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Forerunner is built around a few key concepts that work together to help you manage properties, track records, visualize data, and collaborate across your agency. Understanding these core concepts will help you get the most out of the platform.

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Objects

Objects are the physical or geographic entities you manage in Forerunner—such as properties, infrastructure, facilities, or any other asset in your jurisdiction. Objects serve as the foundation for organizing your data and can be displayed on maps, searched in tables, and linked to records and documents. Beyond properties, you can create custom object categories to manage any type of asset—such as culverts, bridges, fire hydrants, districts, or service areas. Custom objects let you define custom attributes, model non-parcel geographies, configure custom symbology for map display, and track history and changes over time. Both properties and custom objects are accessible on the public website, where community members can view details, submit records, and attach files.

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Properties

Properties represent land parcels, buildings, and structures within your jurisdiction. Each property includes parcel identification, boundaries, assessor and ownership information, address and location data, flood zone designation, and associated records and documents. Properties integrate with parcel data from your GIS systems and can be searched by address, parcel ID, or coordinates.

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Records

Records are the core workflow items you create, track, and manage in Forerunner, such as permits, inspections, code cases, grants, or projects. Records include customizable forms with conditional logic and field checks, lifecycle workflows with custom stages and approvals, associations to properties and objects, and support for mobile and offline work. Learn more about working with records.

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Maps

Maps provide the visual interface for working with your geographic data. Forerunner’s interactive map lets you visualize properties, custom objects, flood zones, and custom GIS layers on satellite or street basemaps. You can upload and visualize GeoJSON and other GIS datasets, toggle map layers, search by address or coordinates, and select features geographically. Learn more in the maps overview.

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Files

Files are documents and attachments that provide supporting information for your objects and records. You can upload PDFs, images, videos, spreadsheets, and GIS files, then organize and share them with the right audiences. Learn about supported file types and how to manage document visibility. For FEMA Elevation Certificates, Forerunner uses AI to automatically extract and validate data, including automatic geocoding and property matching. Learn more about Elevation Certificate processing.

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Tables

Tables are how you analyze, filter, and export your data in Forerunner. Every object type and record category has a table view where you can create custom views, apply filters, and export data to CSV and GIS formats like Shapefile, GeoPackage, and geodatabase. You can also sync data to ArcGIS Online and create public table views for constituent access. Learn more in the tables overview.

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Tasks

Tasks are action items assigned to users in your organization. Tasks can be created manually or generated automatically based on record workflows, scheduled actions, or system events. Tasks include due dates, routing rules, and status tracking, and can be managed on mobile devices.

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Workflows

Workflows are multi-step processes that define how records move through your organization. Workflows include custom stages, role-based routing and assignments, conditional branching logic, notifications, and audit trails. Public users can initiate workflows and track their status.

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Users

Users are the people who access Forerunner—either internal staff or external constituents. Forerunner uses role-based access control to ensure users only see and modify data they’re authorized to access, including field-level permissions, sensitive data controls, and optional multi-factor authentication.