Generating Site Acquisition Requests

This chapter provides an overview of generating site acquisition requests and discusses how to:

• Upload sites under consideration.

• Generate site acquisition requests.

• Approve site acquisition requests.

• Finalize site acquisition requests.

Understanding Site Acquisition Request Generation

The typical flow to generate a site acquisition request (SAR) is:

1. The project manager (PM), after approving that a new site acquisition project be undertaken, assigns team members to execute the project.

2. The PM or Real Estate Specialist creates a new SAR and enters beginning data.

3. After sufficient SAR data is entered, a Specialist attempts to activate the SAR.

   • If a Specialist does not have the appropriate security level to activate the SAR, then she or he can only validate and correct errors; she will need to submit the SAR to the PM for activation.

   • If a Specialist has the appropriate security level to activate the SAR, then he can do so immediately.

     After activation, a SAR is still open for editing. Users can add to or delete sites from the SAR until the approval submission stage, when the final list of candidates is selected.

4. During finalization, a user can create an asset in Asset Management, a lease with basic information in Lease Administration, and a project with basic information in Project Costing.

   Any data that can be transferred from the site record (in the site repository) or from the SAR is copied to the asset definition, lease, or project.

Comparison Matrix

After a SAR is Active, the user can check which sites in the Comparison Matrix are proposed as finalists. The list of sites populates the columns, and the attributes populate the rows. The user can rate each attribute on a scale of 1 to 5; 1 being the least suitable and 5 being the most suitable. After the user enters the ratings for all the attributes, the system calculates the most suitable site by multiplying the score with the weighting for that row, and then summing the attributes for each site (total score). Each grid (category) lists an individual total as well as a final summarization box at the bottom of the page providing grand totals.

The system calculates a total possible score for each grid. Essentially, this value is the sum of all the fields in the grid with the weighting value multiplied by 5 (the highest score possible for each attribute).

SAR Submission and Approval Processing

The approval step allows the project team to proceed with acquiring the sites under consideration based on rankings in the Comparison Matrix. You use the Approval Workflow Engine for this approval, and you can configure it to require one or many approvers based on customer needs. Both the PM and the individual selected as the Requestor/Approver can approve the SAR for acquisition.

After the finalists are researched and documented, you can adjust the rankings of the sites to be acquired in order to identify the final order. Based on the Adjusted Ranking and the comments field below it, the Approver can identify the order in which the sites are to be acquired and whether the team should acquire one or all of the sites.

All fields at the Evaluating Finalists status remain open for editing. In addition, the Approver can override the finalists proposed by the submitter.

Finalization of Sites Acquired

After sites are selected for acquisition, the project team attempts final negotiations and acquires one or many sites, as defined in the SAR. The negotiation and final acquisition processes occur outside the system. When confirmation is received that a site or sites were actually acquired, then the finalization process takes place.

When you click the Confirm and Finalize Acquisition button, the following actions are triggered:

• The status of the acquired sites changes to Operating.

• The status of the SAR changes to Finalized.

• The actual completion date is updated to the current date.

• The duration changes to reflect the new duration based on the change in the actual completion date.

• If you select to create an asset, it is created in PeopleSoft Asset Management with the Asset Type of Property and the Property Class of Site. The system copies the asset description and name from the Site. The Asset ID created appears on the integration tab of the Comparison Matrix.

• If you select to create a lease, the system validates that the asset was created before the lease was created. The lease is created with the basic information at a Pending status. The site acquired is populated in the property details.

  If a lease is to be created, you must provide the Lease Commencement date, Termination date, and the Lease Obligation date.

• If you select to create a project, the system uses the project template defined at setup to define a basic project shell with activities and resources.

Uploading Sites Under Consideration

To upload sites under consideration, use the Excel to CI utility. Users are provided with a template to fill in the Site data. The upload process is similar to any Excel to CI run. If Supplemental data is being uploaded, then users must know which database field maps to which Supplemental data field. For example, in the sample data provided, the Airport Distance field maps to the SD_NUM9_1 database field. You define this mapping under Site Supplemental Data, Define Record.

Generating Site Acquisition Requests

This section discusses how to:

• Enter SAR details.

• View the Comparison Matrix.

• Add options and critical dates.

• Set up critical dates details and notification recipients.

• View the SAR analytic.

Pages Used to Generate Site Acquisition Requests

Entering SAR Details

Access the SAR Details page (Real Estate Management, Site Acquisition, Site Acquisition Request(s), SAR Details).

Action	After completing the SAR, select the appropriate action: Activate SAR: If you have the security ability to activate, then do so. Otherwise, an appropriate user must open the SAR, review the data, and activate the SAR. The status of the SAR will change to Active. The SAR can still be edited. All the Sites attached to the SAR will be in the Evaluating state. This action is only available for SARs in a Pending status. Submit for Approval: Change the SAR status to Evaluating Finalists. Submit the SAR for approval. Make the SAR read—only. This action is available only for SARs in an Active status. Approve SAR: Change the status to Sites Selected. This action is available only for SARs in an Evaluating Finalists status. Cancel SAR: Change the status back to Active. This action is available only for SARs in an Evaluating Finalists status. Validate SAR: Check for all required fields before activating a SAR. This action is available only for SARs in a Pending status. Finalize SAR: Close the SAR and confirm the sites were acquired. This finalization process creates assets, leases, projects, and so on. Change the status of the site to Operating, and the. SAR status to Finalized. This action is available only for SARs in a Site(s) Selected status.
Status	Displays the current status of the SAR. Values are: Pending: Newly created SARs have this status. You can save the SAR at this point without any validation. The validation of the data entered will be done when the SAR is validated or when the SAR is activated. Active: At least one site must be attached to the SAR in order to become Active. The SAR is editable even after activation. Evaluating Finalists: The SAR will be in this status after it is submitted for approval with a smaller subset of candidates for further negotiation, analysis, and so on. Data can still be modified by the approver before approval or denial. A denial will return the SAR to an Active status so that it can continue to be modified by the submitter. The approver can enter comments before denial so the submitter knows what additional information is needed. Site(s) Selected: SARs have this status when the SAR is approved for acquiring the sites. The site status changes to Negotiating. Finalized: SARs have this status when the finalization process has run. The site acquired status changes to Operating. Any sites in an Evaluating or Negotiating status on this SAR change back to Open or Archive (based on previous history) unless they are under evaluation or negotiation on another SAR.
Site Acquisition Request Name	Enter a unique name for this request.
Commencement	Enter the commencement date of the site acquisition process. This field is required.
Estimated Completion	Enter the date you anticipate this request will be complete. This date must be later than the commencement date.
Real Estate Specialist	Select the real estate specialist assigned to this request.
Portfolio Manager	Select the portfolio manager assigned to this request.
Add Site	Click this button to insert a new row and add more sites to the Sites Under Consideration grid. You can add up to 50 sites to each request. Users can select any sites from the Site Repository that are not in a New or Operating status. At least one site must be attached to the SAR to activate it.
Site Name	Select the sites you want to consider for this request.

Viewing the Comparison Matrix

Access the Comparison Matrix page (Real Estate Management, Site Acquisition, Site Acquisition Request(s), Comparison Matrix).

The Comparison Matrix grid displays all of the generic and supplemental fields defined for a site. The attributes appear in individual grids categorized based on functionality, as they were defined in the site repository. The categories and individual grids are:

• Location Details

• Physical Attributes

• Site Value

• Operation/Maintenance

• Schedule

• Supplemental Data

The site comparison matrix displays all the sites and the attributes for the given SAR in the form of multiple grids, categorized according to the Site Repository component. Any fields that are defined in Supplemental Data will appear in the Comparison Matrix, regardless of site type.

You can assign a score (1 through 5, 5 being the best) for each of the site comparison data fields. The individual scores, combined with the weighting listed for each field (defined at setup), determine a total score summarized at the bottom, with a rank listed based on the highest to lowest scores. The approver can specify their own rankings, which override system-generated, score-based rankings.

Although you are required to set up the weightings and field selection by site type page, the use of the weightings to generate the scores is optional. If you do not assign weightings, then the default weighting value for all fields is 1.0, which essentially means no additional weight.

The Calculate button sums all of the weighted ratings and alters the Overall Rank field based on the score attained by each site. The site with the maximum rating usually is the site best suited for acquisition. However, the Adjusted Rank field is open to the approver or PM for override of the order with which the sites should be pursued, despite the scoring that generated the system rank.

Comments can be entered against each row, as well as in a large comments box at the bottom of the page.

Adding Options and Critical Dates

Access the Options and Critical Dates page (Real Estate Management, Site Acquisition, Site Acquisition Request(s), Options and Critical Dates).

Add Option	Click this button to insert a new row and add another option to this request. Note. You must complete the Option Date and Option Name fields before you can insert a new row.
Apply Template	Click this button to apply a predefined critical date template to the page. Option and critical date information within the template is copied into the SAR.
Option Date	Enter the date that this option occurs or expires. The date that you enter must occur on or after the current date and cannot occur before the commencement date. This field is required.
Option Name	Select the option for which you want to establish a critical date.
Option Status	Displays the status of the option. The values are: Inactive: The critical date schedule for the option is inactive. Active: Critical date notifications are processed when you run the critical date notification process. The options becomes active after you enable notifications on the Options and Critical Dates - Critical Date Detail page.

Setting Up Critical Dates Details and Notification Recipients

Access the Critical Dates Details page (click the Critical Date icon on the Options and Critical dates page).

Option Name	Select the option for which you want to establish for a critical date. This field is required.
Option Date	Enter the date that this option occurs or expires. The date that you enter must occur on or after the current date and cannot occur before the site commencement date. This field is required.
Message Text	Enter the text to insert into the email notification.
Email Text	Click to display a sample of the email content that is generated and sent to recipients. You cannot edit the email text from this view. The email text is specified when you define the option during setup. You may, however, tailor the Message Text field to customize the message for a specific request.

Schedule Details

Recurring - Send Recurring Notifications

Recipients

This section enables you to specify the interested parties to whom critical date notifications are sent. The recipient list is role based. Notifications are sent only when a specific person is assigned to that role within the context of the site.

You use the Contacts section of the request to specify the roles and specific users who are assigned to those roles. You can select a role to which no one is currently assigned; however, no notification is actually sent. Conversely, if someone is assigned to that role and they are removed from the contact list, the system displays the role as the recipient; however, the person assigned to the role no longer exists and no notification is generated.

See Understanding Real Estate Management Contacts.

Viewing the SAR Analytic

Access the SAR Analytic page (Real Estate Management, Site Acquisition, Manage Site Acquisition Request(s), SAR Analytic).

This analytic is a graphical display of the sites and their respective total scores for each section of the Comparison Matrix.

Approving Site Acquisition Requests

This section discusses how to:

• Manage SARs.

• Approve SARs.

Pages Used to Approve SARs

Managing SARs

Access the Manage SAR Approval page (Real Estate Management, Site Acquisition, Manage SAR Approval).

SAR ID	Enter the SAR ID to search for a specific request.
Site Type	Enter a site type to search for requests with specific site types.
Search	Select the requests you want to search for: Pending My Approval Approved By Me Denied By Me
SAR ID	Click a SAR ID to access the Site Acquisition Request Approval page to add ratings and approve or deny a SAR.

Approving SARs

Access the Site Acquisition Request Approval page (click a SAR ID on the Manage SAR Approval page).

The approver can add his or her own ratings and then view the Comparison Matrix with these new ratings applied. The ratings entered here update the values in the SAR. The ratings fields become read-only after the SAR is approved.

Finalizing Site Acquisition Requests

This section discusses how to finalize SARs and create assets, leases, or projects from sites.

Page Used to Finalize Site Acquisition Requests

Finalizing SARs

Access the Finalize Site(s) Acquired page (click a SAR ID on the Manage SAR Approval page).

Note. This page is visible only when a SAR is in a finalized status.

Integration Details

This tab displays the asset ID, project ID, or lease ID that the system created if you selected to have the system create these values before you clicked the Confirm and Finalize Acquisition button.

Integrations

This group box enables you to create an asset, project, or lease ID from the acquired sites.