NGIS has won the Natural Resources Category for the development of ForMS (Forestry Management System) an innovative far-reaching business management solution developed to meet the rapid growth needs of Australia's largest agri-business company, Great Southern Plantations.

ForMS is an excellent example of the changing nature of spatial technology in business. Using best-practice standards and methodologies including web-services and commercial grade interoperability ForMS is able to facilitate the seamless integration of Great Southern’s business processes, financial management systems and mapping functionality providing Great Southern with a single, spatially enabled view of their entire operation.

Since its implementation in 2004, ForMS has delivered significant commercial returns: a 230% productivity gain in plantation management activities, expected to peak at 400% in 2008 based on Great Southern's continued growth.

ForMS browser-based interface also ensures all users, regardless of their location are accessing a single repository of business data helping ensure accuracy and alleviating the physical time component of maintaining multiple datasets.

Importantly, ForMS has empowered Great Southern's plantation managers providing them with increased control over work orders and the ability to more accurately track costs and plan for the future.

'ForMS will continue to develop with the Company and with the continued excellence shown by NGIS it will continue to grow as the centrepiece for plantation management in Great Southern Plantations', Steve Quain, Great Southern Plantations Agri-business Manager.