Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
How exactly do we get Managing in Minutes, not Months?
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What does a Facility Manager manage?
What does a Facility Manager manage?
A Facility Manager is responsible for managing the infrastructure that supports the core business: People, Places, Technology and Processes. In a supporting role, a Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system is used to coordinate those responsibilities and be easy to use.
What are you trying to get out of your CAFM system?
What are you trying to get out of your CAFM system?
You may already be using an expensive Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) to manage your facilities' space planning and equipment maintenance, and it is most likely 'overkill' for your needs. There are many applications available at all levels of complexity and cost, and significant ongoing expense. Some of the largest of these are owned by major organizations with substantial overhead, or hedge funds, that focus on profitability, not affordability.
At IDN we get back to the CAFM basics: Compatible, Affordable, Friendly, Mobile. The Space+Work application is designed by experienced facilities management veterans who understand that drawings (floor plans) are the foundation of it all, and the IDN platform is the industry's best when it comes to visualization and detailed graphical reporting. We focus on functionality, efficiency, and YOU, our valued customer.
The section below contains 9 Process Questions that allow you to re-evaluate your CAFM needs. If your company's requirements align with these parameters, then IDN Space+Work is all you may need. Furthermore, IDN has tools that easily import data and drawings from your current IWMS, saving time and accelerating the transition. You will be managing your facilities in minutes, not months!
9 PROCESS FAQ's
- What is the ultimate goal for this process?
Externally mandated reporting - FICM, FEMA, etc.
Internally mandated reporting – Management KPIs, monthly summaries, etc.
Efficiency – Improve time usage, stay organized, address problems quickly before they get worse, etc.
Knowledge – Provides access to information that people outside of facilities may not easily be able to get at. Floorplans, process notifications, etc.
2. Who will be using this system?
2. Who will be using this system?
Core team – May include admin, managers, supervisors or team leaders, tradesworkers, etc.
Higher ups – Either via a summary dashboard of some kind, a scheduled email with report, or just manually generated reports.
Customers – Usually internal customers, such as students or staff.
3. Is there accountability that could be enforced in some way?
3. Is there accountability that could be enforced in some way?
Simple auditing - Who changed what column / added what record.
History tracking - Complete 'From and To' details of every change .
Email alerts - Notify a supervisor if something is not complete after x days.
Real-time Widgets - Dashboard alerts via KPI or similar.
4. Is this a status chain process, or something more general?
4. Is this a status chain process, or something more general?
Project tracking - What statuses are involved and the order they usually follow?
Role management - Which of the user types above are involved during which steps?
Time limits – What are the consequences for something going beyond?
Approvals – Certain statuses may require external approval.
5. Does anyone need to be notified when something changes?
5. Does anyone need to be notified when something changes?
Update requestor - A work requestor notified of certain status changes / completion.
Triggers - A value being tracked goes above a certain level – either from sensors or manual entry.
Task completion - An internal audit or inspection has completed.
Approvals - Some process needs input from a specific person or role.
6. Beyond the obvious, are there specific security concerns?
6. Beyond the obvious, are there specific security concerns?
Secure access - Internal read only users.
Data security - Certain columns can only be modified by certain team members.
Content management - Other rules dictating who can view, create, edit, or delete.
7. How do you evaluate whether things are going smoothly?
7. How do you evaluate whether things are going smoothly?
Rear-view - KPIs comparing this year to previous.
Flags - Single out records that meet some requirement – high priority, missed deadline, many internal communications.
Feedback - Reporting on daily / weekly / monthly resource usage.
Analytics - Different levels of analysis – global, by location, by contact, by category.
Customer experience - Survey sent after some time to customer.
8. What reporting is needed?
8. What reporting is needed?
Formatted reports – May include a couple of configured filters, such as the focus date for the report, a filter to a specific location, etc.
Tabular reports – Also may have filters.
Dashboards - Consider who needs access to what reports, either because of security or to simplify the interface for the user.
9. Who needs to be convinced for this to work?
9. Who needs to be convinced for this to work?
Tradesworkers - Who may not be savvy web app users.
Public - Who will not generally get training – submitting a work request or getting route planning information.
Management - Internal or external report consumers.
CUSTOMIZATION COST FAQ's
CUSTOMIZATION COST FAQ's
NOTE: The following are expectations for each type of customization, but certain factors may increase or decrease the hours required.
Is there a cost for changes to tabular reports?
Is there a cost for changes to tabular reports?
Adding or removing one or two columns - No charge.
In many cases, client can opt to do this themselves after reporting training.
Changes to formatting, add aggregates - No charge.
Client can do this as well with training
New tabular report from scratch - Yes, 0.5 hours.
Some report requests may already exist, and would therefore not be charged.
New tabular report with custom filters - Yes, 1.0 hours
While all reports have filtering available, sometimes it can be useful to have one-click options for variations.
What is the cost for changes to formatted reports?
What is the cost for changes to formatted reports?
Cosmetic change - No charge
Colors, fonts, and placement of certain items in PDF style reports.
Adding or removing one or two columns - No charge
Client can do this with training.
New formatted report from scratch - Yes, 1 - 2 hours
Formatted reports can be highly variable, but most should be completed in under 2 hours.
Can we get assistance with drawings?
Can we get assistance with drawings?
Help with problematic drawing - No charge
Client may need help with linking a DWG file, or issue with visibility. IDN can advise the course of action.
Drawing Conditioning - Yes, 0.5 hours per DWG
Prepare drawing for use in IDN, set up visibility and perform linking.
How do we import our data?
How do we import our data?
Data Import Help - No charge
Advice needed on how to approach pulling in data.
Bulk Import - Yes, 1.0 hours
IDN performs import with single data source, matching up validated info when required.
Will we be charged to add a new column or data table?
Will we be charged to add a new column or data table?
Add a new data column - Yes, 0.5 hours
Client may require custom columns to track information not already in IDN. Note that this may not be required, as there are many existing options.
Add a new data table - Yes, 1 - 2 hours
If IDN does not have a table in the system that is appropriate for a new asset or capability.
What if we need changes to forms?
What if we need changes to forms?
Simple change to a form - No Charge
Moving fields around, changing the display format, hiding sections, marking fields as required, etc.
Comprehensive change to a form - Yes, 1 - 2 hours
Conditional fields that change behavior based upon other values entered, complex validation, etc.
New basic form from scratch - Yes, 2 hours
Ability to list details, create new, edit existing, and potentially bulk edit.
New process-driven form - Yes, 2 - 4 hours
Highly variable, and may require meetings and other communication to nail down functionality.
Can we make changes to notifications?
Can we make changes to notifications?
Simple change - No charge
Small change to conditions, adding or removing a field or two, cosmetics.
New notification from scratch - Yes, 1 - 2 hours
A completely new email notification, triggered on custom conditions.
Is it possible to customize dashboards?
Is it possible to customize dashboards?
Simple change - No Charge
Small change to conditions, adding or removing a field or two, cosmetics.
New dashboard from scratch - Yes, 1 - 4 hours
Meet with roles, supervisors, etc. to establish requirements, layout, security.
What is involved in API integration?
What is involved in API integration?
Application Programming Interface (API) - Yes, 1 - 4 hours
Highly variable, and may require meetings and other communication to nail down functionality.
ONBOARDING FAQ's
How do we upload our drawings?
How do we upload our drawings?
If your drawing files are currently managed by an IWMS such as Archibus, TRIRIGA, Manhattan, Planon, etc., IDN has tools that can read and link the drawings automatically. This saves a tremendous amount of time and ensures accuracy.
If you are new to CAFM and your drawings require conditioning (analyzed for closed polylines, accurate text, layers), each drawing file will need to be opened individually and repaired if necessary by either your staff or IDN Services, using a CAD software.
Not just AutoCAD but any CAD software can be used to edit the DWG files, and there is no plug-in or 'overlay' required.
Watch the video on how to link a drawing.
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