Clark Retirement Community Revolutionizes Workflow & Reporting with TheWorxHub
KEY STATS:
- Closed 10,116 maintenance work orders in first year of use
- 2,152 room bookings since launch of module
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.
So, how did they get there?
Clark Retirement has two main locations: Franklin (founded in 1906) and Keller Lake (founded in 2001), and they’re currently in the middle of a major renovation at the Franklin campus. They had an old software system for managing maintenance work orders that never upgraded and “barely functioned,” says Amy Bromm, Facilities Coordinator.
“We were in a near desperate phase to come up with something for work orders,” Amy says, and they were looking for a system with work order tracking, mobile capabilities and solutions for other departments, too.
“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 says.
Justin Stonehouse, Manager of Facilities & Capital Projects, says they knew they needed to make a change.
“We were at that fork in the road of were we going to continue the old-fashioned way or embark on something that’s more current that we can grow into and grow with,” Justin says.
New efficiencies
They made the decision to go with the latter by choosing TheWorxHub by Brightly and were amazed at the results.
“Now we can accurately and intelligently speak to when [work] will be done and by whom,” Justin says.
They were even able to use data from the system to show that their groundskeeper was spending 5-6 hours per week picking up bags of trash, and they have since hired a contractor to take over trash pick-up and allow the groundskeeper to focus on his main responsibilities.
The mobile workflow has made a difference in productivity and efficiency, too. The technicians can now use iPads to complete work and then see any open work orders without having to go back to the shop to get next assignments. This has led to a quicker response time and close time.
“It has revolutionized our department,” Amy says.
Growing with TheWorxHub
Since starting with the Maintenance module of TheWorxHub, they’ve added 6 others (Room Bookings, Housekeeping, Capital Planning, Surveys & Inspections, Security and WorxIQ).
“There’s always value to having one software with one vendor you’re dealing with,” Amy says.
To quickly (at a glance) have proof or data regarding really anything, like the care we give our residents, whether it is maintenance, room bookings, etc. is very important.
Here are some of the benefits Clark has found from additional modules in TheWorxHub:
Room bookings
› Syncs with Housekeeping module so any changes in the room booking are reflected in the housekeeping work order as well
› Set-up and tear-down time included in the reservation
› Better search capabilities to filter scheduled events
Housekeeping
› Calculate workloads more efficiently
› Better track schedules and reschedules
› Easier to investigate complaints
› Mobile allows them to keep record of audits vs. carrying around binders
Capital planning
› More information on past work and asset lifecycles
› Ability to tie assets to work orders
› Use data to make repair vs. replace decisions
Security
› Documentation for security offers reading the pass down book each shift
› Additional documentation for lighting, door checks, freezer checks, etc.
› Add specific digital instructions at each checkpoint vs. using paper post orders (they’ve gone from 5-6 pieces of paper every night to one)
And Amy says it was simple to add on new modules and get buy-in once she showed the success of the first ones.
“I can keep going back to [administration] with this data and prove that this software is working for Clark, for our staff, for our residents. It’s easy and teachable and extrapolates the kind of data they want to see.”
Data for transparency
The data on work orders, assets and equipment, and staff that they can pull from the system has made a big difference in the way they communicate with administration and residents.
“Our leadership is all about transparency in our department,” Amy says. That’s why they regularly pull reports and have a 1-year recap with the executive team to share important statistics about work being done, completion rates, types of work and explain why they should make certain decisions.
Even with capital planning, they are better equipped with the asset information and tracking in TheWorxHub. For example, this has helped them plan for the purchase of new washing machines better designed for their community.
“That was an early win because now we have an idea of all our washers and dryers, how long they’re going to last and when we need to replace them,” Amy says.
Justin says this type of asset data with information on when it was installed, the lifespan and the service record has “really helped tip the scale” on repair vs. replace decisions. “This is a very concrete tool to help us make those decisions.”
He says it also helps keep their partners accountable by tracking warranties and fixes.
Their Resident Council is also kept more in the loop as the Clark team presents reports to them each month, and they have better communication between work being submitted and completed.
Overall, Amy says TheWorxHub has been a 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 they need to be, then you need to use Brightly.”
Making way for a promotion
Working with Brightly even helped Amy get a promotion. When she attended Dude University (our annual operations conference), she talked to other clients who did similar work and was able to use the experience to update her title and role.
“Dude University really makes an impact, and I’m very appreciative that you all encourage us to network, chat and help one another out,” Amy says.
