www.le.ac.uk

Opportunities and Issues : Estates’ Perspective

Grant CharmanDeputy Director of EstatesUniversity of Leicester

Introduction

• Appointed in 2003

• Led University involvement in PFI deal

• Wider involvement from 2006

• Estates – IT issues prevalent

Problems

• Three main areas

• Themes– Project Controls– People Controls– Building Controls

• Key message : Integration

Theme 1 – Project Controls

• 2003 situation– No project management system– Lack of management information– Projects delivered on-time and on-budget were

the exception– Committee reporting weak and haphazard

• Solution : Project Management system to provide control and reporting on entire programme

Theme 1 – Project Controls

• History– 2003 – search started, decision to develop– 2007 – developed system demonstrated– 2009 – identification of solution– 2010 – procurement– 2011 - implementation

Theme 1 – Project Controls

• The solution; Imprest ?

• System written with Higher Education in mind

• Flexible and Configurable

• Management information, project control, data store/exchange system

• “Links to SAP”

Theme 1 – Project Controls

• Purchase through OGC

• Installation has been smooth

• Dedicated project manager appointed by Datavisibility

• Decision to host off-site

Theme 1 – Project Controls

• Remaining hurdles– Getting people to use it – changing the system!– SAP integration– MICAD integration

Theme 2 – People Controls

• Problem with managing maintenance requests

• Maintenance helpdesk system created in 2006 on SAP

• Extensive development in-house by ITS

• How do we control the flow of information and the allocation and control of the staff attending?

• Significant improvement on previous• But still flawed

Theme 2 – People Controls

• Little further progress since 2006

• Now identified for further improvement

• SAP or off the shelf?

• Dare we break the link to finance system?

• How believable are claims to link to SAP?

• Can we integrate hand-held devices?

Theme 2 – People Controls

• Now applying Systems Thinking ideas in a review of maintenance before finalising helpdesk requirement

• IT integration crucial

Theme 3 – Building Controls

• Schneider BMS

• System installed years ago

• Development has been unplanned

• Business decision to employ specialist in-house engineer

• Transformed system

Theme 3 – Building Controls

• Better reporting on core functions

• Active monitoring of alarm signals

• Active link to security lodge system for critical alarms

• Resilience improved

• New installations and system growth being planned

Theme 3 – Building Controls

• Future improvements– Fire Alarms– Intruder Alarms– LZC programme applications

Where Next?

• Increasing levels of integration between systems

• Hand helds, mobile devices, social media

• Estates still not fully embracing new technology