Te Pūkenga Campus Services Head, Andrew MacArthur, was faced with a challenge. The polytechnic sector in New Zealand had seen a decrease in student numbers in the past three years and he wanted to ensure that Whitireia’s Te Auaha Wellington Campus and Porirua Campus were making the most of their floor spaces and identify any opportunities to reduce costs.
To gain a better understanding of how the spaces were being utilised and identify opportunities for consolidation, Andrew enlisted the help of TwentyTwo and our Utilisation22 tool. Sixty sensors were installed in two stages to record utilisation data in 10-minute increments, 24-hours-a-day for two weeks.
The survey confirmed Andrew’s suspicions. The data showed that spaces were often booked but not used, and that many of the spaces didn’t meet the room capacity for the number of people using the space. This data was crucial in helping the polytechnic optimise their resources and ensure that they provide the most effective learning environment for their students.
“The value add here was independent undeniable proof of premium space sitting idle or at best underused. This proof gives us the opportunity to shut down older less efficient/productive areas in Porirua and move classes into better suited facilities. It also gives us the opportunity to downsize the campuses should the opportunity arise and/or take advantage of collaboration opportunities with our Tertiary sector partners” says Andrew.
The result? Te Pūkenga is now better equipped to adapt to changing student demands, to explore collaborative opportunities and remain at the forefront of innovation in the New Zealand polytechnic sector.
Te Pukenga
