This article is about the use of this module as an application manager, for more information on how to use the concepts in this module as a user (for instance, details on how to create an object), see the related module in the Users part of this knowledge base: Users
1. What is this module about
Buildings and areas are one of the master data modules of Workplace Management.
The Buildings and Areas module allows you to manage location information and use this information in other modules. This offers practical benefits in other modules. Some examples:
Requests: Connecting requests to specific buildings or areas helps the Service desk quickly locate and resolve issues.
Reservations: Reserving areas within buildings, ensuring efficient use of space and better room availability.
Contracts: Linking buildings or areas to contracts ensures the cost can be tracked per building or area. Leading to better and more data-driven strategic decision-making.
Apart from the use in other modules, the Buildings and Areas module can aid in managing your real estate, as it helps to get insights into the organization's buildings, including details like addresses, ownership, occupancy status, and maintenance history.
Most of the core concepts of this module can be managed by key users (building and area editors). Therefore, most concepts are described in the user manual that can be found here: User manual: Buildings and Areas
The next parts will go into more detail on some of the core concepts of this module that are mostly relevant for administrators:
1.1 Categories
Every building and area is created in a category. For more general information about categories, see: Categories
The following default categories are available for this module:
Buildings
The logical hierarchy based on the building categories is Geographical area -> Site(s) -> Building(s). Buildings with the same category can also have a hierarchy. For example Building -> Sub building(s). The categories do not impact the use of parent/sub buildings. Technically it is possible to have a deviating hierarchy like Building -> Geographical area(s), but this is not advised because this can lead to issues when using Workplace Experience.
Next to Workplace Experience, also other integrations can have specific rules for the building hierarchy. So it is advised to used the recommended logical hierarchy of the categories.
Areas
A logical hierarchy based on the area categories is Main area -> Floor(s) -> Meeting room(s) / Workplace(s) / Parking places. It is possible to add another level in the hierarchy between the Floor and the Meeting room / Workplace(s) / Parking places to combine several areas or if it is a specific room with multiple workplaces for example. This extra level can be added with the 'Area (general)' category.
Technically it is possible to have a deviating hierarchy like Main area -> Workplace -> Meeting room or a hierarchy where the same category is used multiple times, but this is not advised because this will lead to issues when using Workplace Experience and Workplace Analytics.
2. Additional information on this module
More information on the Buildings and Area module can be found via the following related articles:
For an (end) user manual, see: User manual: Buildings and Areas
For more detailed implementation information (including how to enable the module, which system groups are involved, data imports, and more information on the startboard and navigation menu options), see: Masterdata: Buildings and areas module activation and information