GIS (Graphical Information System)
GIS combines layers of information about a place to give a better understanding of that place. What layers of information that are combined depends on the of the system, finding the best location for a new store, analysing environmental damage, viewing similar crimes in a city to detect a pattern, and so on.
One of the main benefits of GIS is improved management of an organisation and its resources. GIS can link data sets together by common locational data, such as Project sites, which helps departments and agencies share their data. By creating a shared database, one department can benefit from the work of another, data can be collected once and used many times.
An example in construction is Pelorus Surveys, part of Mowlem Environmental Sciences Group, who have successfully completed its contract to use its geographical information systems (GIS) to find the position of 60,000 drainage gullies along 2,100km of Wirral County Councilís adopted highways.