Category
Communication
Technology
Submitted By
Jasalyn Avila, jasalyn.avila@cuanschutz.edu, Safety, Fire, and Stormwater Student Assistant V
Project Team
Jasalyn Avila, jasalyn.avila@cuanschutz.edu, Safety, Fire, and Stormwater Student Assistant V
Iain Baker, iain.baker@cuanschutz.edu, Regulatory Compliance Manager
Tyler Dunlap, tyler.dunlap@cuanschutz.edu, IT Senior Professional
Adam Spears, adam.spears@cuanschutz.edu, Parking Program Assistant
Project Description
The Facilities Management team has been integrating Microsoft Power Automate into processes to automate workflows including hot work permitting, fire and life safety impairments, roads and grounds ticketing, fleet vehicle service requests, and PPE reimbursement requests. Instead of manual forms or PDFs attached to emails with side lists and calendars, Power Automate has enabled us to take inquiries in through forms and automate the documentation, approval, and notification processes while automatically adding events to calendars, tasks to MS Planner, and updating tracking lists in SharePoint. Dashboards enable users to see exactly where things are in the process to keep our teams organized and efficient. Storing this in MS Lists has also allowed us to periodically review the results and find opportunities to further improve our processes.
Project Efficiency
With Power Automate, we have produced a significant reduction in the amount of time that we spend on processing and follow ups. We estimate that these automations save us approximately 865 hours a year. Not only do we save significant time, but this also allows us to provide better service. With reduced response time, work can be scheduled and commenced more quickly. Without the need to manually transcribe data, we eliminate opportunities for mistakes and miscommunication. With mobile access we eliminate the need to run back to a computer to get information, it’s all available in the field.
Project Inspiration
The initial inspiration for this project came from the desire to develop better hot work and impairment request processes. Regulatory requirements can make the documentation aspect of these processes very time-consuming and cumbersome. Transitioning to a completely digital process with automation would enable our team to spend more time acting and less time on redundant data entry and overly burdensome manual processes.
What Makes You Happiest about this Project?
We’ve turned frustrating, manual processes into clear, reliable workflows that support how our staff works. Instead of chasing emails or tracking side lists, everything is organized, visible, and moving forward.
This has reduced frustration, improved accountability, and given our team more confidence that things are being handled consistently. Most importantly, it allows our staff to focus on meaningful work—supporting campus safety and operations—rather than getting stuck in administrative tasks.
At the end of the day, we’ve made our team’s jobs easier, more efficient, and better supported!
