Most facility managers tackle numerous facilities management challenges to effectively keep their office building, equipment, and infrastructure in good shape. However, at times, things can become quite complicated, and various issues can arise unexpectedly (e.g., a brand new computer system stats malfunctioning or one of your key staff is absent due to illness). The key here is to recognize these challenges quickly and establish the most efficient ways to resolve these issues.
Companies have discovered innovative ways to serve customers, developed fresh product lines, and found ways to minimize expenses by optimizing office space usage and reassessing conventional facilities management methods. However, the last few years have also caused substantial facility management problems.
This article discusses some crucial facilities management challenges and their resolutions that organizations can potentially face.
Common Facilities Management Challenges for Facility Managers and Their Solutions
Lack of Facility Information Availability
Inadequate or zero access to accurate facility information is often caused by outdated or paper-based processes, which leads to extra work and slower operations. This absence of information leads to field teams being unable to access the necessary facility data and leadership teams not having a clear view of operations and any other essential information needed to support decisions. This, in turn, can result in additional mistakes which are easily preventable, potentially bad decisions, and increased liability risk.
The Solution:
To resolve the lack of access to necessary information, your facilities management software should be able to make information accessible online from anywhere. However, this access should only be given to authorized persons. There can be multiple access levels to limit what different management levels can access. Your software can also enhance information transfer among various units and allow third parties to view and access information when needed.
Inefficient Facility Compliance
Several companies face the problem of having complex compliance operations that need excessive time to execute. Often, in firms with manual reporting and compliance procedures, their capability to perform in other areas is hampered. Additionally, such firms have unclear guidelines n processes for identifying and addressing failures. This can result in an inefficient workforce and increase the risk of errors and omission.
The Solution:
Instead of relying on outdated procedures, several companies like Adobe, Camscanner, etc., rely on almost completely paperless processes. Paperless offices have more manageable and efficient compliance procedures, have minimized the risk of loss of information, free up more time and resources for the company and offer better access and insight.
Creating a Sustainable Workspace
Often, supply chain activities can adversely impact the environment, and their effects on climate change have been, at present, a subject of heated debate. Concerns have been raised that cargo transportation by road, sea, and air emits poisonous gases into the atmosphere. However, opting for environmental processes and abandoning the present ones can cause substantial losses to the company.
The Solution:
In recent years, several businesses have been crafting and implementing cost-effective strategies to ensure their processes, including supply chain activities, do not adversely affect the environment. For example, to minimize its CO2 emissions, Proctor & Gamble achieved its target in 2015 of cutting the overall mileage traveled by its vehicles by 30%.
Hybrid Workspace Utilization
As per the latest CBRE research, even though the demand for office space is improving following the pandemic, it’s projected that the average employee will spend 24% less time in the office. As a result, several organizations, including over 80% of large companies, are retaining or adopting a hybrid workplace model.
However, shifting to a hybrid work model without proper planning and adequate tools can put a company at risk of losing a substantial amount of funds due to bad office space utilization.
The Solution:
To shift to a hybrid workspace, a firm must rethink its space planning principles. Instead of planning to allot a single desk for every employee, facilities managers need to adopt flexible strategies like hot desking or office hoteling, where employees can book desks and common use areas as per requirement. Also, using hot desking software helps the organization understand its real estate portfolio and enhance savings. At present, companies like TCS and Capgemini are successfully implementing hybrid workspace models.
Constant damage control
Facility managers always have to be efficient in their jobs and be at the top of their game. If you’re a facility manager, you’ll need a good damage prevention and control maintenance plan. Without that, you’ll risk facing multiple types of damage control activities during each working day. As a facility manager, you will constantly receive urgent calls where you need to determine the next course of action and how to prioritize your tasks at hand, often at very short notice.
The Solution:
For an organization to function efficiently, minimize expenses on damage, and focus on core business activities, they need to employ professional facility managers. Facility managers can professionally monitor the state of the facility while monitoring and tracking the organization’s resources to save expenses and enhance efficiency.
Proper Energy Management
For your organization, buildings consume the most energy and generate the greatest impact on today’s global climate. In today’s world, facility managers look for the best energy management software that can help them control various resources.
The Solution:
Facility management operations can save money by becoming more environmentally friendly. This includes:
- Opting for simple practices, such as increasing usage of natural light
- Shifting to using LED lighting
- Upgrading to automated building technologies, e.g., solar panels that minimize energy wastage.
LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), a globally used third-party verification for green building, is transforming how we think about how structures and communities are planned, built, managed, and maintained.
How QuickFMS Can Help Facility Managers Tackle These Challenges
Each organization can face a unique set of challenges depending on its size, industry, business model, etc. QuickFMS offers customized, effective, and modern facilities management solutions that enable FMs to resolve any facilities management challenges they might face. Our product modules include space management, maintenance management, hot desk booking, etc., which can be customized as per your needs. Contact our team today to schedule a free demo.
Amit Prasad is the founder and managing director of SatNav Technologies and has business interests in a wide range of IT products. SatNav Technologies is an IT products company focusing on cloud based map data products and a pioneer in GPS, FMS & LBS Technologies. The product suite includes SatTracx in-the-field location based solutions and A-mantra in-the-office facilities management solutions. QuickFMS from a-mantra is a cloud based facility management system which enhances organization’s efficiency.
