Quick start to improving building operational efficiency

Every dollar of operating cost saved, adds about $18 dollars to the capitalized value of your building. If your world is full of paper drawings, documents and work orders, there is enormous potential for improvement!

Here is a quick start to implementing simple new systems which can improve your ability to work with your service contractors, tenants, or your own building staff, while eliminating paper and adding building value.

You can begin without immediately changing your existing systems. This makes it easy to start small and build your new processes on your own schedule, identifying and resolving information management and communications pain points.

A great first step is to create a shared document repository and start to digitize and store building documents where they can be accessed by the people that need to know, where and when they need it. Don’t make it a major project, but add documents when you use them.

If you already have electronic documents, uploading them is as simple as opening the same file on your own computer. If you have many paper documents, consider asking your reprographics company to scan and categorize your most important documents for you. Invite them, as suppliers, to your building repository, and have them upload the scanned documents.

Setting up a building document repository is easy. Take your time, and choose the functions that make sense for your building and needs.

Note: BuiltSpace is sold by annual subscription, based on building floor area. You can invite an unlimited number of stakeholders to participate in your building at no extra charge. The annual cost for all functionality described here is approximately 2 cents per square foot (GLA).

Request a building
This involves filling out a web form with building title, building address, a short description, building use, number of storeys, floor area, and optionally selecting a photo to upload. BuiltSpace will validate the building, create it, and send you an invitation to join the building as a building manager. (Time – less than 5 minutes)

You are now ready to use BuiltSpace to store building documents and drawings.

Invite staff
Next you can invite staff to join by role in the building, and share uploaded documents. Invitations are issued simply be entering (copy/paste) a list of emails and selecting the appropriate role for those users. (Time – less than 5 minutes)

You are now ready to have the new users share documents or upload new, create and manage events and tasks.

Add spaces
You can add spaces in bulk (spreadsheet) from your desktop computer, or as needed, using the mobile app in the building. Information needed includes room number, floor, and estimated floor area. (Time – estimate 1 minute per space)

Assets and tenancies can now be located in spaces. Signage with QR codes can now be installed and associated with specific spaces.

Add assets
You can add assets in bulk, or as needed, using the mobile app. As assets are located within a space (including exterior spaces such as rooftop), first create the space, then add the asset to that space. Asset name and a very short description are minimum fields required to create an asset. Additional details can be added at any time. (Time – estimated 1-10 minutes per asset for manual entry)

Signage with QR codes can now be installed and associated with specific assets.

Tag assets and/or spaces
Obtain pre-printed (decal, engraved plastic/metal, or card stock) QR barcodes from BuiltSpace. Peel, stick and scan the tag with your mobile phone to connect the tag permanently to a specific space or asset. (Time – less than 2 minutes per tag)

You are now ready to share a common asset identifier with other stakeholders, including service contractors, to share service requests, service histories, and asset documentation across stakeholder systems.

Add tenancies
If the building is tenanted, tenancies can be added in bulk, or as needed. Tenants are assigned spaces and a tenant administrator can be invited to join. (Time – estimate 2 minutes per tenancy)

Tenant administrators can now invite employees of the tenancy to join, add and manage tenant owned equipment and use QR codes to manage them, and add and manage energy meters and energy for the tenancy. Tenant owned assets and other sensitive data is protected from unauthorized roles.

Define energy meters
For each energy/water meter, define the account, supplier, fuel type and units of measure, and meter service (whole building, space, or asset). (Time – 1 minute per meter)

You can now add energy data for each meter, manually, by bulk load, or by integration with DDC, EMIS, sub-meter, or Smart meter.

Add energy data
Green Button, a standard API for connecting your building to the Smart Grid, is the easiest way to utilize energy data to measure and manage energy in your building. If your utility offers this program, integration is as simple as selecting your utility and entering your service ID and PIN for each meter. BuiltSpace will automatically request and analyze your data.

Add and invite Suppliers and Service Contractors
Finally, when you are ready to start working with your suppliers and contractors, simply add them to your building and invite them to the building.

You are now ready to create new operational processes that will shave thousands of dollars off your operating costs. For more information, visit www1.builtspace.com.