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Software Fit for a King – How CMMS Assists a Medieval Castle
By Dave Griffiths, Senior Management Consultant,
CWorks Systems
Unlike Hogwart’s Castle in the Harry Potter book series, real
medieval castles require constant upkeep and attention to detail.
Plumbing systems are not magically repaired with the swish of a
wand and working, computerized central air and heating systems in
castles are amenities required by even the most steadfast historian.
Leeds
Castle
Hence, when John Summers took the helm as Head of Support Services
at Leeds Castle, an English medieval castle in Kent dating back to
the 12th century, he knew that effective facilities
management would be a daunting undertaking. While attacks in the
time of Edward 1st were carried out using ballistas
(catapults), attacks continue today but are more mundane -
corrosion, erosion and contamination - not as lethal but just as
capable of shutting down a facility. The castle is currently being
used as a conference and tourist center. The immediate grounds
include a large catering facility, ponds, gardens, an aviary, a
maze, a golf course, an unusual museum of dog collars – that’s
right, dog collars – and over 500 acres of lush gardens to manage
and manicure. Whereas in the past, it may have been feasible to
employ a large number of employees, today the costs involved in
running a castle and the complexity of modern equipment necessitate
a much smaller workforce.
As the Head of Support Services at Leeds Castle, Mr. Summers
realized that to be successful in managing these facilities, he
needed to better organize, schedule and track the work being done on
both the castle and its surrounding buildings and grounds. The
facilities management system was as antiquated as the castle itself
in that preventive maintenance was a pure paper system with no
tracking capabilities or accountability. In an interview with Mr.
Summers last month, he stated that he realized that they needed to
streamline and automate the maintenance process to ensure their
equipment was running smoothly before our guests were affected.
Mr. Summers, a seasoned veteran of facilities management, understood
the importance of an efficient computerized maintenance management
system (CMMS). However, his experience in the service industry -
with its associated tight profit margins, limited staff, and its
unique and diverse equipment – made him hesitant to purchase CMMS
software as most were custom and /or cost prohibitive. What he did
not know was that several software products currently on the market
were not only affordable but were extremely effective in catering to
small and midsize firms. After hearing positive reviews from other
service industry users, Mr. Summers was surprised that he could find
a CMMS system – even freeware – that offered him both affordability
and effectiveness.
Mr. Summers’ maintenance staff consists of ten tradesmen - two of
whom normally work inside the castle with the remaining eight
workers who manage the rest of the 500 acre estate. Equipment used
on the estate is extensive and diverse – boilers, plumbing systems,
computerized lighting, vehicles, farm machinery, catering equipment,
laundry, air conditioning, fiber optic lighting, computer systems,
network infrastructure, security and fire alarms.
Before the implementation of the CMMS system by CWorks Systems,
there was uncertainty with Work Requests from service staff as to
the status of their work requests. Similarly, Maintenance was unsure
whether this request had been duplicated. The Work Request feature
of the CWorks’ CMMS software allows an employee to enter their
request using only the description of the work required. Additional
information can be added at this point or by the Maintenance staff
later. From there, the requestor and management can follow the
progress of their Request(s). The ‘Request’ shows up on the main
screen allowing Maintenance to decide whether or not to convert the
request to a work order. These work orders are then printed off from
the backlog when they are to be executed, and assigned to the
Tradesmen by the Supervisor. The Tradesman can then fill in details
of the work done and materials used so that the work order costs and
details are recorded against the Equipment on which it was
performed. Tradesmen can also enter work requests directly on the
computer thus saving several steps in the process. The latest
version of the software makes this even simpler and faster via the
WorkLog feature that John is considering using.
The ease of entering detailed information into the CMMS database is
that it enables Managers to see a full cost and repair history for
every piece of equipment. High cost and inefficient equipment are
highlighted and become feedback for continuous improvement of the
Preventive Maintenance program. Additionally, this system provides a
means of demonstrating where maintenance time is being consumed -
not always where people believe it is going and not always on
maintenance activities.
The CMMS also ensures that there is a consistent preventive
maintenance program in place on heating and HVAC equipment. The
maintenance is now currently calendar-based and generates and
prints a Work Order and the associated check lists. There is now a
record of whether this work has been done, but more importantly in
the long run, there is data to ensure the preventive maintenance
work being done is effective.
Experience at Leeds Castle illustrates that, even for a small staff
with no dedicated planner, the correct CMMS can be an invaluable
tool for improving maintenance and making a positive contribution to
the bottom line. The keys are careful planning and scheduling of
routine work and credible detail data that can be used to analyze
current performance and point to improvements.
Harry and his friends would surely have less nasty surprises if such
a system was in place at their various locales, even without a magic
wand.
David Griffiths is the Senior Management Consultant for CWorks
Systems, Inc., 6225 Sheridan Drive, Suite 320, Williamsville, New
York 14221, 716-631-4750, Fax: 716-631-4752,
www.cworkssytems.com.
For more information regarding CWorks CMMS also send email to
info@cworkssystems.com
More information on Leeds Castle can be found at:
www.leeds-castle.com
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