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  • Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Thanks for the insightful feedback.  I believe we are leaning towards the approach Melissa described above  but, there are a few conversations pending before we decide on a go-forward standard.   …Rich

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Hi Robin,

    Fanshawe engaged Entro (https://entro.com/) a few years ago.  It was a lengthy process but they came up with an impressive design for our exterior and interior wayfinding signage.  We learned a lot during the process – in many cases we had overlooked simple things that seem obvious (ugly garbage bins at nice entrances).

    COVID interrupted our deployment but since then, signs are now up at our main campus and are due to be installed at our regional campuses this Fall.

    It was an expensive and time consuming initiative but has made a big improvement.

    We chose not to pursue a wayfinding app – when you boil it down, it’s typically used for a only few days at the beginning of a semester.   Users tend to stick with the apps they are used to (Google maps) and rarely use yet another app.   However, we have been interested in having digital wayfinding as a component of a platform.  We’ve been experimenting with ESRI’s ArcGIS Indoors.  We don’t have a dedicated resource/ expertise but early signs are promising.  This tool can connect with existing sources like AutoCAD, Revit, Archibus and even SLAM.

    Hope this helps.

    …Rich

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    I found XMind to be particularly helpful, recently, in discussing a project with a new staff member.  We needed to create a project plan but had to sort out a number of elements to know where to begin.

    The tool allow me to easily assemble my thoughts and goals.  What seemed overwhelming at first was quickly brought under control using the tool.   The new staff member was very appreciative of the approach and was able to grasp the problem and is working towards an effective plan.

     

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72
    How to retrieve Greenhouse Gas Data from Energy Star Portfolio Manager
    It seems we cannot re-retrieve the BPS Submission Reports from Portfolio Manager once they’ve been generated.
    If you cannot find a copy of your submission file, I’ve found a work-around and have attached a template that may help.​
    You’ll need to go into Energy Star Portfolio Manager and generate a report template (takes about 10-minutes) – this should help future submissions.
    Create Custom Report
    1. Log into your Energy Star Portfolio Manager
    2. Select Reporting tab
    3. Click Create a New Template
      1. Name Template= BPS Energy Report Ontario Colleges
      2. Timeframe = Current Year
      3. For = Energy
      4. Select Properties = All (or preferred subset)
      5. Select Metrics =
        1. Property Information
          1. Property Name
          2. Parent Property Name (default)
          3. Property GFA Self-Reported (m²) *ft2
          4. Primary Property Type-Self Selected
        • Property ID Numbers
          1. Portfolio Manager Property I.D
          2. Portfolio Manager Parent Property I.D (default)
        • Energy Performance Metrics
          1. Site Energy Use        Total (Location Based)*kBtu
        • Greenhouse Gas Emissions
          1. GHG Emissions (Metric Tons CO2e)
      1. Apply & Save Template
    4. You should return to ‘My Reports and Templates’
      1. Select Action: Generate new report
      2. After a few minutes the ‘Status’ will change from ‘Last Modified…’ to ‘Generated’ (you may need to refresh your browser window)
      3. Select Action: Download Report in Excel
    5. The attached template can help you convert 2 fields to the standard units of measure four our report.  I’ve included Fanshawe’s numbers for reference.  Feel free to overwrite and use for your Benchmarking Report data file.
    Attachments:
    You must be logged in to view attached files.
    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72
    in reply to: Snip & Sketch Ruler #4359

    Thanks Colleen – I also had never notice the ruler, very clever.  Thanks for sharing.  I may have to watch the YouTube that Phil referenced!

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Wow, Phil – outstanding summary of practical information we can use.  I think I deserve a certificate for reading to the end!

    I’ve been getting better at leveraging the interaction between Task Manager/ Outlook Calendar & EMail but there is always room to improve.  It’s reassuring to tag items for reviewing later without worrying about forgetting them by relying on memory.  I do my ‘reviews’ but not as regularly – scheduling them into my daily routine is a clever idea.

    I agree that a deeper understanding of the functionality built into these tools (especially Calendar) can lead to profound improvements rather quickly (e.g. Scheduling Poll).  I will be checking out your link for additional tips and tricks – there’s always something new!

    Thanks for sharing.

    …Rich

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Thanks, Phil.  This is a great synopsis.  I use my Email & Calendar (Outlook 365) in combination with a notebook to manage key tasks at work.   I sometimes capture personal ideas/ tasks on my mobile phone for future reference.  Is there a app within Microsoft that brings it all together that you would recommend?

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Thanks for the great responses – I suspect most of your expectations were met.

    Here is a quick summary:

    • 17 of 50 People responded
    • Popular themes (count)
    1.   Networking 12
    2.   Best Practices 5
    3.   Carbon/ Climate 3
    4.   Presentations 3
    5.   Space Planning 2
    6.   HVAC design 2
    7.   Getting a Break! 1
    8.   Staffing challenges 1
    9.   Facilities software 1
    10.   Fill executive vacancies 1

    We also had a great suggestion from Hedi at Humber to share the list of participants to further promote collaboration (stay tuned!)

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72
    in reply to: RFP or RFT #3675

    Hi Robin,

    I asked our Projects & Construction Manager and she replied:

    Policy at Fanshawe for construction over $100k is to post publicly.

    We complete Request for Supplier Qualification every 3 years to create a VOR list (see attached), construction is maximum $20M to use VOR list, others will be posted publicly.

     

    Contracts are awarded on price, Not subjective criteria. Bid documents are either Fanshawe internal short form or run with Prime

    Consultant as CCDC2 or CCDC5B bid with full specifications.

     

    Attachments:
    You must be logged in to view attached files.
    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Thanks for sharing Colleen.  Fanshawe Facilities has been using Qlik for many years to combine and visualize data in a similar way.  I’m jealous of your user group – very impressive!

    When looking at data this way, we often discover insights we didn’t set out to find.  It’s very helpful for improving data integrity.

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Hi Ahmed,

    It’s been awhile but I recall that there were a number of key fields that were not available in the module to support an intuitive workflow.  Also, reconciling the project invoices between Archibus and our financial system was complicated.

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    I’m a huge fan of Office Lens, particularly when scanning receipts for expense claims.  I’ve even used it while attending presentations – using my phone, I take some notes using OneNote, and take photos of presentation slides or business cards directly from the app which integrates with Office Lens.  It’s nice when integrated Microsoft tools work nicely with each other!

    My newest phone, Samsung Note 20, seems to have the Office Lens features already built into my camera.  When taking a photo of a receipt, the Lens features kicks in automatically upon recognizing a document.  The cropping and colour balancing is mostly automated which keeps me from having to open a photo editor each time I snap a new document.

    Such a great tool to minimize the need for paper.

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Good Morning Colleen.

    Fanshawe attempted the Projects module several years ago and even had a functioning data feed with Colleague to transfer financials.  Unfortunately, it didn’t meet the needs of our Project Team so it never got off the ground.

    I believe Humber has done a fair amount of work with Projects – you may consider following up with Suzanne Hardcastle or Spencer Wood.

    …Rich

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Thanks Daniel – I tried the Netflix session and fell asleep!  Will have to try again;)  I’ve also added the Huberman podcasts to my queue and look forward to listening this weekend.  Look out Monday!  Appreciate you sharing this.  …Rich

    Rich McEvoy
    Keymaster
    Post count: 72

    Hi Brian
    I can’t speak to the overall capital project prioritization but can share how we look at the deferred maintenance component which may help as I’m sure there are similarities.
    We look at 3 levels: 1. Building/ 2. Assets & Systems/ 3. Recommendations
    1. Buildings are assessed for usage type which have been assigned scores (Academic 100; Admin 50; Residential 50; Other 30; Site 20)
    – essentially, Academic buildings have higher priority

    2. Assets/ Systems are assigned multiple scores for each uniformat code;
    a) Condition (Critical 5,…., Excellent 1) Note: These are assigned at the time of the building condition assessment
    b) Consequence of Failure (Life Safety 100; Campus Shutdown 100…. , Occupant Discomfort 10, Minor Concern 10)
    c) Severity (Serious 100 …. Minor 40)
    d) Accessibility (Will improve 100; Not likely to improve 1)
    e) Level of Green Improvement (Significant Green Energy & Carbon Reduction 100; Significant Green Energy 80; Significant Carbon Reduction 80;… No improvement 1)

    3. Recommendations (in SLAM, from Building Assessments)
    – scores are assigned to individual recommendations by our internal Committee to break ties. If 2 competing recommendations have similar scores from the previous calculations, our cross-functional group can usually discern which has the higher priority and assigns a score accordingly.

    Scores are assigned automatically for 1) and 2). Our committee assigns scores for 3) during monthly review meetings as required. All scores are recorded in SLAM for transparency. The higher the collective score, the higher the priority.

    I hope this helps.

    …Rich

Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 51 total)