Policy Statement

Purpose and Scope

The basis of the Physical Plant’s maintenance and service operations is the Work Order System which:

• Receives all work requests,
• Initiates action on the requests, and
• Directs the project through to completion.

This system is a continuing effort providing rapid response, greater efficiency, smoother coordination and accurate maintenance/service records, resulting in more economical management of Physical Plant resources. The system has a sufficient degree of flexibility built into it which allows the handling of priority work as it is received (see "Work Priorities," this section) and the attainment of Physical Plant objectives (to provide quality service at the lowest possible cost to the University).

A flow chart (see Exhibit G3) illustrates the Work Order System as it is described in this section. The Work Order System permits any UTD employee to initiate a Work Request form (see Exhibit G2) for maintenance, repairs, service calls or minor construction. If a requestor desires a cost estimate for a departmental project prior to start of the project, s/he should indicate this on the Work Request form. This procedure is detailed in the sub-topic "Request for Services," this section.

Work Priorities

Priorities are assigned to all work requests according to their relative importance to University operations. Assignment of priorities is done by the Work Control Supervisor as work requests are received and is based solely upon the following criteria established for each priority:

• Emergency: - Includes problems that create safety hazards, interrupt building operations, or seriously disrupt academic, administrative or University life. Examples are ruptured water lines, gas leaks, clogged sewers and electrical outages. Such problems require immediate attention.

• High: - This priority involves any work which is less serious than emergency work, but requires repair with seventy-two (72) hours after the discovery of the problem in order to maintain normal University operations. Examples include repair of broken windows, certain office equipment and water fountains.

• Medium: - This priority involves any work that is less serious than high priority. Completion can be expected within ten (10) days of receipt of the Work Request form, depending upon the availability of manpower and supplies. Examples include pulling computer cable, installing mini-blinds and installing keyboard drawers.

• Low: - All institutional and departmental services not falling within the other categories. Scheduling is on a "first come-first serve" basis and completion can be expected within thirty (30) days of receipt of the Work Request form, depending upon the availability of manpower and materials. Examples include the repair of chairs, minor painting, minor construction projects and installation of electrical outlets.

Work Control Center

The purpose of the Work Control Center is to effectively coordinate the Work Order System. This Center is located in the Physical Plant building and is manned by the Work Control Supervisor, who is responsible for scheduling the daily operations of the Physical Plant.

All work requests should be directed to the Work Control Supervisor via the Work Request form (see Exhibit G2) or by phone (Ext. 2177) if the request is urgent or an emergency (see "Work Priorities," this section). All trouble calls and complaints should be reported to the Work Control Supervisor, who has instant communication with maintenance personnel.

Operation of Work Order System

Request for Services

The Work Request form (see Exhibit G2) is to be used by all UTD personnel when requesting work, services or to report complaints to the Physical Plant. This form is available from Central Stores. It should be completed in detail (see instructions below) with the white copy being mailed to the Work Control Supervisor, Physical Plant, PP11. The yellow copy should be retained by the requestor. Phoning in work requests is discouraged for routine maintenance and services and should only be done for emergency or high priority requests (see "Work Priorities," this section for priority definitions).

Instructions for completing the Work Request form are listed below. The number of each instruction corresponds with the number assigned to the appropriate section of the sample form, Exhibit G2.

1. Requestor - The name and title of the individual requesting the Physical Plant service should be typed or clearly printed and include the requestor’s signature.

2. Date - The date the requestor noted the need for Physical Plant services, which should be the same date this form is being completed.

3. Mail Station (M/S) - The mail station of the individual requesting the Physical Plant service.

4. Department - The requestor’s assigned department.

5. Account No. - Account to which labor and materials for the job will be charged.

6. Extension - The requestor’s UTD phone number. This is needed in case further clarification of the requested service is required by the Physical Plant.

7. Request Type - Check the type of service requested according to the following definitions and examples:

   • Repairs - This would include most Institutional Services, such as bathroom plumbing leaks and replacement of burnt-out light fixtures. These items do not require immediate attention but are annoyances and should be serviced as soon as possible. Also included in this category are items such as the hanging of pictures and rearranging of furniture within a departmental area. If the problem is serious enough, the requestor should call the Work Control Supervisor, who has immediate communication contact with maintenance personnel. However, such calls should be limited to high priority or emergency problems (see "Work Priorities," this section).

   • Special Event - When a special event, such as a seminar or special class, is scheduled, there may be special needs in preparation for the event, such as setup of equipment, chairs, or lecterns, or special custodial requirements. The Physical Plant requires a one (1) week notice prior to the date of the special event in order to provide adequate coverage.

   • Minor Construction - This normally involves physical alterations to a departmental area, such as changing a door, adding a partition or fabricating a cabinet.

   • Move Support - This primarily involves the movement of an individual’s books, personal items, etc., from one facility space to another.

   • Engineering - This is a professional service used for the design, estimation and planning of facility improvements; for example, the planned conversion of a classroom into office space. Also included in this category is the modification of existing facilities to meet the teaching and administrative requirements of a department, such as modifying a chemistry laboratory into classroom space.

   • Other - This includes anything not listed in the previous categories.

8. Location of Work

   • Building - The campus building in which the requested work is to be completed. Use the following notations to designate the building:

     Code	Name
     AC	Animal Care Facility
     AD	Administrative/Multipurpose Building
     AS	Arts Studio
     BE	Lloyd V. Berkner Hall
     CA	Callier Center(Buildings A,B,C)
     CD	Callier Building D
     CE	Callier Building E
     CF	Callier Building F
     CG	Callier Building G
     CH	Callier Building H
     CN	Conference Center
     EC	Engineering/Computer Science
     EP	Thermal Energy Plant
     FA	Founders Annex
     FN	Founders North
     FO	Founders Building
     GH	Greenhouse
     GI	GIL
     G1	Grounds Storage
     G2	Grounds Storage
     G3	Grounds Storage
     GC	Cecil and Ida Green Center
     GR	Cecil H. Green Hall
     JO	Erik Jonsson Academic Center
     LC	Linear Accelerator Chamber
     LF	Karl Hoblitzelle Hall
     MC	Eugene McDermott Library
     MP	Multipurpose Building
     NB	North Office Building
     NL	North Lab Building
     PG	Police/Grounds/Garage
     PH	Police Gatehouse
     PI	Physical Instruction Building
     PP	Physical Plant Building
     PS	Property & Records Storage (Surplus Property)
     SB	Service Building
     SU	Student Union
     S1	Storage Building
     S2	Storage Building
     S3	Storage Building
     S4	Storage Building
     S5	Barn
     S6	Paint Shop
     TH	University Theatre
     UR	University Residence
     VG	Old Garage

   • Room - The room number in which the requested work is to be completed. If work is not to be done in a room, leave this space blank.

   • Area - If a problem exists outside a room, designate the area of the building or, if the problem exists outside a building, designate the campus area. Examples include:

     • Within a building - 4th floor corridor, north side; basement, northeast corner

     • Outside a building - front steps, Founders Building; Orange Decal parking lot, northeast corner

9. Requested Work/Problem - Thoroughly describe the requested work giving as much detail as possible. This is important since the priority assigned will be based upon the work description. Additionally, a complete description will eliminate additional phone calls or visits by Physical Plant personnel to determine the extent of the work prior to beginning the project. If a cost estimate is desired before the project is started, put "Request Cost Estimate" in this section after the description of the work requested.

10. Room Availability - Note times when work can be performed in the room or area to avoid any conflicts with class schedules, work study sessions, etc.

11. Date and Time Work Required - If there is a definite time period when the service must be provided or completed, it should be noted here. The requestor should be specific and state the reasons why a specific completion date is required in the space entitled, "Requested Work/Problem." Terms such as "ASAP" or "immediately" are not sufficient for the Work Control Supervisor to assign an accurate priority to the request/problem.

12. Print or Type Name - Print or type the name of the person with signature authority for the account number on the Work Request form.

13. Signature - The person with signature authority for the account number on the Work Request form signs on this line.

Work Order Procedure

The Work Order form (see Exhibit G4) is generated when a Work Request form (see Exhibit G2) is entered in the Physical Plant Facility Management system. When a work request is entered onto the system, it is assigned the appropriate priority and forwarded to the foreman responsible for that location. The foreman will estimate the labor and material costs if the department has requested an estimate before the work begins.

The labor charges are entered into the system on a daily basis by the work control clerk. The material charges are added electronically to the work request as the materials are ordered. The requests are closed by the foreman after each job is completed.

If the request cannot be completed or performed by the Physical Plant maintenance personnel, the job will be contracted to an outside vendor through the Physical Plant with the requestor’s approval.

Charges for all labor will be charged to the appropriate departmental accounts according to the type of service performed. The billing will be sent electronically to the Procurement Management Office for processing.