Forest Management Information Systems

Like in any other business, timber producing companies generate a vast amount of data and records every day. This information covers resource conditions, management planning, operations, monitoring, sales and marketing, costs and revenues, as well as administrative activities. Much of these data are also linked to geographical areas and locations.
In companies with complex and diversified activities important information is often not readily available to those who need them to produce effective working results. Time and financial resources are lost through inefficient duplication of working steps and data entries, causing delays in information gathering, data processing, and retrieval.

In such cases, professional knowledge management becomes a critical success factor that should be given high attention. Successful company management endeavours to design all information flows in a way that company staff have access to sufficiently accurate data and information at the right management level, time and place. In order to achieve this, specific databases must be developed for all core activities, and linked with geographical locations. Geographical Information Systems (GIS) offer the opportunity to facilitate company management with quality-based information and communication technology (ICT).

Forest Management Information Systems (FMIS) combine GIS-related information and attribute databases to a powerful information retrieval, analytical and decision support tool. They provide an integrated technology platform for:

• data entry (company administration, resource planning, operations, monitoring, costs, revenues etc.)
• data storage in safe environment and with proper hierarchical structures
• data processing and analysis (e.g. processing of forest inventory data, cost/benefit analyses)
• conditional data queries and retrieval with relational databases (SQL)
• information use for sound management decisions

FMIS can be simple and straight-forward for easy use, or more complex and sophisticated for advanced tasks. Their design and structure primarily depends on the complexity of the company business. FMIS can greatly enhance company performance in forest management planning, resource mapping, forest operations, resource accounting, financial analyses, timber marketing, cost control, and in many other fields. A fully operational FMIS will therefore assist your company reduce costs and maximise returns.
Associated business partners of ifmc have contributed heavily in establishing FMIS in the forestry sector in various forest organisations.
We are also involved in continuous FMIS up-grading and development activities to perfectly match the growing and changing needs of our clients.