Case Study: Implementing a CAFM Solution for Bishop Burton College

Overview

Bishop Burton College, a land-based educational institution, operates across two campuses and three sites.  Bishop Burton campus features approximately 50-60 buildings including student accommodation , a secondary campus includes seven buildings, and the third site operates under a lease agreement near Lincoln

The college required a modern Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) system to enhance operational efficiency and address current challenges in managing facilities and contractors.

Challenges Identified

Bishop Burton College initially identified the following challenges within the facilities/estates management process: 

Planned, Reactive and Asset Challenges

• The college relied on a centralised IT helpdesk that lacked support for Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM) and Reactive Maintenance, leading to reliance on spreadsheets and hard copy job tickets
• Asset data existed but was incomplete, creating inefficiencies in tracking and managing resources.
• No electronic record of all space including unique identification coding and assets within the spaces.

Contractor Management Challenges

• Significant challenges existed in managing contractor information, including certifications, risk assessments, and method statements (RAMS). Also includes DBS and contractor insurance register.
• Difficulties in efficiently assigning jobs to contractors.

Onsite Staffing Challenges

• Six caretakers were responsible for onsite maintenance, but the lack of a streamlined processes hindered their effectiveness.

Authentication and Hosting Preferences

• The college used Active Directory (AD) for authentication and required a system that was capable of supporting AD Single Sign On.
• The college wished for a non-hosted system, so that data and applications remained on the colleges infrastructure.

Management Reports

• Effective management reports required to provide oversight of the college’s facilities operations.

 

Proposed CAFM Scope

In response to the challenges faced, Bishop Burton College recognised the need for a CAFM system that would offer the following:

Maintenance Management

• Offer a platform to centralise PPM scheduling, ensuring proactive maintenance of all facilities.
• Populate the system with complete and accurate asset data to enable better decision-making.
• Include a streamlined Reactive Maintenance workflow.

Enhanced Contractor Management

• Introduce modules to manage contractor certifications, RAMS, and permit-to-work processes.
• Provide a streamlined mechanism for job assignment, ensuring timely and efficient completion.
• Manage Service Level Agreements against contractor tasks.
• Contractor Quotes

Onsite Staff Efficiency

• Equip caretakers with mobile-enabled tools for real-time job tracking and updates, improving responsiveness.

Authentication and Hosting

• Leverage AD for seamless user authentication.
• Identify a solution that offered both on-premise and hosted capabilities should the requirement change in the future.

Property & Space Terrier

• Record all building space, grounds and fields
• A central electronic database for all property

 Expansion

1. Plan for future integration of permits, asbestos register and space management

• Identify a CAFM solution that incorporates SFG20 standards to enhance compliance and maintenance practices, should this be a future requirement.
• Other expansion options for resource booking and accident reporting were to be considered should the college require additional addons to consolidate systems.

 

CAFM solution

After an extensive market exploration and product comparison, Tabs FM was chosen as the provider for the college’s CAFM software solution. The college determined that Tabs FM’s solution was an excellent fit due to its comprehensive functionality, scalability, modern and clean interfaces, experience with other educational institutions, and cost-effective pricing model.

Some of the other key benefits identified were:

Operational Efficiency

• Centralising and improving operational processes by reducing reliance on spreadsheets, manual processes and multiple systems.
• Improved asset management and maintenance tracking.

Enhanced Contractor Compliance

• Streamlined workflows for managing contractor certifications and RAMS.
• Simplified job assignments and tracking for timely project completion.

Scalability

• A robust platform prepared for future expansions, including hosted solutions and additional service modules.

PPM and Reactive Maintenance Efficiencies

• Introduction of mobiles/PDA devices for internal staff to improve communication and operational efficiency
• Effective reporting

User-Centric Approach

• Simplifying processes for caretakers and administrators, allowing for focus on high-priority tasks.
• Integration of multiple services for a cohesive operational framework.

Mobilisation

The implementation of the CAFM system followed a structured project management approach to ensure a smooth rollout. The process began with an initial kick-off meeting to outline the implementation plan. Key discussions focused on phasing the rollout of modules to prioritise critical functionalities such as Helpdesk/Reactive Maintenance before rolling out PPM tasks and Asset Management. This allowed the project manager to concentrate on essential areas and create a project plan tailored to the college’s requirements.

Data templates were provided to the college for verification and upload by the project team. These templates included site geography, property/location/space, contractors, job defaults, assets, and PPM.

Special consideration was paid to the asset template, where discussions were held about uploading and managing the relationship of child assets relating to a parent, and the impact of this process in the system.

The system workflow was customised to align with the college’s unique processes, addressing specific operational needs.

During the implementation, the college opted for a hosted system rather than the original request of an on-premise installation, and this preference was incorporated into the project plan. This greatly improved the efficiency of the implementation process, allowing the project team to respond to final data queries and configuration quickly.

After initial testing of the build, data review, and workflow verification, detailed and well-paced training sessions were conducted for all stakeholders, to ensure effective system adoption.

Both the college and Tabs FM recognised the benefits of delivering many professional services onsite in addition to remote sessions via Teams. This approach helped to build a strong ongoing relationship between Tabs FM and Bishop Burton College.

Conclusion

By implementing a modern CAFM solution, Bishop Burton College addressed its challenges while preparing for future growth. The Estates Management Database has streamlined operations, enhanced and helped demonstrate compliance, provided meaningful analytical data for job and asset analysis, and provided a scalable platform to support the college’s evolving needs.

The college has begun planning the rollout of additional modules to support other departments and create a centralised, one-stop system for all facilities and estates-related tasks.