The Connected Campus: A new model for operational resilience
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Transcript
Campus operations are now at the center of institutional performance
Colleges and universities are being asked to improve the student experience with fewer resources while managing enrollment pressure, retention challenges, capital constraints, deferred maintenance, workforce instability, sustainability commitments, risk, and reputation.
These pressures show up every day in the spaces where students learn, live, compete, and connect. Yet fragmented, reactive operating models make it harder to deliver the consistency, visibility, and accountability leaders need.
ABM’s Connected Campus model aligns people, services, systems, data, and governance across the campus environment—connecting custodial, maintenance, engineering, grounds, energy, infrastructure, and reporting into one coordinated strategy tied to measurable outcomes.
As an experienced higher education partner, ABM helps institutions reduce complexity, make smarter use of capital, and create cleaner, safer, more resilient environments that perform for students, campus teams, and the institutional mission.
When campus operations perform, the institution performs.
Turning operational complexity into coordinated performance
Most campuses are not short on effort. They are managing growing complexity across buildings, stakeholders, technologies, events, infrastructure, and seasonal demands.
A Connected Campus helps bring those moving parts together. By aligning people, services, systems, and accountability around a common set of standards and outcomes, institutions can improve visibility, strengthen coordination, and create a more consistent campus experience.
ABM brings together the people, services, systems, and insights that keep campuses operating at their best.
Do your facilities manage activity or performance? ABM helps align services, systems, teams, reporting, and governance so leaders have a clearer view of what is happening across campus—and where action is needed.
The difference between a fragmented and a fully connected campus
When operations are connected, leaders gain the visibility and accountability to improve performance across the campus environment.
Why ABM is purpose-built for the Connected Campus
ABM provides facility, engineering, and infrastructure solutions for hundreds of schools of all sizes. Every day, our teams help improve health and safety, resilience, productivity, and sustainability across complex education environments.
Scale & Higher Education Focus
- Serving schools since 1921
- 250+ higher education institutions
- 18K+ team members in education
- 4.5M+ students served every year
- 1B sq. ft. of education space serviced annually
Operational & Financial Performance
- 32% lower average energy use with ABM Infrastructure Solutions
- ABM hires 4.6x faster than the average university
- Energy savings, workforce support, service consistency, and data visibility tied to measurable outcomes
Integrated Capabilities
- Cleaning Services
- Operations & Maintenance
- Landscape & Turf
- Waste Management & Recycling
- EV Charging
- Electrical & Power Services
- Construction Services
- HVAC Services
- Lighting
- Parking & Transportation
- Specialty Services
Compared with national benchmarks, ABM partner schools that prioritize campus appearance have reported stronger indicators across applications, retention, enrollment, and student satisfaction.
1 National Center for Education Statistics
2 myplan.com
Services that deliver, one square foot at a time
Hundreds of universities across the country work with ABM to streamline their campus through our outcomes-focused approach to facility, engineering, and infrastructure solutions.
Stronger workforce support: From first impressions to lasting outcomes
Performance depends on the people who show up every day. Campus teams—including custodial, maintenance, grounds, engineering, and event crews—all play a role in supporting a safe, reliable campus.
However, standing in the way is workforce instability. Its impact stretches far beyond the facilities department: service inconsistency, delayed work, lower morale, safety risks, higher administrative burden, and a campus experience that becomes harder to control.
Hiring alone is not enough. Institutions need workforce models that help supervisors lead effectively, people succeed, and operations stay consistent across complex campus environments. That means aligning staffing to campus rhythms—by building type, service level, residence cycle, event schedules, and seasonal demand.
Teams that are trained, supported, and aligned improve performance. Work orders move faster. Preventive maintenance stays on track. Cleaning standards are reinforced. Issues are identified earlier and addressed before they escalate.
For administrators, that means clearer accountability, better visibility, and fewer surprises. For employees, it means safer practices, stronger supervision, and clearer expectations. For students, faculty, staff, and visitors, it creates a campus that feels cared for every day.
The ABM approach strengthens workforce performance through connected people, processes, and operational insight—creating more stable teams, more consistent service, and a workforce model built to adapt as campus needs change.
Investing in workforce stability is an investment in the campus experience itself.
- Facilities staff turnover often exceeds 15–20% annually.1
- Over 60% of facilities leaders report staffing shortages affecting maintenance, custodial, and technical roles.²
1 https://www.cupahr.org/resource/higher-ed-workforce-turnover
2 https://www.chronicle.com/article/why-labor-shortages-in-campus-building-staff-are-reaching-crisis-situations
Campus quality is a competitive advantage
For prospective students and families, the campus experience is proof of what daily life could be. Clean classrooms, welcoming residence halls, comfortable study spaces, well-maintained grounds, and reliable building systems all send a message: this institution supports student success.
Those impressions and expectations do not end after the campus tour. The challenge is delivering quality across a complex campus. Academic buildings, research spaces, residence halls, athletic facilities, outdoor areas, and public spaces all have different needs, schedules, and expectations. When services are disconnected, small issues (like delayed repairs, uneven cleaning, missed inspections, or unclear ownership) become visible quickly.
ABM helps institutions move from fragmented, reactive operations to a more connected model. By integrating cleaning, maintenance, engineering, grounds, event readiness, and reporting, ABM helps campus leaders maintain standards, improve visibility, and create a more consistent experience at scale.
The result is a campus that feels cared for every day, supporting long-term recruitment, retention, alumni engagement, athletics, events, and daily campus life for years to come.
- 2/3 of college students factor campus facilities into their college decision.¹
- Colleges and universities face a 32% funding gap for needed campus renewal projects.²
- 90.4% of students say the quality and condition of campus facilities impact their decision to stay enrolled.³
1 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/admissions/traditional-age/2022/12/11/survey-how-campus-facilities-factor-college-choice
2 https://www.gordian.com/uploads/2025/04/2025-State-of-Facilities-Report.20250331220235713.pdf
3 https://repository.stcloudstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1072&context=hied_etds
Environments that help students thrive
Student success is shaped by more than academics. It is shaped by the everyday spaces where students learn, live, study, gather, and recharge.
Clean classrooms. Comfortable temperatures. Reliable lighting. Healthy indoor air. Responsive maintenance. Safe, well-kept common areas. When these conditions work, students can focus. When they fall short, distractions, complaints, and frustration rise.
As campuses age and expectations increase, maintaining those conditions becomes more complex. Air quality, comfort, cleanliness, energy use, repairs, and service response are connected—but often managed through separate teams, systems, and priorities. That makes it harder to see patterns, prevent recurring issues, and direct resources where they matter most.
ABM helps colleges and universities connect the services behind the student experience. By integrating cleaning, maintenance, engineering, HVAC, waste and recycling, inspections, work orders, and operational planning, ABM helps campus leaders improve visibility, reduce disruption, and maintain more consistent conditions across high-use spaces.
Students may never see the systems behind a well-run campus. But they feel the difference every day—in classrooms that are ready, residence halls that are cared for, repairs that happen quickly, and shared spaces that feel clean, safe, and welcoming.
- 88% of students are distracted by unclean facilities.¹
- Improved air quality and ventilation increased cognitive performance scores by 61%.²
1 https://news.byu.edu/news/byu-assisted-national-study-shows-school-cleanliness-affects-learning
2 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360132316304723
Modernizing campus infrastructure without waiting for new capital
Aging infrastructure is no longer just a facilities issue. It is a financial, operational, and student experience challenge.
Outdated HVAC systems, inefficient lighting, aging controls, deferred maintenance, and central plant demands can drive up utility costs, increase repair needs, create comfort issues, and expose campuses to avoidable risk. Delaying improvements may preserve capital today, but it often increases costs tomorrow.
For many institutions, the challenge is not identifying what needs to be upgraded. It is finding a practical way to fund improvements while competing priorities—academics, housing, athletics, research, and student services—also need investment.
ABM helps campus leaders approach modernization through both an operational and financial lens. By identifying energy waste, optimizing building systems, improving maintenance strategies, and aligning upgrades to measurable savings, ABM helps institutions make infrastructure progress without relying solely on new capital.
Energy Savings Performance Contracting can create a path forward. By pairing infrastructure improvements with guaranteed energy and operational savings, campuses can modernize critical systems while protecting capital for other institutional priorities.
Sustainability becomes more than a goal. It becomes an operating strategy—one that strengthens financial resilience, improves campus performance, and supports long-term planning.
Modernization does not have to drain capital. Done right, it can help create it.
- Higher education facilities face more than $112 billion in deferred maintenance needs.1
- 85% of college students say it is important for campuses to prioritize sustainability.2
- ABM helped one university reduce energy usage nearly 40% and generate $35.8 million in operating savings over 15 years.3
1 https://www.gordian.com/resources/critical-role-of-campus-facilities/
2 https://www.insidehighered.com/news/students/academics/2023/01/02/sustainability-actions-students-take-and-want-their-colleges
3 https://investor.abm.com/node/11671/pdf
Connecting campus operations to campus-wide performance
Campus operations do not break down because teams are not working hard. They break down when critical services work in silos.
Cleaning, maintenance, engineering, grounds, energy, housing, athletics, events, vendors, and technology systems all shape the campus experience. But when these functions are disconnected, leaders spend too much time chasing updates, reconciling reports, resolving handoffs, and reacting after issues become visible.
ABM helps institutions move from managing activity to managing performance.
Through integrated facility services, data-supported workflows, quality assurance programs, safety practices, structured communication, and campus-specific procedures, ABM connects the people, systems, and data behind daily operations.
The result is a clearer operating picture: stronger ownership, more consistent standards, faster response, and better visibility into service quality, asset health, cost drivers, and emerging risks.
With connected operations, campus leaders can prioritize smarter, act sooner, and make decisions with greater confidence—while delivering a more consistent experience for students, faculty, staff, and visitors.
Connected operations give campus leaders the visibility to act sooner, prioritize smarter, and deliver a more consistent experience.
- 76% of facility managers saw better prioritization as more important than more funding or staff.¹
- 80% of managers said reducing data and information silos is a high or critical priority.²
- Up to 40% of costs can be saved with preventive maintenance schedules.³
1 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/365859833_Data-Driven_Analysis_for_Facility_Management_in_Higher_Education_Institution
2 https://www.airtable.com/newsroom/new-research-reveals-the-crisis-of-fractured-organizations
3 https://www1.eere.energy.gov/femp/pdfs/OM_5.pdf
The Connected Campus creates value across the institution
The future of campus operations is connected
A high-performing campus is not created by one service, one system, or one team. It is built through thousands of daily moments working together.
A classroom that is ready. A residence hall that feels cared for. A system that runs reliably. A work order resolved before it becomes a complaint. A campus that looks, feels, and operates the way students, faculty, staff, and visitors expect.
The operating model behind the moments
As expectations rise and resources tighten, colleges and universities can no longer afford fragmented operations, disconnected data, or reactive decision-making. The institutions best positioned for the future will be the ones that connect people, systems, services, data, and governance around a shared view of campus performance.
With integrated services, engineering expertise, self-performed delivery, and data-driven visibility, ABM helps institutions move from managing individual tasks to improving campus-wide outcomes. The result is a more responsive, resilient, and efficient campus—one that supports student success, strengthens operational confidence, and makes every investment work harder.
A connected campus does more than operate well. It helps institutions compete, adapt, and deliver on their mission.
Because when operations are connected, the campus experience becomes more than something to maintain. It becomes a strategic advantage.
A connected campus turns daily operations into strategic advantage—helping institutions improve performance, strengthen resilience, and create environments where students and communities thrive.
Start with a Connected Campus assessment
ABM will help identify where fragmented operations, workforce gaps, deferred maintenance, energy inefficiencies, and limited data visibility may be increasing cost, risk, or service inconsistency across campus.
Walk away with a clear path forward
Your assessment provides:
- Operations and service-level review
- Workforce stability and coverage analysis
- Cleaning, maintenance, and grounds standards review
- Data, work order, and reporting visibility assessment
- Infrastructure and energy opportunity scan
- Prioritized roadmap for improving performance, cost control, and campus experience
See the whole picture. Identify the gaps. Move with confidence. A more resilient, higher-performing campus begins with knowing where to start.
Focus on the priorities that advance your institution
Financial resilience
Identify opportunities to reduce operating waste, address deferred maintenance, prioritize capital needs, and make smarter use of existing resources.
Operational performance
Evaluate staffing, service levels, preventive maintenance, work orders, inspections, accountability, reporting, and
day-to-day execution.
Campus experience
Assess the spaces and moments that shape confidence—from campus presentation, residence halls, and learning spaces to tours, move-in, athletics, events, and complaint trends.
Sustainability progress
Uncover practical opportunities across energy, waste, electrification, EV charging, emissions indicators, infrastructure readiness, and reporting.
Raising service quality through workforce stability
Private University, Rhode Island
At a Glance:
- Five-month turnaround
- Raised inspection scores
- Higher productivity
- Stronger morale
Challenge
A private university in Rhode Island was experiencing inconsistent janitorial performance, low team morale, and inspection scores averaging in the low 70s—well below campus expectations.
Leaders needed more than staffing coverage. They needed a stronger workforce model built around leadership, training, accountability, and visibility.
Solution
ABM implemented a focused workforce improvement plan using standardized best practices, site-specific training, frontline leadership routines, team member appreciation, and quality control tracking. The approach clarified expectations, improved communication, and re-engaged frontline teams.
Benefits
- Inspection scores rose from the low 70s to nearly 90 within five months
- Productivity improved while labor hours and supply use decreased
- Service consistency and complaint resolution improved
- Morale strengthened through better leadership, training, and recognition
Strategic Implication
Workforce stability is a performance strategy. ABM helped the university turn frontline challenges into measurable gains in quality, accountability, and campus service.
Improving retention and campus quality within budget
Hiram College, Northeast Ohio
At a Glance:
- 7% retention improvement
- 97% work order completion
- Integrated services
- Stronger campus experience
Challenge
Hiram College needed its campus environment to support a broader transformation of the student experience. But enrollment pressure, aging facilities, and budget constraints made it difficult to improve campus quality without adding cost or complexity.
Solution
ABM integrated janitorial, landscaping, maintenance, preventive planning, green cleaning, workforce retention practices, and data-supported operations under one coordinated Connected Campus model.
The program preserved institutional knowledge, improved responsiveness, and aligned daily services to the college’s student experience goals.
Benefits
- 7% improvement in student retention scores
- 97% completion rate for work orders
- Enhanced campus appearance, grounds quality, and first impressions
- Green cleaning for expanded sustainability
- Improved efficiency through integrated service delivery
Strategic Implication
Facilities as a strategic lever, not just a cost center. ABM helped Hiram connect daily operations to measurable gains in retention, quality, and efficiency.
Creating learning environments students can count on
Large Public University, New Jersey
At a Glance:
- 95% custodial score
- 3,762 inspections
- 6,971 events supported
- APPA Level 1 standards
Challenge
A large public award-winning university in New Jersey needed to maintain consistently high standards across the spaces students use every day—classrooms, residence halls, athletic facilities, grounds, event spaces, and common areas.
With a 200-acre campus, 39 buildings, and more than 1.8 million interior square feet, leaders needed a partner that could keep high-use environments clean, ready, reliable, and aligned to the student experience.
Solution
ABM implemented an integrated facilities and grounds program built around proactive service, quality inspections, event readiness, and coordinated campus support.
The program included facility assessments, project scheduling, custodial quality checks, grounds care, dorm turnover support, HVAC repairs, terrazzo floor restoration, sustainable grounds equipment, and preparation for high-visibility events.
Benefits
- Maintained APPA Level 1 standards for janitorial and grounds services
- Achieved a 95% average custodial score across 3,762 inspections
- Supported 6,971 campus events in 2024
- Reduced last-minute service requests through proactive planning
- Improved readiness across academic, residential, athletic, event, and outdoor spaces
Strategic Implication
Students thrive when campus spaces feel ready, reliable, and cared for. ABM helped the university connect cleaning, grounds, maintenance, HVAC, inspections, and event support to maintain consistent conditions where students learn, live, gather, and recharge.
Funding critical lab modernization through guaranteed savings
Georgia Institute of Technology
At a Glance:
- 140+ labs upgraded
- $11.7M guaranteed savings
- No upfront capital
- Improved research continuity
Challenge
Georgia Institute of Technology found that just 5% of campus square footage was driving nearly 30% of total campus energy use. Much of the demand came from research labs, where aging ventilation systems, fume hood controls, and high air exchange rates were increasing cost, comfort issues, and risk to active research environments.
The university needed to modernize critical lab infrastructure without diverting capital from academic and research priorities.
Solution
ABM delivered an Energy Savings Performance Contract that funded modernization through guaranteed operational savings. The project upgraded more than 140 lab spaces through HVAC optimization, fume hood control improvements, controls modernization, retro-commissioning, airflow improvements, and commissioning support—while coordinating with university stakeholders and research teams to minimize disruption.
Benefits
- Upgraded 140+ lab spaces without upfront capital
- Guaranteed $11.7M in energy and operating savings over 10 years
- Reduced energy use by 73.7% and 52.7% in two key science buildings
- Delivered $173,167 in FY2020 cost reduction beyond committed guaranteed savings
- Improved ventilation reliability, airflow control, sustainability, and lab comfort
Strategic Implication
Infrastructure modernization creates capacity without draining capital. ABM helped Georgia Tech fund critical lab upgrades through guaranteed savings while improving reliability, sustainability, and research continuity.
Reducing custodial costs without compromising quality
Private University, Pennsylvania
At a Glance:
- $100K+ annual savings
- Higher productivity
- Improved quality
- Stronger visibility
Challenge
A private university in Pennsylvania needed to manage custodial services across academic buildings, residence halls, athletic facilities, event spaces, floor care, recycling support, and other high-use areas. Budget pressure made the challenge more urgent. Fragmented oversight and inconsistent reporting made it difficult to maintain quality while controlling costs.
Solution
ABM implemented a data-driven custodial operating model focused on performance visibility, standardized processes, facility-specific training, and monthly operational reviews. The approach helped leaders identify inefficiencies, align staffing to demand, and improve accountability.
Benefits
- $100,000+ annual savings in operations expenses
- Increased productivity across custodial operations
- Improved cleaning quality and service consistency
- Reduced staffing inefficiencies through better labor utilization
- Strengthened reporting, accountability, and collaboration
Strategic Implication
Operational savings do not have to come at the expense of campus quality. ABM helped the university use better data, training, and accountability to improve performance while reducing annual costs.
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