space Race

Whether the task at hand is completely renovating a facility, moving a tenant or an

There are multiple software and Web-based solutions available to help a property manager with all of these undertakings. The tools come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit the needs of small buildings, multi-tenant complexes and office park portfolios. Their complexity varies from drag-and-drop applications to personalized functions.

STRAIGHTFORWARD SOFTWARE

A good starting place might be an "out-of-the-box" solution, such as SmartDraw or Microsoft Visio, which don't require technical drawing training and feature libraries of shapes, symbols and clip art for creating or redesigning floor plans.

"[SmartDraw] can be used as a wish list to draw what [property managers] hope the space will be. They can get all of their thoughts on paper without any learning curve. It allows them to communicate to the client, contractor or architect," said Kirsten Kuykendall, director of products and services at SmartDraw.com.

Using SmartDraw, for example, a property manager can drag and drop walls, insert doors and windows, mark electrical outlets and add in cubicles and desks. Another option is to begin with a pre-drawn example of an office space, and just change the dimensions and add extra features. Different layers can be used to create maps of wiring or HVAC systems.

To demonstrate how little training is required, Kuykendall pointed out that the complete SmartDraw package, minus the ability to print, is available free for 30 days via a Web download. "If people aren't able to sit down and get started right away without using the help system or accessing support they won't buy it," she said.

CUSTOMIZED ApproaCH

Some property managers may want more functionality, but might not have the in-house talent to coax these applications "out-of-the-box." That's where companies like Visimation, Inc., come in. Visimation is devoted to building custom solutions based on the Visio platform.

"You can do some things with Visio out-of-the-box, but [other tasks] can be awkward. You may need a simplification. .. Companies pay us to make it easy for them to do things in the context of their current working methods. They don't have to bend over backwards to make the tool do what they want," said Brett Newman, managing director at Visimation.

For example, Visimation can create a program that details the cost of a project. In this scenario, Visio would be used in conjunction with Microsoft Excel spreadsheets listing the price of materials and labor. When an item is added to the drawing in Visio it automatically is connected with listed price. "You can do this out-of-the-box, but it is not a trivial [task]," Newman said.

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Property managers may approach vendors with drawings completed using a Web-based or software solution like Visio or SmartDraw, and the reverse may prove true as well.

Carrier Commercial Service, which supplies automated temperature controls, contracted with Visimation and other Microsoft solution providers to create a unique Visio-based solution that incorporates shapes specific to Carrier and a custom interface.

Every object dragged onto a drawing is assigned a name, like Air Handler I, and each carries with it real-life characteristics, including dollar value, manufacturer name and part number. Sales representatives can begin with a baseline configuration and add or remove components based on a client's direction. Each time something changes the price is updated, said Bob Hatke, product manager for control systems at Carrier.

Customers may reap the rewards of pass-through savings. "Reducing labor hours gives our end-user a better price," Hatke said. Another benefit is receiving the drawings. Via a special user interface, property managers can access information about their buildings, including office locations and room temperatures.

CHurn COnTrOL

The term "space planning" isn't relevant only in the design phase; it is also significant in the people or facilities management realm.

"[Our solution] is used not as an architectural tool, but as a visual tool for operations people. It gives them perspective on how to improve efficiency and flow via the planning of space and the utilization of space by department or functional area," said David Gialanella, chief marketing officer at BIGeRealEstate, Inc., a venture between Cushman & Wakefield and Business Integration Group (BIG). His company's solution generally begins with inputting existing computeraided design (CAD) drawings.

Gialanella stressed the utility of the space management module when determining the best square-foot-per-employee and per-department ratios. "[The module] will enable you to maximize space utilization in a way that will help to free up space when it is needed or fill it up in the most efficient way when you need to," he said. Reporting tools predict where it makes sense to consolidate groups or even to remove a property from the portfolio.

"In corporate America, people are driving toward less reconfiguration and more toward briefcase moves," added Bob Verdun, president of Computerized Facility Integration (CFI). "They are moving 50 people into 50 existing cubicles as opposed to doing new space and construction." CFI's solution identifies spaces and puts people into seats, he explained. It is forward-looking, helping a property manager forecast which department might be planning to grow or retract.

"If you don't have good information you will end up moving people around more often. You might move two rapidly growing departments onto the same floor. You will have to move one out again soon," he said.

In a company that experiences 100 percent churn annually, automated solutions like these can bring tremendous time and cost savings, said Tom Jordan, director of facilities management at JM Family Enterprises, Inc. JM Family, which owns 10 buildings that comprise about 400,000 square feet, uses a CFI module. Move, Add & Change (MAC).

Before implementation, it used to take a day and a half to two days monthly to generate a report listing describing all of the moves that had occurred. With MAC, it takes about 10 minutes, Jordan said. "We have current floor plans at the end of each business day. An automatic republishing routine updates every drawing every day."

In fall 2003, when Jordan proposed using MAC, he estimated $40,000 in annual savings. He now says that figure was on the low side and the actual savings will be higher.

David McCleery, information and technology manager, real estate and facilities, at Novell, Inc., said before moving to BIGeRealEstate's solution three years ago, his staff would note manually where people were and type this information into a CAD drawing. Now the system tracks which departments are using what square footage. "Mostly the savings have been in efficiency and accountability to [internal] customers when they need data from us for planning and budgeting."

Novell already has used the system to manage approximately 10,000 moves, but has found it helpful in other ways as well. For example, the facilities management team uses it to find employees when they call for service.

BenepITS BIG anD SmaLL

Another benefit to using Web-based programs is the ability to share information across locations. With Lucernex ERP, during a remodeling project, everyone around the country who is involved can view drawings simultaneously on the Internet, said Mike Nuzum, president of Lucernex Technologies. Changes can be made electronically using CAD or other software. "You do not have to reproduce drawings and then fax or FedEx them to [the relevant people]," he said.

That is not to say that smaller property management firms can't benefit from these types of programs as well. They do so based on time and cost savings, Newman said. Managers can create their own designs without any CAD training.

"A property manager doesn't need an architect [for example] in the beginning. If someone has a reasonable feel for how spaces are laid out, they can sit with Visio and generate something in a couple of hours. Communication with an architect might have taken a day or two of billing time," Newman added.

What are you waiting for? Get moving!