Case Study: Facility Condition Assessment
The Challenge
Since its initial construction in 1969, the main campus at Beloit Memorial Hospital (BMH) has experienced numerous addition and renovation projects. It now covers over 340,000 square feet of floor space.
To implement a more consistent and objective approach to its capital budgeting process, management at BMH realized that it must first acquire a better understanding of the condition and needs of its existing facility assets. BMH managers further mandated a process capable of addressing deferred maintenance, end-of-life cycle, regulatory compliance, structural degradation, technology-driven obsolescence, and equipment inefficiency issues on an ongoing basis.
No two campuses or buildings are alike and BMH recognized that it needed a solution that addressed the uniqueness of their existing facility assets and planning needs well into the future. “We didn’t want a boilerplate approach. Instead, we required a practical approach that met our specific objectives,” says Phil Larson, Director of Engineering, Facilities Management at BMH.
The Solution
In response to the project objectives of BMH, Advanced Technologies Group’s Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) team conducted a thorough survey of the main campus, including all major Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) systems. Assessment included an evaluation of deficiencies for each system, and an order of magnitude budget for corrections. The team identified components of each building with serious operational issues, and opportunities for savings through upgrades. All information was then integrated into CCM Plus™, ATG’s AutoCAD™-based Computer-Aided Facility Management (CAFM) software.To enable easy user access to the data, the FCA information was then interfaced with ATG’s web-based Enterprise Active Visual System™ (AVS). The AVS allows intuitive management and reporting directly from the Internet-without requiring CAD or other proprietary software. This capability is critical because it allows the FCA data to be used as knowledge for a wide range of decisions. Some BMH users also have unique passwords that allow online data updating from their desktops.
Authorized users can instantly access facility-related information
and run reports via the Internet.
The Results
 |
“ATG’s team approach was practical, effective, and executed quickly.” - Phil Larson, Beloit Memorial Hospital |
The Facility Condition Assessment process at BMH is strategic in detail, broad in scope, and serves as a key element in the true integration of capital budgeting, strategic planning, and facility management at the organization. The web-based component of the solution has provided BMH with the missing link to build the bridge between these vital areas. Unforeseen deferred maintenance, code compliance, end-of-life cycle, and equipment obsolescence issues in existing buildings no longer impact the accuracy of the capital allocation process or the ability of BMH to meet its immediate and long-term objectives.
To request further information regarding any of our facility information solutions, please click here.