What is Archibus?

By Dave Clifton
Content Strategist
SpaceIQ

The purpose of a physical workplace is to provide support for employees—and a competitive advantage for the company. But these benefits are only possible if the workplace is well-run and managed carefully. To do that takes a concerted effort by facility administrators, who also need powerful digital tools to maintain oversight, affect change, and stimulate results. It’s why companies turn to Archibus to enable their facility professionals.

What is Archibus? Archibus is an Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS). It’s designed to provide visibility into the core facility operations that keep workplaces up and running reliably including real estate, infrastructure, building, asset, and project data. Using Archibus, facility managers have the insights and resources they need to affect change that translates to efficiencies and improvements for employees and the company.

Here’s a look at what Archibus is, how it works, and why companies at any scale need to consider using it to tap into a broader range of facility benefits.

Archibus overview

Archibus is central to the workplace optimization movement. In the era of intelligent buildings, non-traditional workplaces, flex work, and conscious workplace design, Archibus is the great enabler for companies that want to make the workplace the best it can be for employees.

Archibus was founded more than 35 years ago—before the advent of the IoT and smart buildings, and several workplace iterations behind what we consider the norm today. The software hasn’t just survived the evolving workplace—it’s been at the forefront of shaping each new version. From space planning tools to building maintenance resources, Archibus continues to fine-tune its capabilities to meet the modern-day demands of facility managers and the robust buildings and workplaces they oversee.

Through the years, Archibus has become a technical powerhouse. Drawing from CAD and GIS integrations, and embracing digital twin technology, Archibus enables workplace administrators to create, manage, and evolve workplaces in highly specific, nuanced ways. The result gives companies the ability to experiment with new, more efficient workplaces—and to create the future of work on the foundations of the Archibus platform.

Archibus features

A cloud-based IWMS, Archibus puts a wide array of vital tools into the hands of workplace administrators and facility managers, which allow them to affect change across all aspects of the workplace. Archibus’ core areas of focus include:

• Space management. Space is a known commodity when it comes to the workplace. That means making the most of the square footage you’re paying for. Archibus offers tools to identify opportunities for better space utilization, while also tracking occupancy and usage.
• Building maintenance. Archibus gives companies the building maintenance tools they need to ensure proper upkeep of systems, whether in-house or as part of an integrated facility management approach. This includes support ticketing and capital systems maintenance.
• Risk management. Waste management, emergency preparedness, compliance, and more are all paramount in keeping the workplace safe and comfortable for employees. Archibus makes risk management simple by offering convenient tools to track and mitigate hazards.
• Sustainability management. Track and monitor energy usage, green building elements, waste, and more, to promote a workplace that’s aligned with the Triple Bottom Line. Archibus sustainability tools ensure the workplace aligns with people, profits, and the planet.
• Workplace services. From room reservations and hoteling to centralized help desk responses, Archibus makes it easy to find stability in the dynamic environment of the modern workplace. Space reservation and desk booking enable everything from hot desking to flex work, so employees can create their own work experience.
• Capital project management. As companies seek to bring improvements to the workplace, Archibus helps manage capital projects—from construction timelines to cost allocations. When the time comes to make a reinvestment in the workplace, businesses will know exactly how much it costs and where those costs get billed.
• Property and asset management. Facilities need to be functional and accommodating. Archibus provides the data and insights necessary to make property and asset management decisions that result in benefit to both employees and the organization.

As facility managers face greater demands to cultivate a productive, efficient, mindful workplace, Archibus’ many tools and features become increasingly important in connecting workplace with mission.

How can Archibus help?

Archibus gives companies a full suite of powerful tools they can use to craft the workplace their employees need. It goes beyond ensuring everyone has a desk—Archibus enables a deep understanding of facilities right down to their core. It’s about using CAD models and GIS data to contextualize facilities, and relying on visual space allocation tools to shape a workplace that’s efficient, agile, and comfortable. Above all, it’s about tapping into the benefits that make a workplace so vital to company operations.

Archibus can help business big and small, alone or when used in conjunction with the full suite of SpaceIQ software. As a platform for facility understanding, Archibus establishes the foundation for workplace improvements—and by extension, benefits for everything that touches it.

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