AECOM Technology Corporation, a leading provider of professional technical and management support services for government and commercial clients around the world, is working with Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) to integrate Esri's ArcGIS Server with Microsoft's SharePoint, Microsoft's SQL Server and Oracle's Primavera to analyze spatial and temporal project information for the Coordination and Logistics Management (CALM) Program for LAWA's Airport Development Group. These technologies and systems were selected after receiving feedback from LAWA's various geospatial data stakeholders. The CALM program is made up of LAWA and AECOM staff, as well as several sub-consultants with various expertise.

The effort has required extensive collaboration with a number of LAWA departments, including Information Technology, Commercial Development and Facilities Management, to plan, design and implement the system, procure the components and ensure user group needs are met.

AECOM recently collected data for the CALM project regarding all capital improvement projects at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), including base map and terminal floor plan data from LAWA's Facilities Management Department. The data collected for CALM was then processed and inserted into a geodatabase stored in Microsoft's SQL Server.

'Each project is tracked with a start and end date as well as in individual phases,' said Michael Sabbatino, a GIS manager for AECOM's transportation business line, North America. 'This allows the project managers to analyze adjacent projects that may have conflicting activities at the same time, and mitigate or minimize passenger and tenant interruptions.'

After the data is inserted into a geodatabase, it is then made available airport-wide via interactive capital improvement project maps. The CALM program uses only existing commercial, off-the-shelf software that requires no custom development. This is unique because many web-based geographic information systems (GIS) require custom code and development in order to fulfill the client's need. Using this platform also does not limit future expansion and customization by LAWA.

'By using GIS, we saved our client, LAWA, time and money,' said Luci Woodward, an AECOM senior airport program manager overseeing the CALM initiative. 'One project planned to use a portion of floor space for new escalators, while another sought to use the same floor space for a tenant improvement. The CALM program enabled us to see that potential conflict early and take corrective action.'

Plans for future expansion of the LAX system include a scheduling application that would allow utility shutdown requests to be processed, approved and tracked spatially within SharePoint.

'The CALM program is tracking projects throughout the Central Terminal Area at LAX totaling over US$3.5 billion over the next seven years,' said Sabbatino. 'At one point, there will be as many as 14 contractors in Terminal 6 alone, and the CALM team will be responsible for collecting data from 10 different LAX stakeholders and distributing that data to 12 LAWA departments.'

'CALM is a great example of how AECOM is continually working with our clients to integrate technology software programs to offer solutions that add value for our clients' projects and assets,' said Jim Walsh, AECOM senior vice president and chief technology officer.

AECOM is an industry leader in airport GIS, providing state-of-the-art business solutions to various airports. In addition to LAX, AECOM has also deployed airport GIS applications in Denver, Fort Myers, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Orlando, Philadelphia and Toronto. Most recently, AECOM has developed a unique airport GIS cloud computing platform called the Spatial Airport Asset Management System (SAAMS) for the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) that is more affordable for smaller airports.

Airport GIS continues to gain momentum especially as the Federal Aviation Administration now requires GIS data from airports in support of its NextGen air transport