Digital mapping is a change in storage medium from paper maps to computer files.
This change is significant in that the computer can store more detailed information and also link map objects to database information. Digital mapping is so capable of managing details that maps of different functions can be stored together where they can share data and are easy to find. Yet, the individual function maps can still be displayed or plotted separately. In electric utilities detailed information about wire size, wire length, consumer usage, and consumer phase are essential to calculating voltage drops and losses for any construction work plan. Digital mapping is capable of managing these details and then linking them to engineering software that will do the calculations.