Holding Court

A leading provider of technical facilities management services, Integrated Technical Management (ITM) is well accustomed to providing innovative engineering solutions and life cycle services to critical facilities like those operated by Court Services Victoria.

With direct access to the A.G. Coombs Group’s 70-plus years of in-house technical expertise and specialist resources, ITM has been delivering solutions focused on meeting the needs of clients and their facilities for well over a decade.

“ITM is one of the seven businesses of the A.G. Coombs Group, and specialises in the areas of Technical Facilities Management, Technical Project Management and Strategic Advice,” says Paul Gilmore, Executive Manager Group Business Development at A.G. Coombs Group. Adopting a whole-of-life approach to asset management and maintenance underpins ITM’s preference for holistic, asset maintenance. And by deploying technically experienced on-site personnel – and the latest technology –ITM is able to map and maintain customer assets at optimal levels, thereby delivering long-term value to their facilities.

“The business prides itself on our highly experienced personnel, and their ability to integrate seamlessly into client operational structures in the planning and delivery of bespoke solutions based on the portfolio, facility requirements and objectives.”

In a context of increasing economic and environmental performance pressures, coupled with risk mitigation and improved asset performance, many organisations are seeking an approach that goes beyond day-to-day task-based maintenance.

Court Services Victoria manages a diverse asset base of 53 facilities that range from major purposebuilt court buildings concentrated in the CBD and metropolitan Melbourne, to single-room court facilities dispersed throughout regional Victoria.

The Supreme Court of Victoria building is part of the Court Services Victoria portfolio. The National Heritage listed building was constructed between 1874 and 1884.

Court Services Victoria

Court Services Victoria (CSV) is a body corporate established by the Court Services Victoria Act 2014 to provide the administrative services and facilities necessary for Victoria’s courts and tribunals to operate independently of the direction of the executive branch of government.

This includes the five Victorian courts and VCAT. CSV facilities are located across the entire state – from those in metropolitan Melbourne to the Mildura Law Courts in Victoria’s far north-west.

In late-2020, a public tender was released by CSV for the provision of facility maintenance and associated works across its state-wide facilities portfolio.

As a specialist in providing “hard” facilities management services to complex or operationally challenging facilities, including Government property portfolios, ITM responded with a detailed tender proposal.

This included an independentlyreviewed Local Industry Development Plan (LIDP) detailing ITM’s social procurement framework and commitment to the engagement of local subcontractors, suppliers, apprentices and local Indigenous and Koori community members.

Additionally, procurement details for each service element were provided to demonstrate ITM’s commitment to locally sourced materials.

Following an extensive tender evaluation and negotiation process, ITM was awarded the contract in October 2021. It requires ITM to deliver a tailored maintenance model across CSV properties in the areas of mechanical services, fire services and essential safety maintenance (ESM) for electrical services. ITM is also responsible for the rectification of faults, minor and major remedial works and minor capital works.

To fulfil these requirements, ITM is leveraging the A.G. Coombs Group’s well-established supply chain of local partners across the state.

Well versed

A total of 53 CSV properties of varying age and typology are maintained under the Facility Maintenance and Associated Works contract – from heritage-listed buildings with aging equipment requiring careful maintenance to brand new facilities.

“ITM has extensive experience in the technical management of a diverse range of facilities” says Paul.

“A number of contracts ITM holds include heritage-listed properties, so we are well aware of our obligations and the sensitivities associated with maintaining services within such buildings.”

ITM personnel are also cognisant of the limited windows of opportunity during which maintenance and repair works can be undertaken without disrupting court processes and procedures.

To this end, a dedicated client portal has been established to provide CSV personnel with full access to the status of service and maintenance. An intuitive, dynamic life cycle modelling and forecasting tool has also been offered by ITM that allows CSV to run “what if” scenarios on all assets managed under the contract.

“ITM’s approach to maintenance planning is asset-centric, and based on open collaboration with the client,” says Paul.

“We schedule maintenance at an asset level, and capture maintenance and repair costs at this same level so that we, along with CSV, can clearly see the costs associated with maintaining and repairing an asset.”

“This provides ITM the ability to model and forecast the life cycle of that asset and plan proactive repairs, or capital replacement, with the client accordingly.”