How Technology Can Keep FM Budgets in Check
The article explains how facilities managers can reduce costs and improve productivity by leveraging technology such as hoteling software, activity and traffic sensors, and wayfinding tools to optimize flexible workspaces, accurately track space usage, support remote work, and maintain employee morale while saving on real estate expenses.
How to Drive Down Facilities Management Costs
Facilities managers are always on the lookout for ways to save while maximizing productivity. One popular strategy is to focus on environmental initiatives, like reminding workers to recycle and setting all printers to produce double-sided documents. However, technology can be a powerful resource as well. Using certain tech tools can help the company budget in considerable ways.
Decreasing Real Estate Costs
With the rise of flexible work options, employers are also benefiting from employees working from home. The average amount spent on providing office space for a worker ranges from $10,000 to $15,000 each year. Employees who work from home not only enjoy flexibility but also help the company save money. Tools like email, instant messaging, and web conferencing enable facility managers to save thousands of dollars.
Maintaining Morale
Working from home can be isolating and tedious without social interaction. Offices should have hoteling spaces to accommodate remote workers when they visit. To make this work, hoteling software is needed to keep track of who is sitting where. Without an organized system, the benefits of coming into the office may be lost due to the difficulty of finding an empty spot.
Getting an Accurate Picture of Space Usage
Hoteling software can help facilities managers see which rooms have been reserved. However, sometimes a person may reserve a space without actually using it. In these cases, activity and traffic sensors can provide accurate data on space usage. Activity sensors track activity in meeting spaces, while traffic sensors provide data on the use of larger spaces. With this information, managers can recalibrate office space and make informed decisions about space utilization.
Maintaining Productivity
Without wayfinding software, hoteling workers may spend 10 to 15 minutes each time trying to find an unused office or empty cubicle. This can add up to 12 hours of lost productivity per year per worker. At a $100,000 annual salary, that's $575 in lost productivity. The right technology can help companies save thousands of dollars annually by reducing wasted time.
Winning Buy-In From Your CEO
Spreadsheets can be static and cumbersome, and may not be sufficient to win the attention of company executives. Facilities management software that generates visual space utilization reports can help win buy-in from executives when seeking approval for major decisions, such as buying new assets, relocating a department, or moving to a new location. Visual data makes it easier for CEOs to understand the factors behind the problem, compared to just reviewing percentages on a spreadsheet.