Understanding Locations
Concept Article – Learn why a Location is one of the most valuable records in JGID, preserving the history of a site throughout its entire lifecycle, regardless of who owns, builds or manages it.
What is a Location?
A Location represents a physical place where work is performed.
While every Location has an address, a Location in JGID is much more than just a place on a map.
It becomes the permanent home for everything your business learns about that site.
Projects, documents, photos, inspections, reports, equipment and site knowledge all accumulate against the Location over time.
Unlike Clients, Contacts or contractors, a Location usually remains long after the people and organisations involved have changed.
Locations Are Permanent. Relationships Change.
One of the key design principles of JGID is recognising that buildings often outlive the companies that build, maintain and manage them.
Over the lifetime of a building:
- The builder changes.
- The subcontractors change.
- The property manager changes.
- The strata manager changes.
- The facilities manager changes.
- The building owner may even change.
The building, however, remains the same.
By storing the history against the Location, JGID preserves valuable knowledge regardless of who the current Client happens to be.
A Building's Story
Imagine a new apartment building.
During construction your Client may be:
ABC Constructions
Once construction is complete, you may begin working for:
- The façade contractor
- The glazing contractor
- The painting contractor
- The waterproofing contractor
Each becomes a different Client, carrying out work at the same Location.
Later, when the building is handed over, your Client may become:
ABC Building Management
Several years later, the management contract changes hands and your Client becomes:
Prime Facilities Management
Over the next twenty years, the building may be managed by several different organisations.
Although your Clients have changed many times, every project remains linked to the same Location.
The building's history is never lost.
Locations Build Knowledge
Every visit adds valuable information to the Location.
For example:
- Site access instructions
- Parking information
- Roof access procedures
- Security requirements
- Installed equipment
- Inspection records
- Photos
- Reports
- Previous repairs
- Known defects
- Maintenance history
- Asset information
Rather than starting from scratch every time, your team continues building on the knowledge already collected.
The more work completed at a Location, the more valuable that Location becomes.
One Location, Many Clients
A common misconception is that a Location belongs to only one Client.
In reality, many different Clients may be associated with the same Location throughout its lifetime.
For example:
- Builder
- Façade contractor
- Glazing contractor
- Painting contractor
- Waterproofing contractor
- Building manager
- Facilities management company
- Owners Corporation
- Commercial tenant
Every one of these organisations may engage your business to perform work at exactly the same Location.
JGID preserves this complete history without requiring duplicate Location records.
Why This Matters
Many businesses lose valuable project history whenever a building changes ownership or management.
New managers often inherit very little information about previous work.
By maintaining the complete history against the Location, JGID allows your business to retain its own records regardless of who the current Client is.
Years later, you may still be able to see:
- Previous Quotes
- Completed Jobs
- Inspection reports
- Equipment installed
- Certification history
- Historical defects
- Photos from earlier visits
This knowledge becomes a significant advantage for both your team and your Clients.
Knowledge Belongs to the Location
Clients represent relationships.
Contacts represent people.
Projects represent work.
Locations preserve knowledge.
Every Opportunity, Quote and Job contributes to the ongoing story of that site.
Instead of viewing projects as isolated pieces of work, JGID builds a permanent knowledge base for every Location your business services.
Best Practice
Create one Location for each physical site.
Continue using that same Location throughout the life of the building, even if the Client, Contact or billing arrangements change.
Doing so preserves the complete operational history of the site and allows future projects to benefit from everything learned during previous visits.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a Location have multiple Clients?
Yes.
Over the life of a building, many different organisations may engage your business to perform work at the same Location.
What happens if the building changes management companies?
Simply associate the Location with the new Client.
The Location's history remains intact, including every previous project, report, inspection and photograph.
Should I create a new Location when ownership changes?
No.
If the work relates to the same physical site, continue using the existing Location.
Only the relationship has changed—the Location has not.
Why is the Location separate from the Client?
Because Clients change over time, while the Location usually remains.
Separating them allows JGID to preserve the complete history of the site regardless of who owns, manages or maintains it.
What information should be stored against a Location?
Anything that will help your team understand and work safely at that site in the future, including site notes, reports, photos, installed equipment, recurring maintenance history and previous project records.
Summary
A Location is much more than an address.
It is the permanent record of a physical site and the foundation of its long-term history.
Clients, Contacts and contractors may come and go, but the Location remains.
By preserving knowledge against the Location, JGID ensures that every project, inspection, repair and maintenance visit contributes to a lasting record that continues to grow throughout the life of the building.