Please note: A PDF version of this guide is available for download at the bottom of the article.
iRIS™ includes numerous tools to assist with facilities management related to subject animal husbandry and study activity. This manual covers facility management operations in iRIS™, including setup and maintenance of facility, building, floor and room records.
Navigation in iRIS™
iRIS™ includes two standard navigation tools on all pages nested one or more levels beneath the primary Workspace page of the module currently in use (e.g., Study Assistant, Conflict of Interest Assistant, Animal Resource Center, etc.): a Path directory tree, and Back buttons.
Path Directory Tree
The Path item at the upper left of iRIS™ pages provides a hyperlinked menu directory tree, allowing the user to quickly navigate back through the path they followed to get to their current location. Path appears on all pages nested at least one level beneath the main workspace
In the example shown the user is viewing the Broadcast Notice Add a new notice page. This page is nested three levels beneath the main workspace page, as indicated by the three links available in the Path directory tree: Home, board admin and broadcast notice.
Click on broadcast notice in the Path to navigate up one level in the directory tree, to the main Broadcast Notice page. There are now two levels in the Path directory tree: board admin and Home.
Click on board admin in the Path to navigate up one level in the directory tree, to the Board Administration page. There is now one level in the Path: Home.
Click on Home in the Path to navigate up one level in the directory tree, to the main Workspace page. No Path item is displayed here because the user is now at the top-most level of the directory tree.
Back Button
The second navigation tool is the Back button, which appears on all pages nested at least one level beneath the main workspace. The Back button takes the user to the same location as the last link shown in the Path.
In the example shown above, both the Back button and the broadcast notice link in the Path return the user to the Broadcast Notice page:
Clicking the Back button on the Broadcast Notice page returns the user to the Board Administration page, as indicated by the last link in the Path directory tree shown in the screenshot above.
Note that where the Back button appears on a page with editable fields or document upload controls, clicking the button before saving changes returns the user to the same location as the last link shown in the Path without saving changes.
Facility Management in iRIS™
In iRIS™ facilities records are broken out into a hierarchy of four types: Facility, Building, Floor and Room. Rooms are assigned to floors, floors are assigned to buildings, and buildings are assigned to facilities. In this context, “facility” refers to the institution (e.g., UCLA) or physical site (e.g., NIH Atlanta GA Campus) where buildings used for study purposes are located.
Facilities record setup and maintenance is accessed via the Animal Resource Center > Review Board Administration > Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link. Click that link to begin.
The Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page is displayed.
Existing facility records are listed in a table with columns for Facility Name, Facility Code and Total Number of Rooms.
Total Number of Rooms refers to the number of room records created in iRIS™ that are assigned to the respective iRIS™ building record. It is not a count of actual rooms that exist in the actual building.
Add Facility
Click the Add a New Facility button to create a new facility record.
An add panel opens, containing fields to create a new facility record.
Enter a Facility Name and complete other fields as desired and click the Save Facility button to continue. The page refreshes as shown below.
Tabs at the bottom of the panel provide access to records for Building(s), Floor(s) and Room(s) assigned to the Facility record shown at top. In this case there are not yet any associated Building(s), Floor(s) or Room(s), so there are no records in any of the tabs for this facility.
Edit Facility
To edit an existing facility record, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration > Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room and open the applicable facility record by clicking on the icon in the Edit column for the corresponding facility.
An editable Facility panel opens for the chosen facility record.
Make any desired changes to the facility fields and click the Save Facility Changes button to save the record.
Add Building
Before a building record can be created, the facility to which the building record will be assigned must exist. The tabbed control for addition and management of Building(s), Floor(s) and Room(s) records can only be accessed from within the facility record to which those items are or will be assigned.
To add a building record, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
The Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page is displayed. Open the applicable facility record by clicking on the icon in the Edit column for the corresponding facility.
Below, a facility record is open for editing.
Notice that the Building(s) tab is selected by default. Note that Facility details remain open for editing at top. Click the Add Buildings button at the lower right to add and assign a building to the facility shown at the top of the page.
The Setup Building form opens in a popup window.
Enter a Building Name and other building details as desired.
Building Use and Building Description fields are used to distinguish this building from other, possibly similar buildings assigned to the same facility.
Building Use examples could include “Vivarium”, “Research Administration”, “Test Labs” or “Veterinary Clinic”.
The Building Description field is used to describe the building in whatever manner is most effective for the individual institution. Building Description examples could include the building location on campus (e.g., “North Campus”), the part of the building being used for study purposes (e.g., “Marion Whalley wing”), or an actual building address (e.g., “2648 Whittier Blvd., Atlanta GA”).
Building Status is used to indicate whether the building is currently in use for study or project purposes. The field is set to “Active” by default. Later, after the building has been in use, its Building Status can be changed to “Inactive” in order to prevent the building from being used on future studies while still retaining its historical records.
Note that a Building Status of “Inactive” prevents transfers, orders and similar activity records from being associated with the building.
The Building Comments field is used to enter any further details about the building that are not applicable to other fields. Building Comments examples could include key card or passcode requirements, names of contact personnel in the building, or acceptable parking locations for the building.
An example of the filled form is shown below.
Click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner to close the popup window without saving the building record.
Click the Save Building button to save the building record and assign it to the currently active facility record. The Setup Building popup window closes, and the building is added to the Building(s) tab for the currently active facility record.
Edit Building
To edit an existing building record, navigate to Animal Resource Center > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
In the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page, click the icon in the Edit column for the facility to which the building to be edited is assigned.
The facility record is opened for editing. Click the icon in the Edit column for the applicable building.
The Setup Building popup window opens for editing. Make any desired changes to the record.
Click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner to close the popup window without saving changes.
Click the Save Building button to save the building record and close the popup window.
Delete Building
Before deleting a building record, any floors and rooms assigned to the facility must be deleted to avoid creating “orphaned” records. Orphaned records are records that still exist in the system but are no longer associated with any other records in the system.
Deleting a building record when that record has floors assigned to it will orphan those floor records. If the orphaned floor records have rooms assigned to them, those room records will also be orphaned.
To avoid creation of orphaned records in this linked hierarchy delete room records first, then floors, then buildings.
To delete building record(s), navigate to Animal Resource Center > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
In the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page, click the icon in the Edit column for the facility to which the building to be deleted is assigned.
The facility record is opened for editing. Select the checkbox(es) to the left of the applicable building(s) and click the Delete Buildings button.
No confirmation popup window displays, the building record(s) is(are) immediately deleted from the facility record.
Add Floor
Before a floor record can be created, a building record for the building to which the floor is assigned must exist.
To add a floor record, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
The Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page is displayed. Open the applicable facility record by clicking on the icon in the Edit column for the corresponding facility.
Below, a facility record that has one building record assigned is open for editing.
Notice that the Building(s) tab is selected by default. Click the Floor(s) tab to select it.
Click the Add Floors button to add a floor record. The Setup Floor popup window opens.
Notice that the read-only Facility field prepopulates with the currently active facility name.
Select the applicable Building from the dropdown list. All building records assigned to the currently active facility are included in the list.
Building is a required field, the floor record cannot be saved until a building selection is made.
Floor Use and Floor Description fields are used to distinguish this floor from other floors assigned to the same Building.
Floor Use examples could include “Sleep Study Ward”, “Neonates”, “Lab Equipment and Storage” or “Library and Records”.
The Floor Description field is used to describe the floor in whatever manner is most effective for the individual institution. Floor Description examples could include secure/public status (e.g., “Level 3 keycard access only”), quarantine status, or other important details (e.g., “Veterinary staff on this floor Tu-Th”).
Floor Status is used to indicate whether the floor is currently in use for study or project purposes. The field is set to “Active” by default. Later, after the floor has been in use, its Floor Status can be changed to “Inactive” in order to prevent the floor from being used on future studies while still retaining its historical records.
Note that a Floor Status of “Inactive” prevents transfers, orders and similar activity records from being associated with the floor.
The Floor Comments field is used to enter any further details about the floor that are not applicable to other fields. Floor Comments examples could include key card or passcode requirements, names of contact personnel on the floor, or notes about available equipment.
An example of the filled form is shown below.
Click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner to close the popup window without saving changes.
Click the Save Floor button to save the floor record and close the popup window. The floor record is added to the Floor(s) tab on the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page.
Edit Floor
To edit an existing floor record, navigate to Animal Resource Center > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
In the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room page, click the icon in the Edit column for the facility to which the floor to be edited is assigned.
The facility record is opened for editing. Click the Floor(s) tab to open it.
Click the icon in the Edit column for the applicable floor.
The Setup Floor popup window opens for editing. Make any desired changes to the record.
Click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner to close the popup window without saving changes.
Click the Save Floor button to save changes to the floor record and close the popup window.
Delete Floor
Before deleting a floor record, any room records assigned to the floor must be deleted to avoid creating “orphaned” records. Orphaned records are records that still exist in the system but are no longer associated with any other records in the system.
Deleting a floor record when that record has rooms assigned to it will orphan those room records.
To avoid creation of orphaned records in this linked hierarchy delete room records first, then floors.
To delete floor record(s), navigate to Animal Resource Center > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
In the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page, click the icon in the Edit column for the facility to which the floor to be deleted is assigned.
The facility record is opened for editing. Click the Floor(s) tab to open it.
Select the checkbox(es) to the left of the floor(s) to be deleted and click the Delete Floors button.
No confirmation popup window displays, the floor record(s) is(are) immediately deleted from the facility record.
Add Room
Before a room record can be created, facility, building and floor records to which the room is to be assigned must exist.
To add a room record, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
The Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page is displayed. Open the applicable facility record by clicking on the icon in the Edit column for the corresponding facility.
Below, a facility record is open for editing. Notice that the Building(s) tab is selected by default. Click the Room(s) tab to select it.
Click the Add Rooms button to add a room record.
The Setup Room popup window opens.
To close the popup window without adding a room to the facility, click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner.
Notice that the read-only Facility field prepopulates with the currently active facility name.
Building is a required field, the room record cannot be saved until a building selection is made.
Select the applicable Building from the dropdown list. All building records assigned to the currently active facility are included in the list.
Floor is a required field, the room record cannot be saved until a floor selection is made. Select the applicable Floor from the dropdown list. All floor records assigned to the currently active building are included in the list.
Enter the Room Size, in total square feet.
Room Use and Room Description fields are used to distinguish this room from other rooms assigned to the same Floor.
Room Use examples could include “MRI”, “hydrotherapy”, “controlled substance bay” or “IV therapy”.
The Room Description field is used to describe the room in whatever manner is most effective for the individual institution. Room Description examples could include equipment details (e.g., “cardio setup”), quarantine status, or other important details (e.g., “Booking handled through Dr. Imogen Kray, ext 449”).
Location ID is an internal tracking number used to identify the room in reports, documents, orders and transfer records. Each institution chooses whether Location ID is entered manually or automatically generated.
If the institution has opted for a manually entered Location ID, enter the desired ID for the room in accordance with the institution’s chosen formatting and numbering requirements.
If the institution has opted for an automatically generated Location ID, click the Generate ID button to populate the field with a system-generated number.
Quarantine Use indicates quarantine status of the room. “No” is selected by default. Click “Yes” to indicate the room is in a quarantine status.
Room Status is used to indicate whether the room is currently in use for study or project purposes. The field is set to “Active” by default. Later, after the room has been in use, its Room Status can be changed to “Inactive” in order to prevent the room from being used on future studies while still retaining its historical records.
Note that a Room Status of “Inactive” prevents transfers, orders and similar activity records from being assigned to the room.
The Cage Type area includes a subform for entry of details about animal subject cages assigned to the room. If no animal subject cages are assigned to the room this section is skipped.
Add Cage Types to Room
Click the Add button to add cage types and assign them to the room.
The Adding Cage Type – Search Window popup window is opened.
By default, all available cage types are listed on the form. This list is populated by an iRIS™ system administrator via the Setup Cage Types link under ARC > Review Board Administration, System Setup tab.
To assign one or more of the cage types shown to the room, select the applicable checkbox(es) and click the Select button. Multiple selections are allowed.
To filter the list of cage types by species, click in the Species dropdown list to open it. Click an item in the list to select it, then click the Search button to limit the list of cage types to those that are compatible with the chosen species.
In the example below, “Canine” was selected in the Species dropdown list and the Search button was clicked.
To close the popup window without selecting a cage type, click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner or the Cancel button at the bottom right.
To assign any of the cage types shown to the room, select the checkbox(es) at far left for the applicable cage type(s), then click the Select button. Multiple selections are allowed.
The Adding Cage Type – Search Window popup window is closed and the cage type is added to the Setup Room popup window.
The Max. Num. of Cages field is used to indicate the maximum number of cages of the specified type that can be assigned to the room. By default, the quantity is set to zero. Enter the maximum quantity of the added cage type in the Max. Num. of Cages field.
These steps can be repeated as many times as needed to add more cage types to the room.
Delete Cage Types from Room
To delete a cage type assignment from a room, click the icon in the Delete column for the applicable Cage Type in the Cage Type section of the Setup Room popup window.
The cage assignment is immediately deleted from the Setup Room popup window.
The Room Comments field is used to enter any further details about the room that are not applicable to other fields. Room Comments examples could include animal subject special requirements, name(s) and location(s) of contact personnel for the room or notes about room equipment.
An example of the filled form is shown below.
Click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner to close the popup window without saving the room record.
Click the Save Room button at the lower right corner to save the room record and close the popup window. The room record is added to the Room(s) tab on the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page.
Edit Room
To edit a room record, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
The Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page is displayed. Open the applicable facility record by clicking the icon in the Edit column for the corresponding facility.
Below, a facility record is open for editing. Notice that the Building(s) tab is selected by default. Click the Room(s) tab to select it.
Click the icon in the Edit column to edit the corresponding room record.
The Setup Room popup window for the selected room is opened for editing.
Click the close window control (red X) at the upper right corner to close the popup window without saving changes made to the room record.
Click the Save Room button at the lower right corner to save changes and close the popup window.
Delete Room
To delete room records, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration and click the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Room link.
The Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page is displayed. Open the applicable facility record by clicking the icon in the Edit column for the corresponding facility.
Below, a facility record is open for editing. Notice that the Building(s) tab is selected by default. Click the Room(s) tab to select it.
Select the applicable checkbox(es) in the far-left column and click the Delete Rooms button to delete the corresponding room record(s).
No confirmation popup displays, the room record(s) is(are) immediately deleted.
Delete Facility
Before deleting a facility record, any rooms, floors and buildings assigned to the facility must be deleted to avoid creating “orphaned” records. Orphaned records are records that still exist in the system but are no longer associated with any other records in the system.
Deleting a facility record when that record has buildings assigned to it will orphan those building records. If the orphaned building records have floors assigned to them, those floor records will also be orphaned. If the orphaned floor records have rooms assigned to them, those room records will also be orphaned.
To avoid creation of orphaned records in this linked hierarchy delete room records first, then floors, then buildings, and finally facilities.
To delete an existing facility record, navigate to ARC > Review Board Administration > Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms. Select the checkbox at left for the facility to be deleted, then click the Delete Selected Facilities button at the upper right.
A confirmation popup window appears.
Click the CONFIRM button to delete the facility record and return to the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page.
Click the CANCEL button to return to the Setup Facilities/Buildings/Floors/Rooms page without deleting the facility record.