Capital Projects / Capital Budgeting

Set Up Background Data (Process Overview)

Before you request, prioritize and estimate, evaluate, approve, allocate, and budget projects, you need to set up the following data:

• Define Geographical Locations: Before using the Capital Budgeting or Projects applications, you have to set up geographical background data (country, region, state, city, site). If you are an existing Archibus user with licenses for the Real Property, Space, Assets, or Maintenance domains, you probably have already developed most of the background data you need to get started with the Projects application. If needed, you can use the Define Geographical Locations task to define new countries, regions, states, cities, and sites. See Entering Geographical and Employee Information.
• Define Locations: Set up the sites, building, floors and rooms that you can associate with projects and equipment. If you are using other Archibus applications, you have may already have set up this information. See Developing Locations (Sites, Building, Floors).
• Define Program Types: Each capital program can be defined in terms of a capital program type. For example, you could define program types such as Building Systems, Site, or Special Programs. Although not required, adding program types and associating them with programs enables you to search for, generate, and view budgets by their program type. If you are going to define program types, define these types before you add programs. See Defining Capital Program Types.
• Define Project Types: Each project can be defined in terms of a project type. Therefore, before users can submit project requests, you define the project types. Defining a project type enables you to search for projects and generate reports by their type. For example, you could define project types such as New Construction, Property Acquisition, or Renovation. See Defining Project Types.
• Define Project Questionnaires: Questionnaires are an optional step that enables you to add specific questions for each project type, so that the questions that appear on the project request form will vary depending on the project type. For example you could add different questions for users requesting a lease project, a renovation project, or a property acquisition project. See Defining Project Questionnaires.
• Define Project Phases: Optionally, you can define project phases that you then associate with project actions. When you are creating a project action you can select a Project Phase value, such as Design or Execution for the action. The Project Phase value can be used when generating reports or searching for actions having a specific project phase. See Defining Project Phases.
• Define Action Types: Each action item must be defined in terms of an action type. There are default action types, but you can also create additional action types if needed. When you assign an action a type, you are able to view reports, such as Action Status by Action Type (Execute / Management Console - Schedule tab), and Milestone Statuses (Monitor / View Milestone Statuses by Project). See Defining Action Types.
• Define Template Projects: Optionally, you can define project templates that includes actions that are applied frequently to projects. Project templates reduce data entry and enable you to standardize the tasks used for projects, such as obtaining building permits or creating architectural drawings. See Defining Project Templates.
• Define Funding Sources: Funding sources specify the sources that will be available for funding your capital projects. You specify funding sources in funding scenarios and when funding allocations. See Entering Funding Sources.
• Define Document Templates: Optionally, you can define document templates that are files that will be frequently used by users, such as a facilities access request or a standard construction contract. If you have the correct permissions, you can edit document templates. This adds the document to the Archibus database. See Defining and Viewing Document Templates.
• View Document Templates: Optionally, users who do not have permission to edit document templates can use the View Document Templates task to view and save the templates to their computers. Using the saved template file, these users can then fill in data for a particular project. Using the Request Projects or Edit My Projects tasks, they can then attach the file to a project. See Defining and Viewing Document Templates.
• Define Employees: Define employee data to ensure that the user information and email addresses are up-to-date in the Employees table and Users table. See Entering Employees.
• Define Assessment Questionnaires. For the Commissioning application, you can define questionnaires to use when performing field assessments. See Defining Questions for Assessing Field Conditions.