2026 SAG Award Winners

County of Manatee

Project Goal

The goal of this project was to transition Manatee County from a third-party asset management system to a unified, enterprise GIS-based solution using ArcGIS Indoors. Working with Esri Professional Services, the County implemented a scalable indoor mapping framework to support facilities, asset visibility, and operational decision-making. The project included configuring over 415 buildings into the Indoors data model, integrating document access through OnBase, and creating a centralized platform for mapping and data sharing. Since implementation, the system has expanded to over 600 sites and is evolving to support space planning, employee hoteling, and real-time building data integration, positioning the County for long-term operational efficiency and innovation.

Business Problem Solved

Manatee County faced limitations with a fragmented third-party asset management system that lacked integration with enterprise GIS and restricted access to critical facility and infrastructure data. This created inefficiencies in operations, maintenance, and decision-making. The solution replaced siloed systems with a centralized GIS platform, improving data accessibility, accuracy, and collaboration across departments. By integrating OnBase for direct document linkage and enabling seamless data sharing across ArcGIS Enterprise, the County enhanced operational transparency and reduced time spent locating asset information. The project also established a foundation for future initiatives such as space optimization and real-time monitoring, addressing both current inefficiencies and long-term growth challenges.

Technology Implemented

The solution was built using ArcGIS Indoors within the ArcGIS Enterprise environment, enabling centralized indoor mapping and asset visualization across County facilities. ArcGIS Enterprise Sites was used to develop a user-friendly interface for accessing maps and applications. Integration with OnBase was achieved through Arcade expressions embedded in utility pop-ups, allowing users to directly access relevant documents at the feature level. The system supports data sharing across other ArcGIS Enterprise deployments, enhancing interdepartmental collaboration. Future phases include the implementation of ArcGIS Indoors Space Planner for workspace optimization, ArcGIS Velocity for real-time sensor data integration, and potential Indoor Positioning System (IPS) capabilities to support navigation and operational awareness.

Development Team Biography

Property Management Department: Eric Berg, Hjalmar Pachas, Justin Allan, Cary Knight
Information Technology Services Department for integration: Tim LaBarr, Jeff Pace, Mark Murphy

Company Overview

Manatee County Government serves over 450,000 residents on Florida's Gulf Coast through 13 departments and is governed by a seven-member Board of County Commissioners. The Property Management Department, led by Director Cary Knight, is responsible for the stewardship of all County-owned facilities, lands, and infrastructure. The department consists of five divisions: Building and Energy Management, Parks and County Grounds, Property Acquisition, Construction Services, and Survey. The department's broad operational scope makes it a critical driver of enterprise solutions that improve efficiency, transparency, and data-driven decision-making across the organization.

Return on Investment

The project delivered immediate cost avoidance by retiring a separate third-party platform and shifting facility and asset visibility onto infrastructure the County already owned through its Esri Enterprise Agreement. Rather than paying for two parallel systems, staff across departments now access building information, linked documents, and spatial context from a single environment. The OnBase connection alone saves considerable lookup time — users retrieve records directly from map features instead of navigating disconnected databases. With more than 600 sites now in the system, the operational footprint far exceeds the original scope, amplifying value without proportional cost increases. Shared data across ArcGIS Enterprise deployments has also reduced duplicated effort between departments that previously maintained their own records independently. Planned additions such as workspace optimization tools and real-time sensor feeds will extend the predictive capability of the platform.