For demand organizations, facility management spending can account for up to 25% of the total budget. In the wake of the pandemic, companies are looking to cut-costs at every juncture of the process. Organizations must strike a balance between reducing non core costs without affecting core operations.
Today, one of the easiest ways to optimize operational costs and performance is to outsource your facility management services. The influx of FM vendors in the last decade means there are a growing number of new services on offer. These services provide state of the art facility management, workplace strategy and technology to ensure your business meets its goals.
However, chalking out a path forward that enables companies to extract the most value out of their FM services is challenging. Whether it be implementing new technology or changing space utilization, adaption is the need of the hour. So, how do organizations find the way forward? For starters, companies can adopt six emerging trends to ensure productivity and operational efficiency.
Increased Wellness And Safety
With the advent of the pandemic, safety at the premises is in the spotlight. Government guidelines are to be followed. Safe FM practices are to be inculcated at the core of your business so that it can bear the brunts of not just Covid but any pandemic. It is the role of the facility manager to ensure a safe return to the workplace.
To begin, organizations can hire professionals that are trained to drive safety and wellness initiatives at a facility. Hygiene and safety must become the cornerstone of a business’s facility management operations. The role of facility management is shifting from being a mere service to becoming a space that promotes a work culture anchored by safe work practices. Increased focus on wellness and safety ensures business continuity, enhancement of occupant experience at the premises, and operational efficiency.
Digitisation
Although the apprehension to implement new technologies at the facility is understandable (due to the cost and efficiency concerns), there’s no way around it. The pandemic has accelerated development in technology that can take facility management services to the next level.
Before selecting which technologies to implement, as a facility head, you must do the background work required to select the ideal ones for your business. With a strategy in place, you can increase operational efficiency and reduce costs. The idea is to begin with low-hanging fruit and implement the technology in phases.
Technologies that have become an integral part of facility management services are:
Internet of Things (IOT)
IOT has become a key part of automated facility management services. Whether it be motion sensor lights or automatic temperature control, IOT enabled equipment increases energy efficiency and enhances occupant experience.
With so many benefits on offer, naturally companies are now increasingly implementing IOT in their facility management operations. These organizations are choosing the type of computing required at the facility (edge, cloud or hybrid) based on data transmission costs. Hardware and/or software is emerging as the preferred choice of model with companies trying to own multiple layers of IOT stack.
The implementation
To implement IOT at the facility, organizations have to upgrade or retrofit legacy systems. Multiple use cases must be developed to ensure the implementation of the technology will be successful in the long run. Demand organizations should partner with FM providers that have an end to end vision for IOT.
The factors you should consider before implementing IOT
Costs. Before you implement IOT, consider whether upgrading the systems is comparable to the current expense.
Device and system compatibility. Check whether the devices and systems at the facility are compatible with IOT.
Robotic Automation
Automation is the perfect foil for repetitive and hazardous tasks at your facility. Whether it be repetitive cleaning processes, security petrol or HVACs cleaning, automation reduces risks and costs at the same time.
The implementation
Robotic automation is still relatively new in India and is used at a limited number of facilities in the country. The implementation requires organizations to partner with FM providers that have expertise in deployment and maintenance of robots.
The factors you should consider before implementing robotic automation
Costs. Whether costs incurred by robotic automation at the facility is comparable to the current costs
Support. If the supply chain is in place for robotic automation or not?
Effectiveness. Whether robotic automation is more effective than the current procedure in place.
Technology maturity. Is the current technology applicable in the long run?
Augmented Reality (Ar)
Augmented reality has the potential to revolutionize facility management. AR solutions in the field include the use of Software Development Kits (SDKs), smartphones and tablets, interaction via visualization, mapping (with spatial tracking and shape imposition based technologies).
Implementation of AR
Just like robotic automation, AR is still in the early stages of development in India. The implementation requires organizations to partner with FM providers that have expertise in AR implementation.
The factors you should consider before implementing AR
Support. Does the supply chain have the software and hardware capabilities to implement AR at the facility?
Costs. Whether costs incurred by AR implementation at the facility is comparable to the current costs?
Workforce. Is the workforce skilled enough to implement AR efficiently at the premises?
To read more about how digitization has changed the face of Facility Management, click here.
Data-driven Model
Data-driven analysis improves decision-making drastically. Whether it be maintenance analysis, space utilization, or sustainability metrics, numbers give you a clear picture of the businesses’ health. Data-driven facility management services help you take decisive action driven by concise information, meaning there’s no room for error.
How does a data driven model benefit facility management?
The reliance on data eliminates guesswork. When you base your business decisions on data instead of your gut feel, you optimize the functions of the business. Whether it be asset allocation, ordering inventory or formatting the space utilisation on the floor, analytics provides you the way so that you are not forced to make decisions blindly.
Analysis of data helps you in more ways than one. With data in the repository (data lakes), you can compare the past and present systems’ performances and use it to identify potential anomalies, improve operational efficiency and reduce costs.
Integration with existing systems. With a quality facility management tool that works in harmony with the rest of your systems, you can create a comprehensive view of the business which helps make better decisions.
To know more about how the data-driven model impacts facility management, click here.
The Shift To Integrated Facility Management Systems (Ifms)
Under an Integrated Management Facility System, all systems are consolidated under a single umbrella. Management tasks, duties, and resources do not have to be managed separately. With a shift to IFM, you plug gaps in the process, reduce costs, and eliminate errors.
So, how do you make the switch?
Partner with a large vendor rather than multiple small vendors. Implement technology to decrease manual tasks. Collaborate with a single FM provider rather than working with multiple FM providers for different FM services.
Under an IFMS system, your organization can avail integrated services for:
- Real estate: Includes transaction management, project management and other services.
- Facility management: Includes asset maintenance and building management.
- Energy management: Includes focus on conservation of energy (retrofits and procedural changes)
- Production maintenance: Includes maintenance of assembly stations, process equipment and testing stations.
- Employee services:Includes mailroom, fitness center, cafeteria and food service.
With an integrated approach, decision making is much easier and a comprehensive view of all services with only a few FM providers eases management in general.
Effective Space Utilisation Strategy
When you enhance the occupant experience at the premises, you create a healthier place for people to reside in, increase the workforce’s productivity, ensure efficient time utilization, and reduce costs. Although FM companies might not have been that keen to enhance occupant experience in the past, it is now a crucial part of ensuring business continuity and success.
An effective space utilization strategy provides a better resident experience. So, how do you achieve that? By implementing a modular co-working space model that is agile and flexible. The model reduces square footage and allows the organisation to choose the type of space and period occupancy with ease.
Want to know the steps that you can take to ensure an enhanced occupant experience at your premises?
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