What Your School Needs to Get Started with AssetWhere

Turning scattered property information into a single source of truth

One of the most common questions we hear from schools exploring AssetWhere is: “What do we need to get started?”

The good news is: you don’t need to have everything perfectly organised. In fact, that’s the whole point of AssetWhere. As a powerful school property management system, it is designed to take everything you already have – even if it’s scattered, outdated or in hardcopy –and convert it into one interactive, easy-to-navigate resource

Whether you’re running a large multi-campus school or a small independent one, AssetWhere helps you centralise all your school property management data. Here’s how it works and what you’ll need to supply

Every School Has Something – and That’s Enough

No two schools come to us with the same level of documentation. Some have up-to-date CAD drawings, while others bring in faded paper plans or just a few evacuation diagrams. And that’s okay

Our team has worked with every type of source material – from decades-old blueprints rolled up in tubes to folders hidden in filing cabinets. Even if you think your school lacks accurate maps, you’ll be surprised by how much is already available. Talk toyour Property or Facilities Manager or even your archivist and you’ll likely uncover a treasure trove of information waiting to be used

AssetWhere was built to make sense of that messy middle ground. You don’t need to have 100 percent of the data on day one. In fact, some of our best school asset management system setups have started with the bare basics, which have been built on and filled out over the years by taking advantage of our Data Management Service (DMS)or having new plans added as construction works were completed

Ideal Files vs Real World Scenarios

We’ll always prefer digital plans in formats like CAD (.dwg, .dxf, .dgnor .rvt) as they are easier to work with and quicker to process. But we’re just as experienced with PDF files, scanned images or physical drawings

• Best-case scenario: Layered CAD files allow us to extract room data, services and structural layers more efficiently‍
• Common scenario: PDF plans or scanned drawings are usable with some additional effort‍
• Still workable: Paper plans can be digitised manually

The reality is that most schools provide a combination of all three. While paper plans do increase onboarding costs, we offer payment plans to make the implementation more manageable

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What Kind of Data Should Schools Supply?

To create a comprehensive school estate management system, we look for any information that shows how your campus is structured and how your facilities are used. Here’s what helps most:

Essential Property Plans and Layouts

• Site plans and boundary maps
• Floor plans and elevations of buildings
• Room layouts with labels and usage info
•  Landscaping features like gardens, sports courts and carparks

Utility and Services Information

• Underground services such as water, sewer, power and communications
• Locations of fire services, security, HVAC and electrical infrastructure
• Arborist reports for significant trees

Asset and Space Usage Data

• Room names, dimensions and construction details
• Space ownership, utilisation and refurbishment timelines
• Hazard locations and evacuation assembly points
• Asset locations (fire alarms, extinguishers, security cameras etc)

Supplementary Documentation

• Aerial images or site surveys
• Master plans for future developments
• O&M manuals, warranties and drawings
• Photos of rooms or facilities

Not every school will have all of this, but most have 80 percent or more. Our job is to help you fill in the rest over time

What If You Don’t Have Plans?

That’s actually when AssetWhere becomes most valuable. Schools without formal maps are often relying on anecdotal information or historical knowledge locked in one person’s head, usually the property manager or estates manager. This leads to reactive facilities management, inefficient maintenance and missed opportunities to use space more effectively

We can help change that. Through aerial imagery, satellite data and tools like Near maps and Geoscape, we can create accurate base maps even if no plans exist. From there, our team can work with you to add more detail

For schools that need extra support uncovering records, you can also engage our team for an onsite data investigation. We’ll visit your school, speak with architects or contractors and help dig through archives to piece together documents and plans you didn’t even know you had. This optional service can be arranged for an additional cost

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From Scattered Info to a Structured System

The AssetWhere implementation process is designed to make the most of what you already have. Here’s how it typically works:

1. Data discovery– We help you gather and prioritise existing files
2. Data conversion –We transform these into usable formats
3. Layered mapping –We build a digital map with toggleable data layers
4. Validation and training– We test and train your team
5. Ongoing updates– We support your system long after go-live

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Ongoing Updates with DMS

Schools evolve. New buildings are constructed, rooms are reallocated and infrastructure changes. That’s why we offer AssetWhere Data Management Services (DMS), a subscription service that gives you ongoing access to our technical experts

With DMS, your school can:

• Add new buildings or refurbishments over time
• Keep data accurate and up to date
• Ensure consistent formatting and best practices

DMS is especially popular with schools that start with limited dataand gradually build their system out. You don’t need perfection on day one, you just need a starting point

“The Data Management Service (DMS) is the most efficient service! It is invaluable – I love it, it’s like having my own little helper for AssetWhere and AssetWhere FM. It saves having to get quote approval and go back and forth in a consultation process – I can have my plans updated quickly and it provides access to any training I need”

Jesie Montgomery, Property Manager Assistant, Beaconhills College, Australia

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Build a Strong Foundation for Facilities Management

Whether your school has a full digital archive or just a fire exit diagram and a few paper plans, AssetWhere can bring it all together into one visual platform to create your own digital twin. It is more than just facilities management software for schools – it’s a smart way to manage your entire school estate with confidence

Talk to our team about how we can help turn your scattered property data into a powerful, cloud-based school facilities management system