CMMS Upgrade at Wyomissing Area School District

Abstract

Schools provide students with the tools needed to grow physically, mentally, and emotional. It helps prepare them to become successful and integral parts of society later in life. It has been found that the more well-kept and safe the school is, the better outcome the students will have. This is why facilities management is so important to the success of both the school and the students. Facilities management covers many aspects such as building security, climate control, fire safety systems, lighting, building and facility upkeep and cleanliness, and more. This includes a range of daily work from changing a lightbulb in a classroom to executing a capital project to expand the school district’s STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) wing. As many school districts consist of at least three to four different buildings, it can be very difficult to keep all of the requests and requirements organized, and ensure they are completed in a timely manner. A computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) is widely used in school districts and other facilities across the nation. They are two-way systems which allows the transfer of information to and from the facilities management team. There are many different types of systems that all have a range of capabilities. The needs of a CMMS are highly based on the needs of the school district. Currently, Wyomissing Area School District utilizes SchoolDude by Dude Solutions as their CMMS. The system allows for work-order prioritization and assignment, preventative maintenance scheduling and tracking, equipment listing, vendor management, inventory control, and labor. In addition, the system allows for input of work-orders and events by the staff. Although the system has been sufficient throughout the years, the district is finding it would like a more diverse and mobile system. The facilities management team has outline three systems which meet the requirements and needs of the school district. These systems include UpKeep, NETFacilities, and Hippo CMMS. The proposal will study the systems and their pros and cons and provide a formal recommendation to the board based on the results.