03-01-05 | News

A Dynamic Approach to Facility Maintenance

By Donald Brooks, Rob McCarthy, and Melissa McElreath,
graduate students in the Sport Management and Recreation Department,
Springfield College, Springfield, Mass.

FarmLinks, an experimental golf course in Alabama, is rated as a five star facility for its implementation of the 25 Keys to World Class Maintenance.

In business, innovative change is one of the most important components to success. Park and landscape maintenance, like any other business, thrives on change in order to stay competitive.

In 2002, Dr. Matthew J. Pantera, a Springfield College professor of sport management and recreation, came up with what he called his ‘keys to world-class maintenance.’ His set of 25 guidelines has become a standard in the landscape maintenance industry.

Once these strategies were defined, Pantera and a select group of graduate students researched them and began finding correlations between the degree in which the guidelines were followed and the success of the business. Their nationwide study highlighted the best maintenance and upkeep practices in park districts, National Football League and Major League Baseball venues, the top fifty golf courses and YMCAs.

 

The Most Important Keys to World-Class Maintenance

Recently, the research was taken a step further by a new team of graduate students. They identified the three most important keys to world-class maintenance that best differentiated award-winning gold medal park districts, pro teams, and the top fifty golf courses from non-gold medal park departments and YMCAs.

The first factor in determining success is based on Key #5 of the 25 Keys: The best agencies quantify personnel input. According to the guidelines, this should be done on a daily basis, and the information ought to be shared with the staff. By divulging this information to employees, everyone has a better understanding of the business objectives and individual responsibilities. This information is also vital when defending a budget. For example, if the data show that the cost analysis associated with mowing a particular field is high, one could justify the need for an additional tractor and show it would be cost effective.

The second factor, Key #21, stresses the use of cutting edge technology such as computers, CAD, GPS and other systems. This factor allows departments to maximize output and track the location of equipment at any given time. This data can then be accessed in order to create an effective daily schedule.

The third factor, Key #3, deals with the importance of investing in backup systems to save time and money. Investing in backup systems means that major parts are kept on hand, allowing for an immediate resolution so that customers are never inconvenienced.

TurfCentric’s Smartshop is one example of a computer program that can increase efficiency as it relates to equipment maintenance. The service data are transmitted through a small sensor known as a Vehicle Data Module, which is placed on the individual piece of equipment.

The researchers took a look at the correlation between these three main variables and the efforts that are critical in maintaining a highly rated facility. They found that landscape/park maintenance is a multi-billion dollar industry and innovation is essential in order to improve efficiency and maintain a competitive edge.

The Value of a User Friendly Software Program

According to the book, Managing Creativity and Innovation, from the Harvard Business Essentials Series (2003), a critical factor in enriching an organization includes welcoming new ideas and ways of doing things. Innovation is a process, not an infrequent occurrence. In order for this process to be successful, it is important to invest in the technology that can adapt with the ever-changing world of business, specifically, facility and landscape maintenance. An example of available technology is computer software designed to track all the different aspects of land management. TurfCentric, Groundskeeper Pro 2000, Service Pro and Quetzel Info. Systems are just a few examples of programs that will help a company attain this goal. The purpose of these programs is to save time, improve employee performance, and ultimately, have a direct positive impact on profitability. By committing to the three world-class factors previously mentioned, and by adopting a computerized maintenance management system, facility maintenance practices can be made easier.

The research team studied TurfCentric’s Grounds Care System software and found that tasks such as identifying equipment service issues, ordering supplies, and creating agronomic plans can be efficiently performed with the help of computer programs. The technology automatically alerts mechanics when scheduled equipment maintenance is due, thereby eliminating manual systems and the guesswork that is often associated with preventative maintenance operations. As a result, the cost of downtime and the wear and tear of valuable equipment are both dramatically reduced. It also analyzes service records along with associated part and labor costs. When a tractor needs an oil change, the program alerts the maintenance crew not only of the required service, but also which materials are needed. As the materials are disbursed, the system tracks them and notifies employees when it is time to reorder. Having this “Just-In-Time” ordering system allows for effective turnover of inventory and saves companies money by utilizing minimum storage space.

In addition, another portion of the software is designed to provide superintendents and managers with detailed reports pertaining to the amount of time and money that is spent to maintain each section of the facility. Information is broken down and sorted based on three essential elements: employee, task type, and area. Categorizing the data by employee, supervisors can at any time easily access a detailed synopsis pertaining to the time and money associated with each task every employee performed in their delegated area. The manager can then determine which areas are performing well and which areas require improvement.