As we move closer to the start of our new facilities management contract on campus, we want to share some of the benefits we can all expect from the new partnership.
Following a robust and comprehensive procurement process, we announced that OCS will be our new Facilities Management (FM) partner, joining the Sussex Estates and Facilities (SEF) partnership from 1 July 2025.
These FM services cover how the campus is maintained and looked after day-to-day, and how improvements are made over time, from our estate and grounds and transport to security and cleaning services.
The needs of our campus community have been at the heart of the process that led to the awarding of the new seven-year contract, following an extensive consultation in spring 2023 which saw more than 2,000 students and staff, including SEF staff, share their views on the future of FM at Sussex in surveys and focus groups.
Listening to our community
During the consultation, we learned that our community wanted an improvement to the speed of helpdesk responses, to be better informed around the progress of requests raised, and more warning about planned Estates activity in their building or office.
As a result, once the new contract begins, OCS will take steps to significantly improve the way we can register then track work order requests, with anew QR code scanning function to log jobsand round-the-clock helpdesk cover.
Read on to learn more about the technological innovations and increased support that are helping to improve communication about the maintenance of our historic estate.
Improving helpdesk availability with round-the-clock cover
OCS plan to provide an accessible and responsive helpdesk that is available 24/7, 365 days a year. Current SEF helpdesk staff will see new processes introduced to bring in more thorough capturing of information that enables data-driven decisions that can improve efficiency and customer service.
"The existing helpdesk provision will continue during office hours then the customer service team will hand over to a dedicated remote team overnight and on the weekends. These staff will be fully trained to ensure the handover process operates smoothly and that they know how Sussex operates and what we need,” explains Chris Harrison, Deputy Director of Estates.
In addition, a new QR code capability is proposed to enable staff and students to log faults on the move: all data will be linked to the main system and email notifications will be issued to whoever reported the fault to allow users to track the progress of high-priority jobs. Key users, such as building managers and facilities managers, will be able to log into a portal to track the progress of multiple jobs, including those that they have raised on behalf of others.
"As well as an improved out-of-hours service, the helpdesk changes proposed by OCS will mean wider communications channels, enhanced openness and accessibility, better accuracy, and more frequent updates to improve the experience for all users," adds Chris.
Making it easier to contact the helpdesk
A more high-tech approach will expand the ways that you can contact the helpdesk, with new options to log jobs or issues via scanning the QR code on your mobile,sending an email or picking up the phone.
QR code posters will be installed in key areas like study zones, cafes, toilets or receptions to allow people to provide immediate feedback or to report a fault. OCS can use this data to monitor trends and to allow for more proactive responses: if negative feedback is received, an email will be triggered to the SEF team and the concern logged in the management system.
Giving you people to talk to face-to-face
Changes to the way we communicate are already underway following the findings from our consultation. In November 2024, we introduced four new Facilities Managers and three Facilities Coordinators, divided across four campus zones in alignment with our new faculty structure.
As well as providing information and updates around all Estates services, including maintenance, cleaning and logistics, the team undertake extensive inspections and checks of all areas to catch issues before they happen and meet regularly with key building users to discuss ongoing maintenance works and requests.
This is the first in a series of articles to explain the new contract and its benefits in more detail. To stay up-to-date, sign up for the Transforming Sussex newsletter or join the Better Campus group on Viva Engage.