Facilities Services is improving the way we support the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Over the past several months, we have re-organized our work structure to better serve campus through our three core service areas: Planning & Design, Construction, and Operations.
As part of this improvement effort, we’re excited to share more about how we’re managing Capital Projects and major renovations on campus.
A More Streamlined Project Approach
We’ve established dedicated/focused teams to manage each phase of the ideation, development, design and construction of a project:
- A Planning team that works with campus stakeholders to define and refine the project scope
- A Design team that oversees the architectural and engineering work
- A Construction team that manages on-site building and implementation
This structure allows for more focused expertise and engagement at each phase of the process with redundancy to ensure consistency in the oversight and coordination of efforts. While you may interact with different leads as a project progresses, each project will have a design and construction manager assigned from start to finish.
Improved Operational Excellence
Additionally, Facilities Services has implemented several organizational updates to improve efficiency and care for campus facilities operations. Formerly known as Zone Maintenance, the newly restructured Maintenance & Repair division has established a Preventative Maintenance and Specialty Repairs sub-unit. This team is dedicated to specialized services such as glass replacement, accessible door openers, and general building utilities. To further improve efficiency and service delivery across campus buildings, responsibilities for HVACR, plumbing, and electrical systems have also been strategically realigned from Utilities & Energy to this new unit.
Utilities and Energy has created a Building Automation group to focus on automation, data analytics, and energy savings. Building Services now houses the Office of Sustainability and UT Recycling, fostering better communication and collaboration for sustainable campus practices.
Better Communication, More Transparency
We’re also improving how we share project information with campus partners and the public. The Facilities Services website now includes a project information page where you can learn more about ongoing work.
As part of this ongoing change, Facilities Services is excited to introduce a new Project Initiation Form for campus partners. This form streamlines the process for requesting alterations or modifications to existing spaces, renovations and new construction projects, feasibility or planning studies, and cost estimates for future planning endeavors. Once the form is submitted, a member of the Facilities Services team will follow up directly with the requester to discuss next steps and ensure the project aligns with campus needs.
You can access the form using the following link: Project Initiation Form.
In addition, UTK is conducting a multi-year Proof of Concept (POC) to evaluate Kahua, a Project Management Information System (PMIS) designed to streamline project documentation, communication, and lifecycle management. By piloting Kahua on select projects, UTK aims to demonstrate its potential to enhance collaboration, efficiency, and strategic use of asset data across the UT System.
In the coming months, we’ll continue expanding these resources to include project timelines and status updates so you can readily track progress. These changes are part of our commitment to providing clear, timely, and transparent communication about work happening across campus. Thank you for your continued support as we grow and improve to meet requirements.