The Director of Facilities Management has initiated an action plan with the aim of improving customer service levels and streamlining processes to increase efficiency.
Following an analysis of the department, four key areas were identified for improvement in order to enhance customer service. They were communication, systems, structure and people. The departments systems have been reviewed and process improvement is well underway. The internal structure has been reconfigured so that existing resources can be customer focused, we have embraced a new communication ethos and a number of new customer facing roles were established.
The changes within the department reflect the wider Professional Services aim to Achieving Institutional Excellence. Improving customer service across all Professional Service areas is being led by the Director of Facilities Management, Steve Dickson. The projects aim to map customer requirements, service levels and measure Professional Services areas against agreed key performance indicators. More details of this initiative will be communicated as they are developed.
Central to the changes within Facilities Management is the implementation of the new FM Helpdesk which will deliver a single point of contact for any Facilities Management enquiry. This project is being implemented over the next few months and is estimated go live early 2011. The new help desk will for the first time enable FM to deliver a “one stop shop” manned by a team of experts who are able to deal with your issue or put you in touch with the person who can help. This will be backed up by regular exception and management reporting to ensure your enquiry or fault rectification is expedited and consistently dealt with. We will also be measuring our performance against our targets to ensure we meet or exceed our customer service performance targets.
Regular updates regarding the progress of the Helpdesk implementation will follow but in the meantime, if you require any further information please contact Lindsey Barry, FM Help Desk Manager email lindsey.barry@liv.ac.uk
Communication and engagement with internal customers have also been identified as key areas for improvement. To aid engagement, three Key Stakeholder Managers will work with Faculty Managers in order to improve communication between Facilities Management and each of the Faculties. The Facilities Management website has also been redeveloped as a tool to improve communications with stakeholders. There are now regular updates on campus development projects and information about our services such as building alterations, improvements and Vehicle Parking.
Further improvements include the implementation of new Planned Preventive Maintenance software to provide improved planning capabilities. This will help to ensure the routine and statutory maintenance of University plant and equipment is maintained effectively. The new asbestos register system has been designed to be easy to update and control. This will help to ensure users have access to the latest information. The register can be accessed entirely via the internet making it available to all users who need it, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Facilities Management recently undertoook works to improve the control and reliability of the heating system in the Ashton Building. Unfortunately, these introduced some air into the system which, due to the age and configuration of the heating pipework, has taken some time to remove completely, leading to intermittent operation particularly on the upper floors. This issue has now been resolved. If further localised problems are experienced, these should be reported to the Help Desk
OK, I’m about to try them out to see what they about the Ashton Building’s chronic heating problems…