Demographic shifts and the rising cost of higher education have made the competition for students even more intense. This drives the facilities arms race most campuses are participating in, but as more money is put into new construction and capital renewal, there is less money for maintenance and operations.
So what can you do? One approach to consider is to use Lean thinking. Lean is an approach that leverages the skills of people to help expose, understand and eliminate problems and rapidly improve processes while balancing both long- and short-term philosophy. Systematically engaging the potential of your people – whether they are leaders, managers, or front-line staff – and innovating to find solutions, regardless of your organization’s culture or unique challenges, is the hidden power of Lean. And it can help you address your facilities challenges.
