Loki.
We built Loki, a new facility management tool for Lappeenranta's student housing foundation.
Client and industry
Lappeenrannan seudun opiskelija-asuntosäätiö (LOAS)
Property management
Our role
UX/UI design, web development, APIs and integrations
Timeline
Core features in production in three months, spring 2022
LOAS manages nearly 40 residential properties and serves over 3,000 students. They needed a tool that would consolidate property data in one place and automate the most common maintenance tasks. The requirement was that it integrate with their existing property maintenance task management system. That's what we built: Loki.
Loki is a building maintenance log and knowledge base in one package. Since all property data is centralised, it's been natural to build additional tools on top of it that make use of that data.
What our clients say
“Working with Sakeus was efficient and communication during development was clear. Loki was built from scratch according to our process and feedback, which is an excellent foundation for continued collaboration.”
Property manager, LOAS
Key features
Property data
From building systems specs to wall paint colour codes — everything in one place, easy to update. Properties can also be compared side by side and compiled into summaries.
Equipment management
Detailed, structured information can be entered about equipment and fittings. If the standard fields don't cover it, you can define your own.
Data search
A versatile table tool displays, searches, filters, and sorts data by any field. Summaries can also be exported to Excel if needed.
Automated maintenance tasks
Loki is integrated with LOAS's property maintenance task management system and creates maintenance tasks automatically at set intervals. Tasks can be assigned to an entire building or specific items — like HVAC filter changes.
Documents from SharePoint
Loki retrieves property-related files directly from SharePoint and attaches them to maintenance tasks. Floor plans and manuals automatically travel with maintenance staff.
Timeline for major projects
The timeline tool lets LOAS's property team plan renovations and track scheduled maintenance timelines.
Rescue plans
LOAS maintains rescue plans for all their properties in Loki. Shared information updates across all properties with one click, and each property has a public link where residents can view the current plan.
How we did it
Needs assessment
The work began with a needs assessment together with the client. Over a couple of weeks, we mapped the most common user flows, designed the data structure, and sketched wireframes for the key views — some in Figma, some on paper.
Review and development kickoff
In a workshop, we reviewed the plans and agreed on the first steps of development. Development proceeded in two-week sprints, and after the very first sprint, LOAS could already manage properties' basic details on the staging server.
Iterative release
Most of the development work was done over two months. LOAS began entering data into production in late April and early May as Loki was completed piece by piece. The pace brought a side effect: new ideas could be implemented early — for example, the rescue plan feature emerged mid-development and made it into the final product.
Technologies and tools
- Latest versions of Ruby on Rails, Ruby and PostgreSQL
- Frontend mostly Ruby on Rails, more complex interactions in React
- Simpler interactions with Hotwire (Turbo Stream and Stimulus)
- UI components with ViewComponents
- Timeline tool with Bryntum Gantt
Don't build the wrong thing. Talk to Simo first.
simo@sakeus.fi 