Q&A: Archibus 25.3 demo & workplace trends
JLL Technologies recently hosted a webinar discussing “What’s new in Archibus v25.3?” We reviewed common industry workplace trends based on JLL research and popular thought leadership that deliver insights and best practices to address current and future challenges within your facilities. We received many great questions during the webinar but ran out of time before we could answer them all. Our answers to those questions — and responses to the webinar poll questions — have been published below.
Based on common client trends and challenges, we asked attendees to identify what they felt would be their biggest challenge moving into the 2021 calendar year. Below, you’ll see that most identified getting back to work as a continuing challenge. This aligns with the return to work landscape we see across our clients, though there are some clients further along in their journeys. While others are still looking to 2021 to embark on returning to the office, planning for most is still in its infancy. What is important to note is that as you focus on return to work, there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
Archibus supports this notion of variability, where the flexibility of the return-to-work features introduced in 25.2, combined with other applications such as hoteling, has assisted many of our clients as they plan what space use looks like now and in the future.
Poll: What are some of your biggest challenges in the immediate 2021?
In our client success spotlight, we highlighted the University of Calgary and their journey toward de-customizing their mobile application and moving onto Archibus’ native mobile framework. This afforded the university new opportunities in managing their maintenance activities, such as ordering parts or viewing floor plans directly from the application and improved operations as a whole.
Keeping this in mind, JLLT wanted to understand if clients are using mobile tools to improve daily operations and to learn how successful the initiative has been. Thirty-six percent of the attendees responded that they have tried, but a combination of poor technology and resistance to change obstructed their efforts. This is a common sentiment JLLT hears from clients — and one we try to address as part of our implementation methodology. Our familiarity with Archibus ensures that we configure client environments for maximum performance, and we provide change management best practices to assist organizations in their rollout.
Our studies show that about 10 minutes are wasted per physical work order due to manual processes. This equates to close to 333 wasted hours for organizations that close 2,000 work orders a year.
Poll:How well has your organization adopted mobility to improve operations?
Q: Are there APIs for retrieving the room, person, and maintenance data?
Archibus includes RESTful APIs for integrating with other solutions, including ERP systems. Additional integration options are also available through native Archibus Connectors. Both methods can be used for passing room, person, and maintenance data between varying systems.
Q: Could the checklists replace steps in the PM process? Where does the checklist data go, and can it be attached to the actual piece of equipment?
Yes. Questionnaires are attached to the SLA which in turn enables you to create a questionnaire for the PMs as well as pieces of equipment. The data is collected in the database and is available through out-of-the-box reports, such as the new Maintenance Survey Report, which allows you to view checklist data against PM procedures or pieces of equipment.
Q: How does Archibus assist with lifecycle replacement justification?
The Archibus Asset Management Module offers an Asset Lifecycle console for managing, optimizing, and tracking the operational and maintenance phase of the asset through its entirety. Justifications for cost of ownership and cost to replace can then be calculated and reported on.
Q: In the mobile app, does Archibus have an auto-deployment feature to find the nearest suitable technician to a work request?
Archibus Mobile does not currently assign work based on technicians’ current locations; however, we have requested and elevated the priority of this feature through Archibus’ User Voice. User Voice was introduced in version 25.1 and can be used by end users and business partners alike to request features. Features can then be voted on, and Archibus determines if and when the feature is placed on the product roadmap.
