Most facilities managers use paper maps, blueprints, and spreadsheets to do their job. They see tremendous value in digital maps, find assets quickly, to navigate, etc. and many have digitized their floorplan. But a digital floorplan is just the paper version on your phone or tablet, its limited in functionality. It’s definitely not a true digital map. So, what is a dynamic digital map? This article explores the subject and provides a contrast between the two.
On a tablet, the two look similar, the floorplan is not suited to measure distances, nor can you easily estimate the size of an area; with a dynamic map, you can. Oftentimes it is important to know the distance from where you are to where you need to be, to assess the distances to move equipment, to assess the size of the area for painting for example, a dynamic map can do this. When a facility repair or improvement occurs, the floorplan needs to be completely redone whereas a dynamic map can easily be updated on the fly, and you are ready to go.
You can still get lost using a floorplan; case in point, people look at floorplans at the airport or mall, either on the wall or on their phone but they still end up asking for directions; a dynamic map, is GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth enabled and a little blue denotes where you are and follows your footsteps and guides you when you take a wrong turn, much like the outdoor GPS in your car. Not just people, the map can interface with sensors in movable equipment and when the equipment moves within a facility, like a forklift or construction equipment, the map will show its new location on a real time basis. This is particularly important in a hospital setting where surgical equipment and measuring equipment are moved from room to room or floor to floor.
By integrating IoT sensors, the dynamic map can track space occupancy, water leaks, air quality, heat dissipation and allow the user to understand how the space is used, study heat maps to optimize flow and fix problems before they become catastrophic. The sensor locations and their output can be showed on a monitor or on the tablet so at any given time the facilities manager can see the general condition of the facility.
A well-made dynamic map is interactive across different platforms from phone to tablet to desk to kiosk and electronic signs and scale seamlessly; maps when integrated with other facilities software, can make work ticketing, event management, direction finding etc. a great experience for the visitors and employees. InMapz is one such unique dynamic mapping app that does all the above and then some. And here is a pleasant surprise, a dynamic map in most cases actually costs less than the much inferior digital floorplan. Go figure!
About InMapz
Founded by MIT and Caltech engineers, InMapz created indoor mapping technology to convert static floor plans into digital twins through an automated process. Each structure shown on the floor plan can become a smart object with its own attributes such as GPS location, model number, serial number, photographs, and so forth. For example, conference rooms, HVAC equipment, IoT sensors, etc. can be extracted from the floor plan. Users can easily add, edit, and delete other mechanicals. Rather than having to go to the office to pull up paper floor plans and cross-reference spreadsheets, users can access their building’s digital twin via the InMapz app or web browser on the phone, tablet, or laptop. Through selection and filtering options, users can both visualize on the digital twin and see a list of whatever smart objects are specified.
InMapz saves time and money for facilities managers, building auditors, third party maintenance teams, emergency response personnel, airport travelers, trade show organizers and attendees. The company has mapped hundreds of millions of square feet, including over 300 international airports, 1500 worldwide malls, hospitals, schools, universities, trade shows, office buildings, data centers, factories, and hotels.
To InMapz your building, please visit www.InMapz.com.