IS FM MAKING THE MOST OF TECHNOLOGY?
In this article, we’re asking if the FM service in your firm is using computer-aided facility management (CAFM) and other technology effectively and successfully? Is there sufficient integration? Are you seeing genuine performance benefits and value?
If yes, how? And if not, why not?
Acquiring agility
The FM profession is slightly behind the tech curve. Yes, in larger corporations, the smart building's era is upon us, and we are seeing some big FM providers partnering or acquiring swift technology companies to deliver fresh approaches to market needs. But the mid-market SME sector is where we’re seeing the most disruption.
There is one thing common across all organisations: the need for greater efficiency and transparency when managing data. Compliance is top of the tree for FMs and we are now seeing a greater use of cloud-based platforms and handheld technology to provide real-time facility maintenance information.
Using the data
To make FM technology effective, the data collected must be made available and able to integrate with other data platforms for those who make decisions on site. It’s one thing to implement a technology solution, but another to analyze what it is telling you. Within the FM sector, there are three key data sets: people (both internal and client-side), the client organisation, and service information (contract specifics). FM technology should be able to capture, measure and integrate these three metrics, as doing so will help to fulfill workflows.
Maintaining efficiency
If used effectively, FM technology could transform the way the sector operates, improve standards of service, simplify communications and enable providers to realize long-term cost savings.
For FM to avoid falling victim to the hype of digitization, it is essential for service providers to consider the required elements beyond the bits and bytes.
The ‘proptech’ era
Thanks to the property technology era, start-ups are starting to integrate their offerings with each other to deliver a modern workplace with unique integrated solutions for FM services across enterprise businesses. This includes visitor management and access control systems as well as health and safety digital processes, etc.
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