Note: This article is for the newly redesigned module. This updated module is in the process of being rolled out and may only be available to some users.

Note: Click on the images to enlarge them.

Table of Contents

• Setting Up Equipment at Your Building (For First-Time Equipment Users!)
• Creating Equipment Categories
• Editing Equipment Categories
• Adding Equipment Items
• Searching and Editing Equipment Items
• Linking Equipment Items to Maintenance Requests
• Search Maintenance Requests by Equipment
• The Equipment Details Report
• The Equipment Replacement Report - Projected Costs by Year 
• Maintenance Requests by Equipment Item Summary Report 

Setting Up Equipment at Your Building (For First-Time Equipment Users!)

Using the Equipment Module does require some initial setup, but once you have everything set up correctly, it can be a straightforward way to manage your building’s Equipment. To set up the Equipment Module, follow these steps:

1. Choose which employee authority levels can add / edit equipment categories and items 

2. Create Equipment Categories 

3. Create Equipment Items (housed within your Equipment Categories) 

Choose which employee authority levels can add/edit equipment categories and items

Management staff can click on the Maintenance tab, select Equipment, and then click the gear icon.   Next, choose whether Management staff only or both Management staff and Maintenance staff can add / edit equipment categories and items.  After making a selection, click the green Save all changes button.

Creating Equipment Categories

Before you can track Equipment Items, you must create equipment categories. In other words, if you are using the Equipment Module for the first time, you need to create at least one category before you can begin adding your items.

To create a new equipment category, click on the Maintenance tab, select Equipment, then select the middle tab Equipment categories. 

Then select the green Add category button. Simply name your category (i.e., “Boilers”; “Chillers”; "HVAC Unit") and click the green Save button to save your category. 

Editing Equipment Categories

If you need to edit the name of an existing category or make an equipment category inactive, click on the category name in the Equipment categories tab. This will open a new window where you can update the text in the “Category Name” field, and make the category inactive. Click the green Save button to save changes. In the example below,  the Equipment Category "Boilers" will be inactive when the change is saved.

If you need to view inactive Equipment categories, click the checkbox next to "Include inactive categories" in the Equipment categories tab. You can click the category name to edit.

Adding Equipment Items

Click the Maintenance tab, select Equipment, then select Equipment items and click the green Add equipment button in the top right corner. 

Required Fields

The only fields you are required to fill out are the item’s name, an abbreviated name, and an appropriate category.

Example: You might create an item called “West Elevator” and place it in the “Elevator” category. 

Optional Fields

Many other fields are available for data input.

Attaching Documents and Photos

You can attach documents or photos to each piece of equipment.  Documents like manuals, receipts, and schematics are commonly uploaded to Equipment Items. Photos of the item may also be prudent to upload. 

Searching and Editing Equipment Items

If you need to edit an existing Equipment Item, click the Maintenance tab, Equipment, then Equipment Items, and use the Search field to search the Equipment Name.  The category dropdown menu can be used to filter search search results. Select the category name to see the search results.

Click the equipment item you wish to edit,  to open the edit window for the item - after making edits, select the green Save button to save changes.

Linking Equipment Items to Maintenance Requests

When inputting or editing a maintenance request, building management and staff can specify which Equipment Item the request pertains to. 

Search Maintenance Requests by Equipment

You can also search maintenance requests by Equipment Item to see maintenance issues related to specific pieces of building equipment. When using Search Requests under the Maintenance tab, you'll find the Equipment filter under the Advanced search options. 

The Equipment Details Report

The Equipment Details Report allows you to export and print out all information you have stored for your Equipment Items, either for all items in all categories or for all items belonging to a category of your choice.

You can access the Equipment Details Report, click the Maintenance tab, select the Equipment tab, then Equipment Items. Next, use the "Category" dropdown menu to choose your categories and click Export Excel.

In the pop-up window, you can select other report detail options to customize your report further. Once you've made your selections, click the Export to Excel button to display or export your report.

The Equipment Replacement Report - Projected Costs by Year 

The report will calculate equipment replacement dates for you and let you know how much you can expect your total equipment replacements to cost within the date range you select.  Note: To use this report, you must input when adding each Equipment Item, its installation date, useful life, and replacement cost.

You can access the Equipment Replacement Report by going to the Maintenance tab, selecting Equipment, and clicking the Equipment replacement report tab. Once you set your search parameters, click Apply to display the report on the screen where you can export the information to Excel. 

Maintenance Requests by Equipment Item Summary Report 

The final equipment-related report is found in the Maintenance tab by selecting Maint reports and then clicking on Maintenance requests by equipment item. Here, you can specify any date range and other criteria. Your search will reveal how many maintenance requests have been linked to each of your Equipment Items during that time frame. This report is useful in helping you determine whether a piece of Equipment is faulty or may need replacement (by way of increased frequency or number of maintenance requests).

Once you set your search parameters, click Apply to display the report on the screen where you can export the information to Excel. Keep in mind that this report is interactive and allows you to see a list of maintenance requests equating to that number by clicking on any blue numbers in the columns on the right. This will allow you to see all of the details about the specific requests listed rather than the summary view.