University of Northern Iowa Physical Plant Operations Vision 2013 Focus on Supporting the University’s Strategic Direction Originated: July 18, 2008 Updated: July 28, 2008 Updated: August 29, 2008 Updated September 11, 2008 Updated November 7, 2008
The Physical Plant is an integral part of the University’s Facilities Services Department and provides support to the University community. The recent process of reviewing the Physical Plant’s ability to support the strategic direction of the University was rewarding and the information that we shared will assist us in ensuring that our resources are appropriately allocated. The interactions with our staff brought together ideas and suggestions for potential collaborative initiatives that could stretch our resources, for example, reducing non­productive time, reviewing our priorities, resource management through centralizing inventory orders, reviewing and reassessing the amount of inventory we keep on hand, just­in­time ordering and space management. The consensus of the Physical Plant management staff is that we need to communicate what we believe are staffing and funding risks to the University. Some of the Physical Plant units may not be staffed to provide the level of service that has been provided in the past. Also, we may need to structurally reorganize some units to become more effective in our service delivery and continue to look for ways to collaborate on shared services. During planning discussions in the spring of 2008, it became apparent that the past few years of budget cuts and loss of staff positions needed extensive review to determine if the human and financial resources of the Physical Plant were sufficient to provide the support expected by the campus community. There is concern about whether the units within the Physical Plant are adequately funded and staffed. The review and planning process began with meetings with the unit leaders and key staff after they had an opportunity to meet with their staffs and to discuss challenges and opportunities that were anticipated during the next five years. Meetings were then scheduled with the director to share the results of their unit’s discussions and to further discuss challenges that had been identified in addition to the areas of strength for each unit. The overall goal is to energize staff to look for ways in which to enhance the quality and cost­effectiveness of our campus­wide services and build upon the strengths and qualities that have been the basis of the services provided to the UNI community. The input from the unit managers and their staffs was garnered through information­ sharing sessions that reviewed the current situation/circumstances and projected that information into the future. The objective was to determine if the Physical Plant units are adequately resourced to continue to provide quality services that have contributed to achieving the mission and goals of the University. Also, we discussed what we would need to do in the foreseeable future to ensure that the services we provided were aligned with the goals and objectives of our stakeholders and continued to support the mission of the University. This document will provide outcomes of the discussions and will provide an overview of the focus of the Physical Plant during the next few years. We have become aware as a management team that we need to improve our communications with the campus community. Information is readily available on the Facilities Services web site about the services that are provided by the Physical Plant units, but we need to be more assertive in ensuring that the campus community knows where to learn about services that are
provided. Also, we will need to better inform our stakeholders about services that are not provided by the Physical Plant and services they can request if they have a funding source that will provide the necessary financial support to complete a department specific project. That said our focus will be on service to our customers, financial support to maintain the facilities infrastructure, creating and nurturing successful work teams and reviewing and adjusting internal business processes to their maximum benefit. Structure: We will review our unit structures to ensure they are appropriately aligned to support services delivery to the campus community that is consistent with the strategic direction of the University. Honest Communication with Customers: We will build upon the practice of partnering with our colleagues in the campus community to improve responsible facilities stewardship. Internal Business Processes: We will review our internal processes with the goal to implement new processes or adjust existing processes as necessary to enhance efficiency, communication and overall effectiveness. Financial Support: We will communicate effectively to ensure that the campus community understands our service levels and financial boundaries. Teamwork: We will cultivate a work climate of open communication and trust in which all staff has opportunities and the responsibility to develop to their greatest potential. Unit Strategies and Focus: Physical Plant Administration: Several initiatives related to LEAN processes will be implemented this year in an effort to maximize the use of our financial and human resources. I will be working with the managers and supervisors to identify opportunities to create efficiencies in our staff and financial allocations. Strategies: 1. Manage Inventory – identify and implement processes to take Physical Plant inventory in addition to inventory of items in the remote shops/offices. Assess which inventory can become centralized and relocated to the Warehouse and which will remain in the Physical Plant building. The Physical Plant managers will work with Dennis Hayes to establish inventory levels and to determine the minimum inventory points that trigger reorders. Each unit supervisor (area maintenance, electrical, plumbing, etc.) will complete a semi­annual inventory of their assigned spaces, including remote offices/shops and each supervisor will be responsible to provide the information to Dennis Hayes. Inventory will also include those items stored in the “Bull Pen” and Warehouse. Campus Supply will gather information about the amount of materials needed to be purchased during the fiscal year and determine if
there are opportunities to bid the total quantities to take advantage of large order pricing. Part of the bid package will be for the bid award to include off site storage with materials delivered just­in­time or on an as­needed basis. 2. Centralize purchasing – Campus Supply has been more frequently utilized during the past year with more material orders being placed with procurement staff, which has reduced the amount of time staff and supervisors leave campus and arrange with suppliers for materials. While some materials are so specialized it may be prudent for the supervisor to acquire them, most orders can be placed through Campus Supply, which will utilize and build upon the expertise of procurement staff. Economies of scale can also be realized as more of the materials and supply orders are completed by Campus Supply. This process will also promote direct delivery of materials to job sites and expand on just­in­time deliveries, which should support an increase in productive work time. 3. Assess productive vs. non­productive work time ­ establish metrics to evaluate effectiveness and efficiency of staff time. The goal is to ensure that the functional units are scheduling and allocating staff and resources in a manner that supports the strategic direction of the University. Changes in the manner in which units have traditionally operated will need to be reviewed and assessed to ensure that behaviors support the goals of reduced fuel use, reduced travel time to and between job sites and reduced miles driven (supports EO #6). Taking breaks at the work site and limiting trips off campus to materials suppliers are examples of activities that will support the goal of reducing non­productive time. Establish a means by which to document time spent on tasks to develop data to assist the supervisors and managers to measure time spent completing tasks, assessing travel time driving to and from job sites, etc.(an example of non­productive time is time spent driving from the job site to the Physical Plant for morning and afternoon breaks). Reduction in driving will reduce overall vehicle operating expenses and add productive work time opportunities. Staff assigned to project work will be expected to take breaks at the job site and to adhere to the time allowed for breaks, lunch and administrative tasks (e.g., completing time card and wash up time). Reduce the miles driven by staff. The dramatic increase in the cost of motor fuel requires us to drive only those miles needed to complete the tasks to which staff has been assigned. Work planning and scheduling can contribute to the reduction of diving miles by sequencing tasks to preclude unnecessary driving. 4. Review organizational structure of the Physical Plant units – an assessment of the manner in which financial and human resources are allocated and structured, by shift and work hours will be done to determine if the current structure supports goals of the University. There may be opportunities to expand the work responsibilities of some staff to create redundant operations support.
5. Review Space Utilization – a preliminary space management plan for the physical plant has been developed (phase #1) that will primarily address the administration area. The east entrance to the physical plant building will be utilized as the primary entrance and some modest renovations will be done to the offices so that a higher level of service can be provided to campus customers and visitors. Additional assessments will be completed to ensure the building space is efficiently utilized. An initiative to reallocate spaces to accommodate the relocation of the Administration and Finance Division’s Technology Systems and Services department to the physical plant building has begun and preliminary plans to reallocate spaces are being developed. 6. Build on the University’s “green initiatives”. The primary goal will be to support Executive Order #6, which has a focus to put Iowa at the forefront of implementing sustainable initiatives that will ensure that our state is recognized as a leader in developing and using alternative energy and fuels. Business Services/Campus Supply/Warehouse Operations: Priority 1 Initiatives:
· Continue to lead the initiative to implement FAMIS software to update the Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS) that will replace the current system and provide better communications to the campus community about the status of work orders.
· Continue to develop an inventory management system that promotes a centralized inventory management process, which utilizes direct deliveries to the job site, expands just­in­time deliveries and centralizes materials orders.
· Continue to develop cross­functional training strategies to ensure sufficient redundant staff skills are in place to support uninterrupted business operations.
· Lead the initiative to provide information to the annual Facilities Governance Report.
· LEAN the bill­paying process through streamlining.
· Provide training to campus departments to become more self­sufficient by ordering supplies on­line directly through Office Max using Oracle. o Initial training has been completed and follow­up training will be offered at future intervals. Priority 2 Initiatives:
· Review excess inventory storage practices with Facilities Planning Design staff to determine the feasibility of reallocating the responsibility to manage excess inventories to the Business Services unit. Reduce outdated inventory by standardizing products to the extent possible.
· Review materials in inventory and reduce excess inventory by returning items to vendors or move outdated items to the Warehouse Store to more effectively manage warehouse storage space.
· Review the Warehouse and Campus Supply organizational structures to determine if a more effective organizational structure can be achieved by integrating the two units into one unit located at the Warehouse. Priority 3 Initiatives:
· Provide information to the campus community about items that are recyclable and support energy sustainability initiatives. (Initial communications have been done and periodic future updates will be provided) Utilities and Power Plant/Energy Management: Priority 1 Initiatives:
· Expand and develop the campus energy plan by adding building specific goals by evaluating the energy use data.
· Initiate actions to solicit applications for the Energy and Facilities Engineer positions. (Positions have been advertised and candidates to be interviewed have been identified) Priority 2 Initiatives:
· Continue to explore alternative fuels to generate steam and electricity that will help reduce the University’s carbon footprint. Priority 3 Initiatives:
· Review the organizational structure of the Power Plant to determine if efficiencies can be realized through staff or shift realignments.
· Review the energy management organizational structure to determine if efficiencies can be realized through reporting realignment. Expand and develop the campus energy plan by adding building specific goals by evaluating the energy use data. Operations and Maintenance: Priority 1 Initiatives:
· Collaborate with Campus Supply on inventory and space management and control.
· Build upon current collaborations with Facilities Services staff.
· Establish collaborative ventures with Administration and Financial Services division departments that interact with Facilities Services processes.
· Make adjustments in work assignments to specific groups based on the information garnered through the feedback from area mechanics through the Lean Kaizen exercise.
Priority 2 Initiatives:
· Continue to build upon the collaborative relationship among the Power Plant and Energy Management staff to address utility distribution and electrical and steam distribution maintenance.
· Lead the annual initiative to update the deferred maintenance list.
· Continue to expand the utilization of the 30­day report to ensure a high level of customer service is being delivered.
· Build upon and continue to support the concept of centralized purchasing of materials for the specific functional areas, just­in­time deliveries to the work site, reducing inventory, work planning/scheduling and better space management. Grounds: Priority 1 Initiatives:
· Assess the impact of the west campus expansion and the project support provided by the Grounds staff on staffing levels and structure. Recommend staffing, work prioritization and structure adjustments for Grounds to continue to provide the level of support to Athletics, Recreation and Academic programming.
· Conduct a review of the Warehouse garages utilized for heavy equipment storage to determine if two of the storage bays could be reallocated for Warehousing use and relocate the vehicles to an alternate location. Priority 2 Initiatives:
· Review the impact of the additional core processes tasked to Grounds including NPDES, sign installation/maintenance, facility sharing arrangements with Cedar Falls and Cedar Falls Schools and GPS data gathering in relation to the impact on the primary mission of the Grounds unit.
· Continue to partner with the Tall Grass Prairie Center, Parking Office and area conservation units for sustainability initiatives. Campus Services (Building Services/Mail Center/Central Receiving/Transportation Services/Motor Pool/Automotive Shop/Refuse and Recycling): Priority 1 Initiatives:
· Review internal processes to focus on providing excellent customer service through building on staff and unit strengths.
· Assess the allocation of labor resources to achieve/maintain an excellent level of customer service based on facility use.
Priority 2 Initiatives:
· Continue to look for business partners that will provide materials and provide inventory on an as needed basis to reduce the amount of inventory in stock. Priority 3 Initiatives:
· Research alternatives to delivering mail with large trucks to center campus. Recommend an alternative mail/package delivery vehicle with the goal to reduce the frequency of large delivery trucks driving into the academic core via sidewalks and plaza areas.
· Support sustainable initiatives through implementing the use of “green” cleaning products in campus building and by researching the potential applications for electric vehicles in the physical plant operations fleet. Facilities Coordination Center: Priority 1 Initiatives:
· Build upon the success of acquiring the FAMIS computerized maintenance management system.
· Explore ways in which to utilize Centric Project on projects. Continue to develop staff to provide excellent leadership in project management.
· Review and assess the archiving process (es) and provide recommendations for improvement including 1) receipt, 2) filing and 3) retrieval of information.
· Collaborate with the operations and maintenance unit to coordinate staff to achieve improved efficiency of staff to maximize productive work time. Priority 2 Initiatives:
· Review and assess the impact of adding more facilities onto the electronic key system as it relates to the total key management system. Priority 3 Initiatives:
· Recycle worn out and outdated building materials (carpet, wood, furniture) to support the University’s sustainable initiatives.