FAQ’s

Will the annual Space & Equipment survey be done through FAMIS in Spring 2022?

Yes, in order to comply with the data needs and timeframes set by UVM Cost and Accounting Services, a decision was made to use the current FAMIS process/procedure to conduct the Spring 2022 Space Inventory Survey. Departmental “space inventory administrators” were notified on 2/18/2021 about the dates and details of the Space survey. (One silver lining: the Moveable Equipment inventory survey will not be conducted as part of the Space Survey this time). For more details visit: https://www.uvm.edu/finance/space-and-movable-equipment-inventory

Will the old FAMIS system and the new PLANON system overlap?

No, the systems will not overlap. We plan a firm “cut over” where we take FAMIS offline and PLANON goes “live” for campus users. We do not have an exact date yet, but our initial target date has been pushed back.

What exact functions are included in Phase 1 of the PLANON implementation?

Our first goal is to simultaneously roll out these functionalities so that FAMIS can be taken off line:

  • Space Management/Survey
  • Assets and Equipment Inventory
  • Preventive Maintenance
  • Reactive Maintenance (including Service Requests)
  • Work Order Cost Recovery
  • Stock and Purchase Management (aka Materials Management Warehouse)

After implementation, will I still be able to access FAMIS for data or information about past Work Orders?

Not directly. However, you can report on that data and extract it if needed via reporting tools. We anticipate disabling login access to the FAMIS portal on the “cut over” date. The data and information housed in FAMIS (some 15+ years’ worth!) will get archived on a secure server for access when needed. This way any relevant facilities-related data and information that campus stakeholders need for reporting remains available while base information (like space, assets, inventory) migrates to PLANON. Any new data is generated and stored in PLANON going forward.

How and when will campus users be trained on using the new software?

A detailed training plan and timeframe are still under development. We intend to provide several opportunities for users to become familiar with the new PLANON platform prior to “go live” date. There will be a Development version and a Test version of the portal where users will be able to help test (“kick the tires”) and practice their navigation skills prior to the final Production version.

We anticipate much of the initial training to occur via a Train-the-Trainer approach and we hope to identify a team of in-house PLANON “Power Rangers.” to be these trainers. We also plan to create self-paced video tutorials to supplement the hands-on or in-person training where needed. And the Planon portal includes a great deal of vendor-supplied online help and documenation.

How will UVM’s new RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) tagging system for Moveable Equipment (which is also rolling out right now) be tied to this IWMS?

The Core Team is communicating with Cost & Accounting Services throughout this project to explore ways these systems might be better integrated. For more details visit: https://www.uvm.edu/finance/space-and-movable-equipment-inventory

Will the Residential Life “Fix It” form (that students currently use) be integrated into PLANON?

Yes, the “Fix It” program software used by Residential Life is one of several ancillary systems that we intend to migrate into PLANON. (One of the reasons we selected PLANON was for its intuitive and graphically-enhanced interface and mobile apps, which students will appreciate.)

Will I be able to attach an image when I submit a Service Request?

Yes! Planon allows users to upload attachments (images or documents) in an easy and fluid manner (including “click and drag”)

Will Planon be able to show me Classroom Schedules so I know when I can do maintenance work while classroom is empty?

This functionality is not included in Phase 1 configuration of Planon implementation. However, we hope to collaborate with UVM Event Services during later phases of software configuration so that the scheduling data from the EMS (Event Management Scheduling) system can be pulled into Planon. Stay tuned!

Got an FAQ to add? Please email it to erica.spiegel@uvm.edu

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