The facilities management department at Brown University has a lot on its plate – monitoring and maintaining buildings on the campus in Providence, Rhode Island, which was built more than two centuries ago and houses approximately 6,000 undergraduate students, 2,000 graduate students and 400 medical students during the regular academic year. Among the challenges that come with an institution founded in 1764 is heating – an issue that has drawn the attention of many students, according to the Brown Daily Herald.
Chris Powell, director of sustainable energy and environmental initiatives for facilities management at Brown, told the paper that the department aims to keep the heat at 70 degrees starting in October or November, but some students complain that their rooms are still too cold.
Powell added that the school has plans to upgrade its heating systems and insulation so it can become more energy efficient and sustainable.
However, it can be difficult for facilities managers to balance their goals of keeping costs down and comfort at a premium even if they have newer heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration equipment, reports Today’s Facility Manager. Instead of falling behind on work orders, which can delay cost-saving repairs, FM teams can use facilities maintenance software to track requests in real time.
Facilities maintenance software helps FMs respond quickly with real-time information about requests, status updates and archived messages when work is completed. With up-to-the-minute data, FMs can confirm work from start to finish to avoid delays and oversight.