Picking the Right Facility Management Solution in an Increasingly Dynamic Work Environment

In addition to an increasingly dynamic work environment, businesses are always faced with new constraints, which is why facility managers have to constantly adapt to new paradigms and technologies. For example, this Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted even the most well-managed workplaces. Workplaces had to be shut down, office floor plans had to be reconfigured, warehouses and factories had to be reorganized to help workers maintain physical distancing. But today, we aren’t going to talk about the pandemic. My point is that in today’s ever-increasingly dynamic work environment, how do you pick the right facility management solution?

Why is facility management important?

Before moving on, let’s talk very briefly about why facility management is important. Facility management is defined as the “integration of processes within an organization to maintain and develop agreed-upon services that support and improve the effectiveness of the primary objectives”. In simple terms, the purpose is to keep the workspaces in proper operating conditions through routine and scheduled maintenance. Well-maintained facilities create a healthy working environment, reduce energy consumption, and make all operations run smoothly and efficiently. 

What is facility management software?

When people talk about facility management solutions, they often refer to facility management software. Facility management software streamlines the management of assets, space, equipment, and occupant safety efficiently and effectively. With various features included within the solution, managers can track, manage, and report on an asset’s operations using both mobile and web-based application, if you are using cloud-based facility management software. This technology provides facility managers with detailed information on floor plans, task lists, staff contact information, equipment, and supplier and vendor details. 

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Right now, most facility management professionals still rely on manual processes or use spreadsheets to record information. For example, walkthroughs for visual inspections and face-to-face meetings with staff. However, the ever-increasing number of maintenance tasks makes the manual process too time-consuming and costly. And this is where the facility management solution comes into play. 

Essential Features of Facility Management Software

Different kinds of facility management solutions will provide different features. But at a minimum, you should check if the software supports the following tasks.

Essential features of facilities management software

Ability to track task assignments

This is a feature that allows facility management managers to monitor the progress of a task and to whom it has been assigned, whether it’s internal staff or external vendors. It allows managers to identify a specific problem and assign the task to a suitable person to fix it. And finally, managers will be able to see if the task has been completed or is yet to be completed. 

Supports interaction with facility blueprints

A good facility management solution should show the entire floor or facility plan and allow managers to assign tasks to a specific location on the model. For example, if you notice a broken light bulb in a corridor, you should be able to pinpoint the precise location, attach an image and send it to a contractor or staff who is responsible for fixing it. 

Notifications

How would a maintenance technician know that he has been assigned tasks if he does not get any notification alerts? A good facility management solution should provide an automated notification system. Notifications should not only be limited to receiving work orders but also when work orders have been completed. 

Cloud-based

Almost all modern facility management solutions are cloud-based. On-premise or legacy solutions aren’t very efficient and cost too much. On the other hand, cloud-based solutions are cheaper and offer more flexibility. Through cloud-based software, maintenance technicians can provide you with updates immediately. Cloud-based facility management software also can be accessed remotely from anywhere and anytime.

Mobile-friendly

Another reason why cloud solutions are gaining popularity is that they are mobile-friendly. When everyone is becoming so dependent on mobile devices, the ability to streamline maintenance tasks via mobile devices makes good business sense. For example, with CloudApper’s facility management software, assignees can respond immediately to any notifications or work requests. Staff can use their smartphones to take photos of any damages, and it also helps save time from having to continually meet face-to-face or use walkie-talkies. 

Supports collaboration and communication

A facility management solution needs to support collaboration and communication in today’s ever-increasing mobile and dynamic environment. Maintenance technicians and staff should be able to ask questions and get immediate feedback directly from the app. It can save lots of hours and confusion from miscommunication.

Secure storage

Yes, data today are valuable to any organization, and paper records can easily get lost, misplaced, or stolen. Facilities are highly-valuable assets, and you want to be confident that all the information and crucial documents are stored in safe secure locations. The advantage of cloud storage is that even during an emergency like an earthquake or fire, your data will never be lost as it is stored in the cloud. 

Facilities by CloudApper – Empowering Mobile Devices for Business Operations

CloudApper’s facility management software, the Facilities, is a cloud-based solution that simplifies all maintenance, inspections, work orders, inventory management, and even training. The Facilities ensures workflow optimization and helps you focus on proactive maintenance.

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