TAFE MANAGEMENT MADE EASY
Digital management tools are now practically mandatory in a tertiary education system that is more complex than ever before.
This article has been modified since appearing in Facility Management Magazine June 2009 issue, page 30 and 31.
Bendigo Regional Institute of Tafe (BRIT) is a multi-disciplined educational provider which annually offers over 400 courses to some 14,000 students and is committed to the vocational education and training needs of the community, business and industry. Bendigo Regional Institute of TAFE services a vast geographic area extending 25,000 square kilometers throughout Central and Northern Victoria. To meet the training needs of such a dispersed population, campuses have been established in Bendigo, Castlemaine, Echuca, Kerang, Kyneton and Maryborough.
The BRIT Campuses house some original buildings dating back to 1856 and late 1800’s, as well as modern training facilities completed in the 1980s and 1990s, such as the BRIT Restaurant and Function Centre, a fully-resourced library and the Business and Technology Centre. To cater for its mixture of students, from youth to mature age, the campuses contain a vast range of student services and facilities, including a student lounge, classrooms containing video and projection equipment and a fully equipped training kitchen and restaurant.
When BRIT first contacted FM Innovations regarding an FM system they were managing the entire contract portfolio, assets and room bookings via paper and spreadsheets. Reports took hours, even days to compile instead of minutes or even seconds. Through thorough consultation FM Innovations and BRIT decided to implement a couple different WSM modules;
- Room Event Management – Consisting of room bookings and course management.
- Works Management – Consisting of asset and contract management.
Over the past 4 years BRIT have restructured their business through WSM to become a leader in Facilities Management among the educational fraternity.
“Having the system in place for almost 4 years, you look back and wonder how I ever lived without WSM. It has been our salvation”.
Embedded methodologies were in place for many years with outlying campuses operating more independently than what was otherwise preferred. WSM allowed BRIT to centralise operations and design a best practice approach for room bookings, course management, asset maintenance and contract administration.
“The system is very easy to learn and teach new staff members”.
The evolution of the course management section within WSM can be attributed to the close partnership forged between FMI and BRIT. Through consultations and applying specific diagnostics to BRIT’s needs, FMI tailored a solution to suit their requirements.
“We worked closely with the FM Innovations team to help tailor a package that suited our exact needs”.
Room Event Management has allowed BRIT to report on spatial management and Room Availability Vs Usage. This can be used to determine future trends. For example, the automotive section was one of the most requested and attended courses amongst the Tafe, therefore research was undertaken to determine what other areas are being underutilized. The space could then be converted into automotive designated areas.
“We have been able to more effectively manage our space and report on its use”.
As BRIT’s needs change so did WSM and FMI. Conversely, as WSM evolved through the bi-annually upgrades (free to all maintenance paying clients), BRIT changed for the better. The upgrades automated many of the existing processes and freed up staff resources to be better utilized in other areas.
“The 6 monthly upgrades keep us at the forefront of the market. Sometimes we don’t even know we need the upgrade until we start using it.”
Handheld PDA devices have improved the auditing of rooms giving BRIT more control of their assets. The asset register allows BRIT to view the exact contents of each room without leaving their desks.
Collaboration between BRIT and FMI has developed a unique key code system and FMI tailored the system to track all the keys on the campus.
“You have confidence in the system as it will provide reliable information every time”.
Another internal initiative with the BRIT’s I.T. staff is when an upgrade is available all machines are programmed with a pin number referring them to the facilities or I.T. department for further instructions. The user is then required to enter a pin number and upgrade the system to the new version. This safeguards two different databases being used simultaneously.
“It is a fantastic repository of information that is easy to use. There is nothing else like this on the market”.
FMI and BRIT are currently implementing a state of the art fleet management system into their organisational infrastructure. 12 months ago BRIT approached FMI to design the vehicle management system that would manage their entire fleet more efficiently than the existing paper based system. BRIT worked closely with the software designers to create a Fleet Management module that will save BRIT thousands of dollars in a very short period of time.
“There is no barrier between the technical staff and the users unlike many other software companies”.
BRIT is currently implementing the full works maintenance capability of the system coupled with the new sustainability section. It understands that effective overall environmental management needs to combine the daily works maintenance management (ad hoc and planned maintenance schedules), together with the day to day management of the sustainability impacts of the building. This is reducing risk as well as deterring liability to the building owners and managers.
“The Sustainability section will be an excellent additional to the already fantastic product”.
For more information please contact FM Innovations
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