Issue link: https://resources.esri.ca/i/1361311
3 Powering indoor intelligence Traditionally, facility managers have relied on computer-aided drawings, but these static illustrations are limited. They do not reflect real-world indoor spaces as they currently exist. A geographic information system (GIS) drives the data behind workplace maps so that they are fresh and relevant to whomever uses them. Moreover, the system's maps show real- time information in multidimensional space. CAD drawings are still useful in GIS, as are legacy schematic maps and other facility documentation, which can be scanned and added to the database. The system's ability to manage different types of information and quickly visualize it makes GIS relevant to modern building management. More than a single floor plan, the workplace map is actually a digital basemap on which to visualize different types of business information. For instance, by integrating GIS with SAP, the workplace map shows the names of employees assigned to specific offices throughout the facility and keeps up with every move. By joining inventory data to place data, the user sees the location of office equipment. Users can add all sorts of data to the map to see, for example, the locations of security cameras, ducting, and plumbing networks. Workplace maps scale to the view that users need to see, whether that be the entire complex, just one floor, or a drill down to the fifth-floor conference room. Zooming in to a traditional floor plan simply magnifies the image. But map views seamlessly respond to a simple scroll of the mouse that scales facility data to the view level. By doing so, users understand more about a site, building, room, or asset. Start with your CAD schematic