Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech), a private, technology-focused research university in Chicago, IL selected and launched Planon Universe, an integrated workplace management system (IWMS) initially in April 2018. Phase one of the project included a rollout to all faculty and staff, transitioning from its former work order system to improve the user experience. The system improved communication throughout the Illinois Tech community, allowing for a more efficient processing of work requests, and more streamlined workflow processes overall. In addition, the system incorporated financial transactions through its integration with Illinois Tech’s current ERP software application, which maintains student, alumni, financial, and personnel records.
In the Fall of 2018, Illinois Tech rolled out phase two, which provided system access to university housing students and provided customized Planon self-service forms aligned with the use of the residential spaces on campus. This gave students living on campus a direct connection to the people who could take action on their requests and needs. Previously, student work requests from Housing were routed through a third-party system, then manually entered into the university’s work order system. This caused delays, miscommunication, and lack of confidence from users that requests were going to be completed.
The rollout of Planon’s IWMS has significantly reduced work order cycle time, improved communication, and has helped the facilities department become more reliable and predictable. It has also increased transparency through the use of automated and custom notifications and has given students the ability to search their work request history. “Planon has served as an excellent two-way communication mechanism. We have seen a reduction in the frequency of students using other outlets such as social media, to express their concerns,” said Kevin Gallagher, Assistant Vice President (AVP) of the Facilities Operations and Maintenance department.
The third phase of the rollout was implemented in October 2019 and has made Planon available to all Illinois Tech students. “This will give us the opportunity to better understand what is important to our students and provide the ability to track and categorize deficiencies. This will help us make data-driven strategic decisions which will help us prioritize where to invest in repairs and renovations,” said Gallagher. “The system really gives students a voice, which ultimately will lead to increased student satisfaction and retention, and enhancement of the university’s reputation overall.”
About Planon
Planon is a global software provider that helps organizations to streamline business processes for buildings, people and workplaces. Planon has over 2,500 customers in 40 countries, offices in the United Kingdom, Singapore, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Sweden, India, Austria, Hong Kong and the United States. Founded in 1982, Planon employs over 750 employees, committed to contribute to the success of Planon’s customers. In our new series Meet the Experts you can have a look behind the scenes of Planon and learn more about Planon’s people and processes.
As a market leading specialist with over 35 years of IWMS (Integrated Workplace Management System) experience, Planon has always focused on – and significantly invested in – product innovation. The Research & Development team at Planon consists of over one hundred employees who continually improve and extend our home-grown and truly integrated software solution to better meet customer needs.
Planon has implemented its comprehensive solutions for more than 2,500 clients, supported by offices around the world. Planon is a ‘Leader’ in the Verdantix 2019 Green Quadrant® Integrated Workplace Management Systems (IWMS), which reinforces our position as a strong solution provider within the global IWMS market. Beginning in 2006, Planon has also consistently been listed as a ‘leader’ by Gartner in its Magic Quadrant for IWMS.
For more information, visit planonsoftware.com.
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