ARCHIBUS/FM Users' Group Receives Collaboration Award

ARCHIBUS Inc., Boston-based developer of the leading facilities and infrastructure management solution, congratulates the State of Minnesota ARCHIBUS/FM Users’ Group (SMAUG) on receiving the Collaboration Award at the recent Minnesota Government Information Technology Symposium in St. Paul. The Minnesota Government IT Recognition Awards distinguish outstanding achievements by governmental units in Minnesota. The Collaboration Award recognizes information technology projects that create partnerships between two or more levels or types of government entities.

The award recipient, “Multiple Agencies Resource Sharing - Computer Integrated Facility Management,” is a collaborative work by the State of Minnesota’s Administration, Corrections, Human Services, and Veterans Home Board departments, which united to form SMAUG.

Users’ Group History  
Beginning in 1999, the four state agencies independently purchased and implemented a Computer Integrated Facility Management (CIFM) software application with the goal of documenting and managing their facilities in an efficient and cost-effective manner. In 2001, the four agencies and Applied Data Systems Inc. (the local authorized reseller) formed SMAUG, combining their technology and agency resources - such as experience, personnel, and finances - to help acquire facilities data, standardize the structure of agency databases, and streamline access to real-time reports. 

The SMAUG collaboration has resulted in a standardized methodology that lets all members of these various agencies make informed decisions and deliver facilities management services more efficiently and cost-effectively than they could individually. “Standardized codes will allow the various agencies to combine their databases and formulate multi-agency reports,” says Craig Krook, CIFM program administrator, Minnesota Department of Human Services, St. Paul. “This will drastically reduce the time and effort each agency now spends on generating individual reports.”

Accomplishments
By combining labor and financial resources to maximize the results of each agency’s individual CIFM implementations, SMAUG activities have resulted in:
· Standardization of data and data entry practices.
· Streamlined workflow (currently 7,600-plus work requests per month), increasing productivity, improving response time, and saving money at all agency sites.
· A 75 percent cost reduction in joint agency training.
· A 66 percent cost reduction in joint agency work flow modifications.

SMAUG also offers benefits to existing and new agency users. “Creating PM [Preventive Maintenance] procedures for specific types of equipment used to be a monumental task,” says Krook. “As a rule, you would have to consult the manufacturer’s recommendations and combine that with Best Practices and site-specific needs. But by having a repository of equipment standards and PM procedures, including agency and site-specific procedures, any agency can access and search for a specific PM procedure that best fits their needs.”

Other benefits of the collaboration include:
· Standardization of coding protocol.
· Increased asset life expectancy and efficient operation due to a jointly developed equipment preventive maintenance program.
· Jointly developed forms, reports, and routines.
· Work flow streamlining.
· A non-vendor support network.
· Joint training classes.
· Semi-monthly general user meetings for discussing core topics.
· Monthly subcommittee meetings for addressing specific topics.

“The Collaboration Award emphasizes the significant value the State of Minnesota places on maximizing results through agency cooperation and the monetary benefits that can be achieved,” says Jim Filippi, president, Applied Data Systems Inc., Columbia, MD. “SMAUG has certainly stepped up to the plate and demonstrated that sharing services means serving citizens throughout the state.”

SMAUG will deliver a main-stage presentation on its accomplishments at the 2004 International ARCHIBUS/FM Conference in Boston, MA. The presentation, titled "Sharing Services/Serving Citizens: Monetary Benefits of FM Technology,” is scheduled for 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, April 21.

About Applied Data Systems Inc.
Applied Data Systems Inc. (ADSI) has implemented and maintained client information systems since 1984. The company works with customers on a national basis and has helped over 100 organizations create effective information system for their needs. With the experience of over 50 million square feet of database development and clients from the corporate, manufacturing, governmental, healthcare, and retail sectors, ADSI’s team is completely dedicated to Computer-Aided Facility Management systems. For more information, please contact ADSI at 763-694-8900 or visit www.adsi-fm.com.

About ARCHIBUS Inc.
ARCHIBUS is the #1 global provider of facilities and infrastructure management solutions and services. With ARCHIBUS/FM, organizations can use a single, comprehensive, integrated solution to make informed strategic decisions that optimize return-on-investment, lower asset life-cycle costs, and increase enterprise-wide productivity and profitability. More than 1,000,000 ARCHIBUS/FM enterprise and Web users collectively manage over 1.4 million buildings exceeding 16 billion square feet.  Available in over 100 countries and more than a dozen languages, ARCHIBUS/FM is supported through a global network of 1,600+ ARCHIBUS/FM-trained specialists. Headquartered in Boston, MA, ARCHIBUS Inc. has pioneered computer-aided facilities management techniques since 1982.  For more information, call 617-227-2508 or visit www.archibus.com.