A georeferenced inventory is an asset database where each element (whether a trash bin, a traffic sign, or a utility box) has its exact spatial position associated through geographic coordinates (Latitude, Longitude, and sometimes Altitude).
Unlike an accounting inventory, which is a simple list ("we have 500 streetlights"), the georeferenced inventory answers the key question: "Where exactly are they?". It is the cornerstone on which Smart City strategies and efficient territory management are built.
Precision Levels
Not all inventories are the same. Depending on the capture technology, we can talk about:
- Neighborhood Level: You know which zone the asset is in, but not its exact point. (Insufficient for maintenance).
- Street Level: Associated with a postal address (e.g., 4 Main Street). Problematic in parks or long roads.
- Metric/Sub-metric Level: GPS coordinates with a margin of error less than 1 meter. This is the necessary standard to locate buried utility boxes or distinguish between two nearby streetlights.
Operational Benefits
- Route Optimization: By seeing assets on the map, algorithms can calculate the shortest route for waste collection or inspection, saving fuel and man-hours.
- Unique Identification: No more confusion like "I fixed the wrong streetlight." The GPS position acts as a unique ID for the asset.
- Spatial Analysis: Allows detecting "shadow zones" (areas without service) or zones with high concentration of incidents.
How Maptainer Does It
Maptainer transforms the titanic task of inventorying into a fluid process. Our mobile App allows performing field inventory surveys ("fieldwork") in an agile way.
- The technician stands in front of the asset.
- The App automatically captures the device's GPS coordinates.
- Photos are taken and technical data is filled in.
- The asset instantly appears on the global map.
Additionally, we allow manual location correction on high-resolution cartography to ensure the digital point matches the physical reality, creating a reliable inventory owned by the customer.