Overview of RIC Rooms / EMS Structure

Tags RICRooms EMS

Purpose

This article is designed to guide new campus users through some of the terminology associated with the program and the relationships those terms have with each other.

 

Systems

EMS (Event Management System)

  • Referred to as EMS Client
  • Is a comprehensive software platform used by Rhode Island College to manage, schedule, and optimize campus spaces and resources. It centralizes the booking of classrooms, meeting rooms, study areas, and event venues, while integrating with the PeopleSoft student information system, and SIEMENS HVAC scheduling system.
  • Used by Space approvers (College Events) and Service Providers (Donovan Dining Center) only.

RIC Rooms

  • A browser-based, digital interface to the EMS Client.
  • It serves as a centralized hub for students, faculty, and staff to view, create, and modify reservations for rooms, labs, and shared workspaces from any internet-connected device.

Terminology

Reservations

  • Created at the time an event request is entered into RIC Rooms along with a booking; contains the "who" and "what" of an event request
  • Can contain multiple bookings to facilitate multi-day and/or multi-room event requests
  • Has a reservation number that is tied to any correspondence with the requester through confirmations, updates & invoices
  • Comment can be made for the purposes of providing specialized billing directions for the Accounting Office 
  • Reminders can be set by administrators to affiliated staff

Bookings

  • Created at the time an event request is entered into EMS along with a reservation; contains the "when" and "where" of an event request
  • Can contain multiple resources / categories that are requested based on the needs of the event request (Audio/Visual equipment for example)
  • Has a reservation number that is tied to any correspondence with the requester through invoices
  • Comments can be made for the purposes of providing more general information or additional guidance for affiliated support staff about setup(s), user needs ect.

Categories

  • Contains resources, resource items, and other content types for certain user templates like notes (Furniture, Room Specific Furniture) 
  • Accessible to certain units and user templates, and are not always available to every user, in every room.  
  • If assigned to a booking, it will be visible on any confirmation messaging sent to the requester

Resources

  • Resources are created within a booking for requests of specific equipment for a given event request (Laptop, Microphone ect.)
  • Can contain multiple resource items that are requested based on the needs of the event request (for audio/visual equipment: speakers, sound boards, video projectors and screens, etc.)
  • If assigned to a booking, it will be visible on any confirmation messaging sent to the requester

Resource Items

  • Resource items are the specific inventoried items that are assigned to resources AV, Catering, Furniture, Security, Housekeeping, Ect.) 
  • If specified in a resource and then assigned to a booking, it will be visible on any confirmation messaging sent to the requester
  • Resources can be configured as "fixed" (tied to a specific room) or "service-based" (ordered for a meeting)

Comments

  • Can be added to reservations or bookings to note any specific information associated with an event request

Reminders

  • Can be added to reservations or bookings to notify affiliated staff
  • Reminders can be set to trigger a notification through the EMS Client Dashboard; adding a date to the Date Completed field of the reminder will clear it

User templates

  • A user profile of sorts designed and administered by RIC EMS administrators that grants set access to a particular EMS user, typically for specific rights (access)  in specific rooms
  • Wide-ranging in their customization depending upon the department / unit's needs and requirements
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