DATA MANAGEMENT


whether work needs to be carried out and what specifically is required is transmitted from the tag to an enterprise mobility app; working to minimise missed services, job duplication and helping to maximise asset lifespan. The tag could even contain a URL link to an Operation and Maintenance manual. Once the work is completed, the user updates the app and taps the tag, which is, in turn, updated with the smartphone.


“Fieldworkers can find out the service status of an asset by tapping an attached tag with their smartphone.”


the labels nor discs require power or a wireless connection, making them practical for use outdoors or in remote locations. With all this going in NFC’s favour, it may be surprising to learn how inexpensive the technology actually is. The tags cost around 10p, and the chances are, if you own a smartphone, it is NFC-enabled.


NFC IN FM Understanding how this versatile


technology can be harnessed successfully in FM scenarios just takes a little bit of imagination. Applied effectively as part of a wider mobility strategy, NFC can enable business to gain significant efficiencies, improve process compliance, and enhance data integrity.


For managing asset maintenance, fieldworkers can quickly find out the service status of a certain asset by tapping the attached tag with the smartphone. Information concerning


www.tomorrowsfm.com


NFC can also be used to monitor time and attendance. On entering and exiting a facility, staff simply tap the appropriate tag with their NFC- enabled smartphone, meaning fobs are no longer necessary. NFC tags could be applied across multiple client sites for time and attendance monitoring, as well as be used to prove whether staff members have visited particular rooms. Cleaning staff, for example, could receive their task list for the day as they tap into a specific facility, record job completion through the app, which updates the tag as they leave, ready for the next person.


To ensure security personnel have carried out the correct perimeter checks, NFC tags can be placed at check points, which they will tap with their smartphone as they move round the site. Not only will this alert colleagues when security hasn’t checked in at a particular point, it can show where an individual was last and at what time, and provide the bigger picture as to whether a particular person is keeping to schedule.


These efficiency-saving examples of NFC use are just the tip of the iceberg. The exciting part is that if you don’t already have this versatile technology on your current mobile device, in the near future, you will and so will your workforce, as increasingly sophisticated smartphones become ubiquitous. For a relatively low


LESS STRESS AT


BRITISH AIRWAYS Now that the majority of smartphones available are actually NFC-enabled as standard, the technology is increasingly being utilised across the consumer and business sectors. British Airways provides a good example of the potential of NFC to fulfil the efficiency shortcomings of the barcode in FM applications.


British Airways recently announced that it is trialling new luggage tags that house support for NFC, ready to be rolled out next year. Using the BA application on their smartphones, passengers will be able tap their luggage tag, updating an e-ink display with their flight number, destination, tracking details, and a unique barcode.


This will eliminate the need for BA staff to key in passenger details, print off fiddly barcode labels and attach them to the traveller’s luggage. The result will be substantial efficiencies for BA but also a much less stressful airport experience for customers.


investment and a straight forward deployment, FMs will be able to harness NFC as part of their mobility strategy, taking advantage of the real- world benefits offered.


www.tbsmobility.com


TOMORROW’S FM | 29


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