University of Nevada Las Vegas
IN-3: Innovation 3

UNLV Facilities Management Paperless Initiative

In 2008, the UNLV Facilities Management Department embarked on a paperless initiative for their daily operations. The initiative sought to find ways for the department to move to paperless transactions where possible and practical to do so. The department has enjoyed many successes in this venture, winning numerous awards for their efforts from trade organizations and publications, and continues to research ways to do even more.

Some of the paperless initiatives currently in use include the Automated Work Request system, the Automated Key Request system, the Automated Financial Posting and Accounting System, and the Leave Manager and associated Leave Web applications.

The Automated Work Request System is Facilities Management’s take on a similar system that came with their TMA Computerized Maintenance Management System. The TMA system didn’t do all the things that FM required, so they built their own. The system allows customers to request work using their internet browser and do a variety of other things such as view charges while the work is in progress, see what charges have been uploaded to the financial system, submit Interdepartmental Requests electronically for chargeable work, attach documents to requests, check the status of their request, and see historical work they requested in the past. But perhaps the most notable feature of this system is the email notifications that customers receive at select points in the request process such as receipt confirmations, when work has been converted to a work order, when work has been scheduled, status changes, and when work has been completed.

The Automated Key Request system works in conjunction with the request system but is solely for requesting keys and electronic access cards. Again, the customer accesses the system using their internet browser. Once keys/cards have been requested, an email is sent to a pre-determined department approver that can either approve or reject the request. Approved requests are electronically forwarded to Facilities Management for processing in the TMA CMMS and routing to the Lock Shop. Emails are sent to the requester during the entire process so they know the status of their request. The customer can even visit the Key Request website to see a graphic illustration of where their request is in the process.

The Financial Posting and Accounting System saves loads of manual entries that used to take days and weeks to perform. It also allows Facilities Management to do progress billings on a weekly basis instead of at the end of a job. Mini applications and triggers take billing information from the TMA CMMS, manipulate it in accordance with established rules, shape it into a pre-defined flat file format, and electronically sends it to the university’s financial system. Once posted, the information is send back and populates the Automated Work Request System so customers can view real-time costs of requested work. The information is also used by department budget authorities to manage their money, make projections, and track trends.

The Leave Manager and Leave Web applications provide a unique and efficient way to manage employee leave and allow employees more freedom in managing their leave. Facilities Management’s Leave Keepers enter requested leave and overtime into the system. This is currently done via paper but electronic submittals and approval routing will become available in the next implementation phase. Entered leave and overtime are electronically routed to the TMA CMMS once approved. Leave Keepers can also see card swipe information from the Time Clock Plus system to insure that this information matches up with leave and overtime requests. Using information from the TMA Time and Accounting system, data can be downloaded into a specified format and sent to the Payroll department for processing. This saves having to complete paper forms. At the end of the year, employees are sent a complete review of their leave history for the year and must sign to verify that it is correct. The system also automatically accrues leave for employees based on their number of years with the university and in accordance with established statutes. In Leave Web, employees can query their current leave balances, see personal information, check their clock in and out times, and play “what if” scenarios when planning time off. Supervisors can query the leave balances of their employees to determine whether or not to approve leave requests. They can also see an employee list, see who’s clock in and out, and see who has scheduled leave. In the future, employees will be able to request leave and overtime electronically.

Each of these applications has not only saved tons of paper but have streamlined administrative operations and saved countless hours of labor. This is one of the main reasons why Facilities Management has some of the lowest administrative costs in the nation and why they’ve been able to do more with less.