2026 Andy Awards Honor CMU Staff’s Outstanding Work

Revolutionizing Campus Housing Inspections with a Mobile App

In an effort to streamline the annual preparation of campus housing, Carnegie Mellon University has implemented a new solution that drastically changes the room inspection process. This initiative impacts over 4,200 beds across 26 residential communities, transforming what was once a chaotic task into an efficient operation.

The previous method of inspection involved handwritten notes and duplicated spreadsheets, resulting in a slow and cumbersome process. Maintenance teams were often left with insufficient time to address necessary repairs before the arrival of students each fall.

A comprehensive team from various departments collaborated to devise a custom mobile app, effectively modernizing the inspection procedure. Inspectors now utilize this app to log issues, capture photos, and submit repair requests directly into the university’s Maximo work management system, all via their smartphones.

Illona Beresford, senior director of facilities and space planning, highlighted the impact of this innovation: “The team fundamentally transformed a stressful process into a model of operational efficiency and teamwork. It built a solution that saves time, reduces costs and strengthens collaboration across university departments.”

Housefellows and resident advisers, who were engaged and trained to use the app, contributed to making the inspections a collective effort. As a result, the time required for inspections was reduced from six weeks to just 16 days.

Tera Monroe, associate dean and director of Residential Education, emphasized the improvement: “This directly improves the student experience by enabling faster response times, clearer accountability and more consistent follow-up on facility needs.”

With the time saved, maintenance teams can focus on thorough cleanings, repairs, and upgrades, ensuring that the students’ living environment is fresh and welcoming at the start of the academic year.

Robyn Roux, project administrator for Student Affairs business and financial operations, praised the collaborative effort: “This has long been a goal of the housing team, and it was finally brought to life through the collaboration of many campus partners. Their technical expertise, clear communication, teamwork and quick turnaround created a lasting solution that will benefit the campus community for years to come.”