Job Management Website Integration

The Problem

Managing jobs was time-consuming. As ad hoc requests for work were received in various ways, such as face to face, telephone, walkie-talkie, or on separate pieces of paper. There needed to be a central method that would enable all staff members to log requests for jobs and note their urgency. There were also a number of regular tasks, as well as major school events, that were either noted in a diary or known to the staff.

All items were logged in an Excel spreadsheet, which they used to prioritise and schedule work. The spreadsheet however was not able to log all the information they needed. Nor did it maintain a history of jobs completed, as these were deleted when finished.

Similarly they were not able to track how quickly jobs were done in order to help with forward planning the next time a similar task was requested. Staff were so snowed under with work that they had no time for management reporting.

The Solution

We concentrated first on building a Job Management database with a strong data model that would cover all current requirements, as well as provide a solid framework for developing further. The Facilities team had a clear idea of information they wanted to store, processes that the system should handle, and how the system should be used. They felt that Microsoft Access would be the best option for them so they could handle changes to the management information reports themselves.

Job co-ordination has now been simplified considerably. New ad-hoc jobs can be added and prioritised easily, whilst recurring jobs and regular events are now automatically carried forward weekly, annually or as appropriate. A filtered job list enables staff to see jobs for each day in order of priority, colour coded by urgency, and grouped by job type or staff member. The database helps them to manage safety checks, including PAT testing, as well as schedule regular maintenance inspections.

Once Facilities staff were familiar with the new system, we integrated the new Job Management system with the school's existing website (MySQL based). Facilities staff members, teachers and parents now have a common point of access. A Job Posting form on the school's website links directly into the Job Management database.

A Management Information System provides a wide range of reports and statistics. Completed and outstanding jobs can be viewed, filtered by general classification, function, location, and other criteria. Scheduling work can be done more accurately as staff are now able to track how long each job takes.