Pine Ridge Camp is better prepared for the future

Challenge

Eric Wright, Maintenance Manager at Pine Ridge Camp, runs the facility year-round and serves the community. However, when Eric first started his role, there was a manual, disconnected maintenance system in place. Eric first wanted to streamline the current maintenance workflow. Most importantly, he wanted to move away from reactive maintenance and to create a reliable maintenance program that could scale alongside the organization.

Solution

When Eric started looking for a user-friendly computer maintenance management system (CMMS) solution, he found UpKeep. Shortly after downloading the free version, Eric saw how UpKeep could improve communication and streamline the maintenance process. Pine Ridge Camp has now established a centralized system, containing critical historic maintenance data that delivers ongoing cost savings. This data helps Pine Ridge Camp gain visibility into their maintenance program, so that they could better prepare for future growth.

“Even though I’m behind the scenes, the work I do helps the kids who come here have an awesome camp experience in the summer.”

- Eric Wright, Maintenance Manager at Pine Ridge Camp

Eric Wright is the Maintenance Manager at Pine Ridge Camp. He is proud to help provide enriching summer experiences to children and programming space for guests in the winter.

Automatic Reminders Create Savings

Eric manages a myriad of different systems, equipment, buildings, and housekeeping details to keep Pine Ridge Camp operating smoothly. Since UpKeep allows easy maintenance data collection, the system captures tasks the first time around. That means automatic reminders, as well as detailed instructions to make future maintenance faster, simpler, and more efficient.

For example, Pine Ridge operates a $45,000 generator, which kicks on automatically when the power goes out to keep important things like the well water system running. If the generator stops running, the camp temporarily loses its water supply and incurs significant costs. “The health department contacts us and makes us re-chlorinate everything,” Eric explained. “So if the generator doesn't run, we have to pay for that. We basically have to shut down all our water usage, and we have to fetch it from somewhere else. It just creates a huge problem.”

The first time the generator failed, Eric had to pay a specialist to diagnose the problem and simply replace a distributor cap. The service call ran $750. Six months later, the generator failed again due to the same problem, which Eric could now solve for a fraction of the cost. He then simply scheduled the distributor cap replacement every six months in UpKeep. The generator hasn’t failed since Eric started using UpKeep for scheduled maintenance.

Streamlined Communications 

One of the biggest advantages for Pine Ridge was the improved communications that resulted from implementing UpKeep. 

For example, the housekeeping staff is frequently in and out of the guest cabins, and they often see maintenance problems first. Before using UpKeep, it was hard for staff members to communicate issues to Eric, as well as understand the status of the work request. Now, they can simply take a photo and enter a work order into UpKeep as soon as they notice the problem, and it appears on Eric’s list. With UpKeep, staff members are always in the know of when equipment fixes are in progress. 

In addition, when camp is in full swing during summer, staff members have easy access to a centrally located tablet to tap in a request when housekeeping supplies are running low. Communication is a tremendous challenge in a place with so many moving pieces, but UpKeep has simplified the process with an easy-to-use app across devices. 

Faster Replenishments

Another huge improvement for Pine Ridge was faster replenishment of items before they run out. 

When Eric first started at Pine Ridge, he would need to restock water filters when they ran out. This involved time-consuming trips to the store and hours searching for the proper filter model for his building. With UpKeep, Eric receives automatic work orders to order new water filters online before they run low, with an item link in the description. With the simple tap of a button, Eric is able to more quickly restock supplies for campers and guests. 

Additionally, if visiting guests in the winter need any maintenance supplies, ranging from a new light bulb to a roll of toilet paper, they can easily scan the item’s QR code using the UpKeep app and simply request additional supplies. Eric receives the order and drops everything to serve the camp’s needs immediately.

Eric and a summer staff member are hard at work in the shop and use UpKeep for all their supply and equipment needs.

Detailed Records for the Future

Before implementing UpKeep, the only individual with any oversight into maintenance records was the maintenance manager. If that individual left, a new person would have to stumble through old records to have insight into past data.

“When I came to Pine Ridge, they handed me the ring of 50 keys,” Eric said. “They also had all kinds of lists. There was a Google shared document, but it had things that needed to be done in the next week and it also had things that were kind of Christmas-wishlist items. We had all these bits and pieces everywhere that were not pulling together very well.”

Over the last two years, Pine Ridge has entered most of its maintenance items, and each year, it continues to grow. Eric sees UpKeep as a way to help Pine Ridge be prepared for the future. “If I were to step away from here, UpKeep will basically tell the next maintenance manager what to do.”