Major Clive Nodder of the Corps of Royal Engineers (RE) talks about the MAKEFAST BISA (Battlefield Information System Application), a major new GIS-based application designed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of military engineer tasks.
The Royal Engineers assist land based forces achieve their mission objectives by maximising their mobility, survivability and sustainability using a wide range of specialist support services such as bridge building, mine clearing and demolition.
The Royal Engineers relied on manual, labour intensive methods, broadly unchanged since the Second World War, that were resource intensive and prone to errors. A new approach to planning and tasking was sought that would achieve greater efficiency and increase its capability to respond to operational demands.
MAKEFAST, a Battlefield Information System that uses Esri's Geographic Information Systems (GIS) for mapping, was deployed. The GIS component enables engineers to locate tasks and resources with precision, supporting mission critical tasks such as gap crossing, service provision, minefield management and demolition.
The MAKEFAST has met its primary objective of promoting greater collaboration, sharing common data and processes to enhance overall operational efficiency. For those responsible for tasking, it has speeded up the briefing process and for those responsible for deployment, it means greater accuracy with the potential to save valuable time.
Increasing efficiency and responsiveness with GIS
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