The Client
The Residential Service Desk Project Team is working to improve the processes undertaken by the UMass-Amherst Residential Service Desks. The nine campus Service Desks provide student assistance for the residential areas in which they are located. Services range from distributing mail to providing a back-up key when a student is locked out. The Service Desks work to improve student experiences in the residence halls, with associates available around-the-clock to respond to student needs.
The Story
One of the little known yet crucial responsibilities of the student staff that work at the Service Desks is the performance of a key audit every morning. During the key audit, the staff member checks that every key is accounted for and that the correct number of keys is available for each room (which is dependent on the number of residents in that room). The key audit can be a tedious task, taking from thirty to ninety minutes depending on the number of residents in that area. Auditors often need to carry up to three binders, flipping back and forth between sheets. This process makes their jobs that much more cumbersome. This project team is working to maximize the efficiency of the Service Desks by improving the key audit process, creating a solution that is applicable across campus, while taking into account the different challenges faced by each desk.
The Project Team spent three weeks observing six different Service Desks; collecting data on how the key audit process differed for each desk; familiarizing themselves with the characteristics of each service desk and the intricacies of the process. The key audit process is unique to each of the six desks; differing due to the number of rooms for which there’s responsible, the size of the buildings in their residential area, and how the keys are stored. After collecting data, the Team spent two weeks focusing on strategic thinking, brainstorming potential solutions and researching the feasibility of their ideas.
The Team’s final solutions focus on streamlining the key audit process into a system that can be replicated daily, ensuring the standardization of the process. Their first solution is to implement a color-coding system, eliminating the need for binders and maximizing efficiency of the auditors. Their second solution is tech-based, suggesting the addition of tablets to the service desks, which would also make the key audit a paperless process. The Team is currently creating their final presentation for the client and is excited to hear the final decision.
The Lesson
In addition to our desire to give our client a solution that fits their needs, IUCG aims to give our own members a hands-on learning experience during which they can use their knowledge from the classroom in a real-world situation.
We asked this Project Team what they’ve gained from their semester’s work. After three weeks of data collection at each service desk, the Team noticed a common theme: good communication between staff and management plays a vital role in maintaining an organized and efficient workplace. Senior student analyst Emily Bessette says, “IUCG has offered [her] a rare and valuable opportunity where [she] can both collaborate with my peers and give back to my community.” The Project Team is eager to see the impact its hard work will have on the Residential Service Desk.
The Project Team
The Project Team is comprised of Project Manager Sara Clemente, a sophomore in her second semester with IUCG, and student analysts Emily Bessette, Andrew Petricone, Deidre Martyn, and Emma Kelly. Emily is a senior Operations and Information Management major who will be leaving IUCG to join the TJX corporation after graduation this spring. Joining the team as a new member to IUCG, Andrew is a sophomore Sport Management and Finance Dual Major. Also in her first semester with IUCG is Deidre, a sophomore Operations and Information Management major. Emma, in her second semester with IUCG, holds a dual role in the organization as student analyst and Director of Publications.
