Project overview
The University of Birmingham engaged PTS to develop its Smart Campus vision, mission and foundational strategy.
The ambition was to create one of the world’s smartest campuses, enhancing both the physical and digital foundations of the University while protecting its cultural heritage and delivering measurable cost savings. The strategy needed to support an enriched and personalised experience for students, academics, professional services staff and visitors, while enabling a fully connected global campus.
PTS was appointed to translate this ambition into a coherent, implementable and financially robust Smart Campus strategy.
Vision
he University defined three core Smart Campus objectives:
- Efficiency through agile workplace optimisation and improved utilisation
- Experience through extraordinary physical and digital environments
- Environmental sustainability through adaptable, low carbon estate management
A key challenge was aligning emerging technologies with real user needs while safeguarding heritage assets. The University also required a structured approach to unlock data from across its estate, enabling insight, living lab opportunities and long term operational improvements.
To succeed, the strategy had to bridge Estates, Digital and Academic functions, ensuring smart initiatives were grounded in governance, value and practicality.
Our Approach
TS began by working with senior stakeholders to articulate the University’s Smart Campus mission and produce a vision brochure that clearly communicated its objectives and intended benefits.
A comprehensive current state assessment was undertaken across enabling elements including passive and active networks, middleware architecture, sensor networks, AV and unified communications, building management systems, lighting control, metering, environmental monitoring, security, space utilisation and data management. This provided a high level view of smart maturity and investment gaps.
Building on this foundation, PTS collaborated with the University to create a Smart Campus Playbook. Central to our approach was a user first methodology. We developed over 100 user scenarios across a wide range of personas, including students, academics, researchers, professional services staff and visitors.
Use cases spanned lectures, exams, library access, collaboration, campus navigation, health and wellbeing, maintenance, energy management and environmental quality. By contextualising smart technology in everyday campus experiences, stakeholders were able to clearly understand the tangible benefits.
PTS also developed a set of guiding principles to underpin decision making. These addressed purpose, public good, value creation, insight, security, openness, data quality, governance, evolution and simplicity.
Financial analysis was undertaken to forecast return on investment across CapEx optimisation, OpEx savings and revenue opportunities. A multi year budget forecast supported informed decision making and alignment of ambition with investment.
Finally, PTS mapped prioritised initiatives into a phased Smart Campus Transformation Programme, providing a clear and evidenced roadmap for delivery.
Outcomes and benefits
The University of Birmingham now has a robust Smart Campus strategy that aligns digital innovation with institutional objectives.
Key Outcomes
- A clear Smart Campus vision and foundational strategy
- A user centred playbook illustrating benefits across more than 100 scenarios
- Independent assessment and prioritisation of investment opportunities
- ROI modelling and multi year budget forecasting
- A structured roadmap to deliver a campus wide transformation programme
The strategy positions the University to enhance experience, improve efficiency and accelerate progress towards net zero carbon ambitions.
Key Stats
Over 100 Smart Campus user scenarios developed across multiple personas
Multi year Smart Campus Transformation Programme with defined ROI modelling
Client testimonials
The University engaged PTS to support the development of our smart campus vision, mission and foundational strategy as we saw the value of having an external, independent view on the approach we were taking. We also felt that their experience in the Higher Education sector, combined with their understanding of both the physical estate and the digital world, would bring a useful perspective.
Matt Beveridge
Innovation Manager, University of Birmingham
It has been great to have an independent critical friend to validate our assumptions and boil down all of our conversations into a really clear vision and foundational strategy. The benefit that PTS has brought is that they’ve actually helped us to get that focus which puts us on the front foot for how we start to deliver some of these initiatives as we move forward.
Trevor Payne
Director of Estates, University of Birmingham
It was invaluable to have a partner who could help us to take all of our ideas, aspirations and discussions and turn them into a clear set of objectives and a roadmap for change. PTS has been instrumental in providing valuable guidance and support in our Smart Campus efforts. I would recommend PTS to other Higher Education Institutions looking to create an Innovation Strategy that can positively impact their Estates and Facilities Strategy and Operations.
Matt Beveridge
Innovation Manager, University of Birmingham