Backpack Site Visit: Everything You Need to Know

Setting the Stage for the Site Visit

The Backpack Site Visitt is the the key to the initial collection of equipment data and the annual maintenance of equipment data.

A successful Site Visit includes:

1. Direct coordination of the visit between Backpack and the onsite team

2. A clear understanding by all parties on what to expect the day of the Site Visit with all questions ironed out before the Backpack team arrives onsite

3. Comprehensive data collection onsite in common areas and tenant/resident spaces including taking photos of equipment

Below we will detail all the parts of the visit, common questions and what to expect. Any questions on the process including preparing for your Site Visit can be directed to your Onboarding Coordinator or the Backpack Support Team at support@backpacknetworks.com.

Site Visit Overview:

Site Visits are likely similar to other visits with vendors you have have on your property. Here's a few details about the Site Visits to get us started:

Your assigned Backpack Onboarding Coordinator will be working directly with you to plan and execute the perfect Site Visit. We are here with you every step of the way!
A Backpack representative will be coming to the property to do the Site Visit. This representative will be either a technician from the Backpack team or someone from our partner MasTec. You will know who is coming to your site at least 48 hours before the visit when we call to confirm everything one final time before arriving onsite.
The Site Visit is scheduled for a maximum of 4 hours. It usually takes 2 to 4 hours for the site walkthrough to gather common area and tenant equipment data including any additional building details. The total time on site can vary depending on property size but in general our team will spend no more than 4 hours onsite. If additional time is needed that will be coordinated in advance or a follow-up visit can be discussed with the onboarding coordinator.
The Site Visit includes a walkthrough of common area equipment including mechanical spaces and, in the case of multi-family, a walkthrough of resident units to document unit equipment including but not limited to: refrigerators, stoves, water heater, etc. QR codes may also be installed during the site visit, please ask the Onboarding Coordinator for more information about this option.
The Backpack representative will also need to view the location & and take a photograph of the building’s primary utility meters (electric, gas, water).
Finally we will want to see and document the building’s waste services areas (trash, composting & recycling).
Once the Site Visit is complete, all the data collected onsite is transmitted to Backpack. Typically you will be able to see data in your Backpack within hours of completion of the Site Visit. Our team will be auditing that data & adding additional details over the following days. Once everything is complete and verified you will hear from your Onboarding Coordinator that the data is complete!
You can also add your own equipment data for any areas not visited - learn more about that HERE

Before the Site Visit

Items to Complete Before the Site Visit:

Complete the Property Discovery Form (online questionnaire provided by your Onboarding Coordinator) & answer any follow-up questions
Select the Site Visit date that works for you in the Property Discovery form (final date & time will be confirmed by your onboarding coordinator) or schedule a date directly with your onboarding coordinator
Provide base building Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) plans (where available), if you don't have plans you will work with your onboarding coordinator on the details of the visit
Notify Tenants/Residents of the Site Visit including notification for any spaces that will be entered for the visit
Designate a onsite escort for the Backpack Representative & provide a meeting location, parking information and contact details.

Complete Property Discovery Form:

A link to the online Property Discovery Form will be provided by the Backpack Onboarding Coordinator. This form takes 1-15 minutes to complete and includes general questions about the property that help ensure a successful Site Visit as well as provide valuable information as we onboard the property onto the Backpack platform.
At the end of the form you will be asked to select the preferred Site Visit date. This date is schedule at least a week out so that there is time to complete all the items needed for a successful Site Visit.

Schedule the Site Visit Date:

The Initial Site Visit date selected in two ways:

The preferred Site Visit date is selected by a property representative in the Property Discovery Form and then confirmed via email by the assigned Backpack Onboarding Coordinator for the property.
The Site Visit date is coordinated directly between the onsite property team (usually the Property manager) and the assigned Backpack Onboarding Coordinator for the property.

When it is time for the annual Site visit (concurrent to the annual renewal of the subscription), a member of the Backpack team will reach out to discuss details of your changes at your property over the past year and the annual Site Visit.

Provide Base Building MEP Plans:

Provide base building Mechanical, Electrical & Plumbing (MEP) plans (where available), if you don't have plans you will work with your onboarding coordinator on the details of the visit
These plans allow us to locate equipment and provide the technician who will be onsite for the Site Visit the most accurate information, ensuring a successful site visit!

Notify Tenants/Residents of the Site Visit:

Common Areas: While onsite the Backpack Representative will need to see all major common area equipment like RTU's, Chillers, Cooling Towers, etc. Generally access to these items is easy but if it requires notification to Tenants/Residents (ie: if it's in a mechanical room in a Tenant space) please consider notifying the responsible parties.
Resident homes/Tenant spaces: Notify Residents of the Site Visit. It is a good idea to notify all residents of the visit to allow greatest flexibility for the unit inspections. The Backpack representative will visit as many units as possible during the Site Visit. It is okay to visit vacant units, the units do not have to be occupied.
Secure any necessary formal approvals from tenants/residents if areas included in the visit require tenant authorization, escorts, waivers, etc. Coordinate these arrangements with your Onboarding Coordinator before the scheduled visit.

Designate a Onsite Escort:

A property representative will be needed to escort the Backpack representative throughout the property. This is typically a building engineer who has access to all areas of the property and knowledge of equipment locations.
The representative should plan to be available for the entire allotted 4 hours of the Site Visit (at some locations it may take less time)
Setting a meeting time, location (including any parking details) and providing a cell phone number for the onsite property representative will help everyone get started on time and ensure the time onsite is maximized.

A Successful Site Visit Includes:

All details arranged in advance with confirmation of details no later than 48 hours before the Site Visits. Feeling unsure? Reach out to the Onboarding Coordinator!
Arranged escort meets the Backpack representative at the agreed upon location at the arranged time
Access to the property has been secured including to resident/tenant areas

That's it - once the Backpack representative is onsite with the property team it's all going to go great!

Site Visit Details

Once the Site Visit date is confirmed all the necessary details will be confirming with the site contact by the assigned Backpack onboarding coordinator.
At least 48 hours before the Site Visit a Backpack representative will contact the site to confirm the date, start time, meeting location & property representative information. If there are any outstanding questions at this time, those will be addressed here so the Site Visit time is focused only on data collection.
The Backpack representative will arrive onsite at the designated time and place to meet the escort ready to begin the work. The representative may have some beginning questions and then data collection can start.
The order of the equipment gathering is typically focused on covering common area first including meters and then moving along to tenant/resident spaces. Here's a typical outline of visit locations:
1. Document common area equipment including rooftop units, mechanical rooms, etc.
2. Document utility meters
3. Document any special equipment
4. Document tenant/resident unit equipment
5. Documentation of trash, recycling & composting areas
While onsite the technician will document via data entry and photos:
1. Photograph nameplates and any distinguishing information on manufacturer, install/manufacture date, etc.
2. Photograph a general view of the equipment from a few vantage points
3. For utility meters, photograph the position and setup of ownership-paid utility meters, capturing meter numbers. Sub-meters that are tenant-paid do not require documentation; however, if you wish to include these, please coordinate directly with your Onboarding Coordinator.
The Backpack representative will depart after all information is collected or when the 4 hour mark is reached (unless previously agreed upon time extension). If equipment remains to be documented the assigned Onboarding Coordinator will reach out to coordinate additional time onsite.
Equipment data will begin loading in the Backpack within hours of completion of the Site Visit! Additional curation will be done by the Backpack team and the site will be notified when onboarding all data to the Backpack is complete.

After the Site Visit

Following the final Site Visit, the Backpack team will process all collected equipment images and data for seamless import into your Backpack platform. Once the foundational equipment details are uploaded, our platform enriches the dataset to include:

Calculation of the age of the equipment
Visual assignment of the remaining useful life and a replacement schedule timeline
Linking of replacement costs (when age information is available)
Additional specifications, such as horsepower, fan speed, and other key equipment attributes

Equipment data is typically fully processed within one week. As part of our ongoing partnership, our team is ready to walk through this data with you, providing actionable insights on how your equipment portfolio may inform broader property strategies and decision-making. Please let your Customer Success Manager know that you would like to look at the specifics of the equipment data and how to maximize the data.

To help you get started, check out these articles:

Questions?

Contact our support team at support@backpacknetworks.com