The facility management industry is constantly changing. As a property manager, you need to streamline and optimize your procedures constantly to meet daily demands. While each organization operates differently, all facility managers share a common goal of working efficiently and effectively to enhance their building systems and lower operating costs. Below, we share the top six ways to improve your facility management operations.
Embrace Integrated Facilities Management
You can decide to consolidate all your facilities management efforts into a single unified team. It includes vendor partnerships, real estate planning, space management, invoicing, and contracts. With Integrated facilities management, you stand in a better position to enhance your facilities services continuously as standards change and evolve. That’s because you can easily collaborate with a single service provider, making it quick to adapt to any changes.
Enhance Communication
Create clear communication lines within the departments, team members, and outside vendors. Update everyone about your facility processes, emerging repairs, and the changes you need to make. As you provide regular updates, be willing to listen to your team member’s queries and concerns and respond to them appropriately.
Proper communication will also enable you to maintain strong relationships with contractors, vendors, and other stakeholders, eliminate unnecessary tasks, and boost the team’s accountability and productivity.
Automate Some Operations and Maintenance
An automated workflow will boost your visibility, enhance property efficiency, and maintain consistency. For instance, connecting your HVAC schedules directly to the building automation system enables you to control your cooling and heating settings, depending on facility occupancy, managing energy usage. Similarly, automating facility lighting can also improve energy efficiency, lowering energy expenditures.
Enhance Capabilities With Software
As you work to reduce operational costs, you will need tools to help you divide and analyze the available data to maintain workplace balance. You can invest in a computer-aided Facilities Management (CAFM), property management software, or an Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS). With the right software, you will track work orders and invoices and even set notifications to remind you of the upcoming service requirements and maintenance.
Upgrade Your Equipment and Assets
As a facility manager, keep an eye on the latest technologies that can significantly enhance your building operations. If you can’t figure out when you last updated your equipment and assets, it’s probably time to invest in more efficient models.
Some upgrade options include installing renewable energy sources, such as geothermal or solar panels, and buying Energy Star certified equipment, like freezers and printers. You can also upgrade your lighting and HVAC systems to energy-saving and cost-effective options.
Set Up the Right KPIs
Your first key performance indicators (KPIs) as a facility manager should help you answer questions relating to your goals to enable you to improve your performance. KPIs give you a clear view of your targets and how far you need to go to succeed. For example, if your goal is to fix a certain number of upgrades each month, your KPIs will show if you are still far or close to hitting your targets.
They compile data from various sources to enable you to see what is performing well and areas with opportunities for improvement. That way, you can determine where you are going wrong and find ways to get back on track.
As you strive to succeed in facility management, keep your eyes open to the new technologies and equipment to streamline and automate your processes. Never stop learning and upgrading your systems to meet the ever-changing market demands. Stay informed of what is happening around you and grasp every opportunity giving you a chance to improve.
