Efficient Reporting on Demand at Housing and Urban Development
Company Size
1,000+
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- ARCHIBUS Space Management
- ARCHIBUS Real Property & Lease Management
- ARCHIBUS Furniture & Equipment Management
- Web Overlay from AOS Group
Tech Stack
- Microsoft Excel
- Bar Code Scanners
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Digital Expertise
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Functional Applications - Enterprise Asset Management Systems (EAM)
- Functional Applications - Inventory Management Systems
- Functional Applications - Remote Monitoring & Control Systems
Applicable Functions
- Facility Management
Use Cases
- Asset Health Management (AHM)
- Inventory Management
- Remote Asset Management
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) is a Cabinet-level government agency with a mission to increase homeownership, support community development, and increase access to affordable housing free from discrimination. HUD manages over one million square feet of space at its headquarters in Washington, DC, and operates more than 80 field offices across the United States. The agency relies on an ARCHIBUS-powered system called FIRMS (Facilities Integrated Resource Management System) to maintain defensible data on its space alterations projects, office equipment, and leased office space. This system helps HUD meet the General Services Administration’s (GSA) stringent reporting requirements efficiently.
The Challenge
Before implementing FIRMS, HUD faced significant challenges in managing its extensive space alterations, leased office space, and inventory of equipment. The information was scattered across paper-based and simple electronic spreadsheets, which had to be manually assimilated into a single database of record. This manual process was time-consuming and prone to errors, making it difficult to meet the stringent reporting requirements set by the General Services Administration (GSA). Additionally, HUD's high churn rate of about 60% necessitated a more streamlined approach to managing moves, adds, and changes within its facilities.
The Solution
HUD implemented the Facilities Integrated Resource Management System (FIRMS), powered by ARCHIBUS, to address its challenges. FIRMS includes several ARCHIBUS applications such as Space Management, Real Property & Lease Management, and Furniture & Equipment Management. The Web Overlay product from ARCHIBUS Developer Network Partner AOS Group extends FIRMS access to HUD field offices nationwide. The system allows HUD to streamline its moves, adds, and changes, manage approximately 120 leases, and generate detailed reports on space and real estate costs. HUD also uses FIRMS to track every piece of office equipment valued at over $1,000, from purchase to disposal, using bar code scanners for accurate inventories. The system has increased the efficiency of staff responsible for inventory and reduced errors in data collection. Additionally, HUD has integrated its HR system with FIRMS and plans to implement ARCHIBUS Telecommunications & Cable Management and Building Operations Management applications as part of its long-range integration plan.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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