Applied Access Control Solutions
When the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) opened its new high-tech Urban Design Lab, the need for cost recovery and access control solutions quickly became apparent. ITC Systems conducted an evaluation and provided a practical solution with the Multiplan Gold database system.
UCLA's Access Control and Cost Recovery Dilemma
This innovative lab facility consists of laser cutters, 3D printers, and a CNC controlled mill that allows students to create and fabricate 3D projects that demonstrate the concepts of their designs. The lab carries a high operation cost due to student waste of materials, maintenance contracts for the equipment, expense for student training, and damage caused to the equipment by untrained students. Also, due to high demand for the equipment, students faced long wait times to complete their work.
Managing Access Control and Cost Recovery
ITC Systems provided solutions to manage four primary issues:
• Access Control
• Cost Recovery
• Payment Method
• Audit Trail
Access Control Solutions
UCLA decided on an access control solution that grants equipment access exclusively to students in the Urban Design program. These students must complete a mandatory equipment training program. Once they have been so approved, their information is added to the Multiplan Gold database. They simply swipe their existing campus cards at an ITC Systems Netlink vending controller attached to the equipment, and access is granted. This access can be even more controlled by creating machine groups, determining specifically which machines each student can use.
The benefits of this solution include reduced wait times for equipment and the potential for damaged equipment due to untrained users, reducing repair costs. This has the added advantage of increasing safety in the lab.
Cost Recovery Solutions
In addition to granting access to the equipment, Multiplan Gold tracks all time and automatically updates each studen's billing balance at the end of each transaction. The university has set a fee of $0.40 for every minute that the equipment is in use, and tracking begins as soon as the student's campus card is swiped, authenticated and access is granted.
By creating accountability for each student, students are more mindful of wasting materials and of working efficiently to maximize their production. Both material waste and equipment line-ups are shortened by this system, allowing more students to complete their work.
Payment Method
UCLA faced two challenges in recovering costs in the lab. Firstly that usage needed to be tracked even in off-hours, and secondly that amounts owing from students needed to be collected in a way that did not require the university to handle cash. Using the Multiplan Gold software, ITC Systems implemented a cost recovery solution that resolved both issues.
Each month, Multiplan Gold provides the university with a set of reports showing student activity and machine usage, allowing UCLA the ability to credit or dismiss any charges to the student before the statement is generated. The student will be required to pay this as a lab fee in order to remain in good standing with the school. This process eliminates the need for cash handling, which would be part of most other stored value card solutions.
Audit Trail
Further to facilitating the billing process, Multiplan provides a standard set of reports that show all student accounts and machine usage. This allows the university to track device usage by student transaction, to assist in determining when damage may have occurred and which machines are in the highest demand.
UCLA is pleased with the results of this cost recovery and access control solution. The university is looking forward to balancing some of the budgetary concerns in maintaining existing equipment. They are also seeing the advantages of the new reporting capacity in helping to determine budgets for purchasing new equipment as technology changes.
