FAQ
Give us a call at 510-868-9658 to explore any of these questions further.
FAQ's for Utilization studies
Q: Do you have to subscribe to FacilityQuest in order to do utilization studies??
A: No, you can ask for a quote for a utilization study of any size, for any length. Typical studies are 5-10 business days. Data is easy to export, as a full set or as specific analytics. You will have access to the admin portal for 30 days after the last day of data gathering.
Q: We've never done a utilization study before. What sort of help do we get?
A: We offer many levels of support. We can perform the project entirely, including interpretation and suggested next steps by a workplace strategist. Or we can offer remote management and guide the on-site process of taking data. Or you can do a small study yourself as a learning project, and we provide all the technical support.
Q: How big a study is necessary in order to get trustworthy results?
A: It depends on what you are looking for in the data. To know definitively if natural light affects the utilization of a specific space, you would need to gather at least two weeks of hourly data. If you want to test a hunch about the popularity of a lounge area in order to get buy in for a wider study, just walk around a few times a day for a few days as you have the opportunity. The more data, the more you can dive deep into specific implications.
Q: Why observation studies? Why not sensors?
A: We can help you connect to sensor data and can show the results with analytics and heat maps. That said, "activity analysis" requires an observer to note what activities are taking place with how many people using what technology. So if you care about more than just occupancy, observation data gets you there.
FAQ's for Workplace Management
Q: We have data from other systems, such as HR, that we would need in FacilityQuest. How does that work?
A: We help you import your data (or connect to real-time data from IoT sources) at no additional charge.
Q: We don't have data from other systems, and our floor plans aren't even up to date. How do we get started?
A: You are in good company, and not to worry. To get started, you just need a fair representation of the interior and exterior walls of your space. It doesn't matter if workstation or furniture annotations represent current reality. Just drop a blue dot on a space that you need to document, and collect data for that space. Including a photo, which does represent current reality. Updated floor plans can be swapped in later.
Q: Can you help us if we want a consultation on options for our current situation?
A: Yes, we work with strategists experienced with workplace data to offer reviews and recommendations--for master planning, pre-programming, or just a consultation to answer your immediate questions. Tell us about your situation or challenge, and we will propose anything from a few hours to a full-blown project.
FAQ's for Building Operations Management
Q: Our building is around 50,000 sq ft and we don't currently have a way to map our systems and equipment. Can we get started with all that in FacilityQuest?
A: Probably yes. Import whatever floor plans you have, and annotate them with our markup. Drop orange dots to pin data about equipment: attributes, photos, SOPs and other documentation. Associate an air handler, for instance, with an area or related equipment such as thermostats. And of course document spaces and furniture with blue dots to get the full picture.
Q: Can we manage equipment maintenance in FacilityQuest?
A: Yes, create maintenance logs and schedules for any equipment or system. See uncompleted tasks together in a list, or look at a single piece of equipment for a complete story.
Q: How does FacilityQuest help us manage remote sites?
A: FacilityQuest is completely Internet-based, so you can delegate access to a remote team or site manager. Attaching photos of equipment to the related data is helpful to show current state.
Q: We want to see real-time data from our equipment. Is that possible?
A: Yes, we will help you connect to IoT data. That data can then be viewed on heat maps or in analytics.