by Brianna Crandall — October 7, 2016 — SpaceTrak, a comprehensive space planning software tool that automates the often cumbersome and time-consuming data collection and analysis phase of strategic facilities planning and design projects, was given its first preview at IFMA’s World Workplace in San Diego this week, October 5-7.
SpaceTrak is an enterprise-grade software-as-a-service (SaaS) offering that allows organizations, from large corporations to small architectural practices, to reduce the risk and cost around strategic real estate and space projects. It automates many of the frequently tedious and time-consuming tasks from people and space forecasting to analysis and cost estimating, including adjacencies and stack planning, for these large real estate decisions.
Most importantly, SpaceTrak creates a single database for all of the relevant stakeholders. That is, there is one real-time “source of truth” for the facilities managers, finance analysts, real estate consultants, human resources (HR) professionals, architectural firms and construction engineers — and any other professional participating in the decision.
Gone are the multiple spreadsheets, disconnected surveys and blind estimates that plague many large relocation, multi-site consolidation, and expansion projects, says the company. SpaceTrak allows the senior-level decision makers to get to a more informed and lower risk decision more quickly.
Developed by two veteran interior architects, Kristine and Joe O’Hollearn, SpaceTrak grew out of the need to have a product that automated the programming phase of a design project. For most projects, eighty percent of the budget is determined during the first twenty percent of the project. Gathering this information quickly and ensuring its accuracy are the foundations for smooth and effective space planning and design with minimal value engineering, say the developers.
Kristine O’Hollearn explained:
SpaceTrak is the culmination of many years work in the business. We were often amazed at the manual or very basic technical methods that people were using, and still use, to gather data on such a vital and expensive part of any organization’s budget. We had seen how Autodesk revolutionized drafting 30 years ago, and set out to develop a product that would do the same for facilities managers and all the professions involved in commercial real estate. The response from beta users and the industry has been extremely positive, and we are looking forward to showing our system to the national and international audience at World Workplace.
SpaceTrak complements any integrated workplace management system (IWMS) or computer-aided facilities management (CAFM) system with the critical next step of forecasting and space management. Department managers go online at their convenience to validate and forecast future space needs, which also include survey questions and adjacency requirements.
SpaceTrak automatically calculates square footage and how much it will cost to build (including soft costs) prior to any plans. It cuts planning and budgeting time dramatically as opposed to traditional methods of space planning, and accuracy is optimized, say the developers.
For more information, visit the SpaceTrak Web site.
