Background
KEY STATS:
Clark Retirement Community operates two main locations across Grand Rapids, MI -- Franklin (founded in 1906) and Keller Lake (founded in 2011). As Amy Bromm, Facilities Coordinator, puts it, before discovering TheWorxHub, the company relied on an old software system for managing maintenance work orders that never upgraded and “barely functioned.” They had access to very little work order data, and between jobs, technicians had to go back to their shop to get their next assignment, causing valuable time to be spent traveling back and forth around the grounds.
“We had to solve the problem of getting our work orders taken care of, but we knew there was software out there that could tie together maintenance, housekeeping, room bookings, etc. that everyone could get access to,”
Amy Bromm, Facilities Coordinator.
Clark Retirement Community went from having no data and reporting to sharing their total number of work orders, completion rates and other data points with executives to get buy-in for hiring and asset replacement decisions.
Growing with TheWorxHub (and Beyond)
Clark Retirement decided to implement TheWorxHub, and was quickly amazed at the results. After starting with the Maintenance module, the team quickly added six additional modules (Room Bookings, Housekeeping, Surveys & Inspections, Capital Planning, Security, and WorxIQ). The increase in operational benefits was astounding. Here are just a few examples:
- Room Bookings module
- Included set-up and tear-down times in the reservation
- Enabled search capabilities to filter scheduled events
- Allowed any changes in room bookings to simultaneously update housekeeping work orders as well by syncing directly with the Housekeeping module
- Housekeeping module
- Calculated workloads more efficiently
- More effectively tracked schedules and reschedules
- Made it easier for Clark Retirement staff to investigate complaints
- Enabled staff to easily access records of audits via mobile app (instead of carrying around binders)
- Capital Planning module
- Included more information on past work and asset lifecycles
- Enabled Clark Retirement to tie assets directly to work orders
- Provided useful data to make “repair vs. replace” decisions
More Data for Better Transparency
Adding TheWorxHub gave the Clark Retirement Facilities team access to a vast amount of new data they never had before. They were even able to use data from the system to show that their groundskeeper was spending 5-6 hours every week just on picking up bags of trash around the grounds. They have since hired a contractor to take over trash pick-up, which now allows their groundskeeper to focus on his main responsibilities.
The mobile workflow has made a difference in the team’s productivity and efficiency as well. The technicians can now use iPads to complete work and immediately see any other open work orders without having to go back to their shop to get new assignments. This has led to quicker responses and faster close times. “It has revolutionized our department,” Amy says.
“If you want to work more efficiently and have a partner who is going to come alongside you and work just as hard to get your organization to where it needs to be, then you need to use The WorxHub.”
Better Equipped for the Future
With new data available, the Clark Retirement team says it was “simple” to add on new modules and get buy-in once they were able to show the success that TheWorxHub was having. “I can keep going back to [administration] with this data and prove that this software is working for Clark, for our staff, and for our residents,” Amy says. “It’s easy and teachable and extrapolates the kind of data they want to see.”
They can now show their executive team important statistics on work being done and completion rates, providing better evidence to support future decisions. For example, with the Capital Planning module, Clark Retirement was able to purchase new washing machines better designed for their community, with data on “how long they’re going to last and when to replace them.”
Justin Stonehouse, Manager of Facilities & Capital Projects says this type of asset data with information on when it was installed, its lifespan, and the service record will “really help tip the scale” on “repair vs. replace” plans in the future. “This is a very concrete tool to help us make those decisions.”
Overall, Amy says TheWorxHub has been a huge win for their team, other departments, administration, and residents. “If you want to work more efficiently and have a partner who is going to come alongside you and work just as hard to get your organization to where it needs to be, then you need to use Brightly.”
