Mastering maintenance, maximizing value: Our asset management product suite in action
Waco Independent School District began its partnership with Brightly (now Siemens) in 2003, initially using classic products for work order creation. “We were just printing out work orders, and we weren’t really taking advantage of what the system had to offer,” recalls Alexander Villanueva, Director for Facilities and Maintenance.
In 2019, Villanueva needed a more robust asset management system, leading to the adoption of a comprehensive suite of our products: Asset Essentials for asset management, Origin for capital planning, Event Manager for event scheduling and Energy Manager for reducing energy usage and utility bills.
Waco staff diligently uploaded all maintenance and repair data into Asset Essentials, transforming their operations. Within months, the software began delivering significant returns.
Securing bond funding with data-driven confidence
In 2021, when the district prepared a bond proposal for new schools, the detailed maintenance and repair data in Asset Essentials proved invaluable. It provided clear insights into the condition of current facilities, enabling open and data-backed conversations with the Superintendent, leadership and the community. This transparency allowed the district to prioritize facilities for the bond. “We were able to use our data to speed up the process of getting the bond,” Villanueva says. Based on the comprehensive data from Asset Essentials, Waco ISD successfully secured a $355 million bond to replace one high school, two middle schools and two elementary schools.
Responding to disaster: An unprecedented insurance claim
Just two weeks before the fall 2021 semester, G.W. Carver Middle School, slated for replacement, was destroyed by fire. In the aftermath, Asset Essentials became crucial for navigating the insurance claim. The insurance company’s initial offer was $14 million. However, Waco ISD, armed with detailed records of capital maintenance, updates, repairs and internal cleanup work meticulously tracked in Asset Essentials, demonstrated that $14 million was insufficient.
“Based on the information we provided from the software, we ended up getting a $22 million settlement,” Villanueva says. “It was the single biggest claim approved in the history of the insurance company.” This extra $8 million ensured G.W. Carver Middle School could be rebuilt as planned, opening its doors in fall 2023.
Proactive maintenance and operational excellence
Waco ISD’s commitment to leveraging its asset management tools extends far beyond crisis response. A new, innovative use case emerged for Asset Essentials — tracking warranty items. “There was not a system in place for how to track warranties between the actual contractor and us,” Villanueva explains. By granting contractors access to Asset Essentials, Waco ISD can now assign warranty related work orders directly. This ensures accountability, provides a clear communication log, and generates reports for warranty meetings, saving significant time and money.
The district has made remarkable strides in its maintenance strategy. “Last year we broke the 50% mark, so we’re at 52% PM to reactive ratio, which is awesome.” This shift has significantly extended the lifecycle of facilities and equipment, reducing issues like HVAC breakdowns.
To further improve response times and data quality, Waco ISD opened Asset Essentials to every single person in the district. Training, campus visits and an approval workflow for certain requests ensured a smooth rollout. This move also alleviated the burden on custodians, who previously handled all work order submissions.
By bringing filter replacement in-house and meticulously tracking it in Asset Essentials, the district saved around $50,000 annually. Furthermore, after closing several campuses, they salvaged equipment and systems, creating a “virtual warehouse” in Asset Essentials. By tracking and utilizing these items, they’ve saved over $100,000 in areas like HVAC and fire alarm components, only paying for labor when external companies are needed.
Villanueva has successfully made the case to boost the department’s budget from $500,000 to $3 million per year. This growth is directly attributable to the data provided by Asset Essentials, which also supported the hiring of six new positions for a dedicated preventive maintenance team. This strategic investment has also contributed to a dramatic reduction in custodial vacancies, from nearly 40% to just 2-3%, by realigning job descriptions and empowering staff.