Case Study: Facility Condition Assessment
The Challenge
Oakton Community College (OCC), part of the Illinois Community College system, has two locations in Des Plaines and Skokie. OCC was interested in learning more about the various aspects of its school facilities and their ability to support current and future educational activities. They determined a key aspect in this process is the physical condition of each building and associated infrastructure. OCC approached Advanced Technologies Group, Inc. (ATG) to assist them in conducting a Facility Condition Assessment (FCA) to determine the condition and estimated life expectancy of various systems and components of all buildings on the Des Plaines campus, which covers approximately 420,000 square feet of floor space. OCC hoped that the study would establish the anticipated maintenance or replacement cost for the major systems and components on their Des Plaines campus. The results were to be used as a guide for future replacement, repairs and improvements, in priority order, for the college to keep its facilities, grounds and infrastructure in proper working condition to meet the demands of the current and future students attending OCC.
The Solution
In response to the specific objectives of OCC, ATG's FCA team conducted a thorough survey of the Des Plaines campus, including all major Mechanical, Electrical, and Plumbing (MEP) Systems. An analysis of the major architectural components of the campus, along with a thorough site assessment, was conducted as well. An evaluation of the deficiencies found under each category was performed to develop a ten year capital spending plan based on the findings of the on-site condition assessment, taking into account the priority level for the correction of each deficiency. The team identified components with serious operational issues, as well as opportunities for savings through upgrades. All information was then integrated into a web-based system to facilitate the ongoing management of the ten year capital spending plan.
Authorized users can instantly access facility-related information and run reports over the web without any additional software or hardware.
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. It also allows the data to be updated so that the information can remain current and useful over time rather than becoming outdated after the delivery of the FCA Report.
The Results
The Facility Condition Assessment process at Oakton Community College was strategic in detail, broad in scope, and serves as a key element in the true integration of capital budgeting, strategic planning, and facility management of the campus. The web-based component of the solution has provided OCC with the tools necessary to plan for its future. 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 OCC to meet its immediate and long-term objectives.
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