The Challenge: Managing Complex Facility Schedules and Door Access for Over a Million Square Feet
Mequon-Thiensville School District faced a daunting task: managing facility access and scheduling for nearly one million square feet across seven buildings. With between 250 and 300 controllable door access points, ensuring security for K-12 students during school hours while seamlessly providing open access for community rentals after hours was a significant challenge.
The district averages 60 events per night, generating over $300,000 annually in facility rentals. Each event required manual programming of up to six different doors, including external, vestibule, and gym doors. This time-consuming process often led to errors, such as doors not being opened on time, frustrating both staff and community members, especially during Wisconsin’s cold weather.
As Kyle Thompson, Director of Buildings and Grounds, explained, “If renters are standing outside in 20-degree weather because a door wasn’t opened, it’s a huge problem. And my team was fielding multiple calls each night trying to fix these issues in real-time.”
The Solution: Implementing eSPACE and Brivo for Automated Scheduling and Door Access
After struggling with these manual processes, Mequon-Thiensville School District implemented eSPACE to streamline facility scheduling and automate door access. The setup was surprisingly easy, with Kyle and his team handling it internally.
“Once the setup was done, I was tying doors to spaces with ease,” Kyle noted. “Now, it’s as simple as adding an event to the calendar, and all the doors open and close exactly when they’re supposed to.”
With eSPACE, what once took six manual programming steps per event is now handled automatically. The system ensures that all doors are opened and closed correctly without any human error, providing instant peace of mind.
The Impact of eSPACE:
The implementation of eSPACE not only improved operational efficiency but also resulted in measurable labor savings. Kyle’s team no longer spends hours each day manually programming doors, and the district is receiving fewer complaints from renters who used to be locked out of facilities.
“The labor savings are not even measurable,” Kyle said. “We went from receiving 30 phone calls a day about door access issues to almost none. The satisfaction from our community is incredible, and the time we’ve saved is invaluable.”
The customer satisfaction aspect has been one of the most significant benefits. By ensuring doors are always open when needed, eSPACE has drastically improved the experience for renters, including local sports teams and community groups who depend on timely access to school facilities.
Why eSPACE? Unmatched Ease of Use and Future Integration
Kyle emphasized that the ease of setup and use was a game-changer for his team. “It’s a no-brainer. The setup was so easy that my high school building manager set up a 500,000-square-foot building in a few hours. It was like turning on a light bulb.”
In addition to door access automation, Mequon-Thiensville School District is also integrating HVAC and lighting systems into eSPACE to further streamline operations and reduce energy costs.
“Energy costs have gone up 18% year over year here, so we’re excited to integrate lighting into the system. Just like with doors, we’ll automate everything to maximize efficiency and save on energy,” Kyle added.
Looking Ahead: Recommending eSPACE to Others
Kyle has already recommended eSPACE to several neighboring school districts and vendors, stating that it’s too good of a system not to be widely adopted.
“The fact that it works 24/7, 365 days a year, without needing constant oversight is incredible. It’s saved us so much time, and the ROI has been clear from the beginning. We couldn’t be happier with eSPACE.”
Conclusion
By implementing eSPACE, Mequon-Thiensville School District has significantly improved operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and labor savings. The ease of setup, seamless integration with door access, and future capabilities for HVAC and lighting make eSPACE a vital tool in managing the district’s large facilities.
For school districts looking to simplify facility management and reduce operational costs, eSPACE is a clear winner.
