With more than 50 historic buildings, beautiful parks and gardens, and thousands of summer events, Lakeside requires careful planning and coordination. To strengthen that work, we’re implementing a new cloud-based facilities and maintenance system called FMX.
The platform will help staff manage work orders, schedule preventative maintenance, track equipment and coordinate venue use across campus.
Dennis Doolittle, Lakeside’s new Vice President of Municipal Services, helped accelerate implementation by drawing on similar systems from previous roles.
Teams across Lakeside will use FMX to Maintenance, Grounds, Safety Services and venue scheduling. Staff can create and manage work orders, document projects from start to finish, and track the history of work completed at each building or location.
FMX can also track preventive maintenance by setting up timelines for annual, monthly, weekly or one-time tasks. The system sends reminders when work is due, helping the team stay ahead of maintenance needs. It can also support staff onboarding by helping seasonal employees quickly understand scheduled responsibilities.
“It’s a proactive approach rather than a reactive one,” he says. “When routine maintenance is planned and completed on schedule, it helps avoid rushed repairs that often cost more.”
Another key benefit is improved communication. When a work order is submitted or updated, the requester receives automatic notifications to track the project’s progress.
“The requester won’t be in the dark and will know the status of each project,” Doolittle adds. “The software also allows steps to be built into each task, so work is completed the same way every time.”
FMX will also streamline venue scheduling and event preparation. With more than 3,600 events taking place each summer, the system will track event setups, equipment needs and facility preparation. Because the information is stored digitally, staff can easily reference previous setups and replicate them efficiently year after year.
The mobile app allows the team to manage tasks directly from their phones or tablets while working anywhere on the grounds.
“The Maintenance Team won’t have to return to the shop to check assignments,” says Fred Keller, Building Services Supervisor. “They can see what’s next right from their phone, which makes the process much more efficient.”
By organizing information in one digital system, Lakeside staff can better coordinate projects, track maintenance history and reduce duplication of work.
“Our ultimate goal is to serve the community better,” Doolittle says. “When guests return to Lakeside and expect to see something the way they remember it, we want to make sure it’s ready for them. We want to be good stewards of Lakeside.”
