There are many moving parts in an organisation, however overseeing the everyday management and maintenance of your premises can be time-consuming and hard to keep track of costs. Ensuring a good workplace experience for employees while running a business is strongly associated. Facilities management can help your business maintain integral parts of your premises, creating a great workplace experience for workers and allowing you to focus on the smooth running of your business. Reducing your long-term costs while improving your workplace is possible and here are a few ways that facilities management can help.
The benefits of technology in facilities management have become manifestly more important as remote working has been our way of working during the pandemic. One way that technology in facilities management assists in reducing costs is investing in CAFM (computer assisted facilities management). CAFM enables efficiency and productivity by digitally tracking maintenance orders, deadlines, assigning personnel to work and scheduling preventative maintenance. As a result, it gives a facility manager a clearer overview of the assets within a building and allows them to prioritise accordingly. Moreover, integration between BMS (building management systems) and CAFM assist in supporting an organisation’s sustainability efforts which has become an essential part of business both strategically and economically.
2. Comms room monitoring is a must for many organisations and often needs close attention. Maintaining a favourable environment for equipment sensitive to temperature and humidity is necessary for it to perform consistently. In this environment, sensor technology is essential. When critical facilities go offline unexpectedly it can be an expensive and time-consuming problem to fix. Consequently, monitoring a comms room with the right technology will help reduce sudden interruptions to your business and reduce associated costs. Additionally appropriate comms room monitoring can contribute to better energy management.
3. Energy management is one of the established ways that businesses choose when they are trying to save money. Choosing an energy provider that offers fair value for money is not the only way to manage your businesses’ energy consumption. Energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades are parts of managing your business’ energy use that can make the difference in keeping costs down. Additionally, energy management can assist in acquiring energy accreditations such as ISO 50001. This contributes to an organisation’s sustainability objectives too.
4. Asset life-cycle analysis is another way to help manage your budget over time. A tenant is often required to contribute to a reserve services fund. The money is then used by the property owner to repair or replace assets (HVAC, lifts etc.) As a tenant you will be asked to contribute based on the assets in the part of the building that you occupy. An independent asset life cycle analysis helps determine how much your contribution should be to this fund, giving you visibility on existing and future costs.
5. Space planning, now more than ever, is needed to maximise the space available for a business. Space planning however is not only concerned with the space that employees occupy but also storage spaces, plant room designs and process flow strategies. Using space effectively to ensure that maximum value is achieved is part of space planning. It is not possible to have as many staff in a workplace as it was before the pandemic. Consequently, employee wellbeing is becoming a greater focus in the post-pandemic office. Assisting employees’ transition back to their workplace can be made easier by giving consideration and thought to their safety and comfort. Creating a workspace that encourages productivity and collaboration when employees are present will become a more prominent part of the post pandemic workplace as hybrid working continues.
6. Encouraging employees to return to the workplace will also need an employer to carry out risk assessments. Many workplaces have had minimal occupancy or no occupancy over the last two years. Risk assessments are carried out by a risk assessor who examines the risk from workplace hazards and reports on how these can be eliminated. These assist a business in remaining compliant and reassure those returning to work that all necessary precautions have been taken to create a safe and productive workplace.
7. Awareness of on demand cleaning and its benefits has increased during the pandemic. On demand cleaning using sensor technology to give cleaning personnel real time information about how often a part of a building has been used. The information means that cleaners use their time more effectively as they know which areas need to be prioritised. The benefits of on demand cleaning to a client include reducing the time spent on non-essential cleaning rounds, contributing to sustainability efforts, increasing efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Improving the workplace experience of your business helps you streamline essential parts of your office, assist in reducing expensive errors and maximise the available space for your business. As the economy reopens and workers start the process of returning, a safe and comfortable workplace will help to assist in the transition back to your office. If you are interested in creating a great workplace experience for your employees and discussing how you could reduce costs, click here to complete the contact form.
