Using a GIS for Effective Facility Management and Planning

Author: David Wilson Quine
Organization: Dames & Moore

7500 N Dreamy Draw Drive
Phoenix, AZ 85020
USA

Phone: 602-861-7435
Fax: 602-861-7431
phxdwq@dames.com

Facility managers and planners are responsible for optimizing space utilization as well as effectively managing space costs. Using the Pennsylvania State University as a model, we will illustrate how GIS can integrate information into an innovative format that streamlines data collection and dissemination, eliminates redundancies, and facilitates informed decisions.

While the data elements in the Pennsylvania State University system parallel the generally accepted functions and use categories of higher education facilities, the method of retrieval, dissemination, and maintenance of facility management information has dramatically changed. Using a Web browser and Esri GIS software, planners have immediate access to complex data, drawings, and graphics that promote effective decision making. The facility management system brings traditional facility management planning elements online.