It seems like the summer has flown by, and before you know it, move-in time will be here for universities. Working in higher education facilities management, you know that move-in and move-out aren’t sprints; they’re marathons, and what do you do before a marathon? Prepare. Without software to automate your move-in process, you and your team will likely be scrambling to ensure space, energy, and resources are available for students and staff. But what if you had software that could help you predict and strategize just what you need? Here, our team breaks down the many benefits of data-driven decision-making for facilities managers and tips for optimizing move-in this year. 

Mastering Mailroom Efficiency Pre-Move In

Often overlooked but one of the most important aspects of facilities management, your university mailroom is package central, especially during move-in time. So, how can you prepare for this influx? 

• Inventory Management – if your mail and packages aren’t organized, how can you get them where they need to be? The first step in preparing is to develop an organizational system within your mailroom. We recommend using barcoded shelves to make finding packages as simple as possible.  
• Digital Mail – One of the best features to incorporate in your mailroom is digital mail. Digital mail allows for automated text or email notifications to be sent when a student or staff member gets a package. Then, they are able to choose how they would like it to be handled – for example, pickup, forward, or disposal. By ensuring student and staff information is up-to-date prior to moving in, you can maximize mailroom space.
  
• Strategizing Staffing – Here is where data is so powerful. For move-in, there is no doubt that staffing has to be strategic. Without data, properly staffing can be a difficult task. Use incoming student data to see if there is an increase or decrease in on-campus housing. Then, pull data from your FM software, like Intra, to see data points for how much inventory and staffing was used to create an optimized staffing plan. 

Conduct Preventative Maintenance On Campus

Preventative maintenance isn’t just a luxury for higher education; it’s a necessity. With the size of many campuses, managing maintenance for all on-campus buildings, especially dorms, can be a challenge. With thousands of students coming in and out each day, downtime is not an option. To prepare for move-in, conduct a thorough inspection of all on-campus buildings, including HVAC, electrical, elevators, and emergency assets. 

This is where campus management and asset logistics software is a fantastic resource. Not only can you automate inspections and task management, but you can store data on all relevant assets, including data on their asset lifecycle, time to repair, time between failure, and more. With this data in mind, your team can plan accordingly for any preventative maintenance needed for move-in and beyond. 

Improve Safety & Security Measures

Move-in is an exciting experience for new students and their families, and the most important thing is that everyone is kept safe. Although no one expects issues during move-in times, additional foot and car traffic, crowded buildings, and heavy lifting can take a toll. By utilizing data from previous years to see if and where there were any areas on campus that had previous accidents or notes, you can fix these in advance for move-in this year. Additionally, ensuring that all buildings are kept secure during this time can be a challenge. Visitor tracking software can streamline your move-in process while enhancing safety for all on campus by keeping records and configurable access metrics for students, parents, and staff. 

 Get Your Campus Ready with Intra

If there is one industry we’re passionate about, it’s higher ed. For over 25 years, we have worked with universities of all sizes to craft the perfect facilities management solution for your team. We know that every campus is unique, and our job is to optimize and automate your time-consuming daily tasks so that you can focus on what’s important, making the campus experience amazing for your team, your students, and your staff. To learn more about our higher ed workflows, email [email protected] or schedule a demo with our team today.