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Case Studies

How the University of Southern California Used BetterBuilt to Increase Their Productivity by 60%

Expanding Facilities and Refined Workflows

The University of Southern California (USC) is a leading private research university, renowned for their research and specialized care in areas such as cancer, stem cell and regenerative medicine. In order to accommodate their expanding research programs, the Department of Animal Resources at USC sought to remodel one of their facilities and upgrade their equipment.

Manager of the Department, Ramiro Montano, decided to reach out to BetterBuilt to see if we could help with the facility’s upcoming renovation. Based on his initial experiences with the BetterBuilt team during an AALAS National Meeting, Ramiro felt that going with BetterBuilt as their primary equipment vendor would be the best choice for the department. “I’ve always thought their machines were easy to use and had a much simpler, stop-and-start design. I also knew that their parts were non-proprietary, which was a big selling point for us.” Along with this, Ramiro knew that at BetterBuilt, we are able to customize our equipment to help with a wide variety of logistical challenges.

In the case with USC, Ramiro had to work within the limitations of their facility’s existing space. “Because we were remodeling our existing facility, we only had a certain amount of space to work with and that definitely posed challenges for us. Our facility only had access to low-pressure steam as well, which was another reason why we reached out to BetterBuilt. We knew they had modified their equipment for low-pressure steam applications in the past for other institutions, so that was a big deciding factor for us.”

Overall, the main goal behind the renovation project was to increase efficiencies and reduce the amount of labour required in their cage washing operations.

Keeping Downtime to a Minimum – on Time, on Schedule and Running as Expected

After the initial quote and approval process, BetterBuilt got to work developing a smaller tunnel washer for USC, and a low-pressure steam application custom built for their facility. According to Ramiro, everything was delivered and installed on time, with the whole process going incredibly smoothly. In the end, Ramiro gave credit to the BetterBuilt team for our responsiveness and proactive attitude.

“BetterBuilt was very easy to work with. Because when it comes to renovating a building, there are a lot of contractors and subcontractors and different groups you need to work with. Having a primary vendor and a responsive, single point of contact really helped for the overall process.” Before installing the tunnel washer, BetterBuilt also performed FAT tests (Factory Acceptance Test) to ensure the equipment would run quickly and easily upon installation, without issue. According to Ramiro, “It was really nice having that reassurance before the equipment came so that everything would work and run as expected. Because anything that reduces our downtime, the better.”

Increasing Productivity by 60% with Workflows That Work for You

Once the tunnel washers were successfully installed, BetterBuilt’s equipment helped USC’s facility improve their operations significantly. Productivity in USC’s washrooms improved by 60%, which has been a game changer for Ramiro and his team. “Many more labour hours would be needed without BetterBuilt’s equipment. Before, our technicians would have to manually load the cages on wash racks, run the washer cycle, unload the clean cages and add the clean bedding. It was a time-intensive workflow that required a lot of staff to operate. Overall, the washers have improved our productivity by 60%, so we couldn’t be happier.” The USC-BetterBuilt relationship started since another of the facility renovation in 2011, the performance of the tunnel washer installed has been excellent, with next to no problems. “I’ve only had two to three times when I needed to replace a few parts, which were easy to find through BetterBuilt or elsewhere using their outsourced recommendations. Also, their parts are not proprietary, unlike with other machines I’ve used in the past. So that’s really helped to keep our downtime to a minimum which, for a busy facility like ours, is absolutely essential. Overall, I’ve been completely satisfied with their product, their customer service, and wouldn’t hesitate recommending them to anyone in this industry.” When it comes to the approach BetterBuilt takes, from product customization and installation to customer service and design, we’re truly committed to your success. Whatever your challenges or requirements may be, expect your facility to stay running smoothly and as expected, with BetterBuilt’s wide array of solutions and the support of our team.