The benefits of big data
Christian Berenger, Managing Director of Ezitracker Workforce Management, looks at how the ability to integrate, visualise and analyse workforce data is a powerful key tactic to differentiate cleaning service providers.
Advancements such as the Internet of Things (IoT), AI and big data – combined with existing technologies such as building information modelling, analytics and workforce management – can contribute to improved business outcomes for soft FM service providers.
Big data is a term that describes the large volume of data (both structured and unstructured) that inundates a business on a day-to-day basis. But it's not the amount of data that's important. Big data can be analysed for insights that lead to better decisions and strategic business moves. Leveraging big data will help managers better understand service delivery elements and people management, and what future investments can be made towards tools to unleash its power.
A recent report by the RICS called ‘Big data: a new revolution in the UK facilities management sector’ highlighted the fact that over 70% of FMs in the UK were either in the pre-adoption or early adoption stages of implementing a big data management strategy.
The report claims that in today’s competitive economy, FM organisations are facing increasing pressure from client organisations to manage facility portfolios with stringent goals for both cost efficiency and environmental impact. The ability to integrate, visualise and closely monitor building data (such as space demand and utilisation, energy usage and cost, air quality, temperature variations, lighting etc.) is critical to achieving these goals.
While it is commonly accepted that big data (data that surpasses the processing capability of traditional database systems) and analytics present major opportunities to generate value for a wide variety of safety and maintenance operations, many within the FM sector have yet to fully recognise this value. While the use of big data in FM can generate many benefits such as proactive rather than reactive maintenance solutions and help meet cost and environmental goals, take up in the industry has been slow.
In the UK cleaning sector, the need to ensure contract compliance, validate service delivery and automate key processes has never been higher. Soft FM service providers can manage the employee lifecycle of hundreds of cleaning operatives in a sector that has a notoriously high staff turnover rate. By eliminating uncertainty and having information available real-time, it’s possible to free up time for managers to make the best possible decisions, streamline processes, achieve optimum levels of productivity and boost long-term profitability.
Embracing digital in a business can be a powerful differentiator for SME FMs. There are a growing number of digital-only businesses with models based on immediacy,
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lower cost and detailed, real-time analytics. They are leaving their old-school analogue and paper-based competitors behind. It’s easy to see why business models based on a
“Soft FM service providers can manage the employee lifecycle of hundreds of cleaning operatives in a sector that
has a notoriously high staff turnover rate.”
digital platform appeal to users – there is much less admin in a world without paper-based timesheets, and it’s also far more responsive.
The Contract Cleaning Market Report from Analyst MTW forecasted more than £450m growth for the contract cleaning market in the next few years. Around 80% of cleaning contractors continue to report healthy financials, though the number of businesses at risk of failing has risen in the last 12 months.
Enhanced ‘data driven cleaning’ was expected to be a key differentiation tactic and boost productivity. We are noticing that this enhanced ‘data driven cleaning’ is, in fact, a powerful key tactic to differentiate cleaning service offerings. The companies embracing digital are starting to challenge the traditional soft FM business models.
This rings true for us, as we have seen an upturn in demand for our workforce management technology in this sector. The cleaning market is growing exponentially, and we have no doubt that further technological advances will be developed to disrupt and transform the sector. IoT connected devices, 5G and software developments have driven innovation in contract cleaning and cleaning contractors of all sizes are benefitting from reduced paperwork and the ability to run their finances and cleaning contracts digitally. Our technology enables employers of large and small workforces of cleaners and maintenance workers to reduce absenteeism, lower costs via automation, and increase productivity and efficiencies.
Even the smallest cleaning company, which may feel that in-depth analytics are not needed, can benefit from reduced paperwork, greater payroll accuracy, and the ability to run cleaning contracts digitally. Robust analytics available at each step will help you to make better business decisions. Through recording key data, performing analytics, and even
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