Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Janus Award
The Janus Award for monthly custodial excellence goes to The Museum of Natural History/NPS crew, crew lead Lisa McCarrel.
Caught In The Act
These employees have recently been recognized for going above and beyond expectations in Customer Service, Teamwork, Innovation, Safety, or Excellence:
Alex Varley, Glen Nelson, Larry Urbaniak, Luke Williams, Tony Polidori, Leroy Winn, Heather Henderson
Alex Varley, Glen Nelson, Larry Urbaniak, Luke Williams, Tony Polidori, Leroy Winn, Heather Henderson
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Energy Challenge, Say Watt?!
FM is hosting an Energy Challenge in the month of February. Have an idea that will save electricity, natural gas, or fuel? We are looking for everyone in this organization to come up with great ideas for changes that will reduce our overall energy consumption.
All employees across FM will be asked to help generate big and small ideas that we will then implement throughout the month of February. Prizes and awards for the best and most unique ideas as well as participation prizes will be extended to those departments that demonstrate particular commitment to this challenge. Watch for Green Team members at your staff meetings in January to explain the challenge and help you generate ideas to conserve energy in our work environment. We will also be installing sensors to turn off computer monitors when you’re not at your workstation. This could help to save 10-20% of your workstation’s energy use every day.
How can you save energy in February?
Turn off lights.
Turn in your space heater for a free blanket.
Unplug cell phone chargers when not in use.
Turn off equipment when not in use.
Turn the key—be idle-free in your car or truck.
Take the bus to work.
Carpool with a buddy to work or to a job or meeting on campus.
All employees across FM will be asked to help generate big and small ideas that we will then implement throughout the month of February. Prizes and awards for the best and most unique ideas as well as participation prizes will be extended to those departments that demonstrate particular commitment to this challenge. Watch for Green Team members at your staff meetings in January to explain the challenge and help you generate ideas to conserve energy in our work environment. We will also be installing sensors to turn off computer monitors when you’re not at your workstation. This could help to save 10-20% of your workstation’s energy use every day.
How can you save energy in February?
Turn off lights.
Turn in your space heater for a free blanket.
Unplug cell phone chargers when not in use.
Turn off equipment when not in use.
Turn the key—be idle-free in your car or truck.
Take the bus to work.
Carpool with a buddy to work or to a job or meeting on campus.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
What Is Lean?
Lean focuses on customer value and respect for workers. Lean is a way of thinking and acting that puts the customer’s needs first, and offers workers across all levels of an organization the ability to participate in making processes and systems easier and more meaningful. Lean thinking, tools, and processes help to break down departmental silos so that we work together to reduce waste and create more customer value. Kaizen events bring together cross-departmental teams to find ways to continuously improve the services FM provides to campus.
What can you expect along Facilities Management’s Lean journey?
FM is in the process of finding a consultant who will help us to launch Lean within FM in the first couple of months of 2014. We will start with some pilot projects, in which cross-functional teams will work together to find innovative solutions to issues that bug us and bug our customers. Solutions found will be tested and implemented to see if they make sense and improve FM employees’ lives as well as our customers’ lives. You can expect to see Lean grow to all departments throughout FM as we move from pilot projects to integrated daily Lean exercises and management.
Who else has adopted Lean?
FM directors and management visited the University of Washington’s Finance and Facilities group in October to learn how they have transformed their business practices to be less time-wasting, less headache-inducing, and more collaborative and customer-driven. UW Finance and Facilities gives all employees the means and support to implement their ideas to make their workplace better a reality. U of U FM management has also visited Autoliv in Orem, a renowned manufacturing firm that has adopted and excelled using Lean culture and has implemented over 35,000 employee ideas!
What can you expect along Facilities Management’s Lean journey?
FM is in the process of finding a consultant who will help us to launch Lean within FM in the first couple of months of 2014. We will start with some pilot projects, in which cross-functional teams will work together to find innovative solutions to issues that bug us and bug our customers. Solutions found will be tested and implemented to see if they make sense and improve FM employees’ lives as well as our customers’ lives. You can expect to see Lean grow to all departments throughout FM as we move from pilot projects to integrated daily Lean exercises and management.
Who else has adopted Lean?
FM directors and management visited the University of Washington’s Finance and Facilities group in October to learn how they have transformed their business practices to be less time-wasting, less headache-inducing, and more collaborative and customer-driven. UW Finance and Facilities gives all employees the means and support to implement their ideas to make their workplace better a reality. U of U FM management has also visited Autoliv in Orem, a renowned manufacturing firm that has adopted and excelled using Lean culture and has implemented over 35,000 employee ideas!
Facilities Management is Ready to Begin our Lean Journey!
FM Monthly Numbers
$1,523,614,133
Value of Major Capital Projects constructed/renovated over the last decade
Value of Major Capital Projects constructed/renovated over the last decade
Wednesday, January 8, 2014
In The Spotlight
Completed & Groundbreaking
In 2013 we completed construction on Thatcher Chemistry, L. S. Skaggs Pharmacy, Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building Phase 2, Football Training Facility, and the Ambulatory Care Parking Complex.
We broke ground on the Student Life Center, the College of Law, Kennecott Phase 2, the Mid-Valley Health Center, and the Oral Health Science Building.
New Position
As FM has seen continued growth in new construction on campus coupled with anticipated large transformative projects on the horizon, I’ve created a new position, Director of Capital Projects, dedicated exclusively to managing those large and high profile endeavors for me. The person in this role will lead steering committees and engage directly with senior administrators across campus. I hope to have this position filled early in the new year.
In 2013 we completed construction on Thatcher Chemistry, L. S. Skaggs Pharmacy, Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building Phase 2, Football Training Facility, and the Ambulatory Care Parking Complex.
We broke ground on the Student Life Center, the College of Law, Kennecott Phase 2, the Mid-Valley Health Center, and the Oral Health Science Building.
New Position
As FM has seen continued growth in new construction on campus coupled with anticipated large transformative projects on the horizon, I’ve created a new position, Director of Capital Projects, dedicated exclusively to managing those large and high profile endeavors for me. The person in this role will lead steering committees and engage directly with senior administrators across campus. I hope to have this position filled early in the new year.
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Happy New Year!
A greeting from Michael G. Perez, Associate Vice
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the hard work and support you have provided to the university throughout 2013. This was another year of tremendous growth and progress. We’ve shared a number of accomplishments. We’ve worked to keep this campus safe, clean, plowed, watered, warm, cool, and much more.
Though we’ve had many successes, I’d like to mention a few of them here.
The newly founded FM Green Team provided the leadership to put us ahead of 300 teams across the state of Utah in the Clear the Air Challenge. When taking trax or riding the bus, I saw a number of our FM employees and whether it was to participate in the challenge or your regular choice of transit, I appreciate your taking the time to track the miles and to help reflect our commitment to sustainability.
As service is an underlying value for our organization, I was also proud to participate in the first FM wide service project in collaboration with The Bennion Center. A number of us spent a Saturday morning painting, cleaning, and sorting clothes at The Road Home. It was both a humbling and rewarding experience. I’m grateful to all who took the time to volunteer and to those in Facility and Construction Ops who made 71 blankets and donated funds and materials to those most in need in our community.
This was also a year of continued growth of our FM scholarship program. This year we were able to grow the scholarship from $300 to $500 dollars. I thank Craig Bohn, Angie Meeks, Rochelle Randazzo, and Lynn Rohland for their service on the scholarship committee. I am proud to personally support this fund and thank those in the organization who also contribute to support the advancement of our employees. We anticipate the contiunued growth of this program in the coming year.
Above all we’ve done interally, we’ve also had others take notice of our work. FM’s committment to accessiblity was recognized by the Center for Disability Services. Also, Lora Mortensen was recognized with the Presidential Staff Service Award.
Too often the great things that happen here go uncelebrated. I am so proud to lead this organization and I value the excellent work we do together. As we begin this new year, please take a moment to pause, reflect on our good work, and thank those around us for all that is done to support this university.
Thank you and Happy New Year.
We have an excellent group of employees in FM. I am incredibly proud of the work we do. I thank you for your service and for helping us to lead the industry.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for the hard work and support you have provided to the university throughout 2013. This was another year of tremendous growth and progress. We’ve shared a number of accomplishments. We’ve worked to keep this campus safe, clean, plowed, watered, warm, cool, and much more.
Though we’ve had many successes, I’d like to mention a few of them here.
The newly founded FM Green Team provided the leadership to put us ahead of 300 teams across the state of Utah in the Clear the Air Challenge. When taking trax or riding the bus, I saw a number of our FM employees and whether it was to participate in the challenge or your regular choice of transit, I appreciate your taking the time to track the miles and to help reflect our commitment to sustainability.
As service is an underlying value for our organization, I was also proud to participate in the first FM wide service project in collaboration with The Bennion Center. A number of us spent a Saturday morning painting, cleaning, and sorting clothes at The Road Home. It was both a humbling and rewarding experience. I’m grateful to all who took the time to volunteer and to those in Facility and Construction Ops who made 71 blankets and donated funds and materials to those most in need in our community.
This was also a year of continued growth of our FM scholarship program. This year we were able to grow the scholarship from $300 to $500 dollars. I thank Craig Bohn, Angie Meeks, Rochelle Randazzo, and Lynn Rohland for their service on the scholarship committee. I am proud to personally support this fund and thank those in the organization who also contribute to support the advancement of our employees. We anticipate the contiunued growth of this program in the coming year.
Above all we’ve done interally, we’ve also had others take notice of our work. FM’s committment to accessiblity was recognized by the Center for Disability Services. Also, Lora Mortensen was recognized with the Presidential Staff Service Award.
Too often the great things that happen here go uncelebrated. I am so proud to lead this organization and I value the excellent work we do together. As we begin this new year, please take a moment to pause, reflect on our good work, and thank those around us for all that is done to support this university.
Thank you and Happy New Year.
We have an excellent group of employees in FM. I am incredibly proud of the work we do. I thank you for your service and for helping us to lead the industry.
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