Building partnerships through collaboration.
Blue Services, powered by iLab, is a modular, web-based, asset management software tool designed to support the operation of service centers.
Features
- Resource scheduling
- Service request management
- Project management
- Customer management
- Inventory tracking
- Billing and invoicing
- Reporting
Project Stages
June to August 2024
- Behling Simulation Center and Clinical Competency Center
- Pathology and Anatomical Sciences Research Service Center
- Shared Instrumentation Laboratories - BioDesign Core Facility
September to November 2024
- CAS Chemistry Instrument Center
- Network and Communication Services
- Shared Instrumentation Laboratories – Davis Hall Clean Room
December to February 2024
- CAS Magnetic Resonance Center
- CBLS – Shared Lab Services
- Optical Imaging and Analysis Facility
- Shared Instrumentation Laboratories – Materials Characterization Lab
March 2025 and Beyond
Onboarding four more service centers every three months.
Goals
Create a platform for departments to view all instruments and services available on campus.
Establish calendars and workflows for resource scheduling and service requests.
Provide a tool allowing service centers to manage customers and account receivables.
Automate billing, invoicing and payment posting through integration with the university's chart of accounts.
Improve record keeping and reporting.
Terminology
| Blue Services/iLab Term | Description | UB Equivalent Term |
|---|---|---|
| Core Facility / Shared Resource | An entity that offers services or access to resources for customers. In iLab, each Core Facility / Shared Resource (Core, for short) has an online store-front that customers can use to identify the offerings available and directly order products/services. For core administrators and staff, iLab provides workflows to help deliver services, manage resources, complete billing and generate reports | Service Center Shared Instrumentation Lab |
Lab/Group | A group of users, supervised/managed by a Principal Investigator and/or Lab/Group Managers (see below). In iLab, Labs/Groups are typically used as the primary way to organize access to Funds and manage financial approvals for purchases at Core Facilities | Principal Investigator (PI) Group Cost Approver’s Group
|
Principal Investigator (PI) | Primary leader of a lab or group within iLab. Has certain rights to manage users in their lab/group and control financial access / approvals. | Principal Investigator (PI) Cost Approver |
Lab/Group Manager | Administrator of a lab or group, typically a delegate of the PI, with rights similar to the Principal Investigator. | Principal Investigator (PI) Delegate Research Administrator Cost Approver |
Lab/Group Member | Any member of a lab or group that does not have any special administrative rights. | Service Center Customer Service Center User |
Core Administrator | Managers of a Core Facility/Shared Resource, who have special permissions in iLab to modify the workflow of their core and the ability to generate billing events and reports. | Service Center Manager |
Core Member | Staff at a Core Facility/Shared Resource, with the ability to performs workflow functions (i.e. complete orders, deliver services, etc.) but without the administrative permission available to Core Administrators. | Service Center Staff |
Core Customer | Not a role separate from the roles described above, but "Core Customer " describes any user of iLab that is in the process of ordering services or securing resources from a Core. | Service Center Customer |
FAQs
Blue Services, powered by iLab, is a new modular, web-based asset management software tool designed to support the operations of the services centers across the University at Buffalo.
- Compliance: Higher Education Institutions are required to adhere to policies that govern service center activity. UB is implementing Blue Services to provide departments with a tool to meet policy requirements.
- Efficiency: Currently, scheduling, work order requests, service center billing, and revenue collection are all processed manually, which is very time-consuming for service center staff. Blue Services will standardize and automate these processes for departments, leading to a more efficient experience for centers and customers.
- Collaboration and Resource Savings: Blue Services will create a platform for departments to view all instruments and services available on campus.
- Operational Efficiency:
- Blue Services has calendars for resource scheduling and customizable workflows for service requests.
- Blue Services will be integrated with the University’s chart of accounts. This will allow centralized and automated billing, which will be more efficient for service center customers, staff, managers, and those who process financial transactions.
- Reporting: Blue Services will provide more comprehensive equipment and service usage reporting. This will lead to more accurate financial reporting and quicker rate recalculations.
- The Executive Sponsor of the Blue Services Initiative is Beth Corry, Associate Vice President & Controller of the Division of Finance and Administration. Beth Corry has tasked three members of her team to lead and support the project:
- Jennifer Pesany, Assistant Vice President, Financial Management
- Ashley Butcher, Director of Cost Accounting, Financial Management
- Lilly Damin, Project Coordinator, Business Reporting and Systems
Ashley and Lilly will be working with service center managers through implementation.
For any questions, please reach out to UBS-BLUEServices@buffalo.edu
The implementation team will use a “wave” approach to ensure that each service center has the functionality it needs. Every 12 weeks, 3 to 4 centers will be onboarded into the system.
The first pilot group will go live in Fall 2024, and the second wave is scheduled to go live in January 2025. Waves will continue until all service centers utilize Blue Services.
Conversations with the individual service center managers are happening now. We will post the centers in the onboarding process on our website. If you haven’t already scheduled your implementation, please reach out to UBS-BLUEServices@buffalo.edu
Join our Blue Services Listserv to stay updated with the latest information.
The Blue Services project team will help service centers through the implementation process. To begin, you will complete a workbook asking questions about your service center. This will allow the project team and Agilent to learn more about your service center.
The implementation timeline is 12 weeks. During this time, Agilent will work with you to:
- Build your service center website
- Create your customized workflows
- Train you on how to use Blue Services
- Test your Blue Services website
- Develop a communication plan to share with your customers
- You will be involved throughout the entire process.
For the project to be successful, we need your help and guidance throughout the implementation process. Our Project Team will schedule a preliminary meeting three months before your scheduled implementation to review any prep work that needs to be done, including completing an onboarding workbook.
Once the implementation begins, weekly meetings will be scheduled with Agilent.
Service center managers will also need to provide Agilent with additional information and feedback on the website. In total, we estimate 3-4 hours a week for the entire 12-week implementation.
Agilent will be leading service center managers and users through training once their Blue Services website is available. Training materials and information will also be found on the Blue Services website. If additional trainings are needed, please contact UBS-BLUEServices@buffalo.edu.
General training guides will be available on our website. In addition, service center managers will be provided with customized training guides to show customers how to interact with their center’s website. If additional training is needed, please contact UBS-BLUEServices@buffalo.edu.
If you have any questions regarding Blue Services, please send an email to UBS-BLUEServices@buffalo.edu
Videos
For Customers and All Users
Using a Core [22:28]
Click the tray arrow on the video or view the video in Panopto to access chapters for quick reference.
Project Team
Executive Sponsor
Beth Corry
Associate Vice President & Controller,
Finance and Administration
Project Leads
Jennifer Pesany
Assistant Vice President,
Financial Management
Ashley Butcher
Director, Financial Management
Project Support
Andrea Roy
Project Coordinator,
Business Reporting and Systems
Lillian Damin
Project Coordinator,
Business Reporting and Systems
Pilot Service Centers
Connor Grabowski
Behling Simulation Center and
Clinical Competency Center
Donald Goralski
SEAS Shared Instrumentation Laboratories — BioDesign Core Facility
Wade Sigurdson
Pathology Research Service Center