HARVARD UNIVERSITY DINING SERVICES

The Harvard University Dining Services (HUDS) group oversees physical plant and culinary operations for 14 kitchens and serveries within the undergraduate residential houses, 9 retail food service outlets, and associated central commissary, bakery, and catering groups. As is commonplace with organizations that manage a robust asset portfolio, HUDS found themselves having accumulated many assets over the years and outgrowing their current management practices. They identified the need to create a tool that would help them manage their current portfolio while being scalable to support an indefinite number of additional assets.

HUDS partnered with ISES in their mission to develop an Asset Renewal, Maintenance, and Disposition Plan for their physical plant components and culinary furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E). ISES helped them delineate the steps necessary to accomplish their goal and, together, they created a multi-phase approach utilizing a combination of ISES methodologies. ISES then assembled a team experienced with commercial culinary processes and equipment, in addition to all physical plant components, to execute the plan.

The primary step in this process was field verification and inventory of all interior plant, building system components, and culinary FF&E. Comprehensive data was gathered for population of the equipment module of the ISES Asset Management System (AMS). Additionally, bar code tags were applied to the equipment items during this step.

ISES Life Cycle Model (LCM) techniques were applied to all of the new components in order to formulate replacement schedules and costs. ISES also outlined maintenance procedures and associated time and cost estimates in an effort to create a protocol for HUDS to follow when deciding whether to maintain, run to failure and repair, or run to failure and replace an asset.

HUDS was effectively furnished with a database that helps them track, replace, or modify an asset with the click of a button. They now have a strategic planning tool that allows them to establish a long-term capital needs plan by forecasting renewal needs, budgets, and schedules. Lines were also drawn between the management of components of HUDS responsibility and that of other campus organizations. A select HUDS team was trained in the operation of the ISES Asset Management System (AMS) software and now has the use of all modules at their fingertips. The ISES team will always be available to help them utilize the system effectively.

This collaboration was required by HUDS to be completed in under 17 weeks. With diligent effort and communication on both sides, this goal was realized. Within this time, HUDS proficiently utilized the flexibility of the ISES service portfolio. By combining the ISES services and creating the opportunity for them to research the management aspects of culinary FF&E, both groups mutually benefited from the partnership.