Postsecondary Education

NCES 2006-160
May 2006

1.4 Practical Tips

  1. Compile the building information first, even though some variables or elements (such as assign­able area) will not be available until the space inventory is completed.
  2. Inventory all spaces in a particular building at one time.  Interrupting the inventory process, even for short breaks, increases the chances of omitting spaces.
  3. Try to schedule the space inventory shortly after the beginning of the term or some other time when space uses have stabilized.
  4. In counting the number of stations in a space, remember that the intent is to count the appropriate number of occupants who can be accommodated in the space.
    • The number of stations in a laboratory is often determined by the fixed equipment in the space, such as sinks and counter space, or fume hoods.  Where a station is designed to accommodate two or three students rather than just one, count the number of students who could be served.
    • For classrooms with movable seating, the number of stations is determined by the design intent, not by the number of chairs that happen to be in the space at the moment the inventory is taken.  For instance, a space may be designed to hold 15 student stations but currently has only 12 chairs; the number of stations would be 15.  Conversely, if current safety codes limit occupancy to 15 and there are 20 chairs, the station count should be 15.
  5. In conducting and maintaining the facilities inventory, remember that the intent is to provide the best information possible with a reasonable expenditure of effort.  A modest level of error is tolerable (indeed, inevitable) as uses and assignments change over time.  A regular process for updating the inventory can keep its information current enough to be continuously useful.

  6. Wherever possible, use the building and space identifiers to link the facilities file to other data files, such as those for fixed and movable assets, classroom scheduling, financial accounting, insurance tracking, and maintenance scheduling.  (For more information, please refer to section 2.4, Links to Other Systems.)

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