Top Facilities Management Tips from Industry Leaders

Quality data in, quality insights out

Facility assets create many different data points over their lifetime that are relevant to the business’ bottom line. What is the asset condition, repair and maintenance history, work order history, spare parts status, and other operational details? What has been spent on an asset over time? Tagging and tracking assets that may eventually need to be repaired or replaced ensures that when a decision needs to be made, there are data points to make it strategically.

The adage “what you put into it is what you’ll get out of it” applies to every aspect of facilities management. The better the data, the better the decisions that can be made with the data — so prioritizing data collection is the first step in a modern facilities management strategy.

Of course, the challenge lies in tracking the relevant data points across the dozens, or even hundreds, of different assets at a facility location. Organizations can meet this challenge by leveraging solutions like a Ecotraks Computerized Maintenance Management System (CMMS), built to effectively track quality data.

Data is most valuable when it’s easy to use

If your organization has invested in gathering facilities data, the next step is ensuring your team is able to access this data. Data should be as close to real-time as possible, and available on one central platform for everyone who needs to use it.

In today’s business world, a headquarters may not be close to facility locations. Employees may be remote. Physical files and information might not be accessible by everyone. Regardless, team members from managers on the store level to organizational leaders working remotely from a central office should have access to the operational data they need in their roles. And although facilities data will be primarily used by the operations team, departments like accounting, legal, or development may also need to touch the data at a certain point. Strong organizational communication is critical to growth, particularly when facilities management is undergoing expansion.

In addition to your inter-organizational communication, your technology tools should be able to talk to each other as well. Your facilities management platform should integrate with any other business platforms, ensuring that data is not siloed and there isn’t friction across business operations. The most useful information is information that is easy to use!

Facilities information should drive both day-to-day and big picture decisions

The data collected about facility assets is valuable both on a store level and on an organizational level.

For instance, facilities data can keep track of critical details such as warranty status for individual pieces of equipment. Everyday equipment maintenance or repair may be covered by the manufacturer, but taking advantage of a warranty requires tracking key deadlines and terms that vary across individual pieces of equipment. Logging warranty data alongside asset history, budget, and other operational details can drive better on-the-ground facilities decisions.

In addition, the full collection of data points can help operators find new patterns and build proactive response strategies. To minimize disruptions, your facilities team will prioritize a fast response to an emerging issue. But successful organizations also review the data once the immediate issue is taken care of — was this facilities challenge part of a broader trend? What is the new cost implication, given a repair or replacement? Is there a more effective or efficient way to approach the problem fleetwide?

Top facilities management leaders know: if you aren’t being proactive, by default, you’re reactive. Empower your team with data before they need it, whether they are making a day-to-day equipment repair decision or creating an organization-wide maintenance strategy.

Keep your data intact for the long-term

Your organization has always collected data — but how has that data been stored? Are you able to access historical records in a way that is helpful for your current operations?

Many companies start with a piecemeal approach to data tracking, with insights stored across various Excel templates, email attachments, legacy platforms, paper file drawers, and individual employee desktops. Over time, however, asset data becomes disjointed and less useful.

Keeping data intact is more difficult than it sounds, but in modern facilities management, it starts with choosing a centralized facilities management platform for your organization. One central data repository allows you to completely own your data and build a valuable history of facilities maintenance and systems that will be an asset for your company in the future.

Explore new technology tools

With the fast pace of new technology developments, particularly in the world of AI, facilities operators have more opportunities than ever to experiment with new tools.

As mentioned above, facilities management generates a lot of data. Your organization may have a role or team that focuses on analyzing data, through reporting analysis or strategic planning. Support this team with new technology tools that can sift through facilities data with more granularity, or help evaluate larger sets of data.

In addition, if you are already using platforms like a CMMS or other facilities maintenance technologies, review their offerings to see what new tools they are releasing with their product. The facilities technology industry is developing tools like AI chatbots, predictability features, and other data scraping support that can be added to your operators toolbox with minimal effort.

Expect (and be prepared) for the unknown

Keep in mind that although facilities management technology is a powerful tool, data is a means to an end, not the end itself. Data cannot make foolproof decisions for you, but it can help your organization to make better decisions over time.

Optimizing your operations will always be a moving target as your organization grows and expands. To set yourself up for success, choose a facilities management platform that can integrate data into your business structure, your teams, and your organization’s decision-making process. With a strong foundation of facilities data, your organization will be prepared to adapt to whatever comes next.

These tips and more were discussed during the webinar Mitra's Journey to Revolutionize Facility and Real Estate Management, presented by Ecotrak, Leasecake, and Mitra QSR. And to learn more about how Ecotrak has helped support Mitra QSR’s growth, you can read more here.