FMS: Workplace (Space Manager) Glossary of Terms

User Access & Security Roles

Department Administrator
A user role with edit access limited to rooms assigned within their cost center hierarchy. They have view-only access to all other space data.
Space Administrator
A user role with full edit and view permissions across all buildings and departments in FM Systems. Space Administrators can manage room records, assign occupants, and manage research data.
Space Data User
A view-only role for users who need access to space records, floor plans, and reporting tools without editing capabilities.

Names of Systems

ASTRA
UW’s access management system that controls user authorization for administrative applications, including FM:Systems. Click here to learn more.
Bridge LMS
UW’s Learning Management System used to deliver FM:Systems training modules, including microlearning videos and proficiency assessments. Click here to access your training.
Enterprise Data Warehouse (EDW)
UW’s centralized data repository that houses institutional datasets, including space data tables synced from FM:Systems (see Space Data Store). Click here to learn more.
FM: Systems (Johnson Controls)
The vendor providing UW’s space management platform, formerly known as FMS: Workplace.
FMS: Workplace
Legacy name for UW’s space management system, now rebranded as OpenBlue Workplace.
Knowledge Navigator
A metadata discovery tool used to explore and understand data assets within EDW. Click here to learn more.
OpenBlue Workplace
Name of the space management software used by the University of Washington, referred to as Space Manager.
Space Data Store
A relational database within EDW designed to support spatial analysis, facilities management, strategic planning, and indirect cost recovery.
Space Manager
The official name for UW’s space management software interface, encompassing both viewer and editor capabilities.
Space Web Service (SpaceWS)
A RESTful API that provides programmatic access to UW space data for integrations with enterprise systems like Workday. Click here to learn more.

Space Hierarchy

Regions
The highest level in UW’s spatial hierarchy, representing the university as a whole.
Sites
Major geographic locations such as UW Seattle, Harborview, or Friday Harbor.
Buildings
Physical structures within sites that contain enclosed interior spaces.
Floors
Vertical levels within buildings.
Rooms
Individual enclosed spaces on a floor, each with unique identifiers and attributes.
Shared Space
A room subdivided among multiple departments. Used to functionalize the space and track PI / worktags assignments in support indirect cost recovery.

Data Definitions

Activity Code
Functional use codes that determine how facility costs are allocated to UW’s direct functions. Click here to learn more.
Allocation Department
The department assigned to a shared space record, based on cost center hierarchy.
Allocation Percent
The percentage of a shared space assigned to a PI or activity, reflecting their share of the total room.
Assignment Key
The financial cost center or group assigned to a room or shared space.
Assignable Area
Space that can be allocated to departments or functions, such as offices or classrooms.
Dept Percent
The percentage of a room allocated to a department, used in shared space records.
Facility Code
A short alphanumeric code representing a building or site.
Facility Number
A unique numeric identifier assigned to each building.
Gross Area
The total area of a building, including structural, assignable, and non-assignable spaces.
Non-Assignable Area
Common areas not available for departmental assignment, including corridors, restrooms, and mechanical rooms.
Primary Room
The main room associated with a sponsored activity. While worktags may span multiple rooms, only one is designated as primary.
Primary Use
A granular classification under FICM that defines the dominant function of a room (e.g., General Classroom, Research Lab). Each room has one Primary Use. Click here to learn more.
Space Category
The first tier of classification in UW’s FICM standard, grouping spaces by general purpose (e.g., Classroom Facilities, Laboratory Facilities). It informs the selection of Primary Use codes. Click here to learn more.
Structural Area
Non-occupiable space such as walls and columns.
Usable Area
The sum of assignable and non-assignable areas, excluding structural components.
Worktag ID
A financial tag used in Workday to categorize transactions. FM Systems supports assigning Cost Center, Gift, Grant, Program, and Project worktags to space records.