS on a laptop or workstation, it is important to recognize that enterprise deployment has become available over the past decade. Enterprise deployment enables GIS capabilities to be shared with a wide variety of users throughout the organization.

Furthermore, professionals that manage IT capabilities of large organizations are becoming more aware of the value that geospatial support represents to decision makers across many different departments. It is very possible that GIS already exists in an organization and it can be utilized by facility managers. For example, if your organization is in telecommunications, your engineering group may have implemented GIS to track locations and rights of way. Therefore, this technology may be only a workstation away from being available to facility managers. The same is true in many higher education settings. It is very likely that there is an academic or research GIS installation that could be accessed by facility management.

3.4 Spatial Data InfrastructureMany geodata portals have been established over time to enable and support the sharing of geospatial data and analytical models. As this activity has become more widespread, certain best practice patterns have emerged to support this

Management professionals are becom-ing acutely aware of the value that geospa-

tial support represents to the enterprisewide decision-making process.

http://geodata.gov


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cooperative approach. One specific example of such a best practice is spatial data infrastructure (SDI).

Spatial data infrastructure is a framework of technologies, policies, standards and human resources necessary to acquire, process, store, distribute and improve the use of geospatial data across multiple public and private organizations. Therefore, SDI is a framework of connected spatial data, metadata and tools used to centrally manage data with tools and services connected via computer networks to various sources to make spatial data most efficient. SDI can be thought of as a shared repository of GIS layers and tools. Individuals adding data to the repository share the understanding that the contributions to the repository that are being made are generally freely available for the common good, and those who are closest to a particular layer will retain stewardship responsibilities for it.

Typically, when an SDI is to be established, the architects will begin by establishing framework layers. The landscape level of the framework will often include road centerlines, hydrography, parcels, a land use and elevation model, and some form of aerial imagery. These framework layers serve as a foundation from which other layers can be derived and to which many different kinds of business processes can be attached. For example, parcels are an important foundation layer because zoning layers usually are designed to

be coincident with parcel boundaries, and parcels are often an anchor for municipal processes concerned with taxation, permitting and public safety. Building footprints are another framework layer in SDI.

Spatial data infrastructure frameworks all have some number of similar components as described above and can be implemented on a range of scales from the most local level, such as a small town, to a virtually global scale. The most complex and comprehensive SDIs are similar to the United States’ National Spatial Data Infrastructure and the European Community’s Infrastructure for Spatial Information in Europe (INSPIRE) program. Most US states also have well-developed spatial data infrastructures that are often commonly used, regardless of community size. Disaster response and recovery is one such example. Within disaster response and recovery situations, SDI can be applied or accessed and be an invaluable tool. In the event of an earthquake, the combination of map data can be used to answer a variety of questions about where things are, ranging from collapsed bridges to operational water and sewer lines, to roadways for evacuation – all of which are components of an SDI. As demonstrated in this example, one of the most important aspects of an SDI is that it is a system for sharing information across functional boundaries, across jurisdictions and across geographic boundaries.


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4 GIS IN FACILITY MANAGEMENT

For years, facility managers have been using GIS at the landscape level to manage a number of the assets in their facility portfolio. Some of the earliest applications of GIS in facility management were related to pavement management at airports, municipal water and wastewater infrastructure, and electric utility distribution. For example, facility managers of the US Air Force have developed a standardized set of GIS layers to support the management of Air Force bases.

The spatial data that exists in a facility geodatabase has often been developed from aerial imagery or global positioning system-enabled (GPS) field data collection practices. The limitation of these data collection techniques is that they are blind to building interiors. Aerial photography cannot see through the roof. GPS signals are not available inside buildings. The result of these constraints has been that significant holes have developed in the rich geospatial data fabric that describes our facilities. These holes correspond to our most concentrated financial investments and the places where people spend most of their time – inside buildings.

New technologies and techniques have become available to register existing information about the insides of a building, such as CAD floor plans or building information models (BIM), with the surrounding landscape-level geospatial data framework. This integration is making it possible to apply geospatial analysis and visualization to business processes that occur inside buildings.

Today, it is becoming possible with GIS to think about and analyze the spatial aspects of every

component of facility management workflows to decrease cost and increase productivity. None of the enterprise applications used within the arena of facility management have advanced spatial analytic capabilities to support business processes that span geographic areas or provide complex scenario modeling that includes multidimensional visualization including 3D (space), 4D (time) and 5D (money).

GIS is a platform that supports the integration of information from all of these spatial, temporal and informational dimensions. Examples of such integrations include:• Combining cost data with the visualization of

space and occupancy across the campus• Analyzing routing barriers for disabled persons

for use during evacuation planning and emergency action planning

• Conducting visualization of energy consumption data at the room level while simultaneously managing maintenance workflows for mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems for a nationwide facility infrastructure

• Managing security concerns both inside and outside buildings, across regions and continents, simultaneously (4D) and contiguously (3D)

4.1 Spatial Data Infrastructure for FacilitiesAs GIS is becoming more widely used inside buildings, facility managers are applying the insights gained from spatial data infrastructures to the spaces inside buildings. There are framework levels inside the building, just as there are framework levels at the landscape level, such as roads and parcels. A few examples of framework layers inside a building include floor levels, walls, windows, doors and the spaces that are defined by architectural structures (Figure 2).

Once the core architectural elements of the

Significant holes have developed in the world’s geospatial data fabric – holes that

represent the inside of facilities where some of the most valuable assets exist.


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building have been established in the GIS, it is possible for many other layers to be derived from this foundation. Some of the layers that can be derived from basic floor plans include:• Space use and type definitions• Lease areas• Security zones• Management zones• Asset locations• Evacuation collection areas• Navigable routes

Once this basic data has been added to the GIS, it is possible to provide geospatial support to a wide variety of information systems and business processes for the facility management community: • Grouping multibuilding and multisite work

orders by location to reduce transportation and logistics costs

• Visualizing energy consumption data at the room, building and/or enterprise level over time

• Analyzing space use, space availability and space optimization across campus or regional extents

• Conducting building condition assessments, fire safety inspections and asset inventories using handheld, location-aware (GPS-enabled) devices. These devices provide rapid data capture and precise location of issues, items and assets, supporting visualization, analysis and reporting.

• Analyzing and visualizing lease performance metrics across the portfolio, regardless of geographic extent

• Analyzing, route mapping and reporting of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance and/or ADA facility and fixture availability across the campus or portfolio

• Visualizing the impact of proposed building projects on the campus environment

• Conducting line of sight analysis for special events

• Modeling the impact of proposed use changes on the supporting utility infrastructure

• Visualizing proposed space planning scenarios

In order to provide best practices guidance and support for facility managers interested in establishing facility GIS capabilities, an independent committee made up of software vendors, government users, higher education facility managers and facility managers from various levels of government formed the Building Information Spatial Data Model (BISDM) committee in 2007. This committee has published several versions of the Building Information Spatial Data Model and continues to enhance and extend the model and its tools, making them available to the community. A diagram of the conceptual BISDM is shown in Figure 3. Further information and materials are available for download at the following Web site: resources.arcgis.com/content/building-interior-space-data-model.

Figure 2: Spatial data infrastructure can spatially enable many enterprise systems

Figure 3: Conceptual data model diagram for BISDM

http://resources.arcgis.com/content/building-interior-space-data-model

http://resources.arcgis.com/content/building-interior-space-data-model


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GIS INTERGRATION WITH INTEGRATED WORKPLACE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS (IWMS) AND OTHERS

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5.1 OverviewMost of this section will discuss GIS and integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) integration as IWMS most specifically apply and most often relate directly to the job functions of facility managers. GIS and IWMS are complementary technologies that, when integrated, have the ability to support the broadest range of facility management activities more efficiently and effectively than either one independently. However, the discussion is also applicable to other enterprise applications. Many of the examples given to illustrate bidirectional GIS to IWMS integration are applicable to business processes and workflows involving integration between GIS and enterprise asset management (EAM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) applications. These applications can all be critical to spatial data infrastructure discussed previously, and are an important part of any discussion of GIS for facility management.

5.2 Computer Aided Facility Management (CAFM) and Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS)Many facility management professionals are familiar with the acronym CAFM, which stands for computer aided facility management. Over the past few years, CAFM has become understood as a subset of an IWMS and is often described as space and occupancy. The primary driver in the growing discussion of GIS as a partner technology to enterprise applications, like IWMS, is a direct result of the market influences that drive the delineation between CAFM and IWMS: there

is an increasing adoption of a comprehensive and life cycle approach to facility management. Historically, most of the functionality within IWMS applications existed as stand-alone applications focused on very few and often only one business process or set of processes. Over time, functions such as project management, project accounting, space management, maintenance management, lease management and portfolio management have been logically integrated as natural extensions of one another to become today’s IWMS (Figure 4). The primary thread that connects these functions is spatial data, or location information associated with the area of interest of each function.

If the users of an IWMS are concerned with constructing, managing, maintaining and/or leasing a space, the common denominator is the space. A space is defined at the most basic level by its boundaries and its location. However, each function must have access to a slightly different interpretation of the space. The potential for deriving benefit from combining the various perspectives on the space is substantial. Combining building automation systems (BAS)

Spatial data is the primary thread that holds together functions such as project, space, maintenance, lease and portfolio

management.

Figure 4: GIS as a complementary technology for managing location data


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with cost accounting (ERP) can yield tremendous insights and efficiencies. Combining maintenance records in the enterprise asset management (EAM) system with space and occupancy information from the IWMS can support more cost-effective procurement decisions, such as the selection of materials or custodial options.

The visualization and data management capabilities of GIS and the geodatabase provide landscape-level visualization and the tools and technical infrastructure to generate and manage location data, including very precise locations, which are required for truly comprehensive and integrated management. These two components, landscape-level visualization and spatial data storage and management, in the geodatabase are core GIS functions. They are the glue used to precisely integrate disparate systems because, at its core, each enterprise system has some set of functions related to a location.

The current paradigm for interacting with building data in IWMS/CAFM applications is a combination of tabular information and a CAD-based, two-dimensional, single floor plate view. Core GIS technology adds to the IWMS/CAFM by extending beyond the individual floor plate to a visual interaction with information across multiple floors, multiple buildings, campuses, regions, countries and even globally, both within and outside of the building. Three-dimensional representations of data also become achievable with the integration of GIS.

5.3 Approaches to IntegrationThere are three primary GIS integration methodologies with the IWMS market: open application programming interface, the “map it” approach and fully integrated GIS/IWMS.

5.3.1 Open Application Programming Interface Within an open application programming interface (API) model, the data within the IWMS application is made available for use and integration with the GIS through an open API. This is essentially a “here it is, come and get it” approach. This approach requires custom GIS application development in order to take advantage of the data in both the GIS and IWMS applications. This requirement generally requires the end user to develop the interface and tools for interacting with the IWMS data from within the GIS framework. The primary advantage of this approach is that it is infinitely flexible.

5.3.2 “Map It” Approach The next model is the “map it” approach, in which the GIS data is made available to the IWMS user through a separate but semi-integrated window launched from the IWMS application. The window is designed to look and feel like the host application, but does not appear to be a part of the core IWMS application. The map viewer launches as a separate window when the user asks to see the map, instead of as part of the core application as a single integrated interface. Typically, this approach is used only for visualization of a point on the map representing facility locations and is not a true application of GIS capability to drill down into layers of information. Furthermore, this approach does not generally support bidirectional transfer of information between the IWMS and the GIS.

5.3.3 Fully Integrated GIS/IWMS A fully integrated GIS/IWMS solution provides geographic information within native application windows so users do not recognize that they are interacting with a GIS. Rather, they simply have access to location data and a geography-based user interface (a map) that seamlessly ties together tabular and location data to provide a comprehensive view. There are many levels at which the map interface supports traditional workflows, such as maintenance management, space management, asset management and others, to take advantage of the landscape-level context provided by the GIS.

5.4 Market OrganizationWhile functionality within IWMS applications varies widely among vendors, it is helpful to frame this discussion with an understanding of Gartner, Inc’s Magic Quadrant for Integrated Workplace Management Systems (2008) (Figure 5) within which Gartner cited four broad categories of functionality provided by IWMS applications: construction project management, real estate and portfolio management, facility and space management, and maintenance management. Since 2008, the IWMS market has started to place substantial emphasis on sustainability. We will therefore include environmental sustainability and management as a fifth category in our discussion.

Gartner cites the phenomena discussed in Sections 5.3 to 5.5 as driving growth, competition and functionality within the IWMS market. GIS technology has a great deal to offer each of the five general categories of functionality, as well as


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the market drivers identified by Gartner.

The extension of the IWMS interface from a tabular, flat, single floor perspective into a graphically rich, multidimensional and geographically distributed model has implications on usability, reach and general usefulness for the IWMS platform that directly addresses the majority of the market drivers identified by Gartner for the IWMS market. Each of these areas of functionality can specifically be enhanced through GIS integration.

5.4.1 Project ManagementWithin the Magic Quadrant, Gartner calls project management “construction project management.” For the purposes of this discussion, the more generic term “project management” will be used to avoid any confusion of terminology. While construction project management is obviously a topic worthy of in-depth consideration, and GIS can add value to construction project management when multiple projects are being managed simultaneously at multiple sites, this paper is focused more on the type of project management that occurs throughout the facility life cycle after construction is complete and the owner or manager has taken control of the property. This makes sense because approximately 80 percent of the total cost of ownership of any facility lies in operations and maintenance, which is post construction.

GIS adds value to the CAFM/IWMS portfolio when businesses are undertaking comprehensive management of the facility life cycle. GIS can add value in the process from site selection to decommissioning, including renovation, scenarios and studies, moves, acquisitions, disposals and

other applications. GIS provides a permanent repository of building data, originating in CAD and BIM files developed during construction, which can be vital for efficient management of the hundreds and thousands of projects that take place each year across the asset portfolio. GIS is unique because it has the ability to consume spatial data from a multitude of sources, including CAD/BIM data, and integrate it with the IWMS application for efficient, highly productive and cost-effective workflows.

One example of how GIS can be used for project management is a retailer with a rapid construction or renovation program with multiple, geographically dispersed facilities. GIS can provide value in determining which regions can logistically support the variety of workflows that are critical to maximizing revenue through streamlined and efficient construction, while maintaining quality standards and minimizing the risks associated with materials and other resource logistics, thereby determining which regions are suitable for expansion. Three other common uses of GIS for project management include:• Analysis and planning for impact of

construction, materials warehousing and traffic interruptions

• Efficient resource allocation and materials sourcing

• Regional, national and global logistics management

5.4.2 Real Estate and Portfolio Management As with the examples above, real estate and portfolio management for a geographically distributed portfolio presents unique challenges that can be addressed, at least in part, by the application of GIS technologies. An excellent example of this is the integration of sophisticated site selection workflows utilizing demographic data, like gender, income level and spending patterns, as well as infrastructure analysis, to determine consumer and/or employee drive times or competitor locations relative to proposed locations. GIS for real estate and portfolio management can be used at the campus, regional or global portfolio level, or for site selection. This GIS query, analysis and reporting capability is an excellent resource for managing cannibalization and analyzing competitive footprint.

Another of the unique ways to understand what geographically distributed means is in the vertical

Figure 5: The Gartner Magic Quadrant framework


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plane. Traditionally, maps and GIS are thought of as horizontally distributed landscapes. Yet, for multistory buildings included in real estate portfolios today, the GIS capability of managing and organizing multilocation information for analysis and decision making in a combined interface of 2D, 3D and 4D interaction provides a unique understanding and empowers effective management for maximizing portfolio value. CoreNet Global, a professional association for corporate real estate and workplace professionals, service providers and economic developers, has a community of practice focused on strategy and portfolio planning. In spring 2010, this group conducted a survey of the 80 members of the community about what technologies they use for portfolio planning. Twenty-two percent indicated that they utilized GIS. This outcome was higher than the technology subcommittee, the group who created the survey, expected. While 22 percent may not be a very large number, many of the organizations represented on the committee are global organizations with complex, dispersed real estate portfolios, and the members of the committee tend to be progressive adopters of new and highly effective technologies. This group of industry trendsetters indicates that GIS is becoming a core component of their facility management strategies.

5.4.3 Facility and Space ManagementFacility and space management application user interfaces have traditionally been conceived as containing single floors represented as a flat, two-dimensional floor plate from which information is derived and on which various business processes or workflows are applied. This floor plate perspective of facility management made sense:• When the only technology that IWMS

applications could draw base building geometry data from was CAD applications

• Within a technology framework that could not support the visualization of, or the manipulation of, more than a single floor in a single building at a time

For workflows that span multiple buildings, campuses, regions or beyond, the single floor plate view with associated tables of data is inadequate for the purpose of understanding, analyzing and managing these distributed geographic views, also called extents in GIS parlance.

Space and occupancy management, space optimization and rationalization, departmental grouping and/or distribution are all business processes that are best served by a visual interface that spans the landscape. In a campus environment, the ability to see the distribution of departmental staff in three dimensions across multiple buildings can greatly enhance a manager’s ability to organize resources for the greatest productivity. In city- or regionwide corporate environments, where there is a requirement for facility consolidation, the ability to thoroughly analyze the attributes of various locations can be a competitive advantage. A competitive advantage can result by ensuring that the new location best serves the needs of customers, employees and suppliers. In addition, GIS or IWMS/GIS can be used as a facility and space management tool for space optimization, facility rationalization and move management.

5.4.4 Maintenance ManagementThe value of GIS for maximizing efficiency, productivity and cost savings has long been proven in the areas of delivery, routing and logistics for services and transportation across a variety of industries. Both within and among buildings the same efficiencies can be achieved in the area of maintenance management with an integrated IWMS/GIS solution. The IWMS can track and notify maintenance staff about weekly, monthly or annual schedules. The GIS tracks the location of the items to be maintained and helps staff combine work orders from different schedules with identical or proximal locations. This can help to drastically reduce the time and resources expended to complete maintenance and work orders. In addition, GIS routing analysis and recommendation reduce both the time and resources wasted in transit by optimizing travel routes between and within structures for more efficient, cost-effective work order completion.

Additionally, GIS can be used for real-time coordination and dispatch of resources for maintenance and repair responses that fall outside of regular schedules. This real-time capability becomes even more valuable when deployed in emergency scenarios that require rapid sharing and dissemination of location-based information. To summarize, GIS or IWMS/GIS can be used for routing, visualization of multicalendar workflows and real-time dispatch based on proximity of resources, as well as other functions, to improve maintenance management efficiency.


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5.4.5 Environmental Sustainability and ManagementSustainability is generally understood as the measurement, management and reduction of energy consumption and carbon emissions/carbon footprint for reducing environmental impact and operating expenses. The influences driving interest in these reduction efforts lie in ever-increasing energy costs and phenomena, such as global warming and growing public awareness of environmental issues, that increasingly motivate many consumers to favor companies and institutions with positive environmental records. In the past few years, some IWMS platforms have developed specific sustainability and management functionality in response to these trends. GIS adds value to these tools, especially when:• Sustainability interests span multiple buildings

and across portfolios • Visualization and visualization analysis can

be used to display sustainability metrics, especially when 3D modeling can be used

Building automation systems (BAS) and energy management systems (EMS) can be effective tools to address sustainability issues. They are also one of the more complicated facility management systems as they combine an extremely broad array of data, including energy usage and cost; mechanical, electrical and lighting systems operation, including efficiency and device monitoring for operation, maintenance, energy consumption and failure; occupancy complaint monitoring; and lighting controls both inside and outside of buildings; and usually including an e-mail and/or phone notification system. This complex array of data types and sources can result in a dizzying amount of information that needs to be assimilated and managed in order to be an effective system. In this scenario, GIS can provide a platform for real-time visual access to information from an intuitively comprehensible view of the building, campus plan or regional portfolio map. GIS also supports a variety of integration points to other systems, such as triggering a work order in the enterprise asset management (EAM) system and monitoring weather patterns or emergency services networks for information that may affect building systems operations.

The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications have recently grown to

include LEED for Neighborhood Development (LEED-ND), which attempts to set standards for sustainable, environmentally responsible development of new and in-fill parcels ranging in size from less than 2 to more than 12,000 acres. An IWMS may be fully capable of managing sustainability programming on a single building basis, but a GIS integrated with an IWMS may be needed to effectively visualize and manage the volume and variety of data types that result when sustainability programming spans multiple buildings and sites. An integrated GIS/IWMS allows information about building interiors and the landscape-level environment to be combined. Additionally, the visualization capabilities of the GIS can be harnessed to illustrate an institution’s environmental sustainability activity as part of an effective public relations and marketing program to attract new customers, clients, students and other interested parties.

In summary, GIS or GIS/IWMS can be used to help achieve sustainability goals because they provide a means for: • Campus- and portfoliowide query, analysis

and reporting on environmental issues for combined building interior and landscape-level environments

• Optimization of energy performance by identifying performance outliers through integration with BAS and EMS

• Conservation and protection of traditional environmental resources, such as water, open space and flora, as part of comprehensive environmental programming, including combined building and campuswide energy consumption

• Reduction of impact of materials and operations on building sites and the environment

5.5 Market DriversGartner also defines eight IWMS market drivers that can be positively impacted by GIS:

• Facility real estate consolidation and portfolio rationalization

• Globalization • Life cycle management approaches• Enhancement of user experience• Business continuity and disaster recovery• Compliance with US government legislation • The future of GIS and IWMS • Enterprise integration


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5.5.1 Facility Real Estate Consolidation and Portfolio RationalizationThe use of GIS can help answer questions about how to best consolidate property portfolios. Some of the risks involved in large-scale facility consolidation lie in the potential disconnect between the seemingly simple numerical analysis of multiple sites and the thorough understanding of the applicability of a site for a given function. GIS can answer questions about drive times for employees and suppliers; proximity to infrastructure, such as power, water and/or transportation; and demographics related to qualified workforce and/or customer base.

5.5.2 Globalization: Requiring a Worldwide Portfolio ViewLandscape-level intuitive presentation of information is a core feature of GIS. In a business climate with complex, globally distributed facility portfolios it is no longer adequate, or even possible, to manage, analyze and report on facility yield and productivity without taking into consideration the ramifications of location. Intuitive, visual interaction with demographics, population concentrations, and growth/decline trends, all of which are core GIS data, support appropriate distribution of facilities to meet supply chain and sales models better than tabular representation of complex numerical models.

5.5.3 Life Cycle Approach to Facility and Real Estate Management The life cycle approach to facility and real estate management includes planning, project management, leasing and operations. The life cycle approach to facility and real estate management is the primary influence behind the other market drivers discussed within this section. A life cycle management approach is a growing area of concern, especially in difficult economic climates where organizations are planning to keep existing buildings longer, rather than undertake new capital expansion projects. Site selection; construction project logistics management; space and occupancy analysis; accurate lease representations; and facility maintenance, redevelopment and decommissioning all have associated geographic (location) interests. Facility and real estate management is more efficient, more easily understood and managed, and more cost effective when managed within a comprehensive technology that compares and contrasts complex data about the environment or

landscape where the facility exists.

5.5.4 Requirements to Enhance the User ExperienceThe experience of using an IWMS application can be enhanced by increasing usability and accessibility. One of the cornerstones of GIS is the ability to organize and visually present information in an intuitive format that provides users with the ability to efficiently access the data that is important to them, and then to easily, iteratively query, analyze and report on an infinite number of combinations. Whether simply locating a building, room or asset, or performing complex analysis of resource allocation, the visual map afforded by the GIS is a vastly improved way of interacting with and understanding information as compared with traditional tabular and two-dimensional interfaces.

5.5.5 Business Continuity and Disaster RecoveryBusiness continuity and disaster recovery require the identification of backup sites, employee locations and critical infrastructure in the event of local or regional business interruption. In many ways, business continuity and disaster recovery for business are quite similar to many of the concerns of public safety professionals. In both cases, the requirement is for rapid or immediate access to information about people, places and things to ensure that the emergency response team can operate safely and effectively in the face of events often out of their control. A first order of business in both situations is to determine where things are and how to best allocate and relocate resources to and from the affected locations. GIS is a primary tool of public safety professionals because a GIS can be used to prepare “what if” scenarios, providing a snapshot of all of the information needed to effectively manage a situation when it occurs, along with the ability to rapidly present new combinations of information as needs arise.

5.5.6 Compliance With US Government Legislation Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 mandates adequate and effective internal control and procedures for financial reporting. The Act requires a comprehensive audit and inventory of assets that must include location data for verification and validation of asset condition and accounting. While it is not always necessary


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to visually interact with asset-level data (i.e., visually mapping the location of assets), having the ability to exactly locate assets during audits or fraud investigations is of critical importance. The geodatabase, which is the core, underlying component powering the GIS, is the only way to effectively store and manage this location data. This is an excellent example of a purely geolocation data management aspect of GIS that does not necessarily require a visualization platform.

5.5.7 GIS and the Future of the IWMS SectorThe application vendors who address all of the categories listed above most comprehensively are generally the most successful in the market. Additionally, they are located in the top, right quadrant within the Gartner Magic Quadrant. Many of the IWMS vendors, including most of those clustered in the upper right quadrant, have begun to address GIS integration. Furthermore, Gartner appears to be starting to think about GIS integration as an important value-added functionality in the IWMS market. The next time the Gartner Magic Quadrant study is released it may be quite different. It will be very interesting to see if and how Gartner describes GIS and how it might rate each vendor in their approach in the new Magic Quadrant. It is anticipated it will be released during the 2010 calendar year.

When the 2008 Magic Quadrant was published it does not appear that either Gartner of any of the IWMS vendors were thinking about GIS integration and functionality as a differentiating and competitively advantageous product component. (Note: All statements about the future of the Magic Quadrant are analysis of the market by the authors, and should not be assumed to be representative of any other individual’s or organization’s opinion or perspective, especially that of Gartner, Inc. or its analysts).

5.5.8 Other Enterprise Integrations With GISWhile integrated workplace management systems (IWMS) strive to combine all major facility functions into a single platform, there are many organizations that must maintain multiple facility-related applications. Reasons for this could include, but are not limited to, that they are considered best-in-class or because they are legacy systems. Legacy systems could be too disruptive or expensive to migrate. As with IWMS, other enterprise applications are concerned with

the management and storage of information about resources that have a location component. In this scenario, GIS can help unify multiple facility systems when all of the functions covered by this variety of applications cannot be consolidated into a single IWMS solution. The GIS can be effectively integrated with other applications to maintain location data and to support enterprise business processes, allowing a broader variety of information and phenomena to be accounted for than in any one application alone.

There are multiple applications that can be integrated with GIS through an enterprise approach:• Building automation systems (BAS) and

energy management systems (EMS)• Customer relationship management (CRM)• Enterprise asset management (EAM)/

computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS)

• Enterprise resource planning (ERP)• Supply chain management (SCM)

Building automation systems (BAS) are control systems that consist of devices used to monitor, control and manage mechanical and electrical systems within a building (ASHRAE 2010). Some integrated BAS include lighting; heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC); and security and fire alarm. Many commercial buildings today have BAS. Most BAS include dynamic graphics of systems, equipment, valves, meters and sensors, as well as static graphics of floor plans of areas serviced. In most cases, the BAS graphics are not integrated with enterprise facility management systems. Thus, the data from a BAS is often inaccessible to other applications. Additionally, there is not a direct, dynamic link between floor plan graphics within the BAS and electronic CAD or BIM files. (It should be noted that linking BIM files with BAS is a very new application that is still in development.)

It is possible that GIS could serve as a common platform for visualization, centralization of data and analysis for disparate BAS systems with IWMS. The common denominator would be the location of spaces and buildings.

In addition to providing control of systems and equipment, BAS can be used to trend operations and energy consumption data. Future applications of GIS could be integrated with BAS to help


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visualize building conditions in real time.

Customer relationship management (CRM) can include customer support and service, in addition, but not limited, to sales, marketing and customer retention. When geographic information is used for customer relations business process management, the following questions can be answered: • Where are my customers?• What locations should marketing activities

focus on?• How can the delivery of customer service be

maximized? • Where should new buildings be located to best

serve the customer base?

The answers to all of these questions are well supported by the integration of CRM with GIS.

Enterprise asset management (EAM) and computerized maintenance management systems (CMMS) integrated with the GIS support comprehensive work planning for increased efficiencies by answering questions about where and when maintenance work needs to be performed.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications typically contain information about employees and suppliers, as well as a variety of corporate financial information. The GIS can provide data that defines where inventories are located, where service personnel are located and which corporate resources are best applied to business problems based on proximity.

Supply chain management (SCM) applications have a connection to geography for just-in-time logistics for retailers and manufacturers. Reducing inventory costs and delivery times reap huge benefits in cost savings and customer satisfaction by reducing financial commitment to suppliers and by getting product to customers sooner. This allows for shorter cash flow cycles. Understanding the locations of customers, inventories and manufacturing resources is critical to managing efficient workflows.

While each of these application types alone benefit from integration with location data, there are even greater benefits to be obtained when they are integrated with one another, sharing location data related to customers, suppliers, inventories and employees, as well as other applications.

5.6 SummaryThis section has discussed how an integrated approach to GIS and IWMS implementation, as well as the entire alphabet soup of enterprise systems, is an area of tremendous opportunity for facility managers. Certainly there are circumstances in which either the IWMS or the GIS is the appropriate stand-alone solution for a business problem. Yet, given the ever-increasing emphasis on facility life cycle management and comprehensive facility portfolio management, a solution that truly scales from the world to the widget is extremely effective and at times invaluable in meeting contemporary facility management challenges. From space and occupancy to project, lease, portfolio and sustainability management, the integration of GIS with IWMS, and other enterprise applications, combines intuitive visualization and analysis with business process-specific functionality at virtually any scale. These tools can be used from room-level physical assets to the global real property portfolios, for truly comprehensive facility management capability.

It should be emphasized that GIS is not a replacement for any enterprise application. Rather, this section seeks to represent the opportunity to spatially enable all of the things to be tracked and supported using geospatial analysis and visualization capabilities. The analytics, project management, portfolio management and financial modeling capabilities, and other core IWMS capabilities, are critical to effective, comprehensive program management across the areas discussed above. It is the position of the authors that when geographic information systems are integrated with an IWMS, a level of capability not achieved by any other application platform alone is achieved.

Hence, any IWMS implementation that spans multiple buildings, campuses, portfolios or other geographically distributed real property assets, entities, workflows and business processes could benefit from the use of integrated GIS.


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6

One way that GIS for facility management is being leveraged is to support the public safety community. In the past decade, there have been several high-profile incidents that highlight the critical nature of information about building interiors for emergency responders. From the September 11 terrorist attacks and the Virginia Tech shootings in the United States to the Mumbai and London underground bombings, and the Deutsche Bank fire in New York City, the headlines are replete with examples of how accurate information about the insides of buildings delivered to emergency responders in a timely manner can save lives.

Figure 6 shows a 3D immersive image of the Philadelphia underground and an enlarged section of a single point within the underground. This figure represents an example of how emergencies can be detected and responded to using real-time information.

Another use case for GIS in emergency preparedness relates to hazardous materials (HAZMAT) tracking. An integrated GIS and IWMS solution can be an excellent resource for visualization, query and analysis of HAZMAT locations and types for preplanning and response. Again, this type of information is critical in

emergency scenarios for ensuring the safety of emergency responders, safe evacuation of building occupants and public safety for the community at large.

For the public safety community, leveraging GIS inside buildings yields tremendous benefits. With accurate, up-to-date building maps, public safety officials can better identify operational risks in any given building and be better prepared to respond in the event of an incident. Today, some public safety professionals use GIS models to better understand evacuation plans in public venues. Others are using GIS for security planning, management and monitoring. Still others are using mobile GIS to support in-building inspections so that their preplanning efforts can be more effective.

Some key benefits to using GIS for emergency preparedness are that it:• Provides a homogenous and non-interrupted

layer of information, whereby decision makers can easily move between external and internal environments and different levels or floors with no hard-break lines to separate the information, which is beneficial to situational awareness.

• Supports data interoperability whereby information can be easily exported into a wide variety of modeling applications and modeling results can be imported back to the GIS for visualization.

• Is a Web-ready and secure technology, a good solution for systems where data, users and decision makers are not co-located. This allows for information to be accessed from a variety of systems and across a variety of geographic scales.

• Provides an integrated view of features above ground as well as underground, and inside and outside of buildings.

GIS IN EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS

Figure 6: Immersive data survey of the Philadelphia underground


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Some jurisdictions, like New York City, are taking a very proactive and regulatory approach to developing comprehensive repositories of information about building interiors to support emergency preparedness agencies. It is now a requirement in New York City for the owner of a building with more than 15 stories to submit emergency action plans per floor to the New York Fire Department every six months. Other cities, like Boston, Philadelphia and Chicago, are

taking a less regulatory approach to the same problem but the trend is clear – the public safety community needs better information about the insides of buildings to be effective. It is becoming imperative that the facility management community understand this trend and be prepared to tackle issues of information sharing with public safety agencies in the very near future.


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7

Building information modeling is the process and technologies that facilitate the development and use of building information models (BIM) (Eastman et al 2008). A building information model is composed of a database of parametric objects that contain information about their geometry, relationship to other objects, data regarding their materials and other properties. The geometry of the objects is often represented using 3D attributes. BIM is best thought of as “a digital representation of physical and functional characteristics of a facility … and a shared knowledge resource for information about a facility forming a reliable basis for decision during its life cycle; defined as existing from earliest conception to demolition” (bSa 2010a).

Although BIM is new to many professionals within the design, construction and facility management disciplines, the first uses of 3D building modeling were in the late 1970s and early 1980s. During this time, several vendor products and university-based research products were developed (Eastman et al 2008). In the last decade, several software vendors have developed products to implement BIM using three-dimensional and object-oriented software architectures.

7.1 Uses of Building Information Models BIM captures information about the geometry, cost, schedule and attributes (dimensions, color, capacity, etc.) of a building. BIM can be used for all phases of the life cycle of a building: design, construction, operation and demolition (BIMex 2010). To date, the most developed uses of BIM have been in design and construction. For example BIM has successfully been used for (BIMex 2010):• Project planning

○ Site selection and analysis ○ Visualization ○ Existing conditions modeling ○ Cost estimating

• Design ○ Design authoring and analysis ○ Energy analysis ○ Lighting analysis ○ Structural analysis ○ 3D design coordination

• Construction ○ Digital fabrication ○ Construction planning (4D CAD) ○ Constructability analysis ○ Clash analysis ○ Site utilization planning

The list of processes and functions above can be undertaken using BIM by either directly linking functional applications to or importing information between the building model and the functional application.

There is also potential for BIM to be used for facility management applications. There are many efforts underway to develop these applications, such as the Construction Operations Building Information Exchange (COBie), the Specifiers’ Properties Information Exchange (SPie), the GIS/BIM ifc Based Information Exchange and others (bSa 2010b). In supporting integrated project teams that include facility management professionals, BIM can help to ensure that facility planning will meet their needs, and the data required for facility management applications will be captured and transferred to downstream systems.

Some additional uses of BIM for facility management applications and areas of development include, but are not limited to:• Data exchange between the construction

phase and the operations and maintenance phase

• Use of laser scanners • Collection and cataloging of room data

information logistics

GIS COMPLEMENTS BUILDING INFORMATION MODELING (BIM)


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7.1.1 Data Exchange From the Construction Phase to the Operations and Maintenance PhaseEfforts, such as COBie, have been developed or are being developed to help transfer data gathered during the design and construction phase of a project into facility management software, such as computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software. COBie provides an avenue to transfer data about equipment, warranties and space utilization into CMMS and many other software applications. Multiple vendors have publicly demonstrated this data exchange capability at the COBie Challenge (COBie 2009).

7.1.2 Laser ScannersLaser scanners can be used to create 3D images of existing buildings that were not designed using BIM. The United States General Services Administration (GSA) has been spearheading the national 3D-4D BIM program since 2003. The GSA sees 3D laser scanning and imaging as a promising tool to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of documenting existing conditions of physical assets. Between 2004 and 2007, the GSA used 3D laser scanning for seven capital projects, ranging from an entry pavilion to a campus of federal properties (GSA 2007).

7.1.3 Collection and Cataloging of Room Data Information LogisticsProcesses and data structures to gather space and room data for use with BIM and/or GIS software have been developed for early project programming through the room data information logistics project. During early project programming, room data sheets can be used to define the intended occupancy and use of each space, including equipment, utilities and features (BIM Journal 2009).

In summary, the great opportunity here is that BIM supports integrated project teams, which can and should include facility management representatives, as well as any stakeholders utilizing GIS as a component of their facility management tool set. Documentation and capture of design and construction data from BIM is critical to ensuring that any new facility will meet the downstream needs of occupants and facility managers and the applications they use.

7.2 buidingSMART alliance Many of the efforts to support the use of BIM in

facility management are coordinated by or through the buildingSMART alliance. The buildingSMART alliance is a council of the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS). NIBS was established in 1974 by the US Congress to bridge the gap between industry and government to provide innovative solutions for the built environment. The buildngSMART alliance was formed to spearhead technical, political and financial support for advanced technology for the real property industry from predesign through operations and maintenance. Some of the goals of the buildingSMART alliance are to:• Coordinate information sharing between

different project teams across the software applications development market

• Support the development of interoperability schema

• Aggregate BIM standards and processes so that guidelines and standards can be developed at both national and international levels

The buildingSMART alliance has published an International Organization for Standardization (ISO) data interchange standard called industry foundation classes (IFC). Industry foundation classes are nonproprietary data models that allow information to be exchanged between disparate software packages (Khemlani 2004; bSa 2010c). IFCs allow files to be vendor neutral and to be used by multiple software applications. Software applications using IFCs correctly are IFC compliant, as they follow the required exchange requirements.

7.3 Open Geospatial Consortium CityGML The goal of facility managers and others using GIS and BIM should be to use GIS for what it does best and to use BIM for what it does best, while switching between the two applications. The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) has developed CityGML in conjunction with the buildingSMART alliance to meet the goal of modeling building exteriors at a neighborhood to regional scale. CityGML is an information model used to represent 3D urban objects. CityGML can be used to define geometrical, topographical, semantical and appearance properties within city and regional models. It is realized as an open data model that uses an XML-based format to store and exchange virtual 3D city models. More information can be found at www.citygml.org (CityGML 2007).

http://www.citygml.org


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Another GIS and BIM project is the buildingSMART alliance GIS/BIM ifc Based Information Exchange project. The project seeks to help ensure convergence of all spatial information so that BIM, GIS and other software products can use spatial data while minimizing non-value-added effort, to normalize data storage and to define current workflows between BIM and GIS tools for the life cycle of facilities. The project began in March 2010. More information about the project can be found at www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/projects/activeprojects/27.

The good news is that GIS can be used to complement and extend the capabilities of BIM. While a GIS implementation may never be as finely detailed nor semantically rich as a BIM, a plethora of information can be harvested from a BIM when available, to create a system of geographic references to address problems that face facility managers on a day-to-day basis. Furthermore, links can be created in the GIS that reference back to the BIM when highly detailed information is required. This blending of technologies allows information systems to be created that perform well at large geographic scales, conform to enterprise IT standards for security, adapt to a wide variety of original data sources and enterprise applications, and still allow links back to highly detailed building information models.

In this view, GIS neither replaces nor competes with either CAD or BIM. Rather, GIS is used to complement BIM and CAD in an interoperable way to harvest information from a variety of data sources to create systems that perform well at large geographic scales, and yet link back to the source systems when highly detailed information is necessary for specific requirements.

7.4 BIM for Design and Construction It would be hard to overstate the significance of BIM to the architecture, engineering and construction community. BIM allows building designers to document their projects in a very detailed way, to detect potential conflicts between different building systems and to effectively

communicate detailed design intention to those responsible for constructing the building. BIM is becoming a very widely accepted tool in the architecture, engineering and construction communities because of the efficiencies gained during the design process, implicit cost savings and decreases in the length of project schedules. BIM is often required for many government and higher education building design and construction projects.

7.5 BIM for Operations and Maintenance Despite the tremendous value that BIM represents for building design and construction, there are some significant limitations to current versions of the technology that make it less ideal for supporting the operations and maintenance phases of the building life cycle. Several of these limitations are summarized below:• BIM being primarily file based • Availability of operations and maintenance

information during design and construction• Using BIM with existing building stock• Skill set required to use BIM tools

BIM can be created on a file system, rather than in a relational database. It is the authors’ opinion that it may be difficult to maintain and manage a BIM in a multiuser/concurrent-user environment. Current solutions for multiuser environments are lock-based: the BIM is locked for writing while a user modifies it. Another problem is consolidation of such models edited by several users, wherein conflict resolution may be very tedious. Some BIM software vendors offer the alternative to create and manage BIMs within an enterprise database environment. In the authors’ experience, however, this is not a common implementation pattern as it complicates the process of sharing information between the many architecture, engineering and construction firms that may be involved in a typical project.

Currently, much of the data that is necessary for managing and operating buildings is not known during design and construction. Therefore, it cannot be included when the original BIM is created. For example, specific space assignments and individual occupancy information may be critical to the building manager, but are almost never known at the time of design. Therefore, this data must be created and maintained after the building is in operation, usually using an integrated workplace management system (IWMS).

A GIS does not replace or compete with CAD or BIM, but is used to complement and

extend their capabilities on an enterprise level.

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/projects/activeprojects/27

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/projects/activeprojects/27


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Furthermore, most large organizations are likely to manage this type of assignment and occupancy data in an IWMS that has mature data structures and workflows for maintaining this data in the context of move management and condition assessment workflows. By definition, this type of information is created and maintained at a far removed process from the design and construction process. To date, there has been no concerted effort by the IWMS industry to provide tight integrations with BIM packages that would keep this type of information fresh in the original BIM.

The relational database structure used by GIS and IWMS software inherently includes enterprise characteristics such as row- and column-based security, high availability and automated replication. While information security is not often a critical component of building design and construction, it is very often a requirement for operations and management.

Within the authors’ experience, BIM practitioners have reported significant challenges in creating models of large buildings or collections of buildings. These challenges are often performance related because the BIM is being used to model the built environment at a very high level of detail and at a very precise scale. As a result, the overall model can quickly grow to the point where it may overwhelm available computing system resources. It is the opinion of the authors that for many facility managers, this is a critical problem because responsibilities of facility managers often span large campuses, cities or the globe. Facility managers have a need for a solution that can scale from the world to the widget and do so without requiring specialized, high-performance computing environments.

The vast majority of existing building stock was built before the advent of BIM technology. At present, the challenges of creating a BIM for an existing building are significant and expensive to solve. While the business value proposition of BIM in the design and construction phase has now been reasonably well proven, the value of creating a BIM for existing buildings is so far much more tenuous, even with the use of tools such as laser scanners. For the foreseeable future, technologies deployed for the operations and maintenance of existing buildings are likely to be something other than BIM.

BIM use requires a highly specialized and highly technical skill set and BIM modeling produces data in a format that is not easily consumable by a large pool of users. In the authors’ opinion, GIS is a tool much better suited to simplifying and disseminating information to a large group of users without sacrificing any of the spatial intelligence of the original model.


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8 GIS DATA MANAGEMENT

As facility managers begin to integrate GIS support into their information management strategic plans, one important consideration is the development, maintenance and management of the fundamental geospatial data required for better-informed facility management decision making. In the past, geospatial data development and geoprocessing was typically done offline, with high-end workstations, by a highly specialized workforce. This stereotypical model has largely been transformed over the past decade as geospatial support has become a core requirement for many different types of information systems.

Some important points to consider when contemplating geospatial support for facility management information systems include:

• Today, GIS is typically deployed on common enterprise database platforms such as Oracle, MS SQL Server, DB2 or PostGresSQL. This means that the organization’s IT department is likely to have the basic IT support capabilities in-house to implement the IT requirements for GIS. It also means that the GIS can readily scale quickly and easily and take advantage of common IT standards for authentication, entitlement and communications.

• One of the most important components of a GIS, differentiating it from other information systems, is its ability to manage geospatial data in a projected coordinate system (ESRI 2010). There are several important implications to this. First, GIS systems are capable of modeling spatial positions and relationships very accurately at hyper-local to global scales. Second, data created in different parts of the world and in different coordinate systems can all be properly related to one another. In recent years, the

precision of GIS coordinate systems has greatly improved to the point where it is possible today to store measurements at the submillimeter level for the entire planet in a single coordinate system.

• GIS is a database with location information, not a graphics application. All features in a feature class have the same set of attributes and those attributes are strongly typed. This means that the data in a number field must be a number; and the data in a date field must be a date. This supports search, sort, analysis and query of the type required for facility management over time. This data structure is very unlike annotation in CAD blocks.

• GIS data can participate in elaborate topologies. The simplest example is the formation of lines to establish a boundary. The concept can be taken much further, however, to describe how pipes can fit together and can include complex topologies like geometric networks that allow routing along network edges.

• GIS data can be harvested from a number of different formats. There are mature tools readily available in the market that provide for conversion between a very wide variety of spatial data formats, from many different

A projected coordinate system is a two-dimensional planar surface. However, the Earth’s surface is 3D. To transform a 3D space onto a 2D surface is called projection.

Projection formulas are mathematical expressions that convert data from a geographical location (lati-tude and longitude) on a sphere or spheroid to a cor-responding location (x and y) on a flat, 2D surface.

Source: ESRI (2010)


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software vendors, as well as well as many generic source formats, such as XML, TIFF, raster, tabular, PNG, GIF, CityGML and CSV.

All of the above notwithstanding, often the system of record for as-built (in-building structural, geometry and spatial) data is, and should continue to be, CAD and/or BIM for all of the beneficial aspects discussed above. GIS is unlikely to become a system to design a building.


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9 GIS ANALYSIS

One of the most powerful capabilities of a GIS is that of geospatial analysis. Geospatial analysis can help facility managers answer important questions that are otherwise difficult to address. Geospatial analysis is usually grouped into a number of different types. The list below describes types of geospatial analysis, and how they can be used by facility managers today:• Buffer – How many things are within x

distance of this location? ○ How many offices are there within x

distance of this lab, classroom or parking lot?

○ What are the walk times between a parking lot and each facility?

• Overlay – What things are within the boundaries of a specified area?

○ Which offices are within the space described by this lease?

○ Which security cameras are in this security zone?

• Proximity – What are the nearest x things to this location?

○ What are the 10 open work orders ` nearest to this asset?

○ Where are the three soda machines nearest to this dorm room?

• Geocoding – Provide a location that corresponds to a given address.

○ Where is 123 Main Street? ○ Where is John Doe’s office? ○ Where is phone number 230-0182?

• Density – Show the density of things typically per square unit, such as feet or acre (meter or hectare).

○ Where is the highest concentration of students at 2 p.m. on Wednesdays?

○ Where is the highest concentration of work orders in the past 30 days?

○ Display the concentration of hot/cold calls over time.

• Route – Display the fastest or shortest distance between two points along a transportation network (roads, rail, footpaths).

○ What is the most direct route from room x to room y if I am wheelchair bound?

○ How long will it take to evacuate building x if stairwell y is blocked?

○ How far into building x can I get in two minutes?

• Spatial selection – Select the objects in layer A that are within the boundaries of a feature(s) in layer B.

○ Select all of the fire extinguishers on north campus and schedule them for inspection.

○ Select all of the people scheduled to be in the buildings adjacent to building x and notify them of an emergency event.

○ Select all of the air handlers within the footprint of this project and schedule them for filter replacement.

• Drive time – Show me all the things or areas that can be aggregated within a specified drive time of location x.

○ What is the cumulative drive time for all employees to facility x?

○ How many employees of facility x live within 10 minutes drive time of public transportation?

○ What is the total retail spending potential of the population that lives within 15 minutes drive time of this proposed store?

• Temporal – Show the geographic relationship between things over time.

○ Display energy consumption per square foot (square meter) for each building across my portfolio by month.

○ Display the distribution of trouble calls across campus before and after implementing our community


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security program. ○ Display the footfall traffic across

a specific retail mall every 15 minutes throughout the week.

• Line of sight – What can I see from location x (3D)?

○ How large/high can a building be constructed on this site without affecting the skyline from location y?

○ If this proposed building is built, at what time of the day will location x be in shadow?

○ What locations can be seen from location x?

○ What proposed security cameras will have visibility of location y?

GIS provides the basic technology platform to accomplish all of the analyses listed above and many more. Simply put, without the geoprocessing framework that is provided by a GIS, sophisticated analysis about the geographic relationships between the various elements that we are responsible for as facility managers is just not possible. As described in the Introduction, a clearer understanding of geospatial relationships allows for better-informed decisions about facilities at many levels, which can result in more efficient, more effective and less expensive facility operations.


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10 GIS VISUALIZATION

Maps have been used for centuries to describe the geographic relationships between things. One of the earliest and most remarkable maps is the Yu Ji Tu (also known as Yu Chi Fu), or “Map of the Tracks of Yu.” (Figure 7) (Patrick Foundation 2010). The map is a fully scaled map of China engraved in stone over 900 years ago by Chinese cartographers. This set of two 6 square feet (0.6 square meters) maps features a grid of over 5,000 squares, each equal to approximately 50 kilometers. China’s coastline and river systems are clearly defined and precisely pinpointed on the map with an accuracy rivaling contemporary cartography. In addition, the Yu Ji Tu includes over 500 geographical labels, including states, counties, administrative districts, rivers, lakes and mountains. It is believed that the maps were engraved in stone to allow for reproduction by stone rubbing.

Over time, certain map display techniques have evolved to help communicate geographic relationships, and other elements have been integrated into the map to disseminate more complex sets of data, such as time and information about circumstances at a specific location. An excellent example of this, as well as being one of the more complex early maps showing multidimensional data, is Charles Minard’s 1869 map of Napoleon’s march on Moscow (CSISS 2009) (Figure 8) that ingeniously shows the location and number of Napoleon’s troops by date, as well as the daily low temperature, which contributed to the decimation of the ranks of Napoleon’s army.

Patterns and concepts are much easier to understand when complex and voluminous information is communicated through geographic visualization. Literature describing the value of visualization as it relates to decision making and creative processes consistently refers to the potential for better and more rapid intellectual processing of information when starting with a complex, sophisticated and, most importantly, richly expressive visual image. In a 1987 report by the National Science Foundation (NSF 1987) the concept of visualization was emphasized as a primary influence on knowledge creation and hypothesis generation.

Figure 7: A portion of Yu Ji Tu, “Map of the Tracks of Yu,” engraved in stone over 900 years ago by Chinese cartographers

Figure 8: Charles Minard’s 1869 map of Napoleon’s march on Moscow


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Visualization within GIS provides a common, real-time platform for interacting with aggregated data from across numerous disparate systems. A GIS uniquely enables users to recognize patterns, discern trends and view real-time conditions at micro and/or macro scales simply not feasible by analyzing tabular data and charts.

The application of today’s graphics software capabilities for displaying complex map-based information is leading to some truly amazing visualization possibilities. As computing hardware and software become ever more powerful, access to richly complex visualization becomes ever greater, empowering entire organizations to discover new insights about their businesses and

to make better decisions faster. While the ability to interactively view and manipulate 3D visualizations usually still requires an installed desktop application, many compelling visualizations can be made available through Web applications. This ability, as well as the ability to share 3D information and to work collaboratively in 3D, will only become a more prevalent and powerful phenomenon as 3D visualization becomes more accessible over time via the Internet.

Figures 9 to 17 provide some examples of modern visualizations related to facility management.

Figure 9: 3D buildings on a campus symbolized by space classification


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Figure 10: Identifying security threat perimeters using geospatial analysis

Figure 11: Visualization of fire safety asset (equipment) location by floor


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Figure 12: Large campus visualization in 3D

Figure 13: Lederle Graduate Research Center evacuation analysis


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Figure 14: Lederle Graduate Research Center egress routes

Figure 15: Analysis of distances and walking times from parking lots to offices at MIT


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Figure 16: Comparison of day and night populations on MIT campus

Figure 17: 3D site selection analysis at MIT


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11 IN-BUILDING GIS

The capabilities that make GIS a powerful analysis and visualization tool for the landscape apply well to the problems facility managers face inside buildings. In the past, there were a number of obstacles to leveraging the power of GIS for the built environment. Until just a few years ago, coordinate systems commonly used for GIS did not have the flexibility to scale from architectural precision to global implementations. It was also difficult to convert data between CAD and GIS formats.

Over the past few years, the major software vendors have made tremendous strides in solving these technology problems. Modern software tools now support coordinate systems that are capable of scaling from thousandths of an inch (25.4 millimeters) to global applications. Similarly, there are products on the market today that make the problems of converting from one data format to another very straightforward. It is now possible to harvest data from CAD and BIM applications used to design a building into GIS platforms to support ongoing maintenance and operations while still maintaining links back to the original design deliverables. CAD and BIM data is as easy to export as it is to import. This makes GIS a feasible centralized data warehouse, from which data can be packaged into many different formats.

Furthermore, new technologies are evolving to allow for rapid data capture and modeling of the insides of facilities where as-built drawings are either out of date or missing completely. These new mobile data collection platforms are capable

of very rapidly and cost-effectively collecting full 3D LiDAR (light detection and ranging) point clouds of the insides of a building (Figure 18), while human operators simultaneously collect geo-referenced information about space type and use, occupancy, condition assessment, assets and many other types of data. Using the same technology as tripod-mounted LiDAR scanners, mobile platforms can quickly and cost-effectively collect enough data to be dimensionally accurate and detailed enough for space and facility management requirements without generating large, unmanageable data sets. The 3D point clouds are dimensionally accurate and highly detailed data sets from which BIM and CAD models can be derived. This new technology makes BIM for existing buildings a feasible and cost-effective deliverable for the first time, thus making 3D building modeling in GIS a reasonable approach to facility management.

Handheld devices are also a relatively new technology becoming available to support the ongoing maintenance of facility data over time. These new technologies are simultaneously driving down the cost of very high-quality data while providing a technology platform for the ongoing maintenance of that same data.

The power of GIS is made available to facility managers, real property ana-

lysts and public safety agencies through cost-effective collection, management and maintenance of geographic data inside the

building.

Figure 18: A spatially accurate 3D point cloud


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Now that geographic data describing the insides of buildings can be cost-effectively collected, managed and maintained, the true power of GIS can be made available for facility managers, real property managers and analysts, and the public safety community. This power can be used to inform a wide variety of decisions about how facilities are managed, operated and maintained. This can result in better informed decisions leading to safer, more cost-effective and more sustainable buildings across portfolios of real property assets. Figure 19 provides an example of how GIS can be used to show both floor plans and a full 360° view.

In many ways, the progress from facility management-related applications such as CAFM,

CMMS, lease, asset and construction applications to the current paradigm of the all-encompassing IWMS platforms makes further integration of GIS even more of an imperative (Figure 20). At least on one level, all of the things – assets, buildings, leases and materials – previously maintained and managed by these disparate applications, and now often maintained and managed by the IWMS application, have one primary characteristic in common: location. All of these things exist in or describe phenomena that have physical locations. Through managing and interacting with these things as a cohesive whole, the full magnitude of the benefits of greater efficiency, greater productivity and cost savings can be realized.

Figure 19: A view of building infrastructure showing detailed floor plans and a 360° view

Figure 20: Enterprise architecture for GIS in facility management


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12

Many benefits can be derived from the use of GIS technology and the integration of GIS technology with facility management technologies: decreased project schedules, increased productivity, faster decision making leading to earlier program implementation and increased efficiencies. As with all relatively new applications of existing technology applied to new business problems, it can be difficult to determine the business case, much less the actual return on investment (ROI) of integrated GIS/FM quantitatively. This section of the paper provides qualitative information that facility mangers can use to help make the business case to implement GIS for several different applications, including site selection, market and customer analysis, emergency action planning, developing efficient workflows, and business processes and visualization.

12.1 Site Selection Exact, quantifiable definition and location of markets and/or facility locations help managers better mitigate risks associated with major capital expenditures for new construction and/or renovation of existing structures. The ability to visualize and analyze multiple layers of geographic

information related to facilities supports effective decision making for large corporate initiatives, such as moves and/or renovations. With GIS the site selection process can be faster, less costly and more likely to result in successful location identification because of the amalgamation of comprehensive data about the site. GIS allows for more data to be utilized, beyond the traditional use of traffic counts and population statistics, providing the ability to visualize and analyze data in more meaningful ways. One example is travel time analysis to make location decisions based on the distances from employees’ homes or the available workforce. Another example is spatial competitive analysis to visually present competitor proximity and available consumer spending capacity within a market around a proposed location, which is very useful in the retail arena. Table 1 contrasts high-level decision making with and without GIS for site selection.

MAKING THE BUSINESS CASE FOR GIS IN FACILITY MANAGEMENT

Several areas of facility management processes and workflows can gain considerable value from using GIS to

positively affect outcomes.

Without GIS With GIS

“This looks like a good spot…”

Incorporation of business and demographic data sets to develop detailed customer profiles and sup-port overlay analyses of those profiles with popu-lation densities and growth/decline trends, crime trends/history, competitive landscapes, supporting and ancillary services (e.g., police, fire, hospital, transportation) and high-level search for available parcels.

“Well, McDonald’s is already here…”“There are 10,000 cars and pedestrians passing by each day. A percentage of them are bound to come in…”

Table 1: Site selection with and without GIS


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12.2 Market and Customer Analysis Utilizing GIS delivers a better understanding of market potential before undertaking expensive on-site evaluations and investigations, sav-ing time and money in initial stages of project development. An accurate understanding of the market potential of a location increases the like-lihood of attaining revenue goals or determining expenses for a location. Table 2 contrasts high-level decision making with and without GIS for market and customer analysis.

12.3 Emergency Action Planning: Floods, Fires and Incident Planning More accurate planning for emergencies results in decreased likelihood of loss of life and prop-erty damage. Faster response times result from more accurate representation of the situation on the ground. Storing all data in a centralized geodatabase in a server environment provides faster, more coordinated distribution of accu-rate data to multiple emergency agencies. This results in safer, more effective and more coordi-nated interagency emergency response. Table 3 contrasts emergency action planning process-es with and without GIS.


On-site, time-consuming manual surveys, focus groups and analysis

Transportation and infrastructure modeling, includ-ing drive time and physical proximity of existing stores and/or facility location to competitors, other services and population densities representing po-tential customers

High-cost physical visits to multiple locations to initially determine viability

Comparison of existing store/market/customer pro-file with potential locations for new construction or renovation using dozens of demographic variables

Table 2: Market and customer analysis with and without GIS


Planning with outdated paper mapsTerrain models and hydrography for natural and hu-man threat modeling

No ability to do iterative “what if” scenario mod-eling of different types of threats or emergen-cies

Campus environment modeling, including combined natural, built environment and building interiors for incident modeling, planning and prevention

Lack of accurate, shared information between agencies

Routing and access, obstacle, choke point and as-sembly point modeling

No dynamic mapping to account for present environmental conditions

Modeling with real-time data feeds and services such as weather, traffic and accident/emergency conditions

Table 3: Emergency action planning with and without GIS


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12.4 Developing Efficient Workflows and Business Processes The use of GIS can increase workflow and business process efficiencies. Benefits from efficiency include reduced costs and greater productivity. Productivity is gained by:• Grouping tasks by location • Allocating resources in real time based on

best or nearest available personnel and/or inventory

• Modeling and understanding of spatial distribution of resources by department

• Increasing communication and collaboration

For example, instead of grouping maintenance workflows by calendar (monthly, quarterly, annual schedules), GIS can be used to group tasks by co-location. The application of geospatial intelligence to these tasks and workflows is particularly valuable in multibuilding and macro-scale analysis and workflows. Location data can be cross-referenced with such criteria as quantity and location of resources, including personnel or contractor skill set, tools, inventory, vehicles and cost data, to create efficient and cost-effective facility management solutions. Table 4 contrasts the development of workflows and business processes with the use and without the use of GIS.

12.5 Visualization of Time-Based Phenomena From the Local to the Global Scale The use of GIS provides a better understanding of temporal (time-based) trends to support better decision making. Better-informed decisions lead to cost and time savings (Table 5). One example of how GIS can be used for visualization is energy consumption. Temporal visualization in GIS can provide the facility manager with the ability to view and understand the influences of campuswide – or regionwide – energy consumption over time. Energy consumption and/or demand can be compared to different factors, such as building occupancy, building schedules or different seasons of the year. This type of analysis could be used to influence resource allocation decisions, such as alternative energy investments for buildings that are the largest electricity consumers during periods of peak demand. A second example is maintenance workflow. Temporal visualization of staff resource expenditure, such as overtime, maintenance vehicles and inventories, could be compared to client or guest occupancy of spaces over weeks, months, seasons or years. This type of visualization can lead to rightsizing decisions that both improve customer satisfaction and save money.

Table 4: Workflows and business processes

Without GIS WITH GIS

Tabular data used to derive processes without taking into account complete, landscape-level analysis of spatial phenomena, such as proxim-ity of resources to one another

Geospatial analysis and workflow optimization based on location intelligence for routing, buffer, line of sight, overlay analysis and proximity analysis for geographic grouping and routing of work orders/assignments to dispatch maintenance management and fleet vehicles

Functions/departments within an organization are often fragmented across the physical loca-tion based on space available and assignments

Increased facility and occupancy yield in projects related to space utilization, facility rationalization, adjacencies and fragmentation by space and facility use and typeReal time access to data for visualization, query and analysis for workflow optimization (e.g., work assignment, dispatch, fleet management, inventory and resource allocation)


Got a mainframe and about a year and a half to process the data?

Visualization in 2D and 3D for growth/decline or project progression analysisDynamic trends analysis over time for intuitive visual interaction with phenomena, such as regional growth patterns, numerical trends analysis by geog-raphy, multivariable analysis and visualization

Table 5: Visualization of time-based phenomena

With GIS


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There is a multitude of potential visualization of time-based phenomena use cases that can be imagined for the integrated facility management/GIS environment. In fact, it is a testament to the flexibility and capability of the GIS platform that one can simply imagine how technology might support a cross-spatial boundary workflow in order to start determining how to apply GIS to business problems. Here are just a few workflows that are possible with GIS as an integrated component of an enterprise facility management infrastructure:

• GIS can be the core of a real-time visualization platform to provide live information feeds to a map-based visual interface, not only with IWMS but also with other facility systems, such as building automation systems (BAS), energy systems, metering, security, parking and many more.

• GIS can support physical security monitoring and analyses, both inside and outside of buildings, utilizing proximity analyses, staffing allocation and routing, especially when integrated with real-time data feeds from video or other monitoring equipment.

• GIS can provide utilities/telecom/IT infrastructure network analysis for redundancy and service interruption at the building, site and regional levels.

• GIS can help support parking (structured and unstructured, on-site, off-site) visualization and analyses, potentially in real time, to ease campus congestion and increase customer satisfaction.

• GIS is a powerful tool for analyzing foot and vehicle traffic on site roads and sidewalks to ease congestion and/or support retail market analyses.

• GIS provides tremendous potential for analyzing in-building foot traffic or movement of individuals (e.g., in a detainment facility or hospital). It is possible that GIS could be integrated with security or cardkey systems, or video monitoring equipment to enable visualization of temporal movement of individuals through space for security, space planning and dispatch scenarios.

12.6 ConclusionAs noted previously, without the benefit of years of experience from which to analyze the cost savings vis-à-vis the expense of a solution in the market, it can be quite difficult, if not impossible, to demonstrate specific ROI for the application of new technologies to old business problems. This is certainly the case for the application of GIS technology to facility management. On the other hand, ROI is a measure of value based on a few generally accepted concepts, such as efficiency, productivity, financial performance and cost savings. The application of GIS within facility management has all the underpinnings of a valuable solution that can save time, save money and increase customer satisfaction. In the site selection process, how quickly and thoroughly a prospective site can be analyzed will often make the difference between beating the competition to acquiring a premium parcel at that location. In market and customer analysis, developing an in-depth understanding of market forces can lead to the right decision about same-site renovation and new product mix, which will lead to more profitable locations. Developing new, more efficient workflows and business processes for maintenance and repair projects can help projects to be completed faster, allowing organizations to be kept small and efficient. All of these components of measured ROI can be greatly improved through the use of GIS.

In business and project management, the first step in any new analysis is to collect information about the situation at hand and to project solutions about the problem or situation. Often, the deciding factor of selecting one option over another results from looking at a familiar situation through a different lens – not one previously employed on similar problems. The application of GIS to business problems can provide such a view into new ways of seeing and deciding how to address business issues, and coming up with better solutions that result in faster, more effective and more efficient workflows that directly affect productivity and increase return on investment.


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13 CASE STUDIES

Geographic information systems can be used for many different applications. This part of the white paper features five case studies. The first case study, MacDill Air Force Base, provides an example of how GIS can be used for space management and how the data can be used to calculate a cost estimate for a large janitorial contract. The second case study, the United States Air Combat Command, demonstrates how GIS can be used for information sharing and decision making. The Sky Harbor International Airport case study showcases how spatial data can be used across a large organization by employees with many different job responsibilities. The fourth case study features an example of space allocation at the US Army Corp. The final case study provides a detailed example of the use of GIS for the assignment and optimization of space assigned to employees at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

13.1 MacDill Air Force Base, Facility Management Mapping MacDill Air Force Base is an active military base located on over 5,700 acres (2,307 hectare) in Florida, with several hundred facilities (Figure 21). In late 2008, the MacDill Air Force Base Civil Engineering Squadron (CES) found it necessary to gather accurate in-building data to support the estimating and budgeting for a large janitorial

services contract needed to maintain over 100 high-traffic buildings. The CES houses the base geographic information system, or GeoBase, making the geographic information collected very useful for facility management (PenBay 2008).

13.1.1 ChallengeThe challenge for the CES was evident in the lack of accurate in-building data that existed to support an informed decision for the contract. They had outdated, unsubstantiated floor plans that lacked the information necessary to understand the space and floor materials within each building. In planning for the contract decision, it was clear that the CES needed to complete an in-building data collection effort that would provide precise space measurements, along with attributes associated with that space. A further challenge was that many of the MacDill facilities in question are in active

operation with designated secure and classified sections, making it important for the CES to collect the facility data in a quick, minimally disruptive approach than traditional methods would allow.

MACDILL AFB, FACILITY MANAGEMENT MAPPING

RELEVANT FACILITY MANAGEMENT SERVICES PROVIDED:

► Cost savings with fast, unobtrusive data col-lection

► Reducing project time ► Maintenance manage-

ment efficiency ► Interior data collec-

tion, vectorization and visualization

LOCATION6th Civil Engineer SquadronMacDill AFB, Florida

PROJECT DATES2008 – 2013

Figure 21: Map of MacDill Air Force Base, Florida

Building data for several MacDill facilities was col-lected using a spatial robotic platform.


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13.1.2 SolutionA GIS solutions company was contracted by the CES to provide facility management mapping services. This service included interior data collection utilizing an innovative robotic platform to develop vector floor map data with space attribution. These data acquisition services were conducted for a prioritized list of over 100 MacDill facilities. The GIS solutions company provided critical deliverables that were used to support the MacDill facility management initiative, including creating space definitions within the CES GIS; capturing floor plan data to represent interior space and structure accurately; and performing facility surveys quickly, safely and cost effectively. These space plans, created in a geodatabase, are valuable because of their unique ability to manage a large amount of geospatial data.

In total, the GIS solutions company collected information for over 1.7 million square feet (157,930 square meters) of MacDill’s designated buildings in nine days. Using a combination of GIS and robotics, they were able to measure pertinent space and materials data in a fraction of the time it takes with traditional collection methods. Since many of MacDill’s facilities have secure and classified areas, minimal survey time and disruption to operations was a critical factor achieved with this highly efficient spatial data collection method.

The floor maps, or geo-referenced space plans, created by the in-building data collection methodology have given the CES an accurate understanding of their current building space and the floor materials within them (Figure 22). This information has empowered the CES to make informed business decisions about their janitorial contract for the buildings in question, and to have

a better understanding of their facilities to support the current GIS.

13.2 Air Combat Command Web Map Viewer and Training Management SystemThe United States Air Combat Command (ACC) has the role of serving as the single management point for hundreds of map services within the United States Air Force for an average of 30,000 users worldwide. One of their top priorities is information sharing and decision processing for successful mission management with enterprise-level authentication and fast processing from a secure network (PenBay 2007).

13.2.1 Challenge Given the wide distribution of information, and the potential sensitivity of the data, the ACC needed to be sure the correct application was selected. The application needed to be able to provide critical, often complex, information to a large international user base quickly and efficiently from a secure network. In addition, the application also needed to maintain authentication when appropriate.

13.2.2 Solution Using its expertise in software development and integration, as well as training and program management, a GIS solutions company worked closely with ACC to implement a Web map viewer application (Figure 23) and online training management system that supported the vision of the ACC technology leadership. The applications were designed to take advantage of evolving

Figure 22: Building interiors, providing an accurate understanding of current space and floor materials

AIR COMBAT COMMAND WEB MAP VIEWER AND TRAINING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM


► Business systems integration for large international user base

► Effective information sharing and decision processing for success-ful mission manage-ment

► Enterprise-level authen-tication

► Fast geoprocessing of complex data from a secure network

► Implementation of a training management solution

LOCATIONHQ ACC Geospatial Info OfficeLangley Air Force Base, Virginia

PROJECT DATESOct 2007 – Dec 2008


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technologies, and to be sustainable and scalable, as these were important to the ACC, whose mission and application requirements will continue to grow and change over time.

The Web map viewer application is served from within the Air Force secure network via a portal application. This promotes effective information sharing and decision processing for successful mission management and responsive combat support by providing a single, accurate, secure and authoritative mapping information service. The application provides GIS data in both dynamic and pre-rendered vector and raster formats, taking advantage of the benefits of dynamic map delivery and data via the Web with software services from a Web-enabled environment.

Unique aspects of the Web map viewer include: • A worldwide user base of 30,000 users • Pre-rendered dynamic map delivery system

designed and implemented to provide fast and dependable map-based content

• Business logic written for the application to allow for minimal hits to the server, significantly cutting Web performance times

• Built with an open source Web application software

The Web map viewer provides the ACC with fast performance, dependable security and the ability to complete complex Web geo-coding tasks such as buffering and redline markups.

To accommodate the existing architecture of the Air Force, a customized training management application was created. The training management application was built using the

ASP.NET 2.0 framework, to integrate with the Global Combat Support System – Air Force (GCSS-AF) portal. The training management system incorporates existing ACC user interface standards, including the look and feel. Additionally, the training management solution is a secure Web-enabled learning content management system (LCMS). The core technologies of the LCMS are Oracle 10g and Microsoft ASP.NET 2.0. The LCMS has system security features installed within the geobase portal, requiring a physical computer access card combined with a PIN for authentication and authorization.

Unique features of the training management solution include: • Custom-built LCMS solution that works within

the unique security framework of the Air Force portal

• Training materials through the Air Force portal authentication system

• Course materials created and assembled through simple-to-use, Web-deployed tools, familiar to anyone who has used a word processor

• Capability to track student completion of offline traditional courses, and other third-party online courses, as part of their overall training program

The training management solution provides central access to training materials for geobase trainees, tracking and management control to administrators and training mangers, and content creation to administrators. In addition, this solution effectively provides training to the trainers at ACC on the technical and business processes of the new LCMS. 13.3 Sky Harbor International Airport, Phoenix, Arizona, GIS Implementation The City of Phoenix is implementing an enterprise GIS at Sky Harbor International Airport – the ninth busiest airport in the United States. The city needed a spatial portal that would combine information locked in existing information systems into a single user interface and serve over 200 simultaneous users (Figure 24). The nearly four-year project included data development of all GIS data above ground, on the surface, underground and inside the buildings in and around the airport. In addition, it was also necessary to integrate the GIS with the existing enterprise resource planning

Figure 23: Screen shot of map viewer used by Air Combat Command with GIS data via dynamic map delivery


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(ERP) system for maintenance management and development of a number of other business applications, including sign management and aerial photo management.

13.3.1 Challenge Before 2007, the airport had no unified system for planning and managing exterior or interior assets. Without an accurate inventory of their facilities, a process to maintain airport data did not seem to exist. Therefore, when the planning and management process for the airport development program began, it was acknowledged that there was a need for an enterprise-class information system to support the changes soon to be coming from new planned development (Woolpert 2006).

13.3.2 Solution A GIS Web portal was developed to act as an

extensive information repository of spatial data. The portal also provided a platform for airport staff across the organization to collaborate on tasks – including daily operations issues and configuration changes, as well as planning and managing the $3 billion (US dollars) airport development program. The portal was developed with three-tier architecture using Web services to separate the presentation layer from the database (Figure 25).

The portal provides a rich end-user experience that includes the ability to view, manage and plot data from above ground, on the ground, under the ground and inside facilities from a single interface. It incorporates an innovative building navigator graphical interface that allows users to intuitively access interior data in many buildings and on many floors by zooming to the desired building and floor in one mouse click.

To provide the performance and reliability needed to maintain a high-availability solution, including a redundant failover system at a remote location, 10 servers in multiple clustered environments are used. This provides nearly seamless business continuity in case of system outages.

Figure 24: GIS portal provides end users the ability to view, manage and plot a variety of data from a single user interface

SKY HARBOR INTERNA-TIONAL AIRPORT, GIS IMPLEMENTATION


► Comprehensive GIS developed for entire airport campus

► Spatial portal with single user interface for 200-plus users

► Integration with ERP for maintenance manage-ment

► Customized business application develop-ment for facility man-agement

CLIENT Sky Harbor International AirportPhoenix, Arizona

PROJECT DATES2006 - 2010

Figure 25: GIS Web portal is an extensive information repository of spatial data with three-tier architecture


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To complete the project, the GIS system was integrated with the existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This enabled searching and retrieval of asset and work order data from the ERP system through the GIS system, and also provided links to ERP data through the GIS. The permissions used to set up the system allow many workers to access read-only data from the ERP, helping to make maintenance and operations tasks more efficient.

For example, the GIS group created new emergency evacuation maps for all three airport terminals, as they had been difficult to update and reproduce in the past. The maps, which included the locations of exits, assembly areas and markings indicating “you are here,” were saved as PDF files and burned on DVDs so airport tenants could print and post relevant maps and make them available to their employees (Figure 26).

As a second example, to assist fiscal management, the GIS group recently completed a space accounting and reconciliation project. Maps and reports were generated to identify discrepancies in actual versus leased unit areas in units of square feet (square meters).

13.4 US Army Corps of Engineers GIS for Spatial Allocation The US Army Corps of Engineers, Fort Worth District, was established in 1950 after disastrous floods in the area. Today, the district is responsible for water resource development in two-thirds of Texas, and military design and construction at US Army and US Air Force installations in Texas and parts of Louisiana and New Mexico. Design and construction projects include family housing, training and aircraft facilities, schools, childcare centers, clinics and hospitals. The district covers 410,000 square miles (1,062,000 square kilometers) and employs more than 900 team members (Dewberry 2008).

13.4.1 Challenge Increased demands on federal operations and maintenance (O&M) budgets are keeping real property managers under pressure to provide additional space to their clients with minimal funding. This fundamental conflict not only affects the space allocated to users but also directly affects the amount of O&M dollars an installation receives for the upkeep of its facilities. To address the allocation of space, validation of assets and verification of organizations and related personnel, the Fort Worth District, including White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) and Fort Bliss, needed an automated system to track and update facility floor plans and related room utilization data. Figure 26: Visualization of the airport terminals helps

operations create features, like new evacuation maps and lease management reports

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, GIS FOR SPACE ALLOCATION


► Query and analysis for improved space man-agement

► More effective person-nel moves

► Accessible and user-friendly facility data available

► Data integrity with multiuser access and simultaneous data editing

► Application Report-ing Function for US DoD forms, decreas-ing errors and saving 10,000+ man-hours

CLIENT US Army Corps of Engineers Fort Worth, Texas


Use of GIS Portal 120 users per week within 10 divisions use the por-tal to:

• Review and plan maintenance work orders• Check interior space measurements and calcu-

late rates and charges for tenants

• Create area maps with updated aerial images using existing conditions and/or planned improvement data

• Create area maps and/or updated aerial images for use in slide presentations used by manage-ment

• Generate maps and data for both internal and external reporting


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13.4.2 Solution A vendor was contracted to provide the data collection and program development services for the Fort Worth District and each of the installations. The firm deployed 26 staff members for 12 weeks to redline floor plans and collect room utilization information for WSMR and Fort Bliss military installations. Analysts collected facility utilization information, including the number of personnel and workstations, room conditions and organization, and room types. After the information was collected, it was stored in a geodatabase.

The building floor plans can be viewed as basic outlines or shaded by any descriptive information, such as category code, unit identification code (UIC) or room condition (Figure 27). As well as viewing data, managers can dynamically update the utilization data in real time individually, in a set selected through the map or queried via the database. Editing data in this manner significantly cuts down on the time and resources necessary to update information. The tool allows quick

access to the information needed. For example, an attribute for multiple rooms can be updated all at once. This simple change will save each installation hundreds of hours in data processing, surveying and reporting. The tool can also calculate the number of personnel who can occupy a room or the usable area of the room, excluding corridors, closets and other unusable areas.

The tool has made Fort Worth District’s data more accessible, easier to use and more accurate. Data is stored in one location, the geodatabase, leaving less room for error. The tool server employs geodatabase versioning, making multiple-user access and simultaneous data editing possible while preserving data integrity (Figure 28). Spatial calculations, such as finding usable area as opposed to total area, are based on the actual room dimensions, which are stored directly in the geodatabase. Having this information readily available for querying and analysis has improved the management of Fort Worth District’s space and made personnel moves easier.

Figure 27: Floor plans can be viewed as basic outlines or shaded to designate a specific attribute


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The tool has an application reporting function that generates standard U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) forms, such as the DD1354 Real Property Transfer Form and DD805 Storage Space Management Report. The ability to input data directly into the geodatabase and derive calculations from the data stored has saved more than 10,000 man-hours for the buildings surveyed to date, decreased errors and made moves more efficient. Instead of each form taking up to 30 minutes per building to fill out, staff members are able to do the same work in only a few minutes for all buildings.

13.5 NASA Optimization and Associated Technology Status and PlanLangley Research Center (LaRC) periodically goes through a realignment and space adjustment process to cope with changing mission requirements. During this activity in 2004, the LaRC GIS team recognized the need for an objective tool to streamline the process, while providing solutions that would better optimize the results. Nearing the end of the reorganization effort, the LaRC GIS team developed a prototype capability that demonstrated significant potential

Figure 28: The system allows managers to dynamically update data, significantly reducing time and resources necessary to make well-informed decisions


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benefit. Unfortunately, far too much work had already been done to justify starting over with this new process (ESRI 2006).

The LaRC GIS team subsequently created a plan for development of a space utilization optimization capability for LaRC, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in general. This plan outlined a development effort to span five years with an estimated cost of $1 million (US dollars) per year.

13.5.1 LaRC InvestmentThe initial LaRC investment resulted in several critical accomplishments, which can dramatically mitigate the risk associated with ambitious space utilization optimization efforts: • Development of a model of constraints and

metrics to address administrative moves • Optimization of an algorithm that produces

very good solutions in a quick and efficient manner

• Development of an abstract overview of all buildings, rooms and personnel across LaRC

• Development of ability to produce layouts of personnel within rooms

• Advancement of symbolization and labeling capabilities

• Development of an XQuery interface to describe optimization criteria

Additionally, preliminary plans were developed for a companion technical space tool that could be used to help plan the most efficient adjustments to existing laboratory facilities to support proposed projects. This investment allowed a more focused development effort. Given the efforts at LaRC, the Johnson Space

Center (JSC) in Houston, Texas, also invested in the project. This allowed the project to expand the optimization capabilities to include:• Refinements in the optimization algorithm to

produce better results faster• A Web interface to allow viewing of proposed

solutions in a dashboard format• Drag and drop manual adjustment capability• Gap analysis tools to reduce data preparation

time for optimization runs• Purchase of equipment to support a dedicated

server for optimization and next generation Web services

• Dramatic improvements in the spatial subdivision diagram, including density, labeling and speed

To demonstrate capabilities as efficiently as possible, the LaRC optimization model was adapted for preliminary use at JSC. Optimization runs were conducted for their most densely populated administrative facilities, as well as an optimization for the entire LaRC. This solution resulted in offices matched to various management levels, more equitable distribution of space, enhanced organizational synergy and doubling of open offices. Figure 29 demonstrates how an optimization model was used for densely populated administrative facilities. Using this model, NASA was able to determine that space usage was not effective and was able to develop an optimal strategy for space management.

As a result of optimization work to date, LaRC’s GIS Team has received an exclusive invitation to present their work at a Department of Defense briefing and NASA Academic Planning gatherings, as well as inquiries from several companies interested in leveraging or adapting the technology being developed.

13.5.2 Near-Term and Future Tactical EffortsCurrently, the team is working on Web tools to gather and maintain proposed changes down to the lowest level with roll up to the highest-level organization. A separate server will be implemented to support Web-enabled services, as one of the major goals for the project is to make the desktop analysis capabilities available over the Internet. Additionally, ways to extend information density into visualization schemes while still providing an intuitive interface are being explored. This technology is expected to be adapted for many spatial data analysis capabilities for LaRC, NASA and across the industry.

NASA, OPTIMIZATION AND ASSOCIATED TECHNOL-OGY STATUS AND PLAN


► Space utilization opti-mization

► Web interface for viewing solutions in a dashboard

► Gap analysis tools ► Better understanding

of rooms, buildings and personnel

► Improvements in level of spatial details visual-ized

CLIENT Langley Research CenterHampton, VirginiaNASA’s Johnson Space CenterHouston, Texas



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13.6 ConclusionManaging facilities is a complex challenge that requires information from a wide variety of sources. Using accurate data about the locations of facilities, and the assets within them, supports better decision making about site selection, capital planning, project coordination, work order logistics, security planning and many other aspects of facility management. This white paper has provided an overview of how GIS technology can be integrated with, and extends the capabilities of, CAD, BIM and IWMS to provide facility managers with insight into the “where” questions facility managers ask on a daily basis.

Figure 29: Use of GIS tools allowed NASA to find ineffective uses of office space and make changes to optimize space use resulting in 50 percent more available office space


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14 APPENDICIES

14.1 Appendix A: References

ASHRAE (2010). Fundamentals of Building Operation, Maintenance and Management Self Learning Course. American Society of Heating Ventilating and Air-Conditioning Engineers. Atlanta, Georgia. Docu-ment in press. BIMex (2010). BIM Project Execution Planning Guide. bimex.wikispaces.com. Accessed July 14, 2010.

BIM Journal (2009). “Room Data Information Logistics.” BIM Journal, Issue 9 (October 2009). www.bimjournal.com/art.asp?art=27&issue=9.

bSa (2010a). About the National BIM Standard®. www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/nbims/about. Accessed August 4, 2010.

bSa (2010b). Active Projects, buildingSMARTalliance. www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/projects/activeprojects. Accessed July 14, 2010.

bSa (2010c). Model – Industry Foundation Classes (IFC). www.buildingsmart.com/bim. Accessed July 14, 2010.

CityGML (2007). What is CityGML? www.citygml.org/1523. Accessed July 14, 2010.

COBie (2009). The COBIE Challenge. www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/newsevents/meetingspresentations/cobiechallenge. Accessed July 14, 2010. CSISS (2009). Charles Joseph Minard: Mapping Napoleon’s March, 1861. www.csiss.org/classics/content/58 Dewberry, Davis (2008). Case Study: US Army Corps of Engineers, GIS for Space Allocation. ESRI, 2008 – 2010. Eastman, C.; P. Teicholz; R. Sacks; K. Liston (2008). BIM Handbook, A Guide to Building Information Modeling for Owners, Managers, Designers, Engineers and Contractors. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.: Hoboken, N.J. ESRI (2010). Projected Coordinate System, ESRI Developer Network. edndoc.esri.com/arcsde/9.2/concepts/geometry/coordref/coordsys/projected/projected.htm ESRI (2006). Case Study: NASA Optimization and Associated Technology Status and Plan 2006 – 2011.

http://bimex.wikispaces.com

http://www.bimjournal.com/art.asp?art=27&issue=9

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/nbims/about

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/projects/activeprojects

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/projects/activeprojects

http://www.buildingsmart.com/bim

http://www.citygml.org/1523

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/newsevents/meetingspresentations/cobiechallenge

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org/index.php/newsevents/meetingspresentations/cobiechallenge

http://www.csiss.org/classics/content/58

http://edndoc.esri.com/arcsde/9.2/concepts/geometry/coordref/coordsys/projected/projected.htm


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Fallon, K. (2008). Interoperability: Critical to Achieving BIM Benefits. Gartner, Inc. (2008). Magic Quadrant. GIS.net (2010). History of GIS Development. www.gisdevelopment.net/history/1960-1970.htm GSA (2007). GSA’s National 3D-4D BIM Program. www.gsa.gov/graphics/pbs/Flyer_2007_01_15_laser_scanning.pdf. Accessed July 14, 2010. Johnson, S. (2006). John Snow’s 1854 Broad Street Pump Outbreak Map. www.theghostmap.com

Khemlani, L. (2004). “The IFC Building Model: A Look Under the Hood.” AECbytes. www.aecbytes.com/feature/2004/IFCmodel.html

NSF (1987). National Science Foundation, Visualization in Scientific Computing. www.nsf.gov/about/history/nsf0050/visualization/worth.htm NBIM (2007). National BIM Standard, National Institute of Building Sciences. Patrick Foundation (2010). Map of the Tracks of Yu. www.goldenageproject.org.uk/255yuchi.php PenBay (2008). Case Study: MacDill AFB: Facility Management Mapping. PenBay Solutions. 2008 – 2013. PenBay (2007). Case Study: Air Combat Command: Web Map Viewer and Training Management System. PenBay Solutions. 2007 – 2008. Sarbanes-Oxley Act (2002), Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Section 404. www.soxlaw.com/s404.htm Wade, T. and Sommer, S. (2006). A to Z GIS: An illustrated dictionary of geographic information systems. p. 187. Redlands, Calif.: ESRI Press. Woolpert (2006). Case Study: Sky Harbor International Airport: GIS Implementation. Woolpert Inc. 2006 – 2010.

14.2 Appendix B: Additional Resources

Building Information Spatial Data Model: bisdm.org buildingSmart alliance: www.buildingsmartalliance.org Open Geospatial Consortium for CityGML: www.opengeospatial.org/standards/citygml

http://www.gisdevelopment.net/history/1960-1970.htm

http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/pbs/Flyer_2007_01_15_laser_scanning.pdf

http://www.gsa.gov/graphics/pbs/Flyer_2007_01_15_laser_scanning.pdf

http://www.theghostmap.com

http://www.aecbytes.com/feature/2004/IFCmodel.html

http://www.nsf.gov/about/history/nsf0050/visualization/worth.htm

http://www.goldenageproject.org.uk/255yuchi.php

http://www.soxlaw.com/s404.htm

http://bisdm.org

http://www.buildingsmartalliance.org

http://www.opengeospatial.org/standards/citygml


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14.3 Appendix C: Glossary

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a wide-ranging civil rights law within the United States that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability.

Application programming interface (API): A description of the way a piece of software asks another piece of software to perform a service.

Building automation system (BAS): Building automation system (BAS) is a control system that consists of devices used to monitor, control and manage mechanical and electrical systems within a building (ASHRAE 2010).

Building Information Spatial Data Model (BISDM): A committee was formed in late 2007 as a community of interest focused on creating a GIS data model for buildings. BISDM is a volunteer organization dedicated to providing a collection of best practices, case studies and templates that individuals can adopt or adapt to their specific project needs.

Building information model (BIM): Building information modeling is a structured data set that describes a building (NBIM 2007). The data within a BIM often includes a three-dimensional computer model and a database (Fallon 2008).

Computer aided design (CAD): Use of computer technology for the design of real or virtual objects. It is an industrial art used in a wide range of applications and mainly used for detailed engineering of 2D drawings of physical components, as well as conceptual design and layout of objects.

Computerized maintenance management system (CMMS): A piece of software that includes a database used to manage information about maintenance management for an organization. Information managed within a CMMS can include, but is not limited to, work orders, asset histories, parts inventories, maintenance personnel records and metrics to measure productivity of the maintenance organization.

Customer relationship management (CRM): Processes implemented by an organization to handle contact with customers.

Enterprise asset management (EAM): Management of the physical assets of an organization to maximize value, including design, construction, commissioning, operations, maintenance and decommissioning or replacement of a plant, equipment and/or facility.

Enterprise resource planning (ERP): An integration of three components, business management practices, information technology and specific business objectives, with a well-managed, centralized data repository.

Extensible markup language (XML): A set of rules for encoding documents electronically.

Facility information infrastructure (FII): A central repository of all the spatial data, inside and out, that exists about a building, campus or portfolio.


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Gartner, Inc.’s Magic Quadrant: A methodology for analyzing vendors to document their relative market position based on two primary metrics: ability to execute and completeness of vision. Gartner uses these two metrics to categorize each vendor into one of four quadrants: niche players, visionaries, challengers and leaders.

Geographic information system (GIS): A system that allows one to view, understand, question, interpret and visualize data in many ways that reveal relationships, patterns and trends in the form of maps, globes, reports and charts.

Global positioning system (GPS): A space-based radio navigation system that provides reliable positioning, navigation and timing services to civilian users on a continuous worldwide basis.

Integrated project team: A team that includes all major players and is formed at the beginning of a project with the intent to work together over the entire scope of the project.

Integrated workplace management system (IWMS): An enterprise platform that supports the planning, design, management, utilization and disposal of an organization’s location-based assets.

International Organization for Standardization (ISO): An organization that is responsible for international management standards, such as ISO 9000, ISO 14000, ISO 27000, ISO 22000 and others.

Light detection and ranging (LiDAR): An optical remote sensing system used to collect topographic data by measuring properties of scattered light to find range and/or other information of a distant target.

Multipatch: A 3D geometry used to represent the outer surface or shell of features that occupy a discrete area or volume in three-dimensional space. Multipatches can be used to represent simple objects such as spheres and cubes or complex objects such as buildings and trees.

Return on investment (ROI): A performance measure used to evaluate the efficiency of an investment or to compare the efficiency of a number of different investments. To calculate ROI, the benefit (return) of an investment is divided by the cost of the investment. The result is expressed as a percentage or a ratio.

Spatial data infrastructure (SDI): A framework of technologies, policies, standards and human resources necessary to acquire, process, store, distribute and improve the use of geospatial data across multiple public and private organizations.

Supply chain management (SCM): The management of a network of interconnected businesses involved in the provision of product and services packages for end customers.

If you find this publication useful, there is something you should know…

This white paper can be downloaded, free of charge, on the IFMA Foundation Web site1 E. Greenway Plaza, Suite 1100 | Houston, Texas 77046 USA | +1.281.974.5600 | www.ifmafoundation.org

© IFMA Foundation 2010 All Rights Reserved

This publication was made possible by the support of people like you through the IFMA Foundation.

Established in 1990 as a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) corporation, and separate entity from IFMA, the IFMA Foundation works for the public good to promote priority research and educational opportunities for the advancement of facility management. The IFMA Foundation is supported by the generosity of the facility management community including IFMA members, chapters, councils, corporate sponsors and private contributors who share the belief that education and research improve the facility management profession.

By increasing the body of knowledge available to facility professionals, the IFMA Foundation advances the profession and potential career opportunity.

IFMA Foundation contributions are used to:

• Underwrite research — to generate knowledge that directly benefits the profession

• Fund educational programs — to keep facility managers up-to-date on the latest techniques and technology

• Provide scholarships — to educate the future of the facility management profession

Without the support of workplace professionals, the IFMA Foundation would be unable to contribute to the future development and direction of facility management. That is why we need your help. If you are interested in improving the profession and your career potential, we encourage you to make a donation or get involved in a fundraising event. To learn more about the good works of the IFMA Foundation, visit www.ifmafoundation.org.



Platinum Sponsors LA Chapter of IFMAGreater Philadelphia Chapter of IFMACorporate Facilities Council of IFMA Steelcase Inc.Utilities Council of IFMA

Gold Sponsors ARAMARK Management ServicesAcuity BrandsGreater New York Chapter of IFMAGraphic Systems, Inc.Denver Chapter of IFMAKayhan International LimitedFacility Engineering Associates, P.C.Greater Triangle Chapter of IFMA - Scholarship Sponsor

Silver SponsorsCentral Pennsylvania Chapter of IFMA - Scholarship SponsorDallas Fort Worth Chapter of IFMA - Scholarship SponsorEast Bay Chapter of IFMAKent Miller, FMPKimball Office Furniture Co.NW Energy Efficiency AllianceSan Francisco Chapter of IFMASan Diego Chapter of IFMASoCal Office TechnologiesSodexo Inc. - Scholarship SponsorWest Michigan Chapter of IFMA - Scholarship Sponsor

2009 – 2010 IFMA Foundation

Major Benefactors Bentley Prince Street




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The IFMA Foundation would like to thank its Corporate Contributors, the IFMA chapters, councils and members, as well as other organizations and individuals for their sponsorship. Your generous support helps to make the foundation’s education, research and scholarship initiatives possible.

geographic information systems (gis) for facility management

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