INDUSTRY INSIGHT 34


Greg Davies Into the ether


“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”


In this quote you could substitute the second and third words with


‘estates/facilities’ and ‘manager’ (not to say that either of these groups is not positive thinking of course) and it would still be right. With an infl ux of new students, academic and support service demands, as well as the routine, the impossible is a daily achievement at this time of year. But what about those aspects under your control


that are really intangible and can often be invisible too? Elements such as air or water quality and occupancy comfort are for those very reasons the main areas prone to speculation and dissatisfaction in buildings. They are often inter-dependent and people’s perception or expectation of them can be diff erent. But how do you fi rstly quantify and then build compliance for something you cannot ultimately see, feel and in some instances touch?


● For water – temperature, system inspection and competent testing/interpretation is a starting point.


● For occupancy comfort – it would again be temperature, but with relative humidity and airfl ow measurements.


● For air – it requires the greatest consideration, with not just numbers of bacteria and dust particles relevant, but together with gases, the types found equally important.


❝Elements such as air


or water quality and occupancy comfort are the main areas prone to dissatisfaction in buildings


All of these areas must also be considered holistically as the results can often be a combination or consequence of two or more interacting factors, rather than a single aspect. For example, carbon dioxide levels when increased can lead to complaints of stuffi ness,


headaches, ‘being hot’ and malaise, but lighting, airfl ow, temperature and humidity can aff ect these too. Factoring in ventilation rates, occupation and air handling unit performance means that getting to the legitimate issues will need more than simply waving a meter about and some positive thinking.


So when you are next confronted with an issue, or perceived issue, over the environmental performance of your building, how would you approach it?


Greg Davies is Head of Service Development at Elementus, an independent health safety and environmental consultancy. t. 0844 800 7705


e. info@elementus.com w. elementus.com


Peter Elgar


The growth of CRM software in the education sector


Ten years ago, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) applications tended to be seen as ‘nice to have’ systems for larger, commercial organisations. But today, CRM software is increasingly popular in the education sector. So how has a tool, originally developed to increase profi tability in businesses like retail, consumer goods and the service industries, become part of best practice in education? Proprietary CRM software is replacing many


niche and legacy applications built on older technologies. Unlike these older applications, today’s CRM applications are extremely fl exible. This means ‘Customer’ (the ‘C’ in ‘CRM’) can just as easily be switched to Student, Learner, Employer, Alumni, Partnership, Trainee – the list goes on. Instead of cumbersome, out-dated software


with limited functionality, modern CRM systems are readily adapted to a university’s requirements. They’re also a lot more cost-eff ective, providing powerful business functionality and streamlining a wide range of processes. Plus they’re easier to use, which reduces training costs, increases speed of deployment and ensures user uptake.


Properly deployed, the right choice of CRM software will help colleges, universities and other educational organisations recruit and retain students almost ‘out of the box’. It’s then a fairly small step to confi gure the software to run employer engagement programmes,


student alumni associations and a wide range of other processes and activities. An eff ective CRM solution will also help towards improving governing body and auditor reports, achieving quality standards, creating better internal communications and work practices.


Frequently, the most value


gained from modern CRM software is through having the system tailored precisely to a


department’s or institution’s precise needs. With highly confi gured workfl ows and automation, reporting, analysis, business intelligence and integration with other applications,


modern CRM software can increase effi ciency in nearly all areas of an academic institution.


By Peter Elgar of UK independent


CRM specialists, Concentrix TSG


Peter Elgar


Ind_Insight.page34.md.indd 34


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