Applying Mapping Tools: GIS Adds Strategic Value to Facilities Management
At Boston College, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are tools used to “visualize, question, analyze, and interpret data to understand relationships, patterns, and trends.” Academic departments and centers across campus including Nursing, Social Work, Management, Economics, Education, History, Theology, Sociology, Corcoran Center for Real Estate and Urban Action and of course Earth and Environmental Sciences integrate GIS into instruction and research. The Boston College Libraries and ITS Research Services collaborate with BC GIS users and provide data and software support. This essay by Nicholas Libby describes how the Facilities Management Department, a full-service, centralized organization that works on the planning, design, construction, and maintenance of all University buildings, utilities, and properties, utilizes the many features of GIS in their daily work.
GIS IN FACILITIES
BC Libraries helped introduce GIS to Facilities Management about five years ago, where the initial objective was to map physical elements of the campus (i.e. buildings, walking paths, roads, etc.). Since then, over 100 maps have been created for departments throughout the University, a GIS Roundtable was formed to incorporate the thoughts of others interested in using GIS, a book of maps was published for key stakeholders of the University, and a presentation was given on the use of GIS in Facilities during the University’s Spring 2016 Tech Forum.
GIS maps that are built today in FMIS are categorized by project types such as Data Analysis, Asset Management, Engineering & Energy, Planning & Design, and Safety & Security. ArcGIS (GIS software innovated by Environmental Systems Research Institute) is unique in giving information analysts, like Nicholas Libby, the ability to visualize location-based data on a map for Facilities Management.
NOTE: The maps shown in this article were created by Nicholas Libby of the FMIS Department for the use of Facilities Management purposes only. For the sake of confidentiality, some data has been removed or manipulated for public appearance.
GIS ROUNDTABLE
In August 2014, the GIS Roundtable was established to bring together BC Faculty and Staff from across the University that have an interest in using ArcGIS as a base for a standardized campus map. Currently the GIS Roundtable is made up of over 30 members from numerous departments including the Boston College Libraries, Facilities Management, Boston College Police Department, Information Technology Services, Emergency Management, Office of Marketing and Communications, and more. There is a growing interest and awareness of the economic and strategic value of GIS, and if you or anyone you know would like to join the GIS Roundtable, please use the contact information below to submit a request. Please be advised, the GIS roundtable is for Faculty and Staff only.
ABOUT FMIS
In Facilities Management, the internal Information Systems Department (FMIS) is responsible for managing data, devices, and systems used throughout the University, including those related to GIS. The FMIS Department is made up of four full time personnel including Steven Bentley (Facilities Systems Analyst), Karin Harriman (Senior Archibus Analyst), Nicholas Libby (BIM & Facilities Information Analyst) and Lynn Berkley (Director of FMIS).
If you or someone you know would like to learn more about how GIS is being used in Facilities Management, or would like to gain access to non-confidential campus related GIS data, please email one of the following contacts below.
- Nicholas J. Libby | BIM & Facilities Information Analyst – libbyn@bc.edu
- Lynn Berkley | Director of FMIS – berkleyl@bc.edu
- FMIS Department – help@bc.edu
Submitted by: Facilities Management Information Systems Department (FMIS)
If this has inspired you to learn more about how you might use GIS tools, BC Libraries and ITS, Research Services co-teach “Introduction to GIS” workshops every semester. For dates see: http://www.bc.edu/offices/researchservices/tutorials.html We are also happy to provide individual training sessions.
If you have any questions or wish to request a consultation, contact Barbara Mento, Data/GIS librarian. The Eighth Annual GIS Contest celebrating student work will be held in the Spring. Details coming in November.
