Environmental Database Management System: Do You Need One?

If you’re in the business of dealing with environmental concerns, you’re working with a stunning amount of data. And whether you’re responsible for determining if remediation is needed or using site investigation results to make property management or legal decisions, your success depends on accurate, thorough data analysis.

Using an environmental database management system(EDMS) can provide comprehensive efficiencies for every stage of your work, from data capture and long-term storage to retrieval, reporting and analysis.

Just as the name implies, environmental database management systems are specifically designed to handle the kinds of complex projects that engineers, geologists and hydrogeologists typically tackle, even projects of the greatest magnitude. But perhaps the most outstanding value of an EDMS is its ability to facilitate faster and more accurate data analysis.

Streamlined processes support better analysis in several ways:

• With a centralized environmental database management system in place, everyone associated with each project can easily and immediately access exactly the information they need, in reporting formats that make the most sense for them, from virtually any location.
• Field data is electronically uploaded and metrics are automatically converted as necessary for consistent comparison. This is a huge time-saver, eliminating the need for extensive, tedious and costly data entry. Instead, highly trained technical staff can concentrate on using their knowledge and experience to find creative or innovative solutions to the problem at hand.
• Removing the possibility of human error also ensures greater accuracy.
• Standardized reporting enables all project stakeholders to clearly understand the issues revealed by soil or groundwater investigations as well as more easily compare potential solutions.
• Using an EDMS provides confidence that your firm is correctly adhering to variable reporting criteria and other compliance requirements.

An environmental database management system enhances data analysis by allowing you to:

• Pose highly customizable, detailed queries to elicit precisely the information you need.
• Quickly generate detailed reports.
• Identify variances or other anomalies that may pinpoint problems or affect potential solutions.
• Perform specific calculations to help you compare possible resolution options.

In particular, varied EDMS reporting formats enable:

• Creation of charts, graphs or other two-dimensional presentations.
• Generation of visualizations in a variety of GIS, contouring or 3D presentation formats. Modeling can be especially helpful for all project team members, from engineers and other technical professionals to site owners, project managers and regulatory officials, more easily grasp the problem at hand.
• Immediate mapping of analytical results, taking the hassle out of making changes and illustrating revised results.

Anyone who works in a science-based field or uses hard data to formulate action plans can readily appreciate the value of innovative technology. The accelerated data processing and reporting provided by an environmental database management system can substantially shorten project turnaround while actually boosting analytical quality, ensuring better-informed decision making.

Better-informed decision makers enables best solutions. And completing the assessment process faster conserves money and other valuable resources.

Analyzing data is the keystone of every job that relates to discovery or remediation of environmental concerns. An environmental database management system is the best tool available to strengthen, streamline and expedite your work, from initial data collection in the field to development of each project’s final resolution.