.
Advanced Web-Based Tools Help Maximize Timberland Value, Sustainability, and Operational Efficiency.
The Molpus Woodlands Group, LLC (Molpus) is one of the oldest timber-related companies in the United States. The company manages approximately 1.7 million acres of timberland investments across the United States and is one of the few Timber Investment Management Organizations (TIMOs) conducting core business and forestry functions with in-house experts. Molpus is dedicated to achieving long-term optimal cash returns on investments while adhering to responsible and sustainable management practices. This commitment necessitates the use of sophisticated technology and information systems to effectively manage large-scale forestry assets.
The Challenge:
Maximizing the sustainability and returns of timberlands requires strategic planning tools capable of tracking and forecasting numerous biological and financial variables across a diverse portfolio of properties. To meet these demands, Molpus specialists prioritized the implementation of advanced forest management solutions, equipping property managers with what it believes to be cutting-edge digital tools designed to enhance revenues and reduce costs.
A cornerstone of Molpus innovation is its proprietary Timberlands Information Management System (TIMMS™). This advanced system integrates Esri’s ArcGIS Enterprise Geographic Information System (GIS) with Microsoft SQL Server, combining spatial and tabular data within an enterprise geodatabase. By leveraging web, desktop, and mobile platforms, TIMMS enables real-time and historical geospatial data analysis to support key business operations.
Recognizing the rapid evolution of GIS technology, Molpus identified opportunities to upgrade TIMMS to harness advancements in data collection, analysis, and visualization. The goal was to deploy modern web technology for a more intuitive and efficient user experience both in the office and the field.
The Solution:
To enhance TIMMS, Molpus partnered with VertiGIS, leveraging its expertise in technology and management services. Together, they defined functional requirements, developmental phases, and designed workflows to deliver an updated, web-based GIS built on the Geocortex (now VertiGIS Studio) platform. The collaborative effort resulted in several new and advanced capabilities:
- Web Viewer Application: A flexible application adaptable to evolving technology and capable of supporting future developments with reusable components.
- Advanced Query Tool: Enables the extraction of forest stand data based on specific criteria, forming the basis for management activities such as harvest planning.
- Stand Management Module: Providing in-depth analysis of specific stands through map-based views and tabular data supporting comprehensive resource evaluation.
- Activities Module: Facilitates the prescription of future activities, either for individual stands or multiple stands simultaneously.
- Budgeting Roll-Up Tool: Streamlines data inputs for budgeting processes, simplifying integration into Molpus’s templates.
- Mobile Web Mapping Tool: Offers robust online and offline access to spatial and non-spatial data supporting navigation, fieldwork, and site tours.
VertiGIS professionals meticulously managed the development process, ensuring adherence to timelines and budgetary goals.
The Result:
Molpus initiated the TIMMS upgrade with two primary objectives:
- Increase Work Efficiency: By providing foresters with immediate access to essential information, the upgraded system boosted productivity. Streamlined workflows allowed forestry professionals to focus on high-priority tasks.
- Enhance Data Accessibility for Decision-Making: Improved data integration and user-friendly interfaces enabled teams to retrieve and analyze information quickly, leading to faster and more accurate decision-making.
The modernized interface incorporates advanced web technologies, ensuring a seamless user experience while meeting the comprehensive management needs of timberland assets. User feedback has been overwhelmingly positive:
- “The new web map is easy to use.”
- “Very convenient, the way things are laid out and arranged.”
- “Field foresters can tell a lot of consideration and field input was taken into account when developing these tools.”
Randy Taylor, Molpus’ Senior Director of Resource Planning, noted:
“Collaboration with VertiGIS has equipped the Molpus team with powerful, intuitive forest management tools, maintaining focus on sustainability and revenue maximization, while paving the way for future innovation. The upgrade improves user access to information and empowers our teams to make agile, informed decisions. This integration of state-of-the-art tools boosts efficiency and ensures all aspects of our business are well-supported, from daily tasks to long-term strategic planning”.