1 October to 31 December 2007

Activities and Accomplishments

FS Initiates Employee Performance Review

Since its inception in April 1999 Technology Services has been driven by a shared set of annually-articulated, common objectives. Each employee reports every quarter on their progress towards the achievement of their individual goals as well as their contributions to our shared objectives. Technology Services was uniquely prepared to participate in the annual performance evaluation program FS initiated in 2007. Some details on our latest achievements since then are below.

Promote FS Accountability by Improving Customer Communications

The FM Enterprise facilities and assets management system (FAMS) was not correctly recording the customer’s Desired Date for completion on their work orders. When the vendor was unable to fix the bug in a timely fashion, our OIS development team developed a fix that retains the client’s desired date and communicates it to our crews.

Create a Collaborative GIS Initiative

Facilities Services initiated an interdepartmental task force to integrate a Geographical Information System (GIS) with other campus space and facilities management systems. This collaboration will be similar to the current Space Information Management System (SIMS), Facilities Management Enterprise (FME), and Comprehensive Rate Information System (CRIS) integration. Capital and Space Planning Office (CASPO), Facilities Services (FS) and Management Accounting & Analysis (MAA) share this collaboration to sustain and defend enhanced maintenance cost recoveries. This collaboration is the successful model for the GIS initiative.

Streamline Employee Information Management

We intend to expand the successful Employee Setup Express process beyond the departments in FME to support the development of an FS-wide employee database. This will streamline employee information management by providing an easier-to-use, one-stop service to centralize contact information, rosters, photographs and other essential employee data. We are beginning the redesign of Employee Setup Express in a pilot project with Transportation Services. Special acknowledgments for their efforts go to Bob Johnson and Christine Stothersi.

Implement Technology Solution to Improve Asset Management

We completed the IMAC Shop Inventory Project on time and under budget. The project integrated barcode-enabled PDAs with the University’s Facilities & Asset Management System to automate Operations, Maintenance and Alterations materials and equipment inventory. These new hand-held solutions have great promise for the field capture of time sheet data for job accounting, custodial services condition assessment, ordinance violations recording and a host of other applications, if we can find new resources to pursue them. Steve Morton and Dustin Brewer were the leaders of this successful project. They are now turning their attention to supporting Business & Financial Service’s integration of Stores into FS.

Problems

IMAC Upgrade of FME to FacilityMAX Delayed

FS’s top priority system implementation has been delayed. All of our available resources have been pulled off this project to focus on the incorporation of Stores into FS. Conversion of Stores from JDE to FME will resolve current, critical JDE vulnerabilities. It will also save the University hundreds of thousands of dollars on an annual, ongoing basis. OIM notes that the Stores conversion effort interferes with our FacilityMAX upgrade timeline. The incorporation of Stores into FME also increases the scope of our upgrade process. The Stores operation will be an integrated part of the FAMS upgrade. This is very valuable to the Stores system. Similarly, Stores presence will add value to the other facilities and space processes also in the new FAMS. Suzi Henriot has been working closely with Marla Bradeen to bring Stores into FME. We hope to complete the integration of Stores in 1st quarter 2008 and return to our FacilityMAX implementation in 2nd quarter.

GIS Resources Needed Now

The GIS Initiative is all about collaboration. It builds relationships with University facilities and space partners as well as city, state and federal governments. It will strengthen the links between our systems and provide the information infrastructure for our planning. It is needed now as a home for the geo-referenced campus base map Engineering Services has underway, the space mapping CASPO has completed, and Maintenance & Alterations assets mapping. GIS mapping of utilities, hazards, inventory, people and other resources will quickly be expanded once a host system is in place. John Billen, Jeff Linn and others have gone far in getting this collaboration underway. However, we need new systems and technical personnel to put this initiative into production.

Early Warnings

We need to Standardize our Individual and Organization Measures

We want to update our Technology Services web pages to express our objectives and achievements in terms of FS’s Balanced Score Card (BSC). We are not alone in this effort, but hope to make good progress so we can assist other FS units in standardizing their own measures. Dana Miller has a leadership role in making our transition to BSC while maintaining our commitment to the principles of Drucker management and Deming quality control.

We want to Recast FS Enterprise for Improved Communications

The FS Enterprise newsletter has a strong identity and has been a successful vehicle for communicating with staff who use FME and customers who use FS-WORKS. However, FS Enterprise, or its replacement, could be a more comprehensive vehicle to communicate with all of our customers, business partners and staff. The newsletter could serve more by expanding beyond just technical themes. Karen Zaugg would lead the effort.