A University of Wisconsin Oshkosh employee submitted a formal suggestion that was implemented to save the University hundreds of dollars per year.

Richard Heling was tired of seeing unnecessary damage to the passenger elevator in the Kolf Fieldhouse. He was further frustrated when, as a result, workers were no longer permitted to use the elevator to move equipment around the large building.

“That made it really difficult to move equipment to the upper level,” Heling wrote in his suggestion.

Heling did something about it.

He drew a diagram of the elevator, including a stainless steel panel that would prevent further damage and would allow for employees to again use the elevator to transport heavy items.

He submitted the idea to Wisconsin’s State Employee Suggestion Program and on Dec. 10 received a certificate from the Office of State Employment Relations and a UW Oshkosh sweatshirt.

Heling estimates that each repair to the elevator would’ve cost the university approximately $250, and the increased time and effort to move the equipment manually would have been costly as well.

Any state or university employee (part-time, full-time, temporary, permanent, classified, unclassified) can submit his or her suggestions for improvement in any area of state government operations. Visit http://suggest.state.wi.us for the suggestion form.