1.5 The Facilities Database and Institutional Management

Once a database has been designed and the building and space information has been collected, a variety of reports can be provided for institutional use and, where appropriate, for inter-institutional, systemwide, or national surveys.  The database also can support a variety of ad hoc inquiries to support space management and facilities management activities.  For many purposes, graphical presentations can convey the intended message more effectively than tabular arrays of data.  (A detailed discussion of data analysis and reporting is provided in chapter 5.)