The National Oceanography Centre (NOC) is one of the world\u2019s top oceanographic institutions, working with government, business and scientists to provide essential knowledge and resources. The Center operates on two UK sites, one located in Southampton and the other in Liverpool. The Southampton site is operated by the NOC but is shared with the University of Southampton. Approximately 1,700 persons are based at the Southampton site, a mixture of scientists, engineers, support staff and students<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NOC additionally welcomes several thousand visitors from the wider science and research community through an extensive programme of seminars and conferences which are held at the centre each year.
Due to the nature of the activities which take place in the building, NOC houses a broad range of complex technology and equipment, from sea floor survey systems to pressure testing facilities, laboratories, clean rooms, workshops, lecture theatres and classrooms<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Covering in excess of 50,000 square metres, on a site of nearly 13 acres, NOC has two oceangoing vessels and accommodates a range of intricate equipment. NOC\u2019s estates department is responsible for all the building services on the site, including mechanical, electrical and fabric maintenance. In addition, they are responsible for the soft FM services, such as cleaning and security, as well as the management of meeting and conference rooms, reception, mail and porterage services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since the building\u2019s inception, all building services have been controlled using QFM, the award winning computerized maintenance management system (CMMS) software from Service Works Global. The software was originally run via a third party FM service provider, who controlled facility operations at the site until 2000, when the contract was subsequently brought in-house. NOC\u2019s own estates department assumed responsibility for facility management at the site, and considered it vital to retain QFM to perform the critical role of controlling maintenance across the site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nLewis Rennison, Head of Estates at NOC, explains: \u201cQFM had performed extremely effectively since the Centre opened and we therefore viewed it as an important tool to retain when we took over the responsibility for the building\u2019s estates management ourselves.
Due to the vast array of complex equipment that is housed at NOC, it is important to have a reliable CMMS system in place to control planned preventative maintenance (PPM) and ensure the smooth running of the equipment that the building houses.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\nNOC\u2019s estates team comprises over 40 staff including helpdesk staff, plumbers, electricians, cleaners, security and reception staff, who use QFM to control both planned maintenance routines and also to enable a quick response to job requests from building users. All reactive maintenance requests are logged in QFM, prioritized and subsequently assigned to the most appropriate engineer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
NOC\u2019s team of inhouse contractors have \u201ccontractor level\u201d access to the QFM system, enabling them to update details of current jobs from notification through to completion. Full details of each job are recorded and can be fully audited and reported upon. NOC\u2019s Deputy Head of Estates, Simon Stone adds: \u201cQFM tracks labour and efficiency. It allows us to improve efficiency and utilization of staff, and enables us to make informed decisions, which result in measurable cost savings.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Optimizing service delivery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Because of the nature of activities and study undertaken at NOC, a significant portion of staff and students\u2019 time is dedicated to practical work, involving the use of specialist equipment. For the estates team, this means that ensuring the reliability of assets is critical. Rennison explains, \u201cOne of the most important routines is the need to control the calibration of certain pieces of apparatus. We log this requirement on QFM as a PPM and run preventative maintenance schedules weekly through the software which is completely integrated with our unique needs. It delivers complete control and accuracy within such a key area.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A key benefit of QFM for Rennison is the reporting facilities that the system provides. \u201cThe reporting offered by QFM is comprehensive, accurate and informative. We run regular performance reports through QFM, from which we are able to identify at a quick glance where there are repetitive problems onsite.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nHe continues: Should a particular piece of equipment encounter multiple failures, we can investigate the underlying cause and address the issue promptly. QFM allows us to maintain control, not just from a cost perspective, but also environmentally.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n
World-class conference facility<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Throughout the year, the building plays host to a range of events and conferences (such as the biennial Ocean Business exhibition) in addition to educational days for schools and open days for the public. NOC\u2019s estates team is responsible for coordinating the management of meeting and conference rooms across the site, and this process is largely controlled using QFM.
Rennison explains: \u201cBecause of the busy educational and research programme that we support, we cannot afford to encounter potential scheduling problems or double-booked rooms. QFM helps us to avoid these pitfalls by providing a centralized facility from which all bookings are controlled.\u201d
NOC uses the web-based QFM Room Bookings application, which has enabled it to provide all building users with view-only system access, allowing them to view meeting room availability at a glance. Rennison states: \u201cQFM has brought consistency to the room booking process. It has increased meeting room utilisation and enabled us to deliver a professional experience for visitors.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nSupporting sustainability<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As one of the leading centers of its kind in the world, NOC is committed to minimizing environmental impact and has been awarded ISO 14001 accreditation. This accreditation has been maintained for several years. Rennison says, \u201cQFM supports us in managing our environmental risks and reducing environmental impact by ensuring the reliability of our assets and equipment. The QFM app further allows us to reduce notification and rectification times for maintenance work. It not only helps us improve efficiency but also eliminates the unnecessary paper trail and support the sustainability strategies to which we are committed.\u201d As cost and energy efficiency concerns continue to be top of the agenda for facility managers, Rennison firmly believes that in QFM, NOC has invested in a system that will fully support their functional and environmental objectives and reaffirm the Oceanography Centre\u2019s position as a leading research institute for years to come. \u201cOur mission is to maintain our position as the national focus for oceanography in the UK, and remain within the top five centres for Ocean and Earth Sciences and Marine Technology globally. We are committed to delivering world class education and research facilities and QFM allows the facility team to demonstrate to our own staff, students, and the wider community, the first rate educational and research facilities for which NOC is renowned.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Managing Safety<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The site also went on to achieve the ISO 45001 accreditation for occupational health and safety management, which represents NOC\u2019s ongoing commitment to eliminating workplace hazards and supporting employee wellness. Stone comments: \u201cQFM has given us great support in achieving this important certification, and also confidence in retaining it. We can now easily provide records that show our annual servicing plans for each asset and when the PPM took place. That level of auditability is really making a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Future focus<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
As an organization striving for continuous improvement, NOC seek user feedback around its estates\u2019
services. This previously took the format of an annual survey, but QFM\u2019s Dynamic Forms are being
introduced to improve this process. Those who request a service are now automatically emailed a short
survey after the work is completed, allowing them to provide feedback on aspects like service and
communication quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cRegular feedback helps us monitor and improve performance across the estates team. These surveys are
a more targeted approach to our communications and we expect to see a greater response due to their
timeliness,\u201d says Stone. \u201cThe team at SWG were happy to help us set up the initial forms, and provided
training so we can continue to collect information we need as our services evolve.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\nDynamic Forms can also be attached to PPMs on the mobile app, which NOC is looking into for the future. The form will show a checklist of items that require completion to finish the job, helping standardize service across the team and also make completion easier as all information is at hand.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
To procure a software solution to perform the critical role of controlling maintenance and asset reliability across the site.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":7453,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":true},"industry":[41],"project-type":[47],"class_list":["post-7005","case-study","type-case-study","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","industry-transport-infrastructure","project-type-fm-success-stories"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swg.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case-study\/7005","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swg.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/case-study"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swg.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/case-study"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swg.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7453"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.swg.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7005"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swg.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=7005"},{"taxonomy":"project-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.swg.com\/na\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/project-type?post=7005"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}