DOCUMENT/DATA MANAGEMENT
that integrate with existing back-office systems and also offer customer portals, allowing everything from invoicing to signature capture, audit reports, training records, GPS vehicle tracking and much more to be managed from both desktops and smart phones.
As such, facilities managers need to be aware that the boundaries of their facility are extending all the time, with employees now able to effectively take elements of the business and strategy out into the field with them more readily than at any time in the past. Security measures should extend to mobile devices, together with advice to all staff accessing company data on mobile devices about the danger of using unsecured WIFI networks, and other common sense security measures, such as biometric access locks.
If this is all seeming daunting and costly, it is well worth remembering how vital data and supportive services are to helping facilities achieve results, saving time, effort and resources along the way. Could you imagine trying to do your job these days without an electronic device and all the data that gives you access to?
THE PAPERLESS OFFICE For instance, all facilities managers will be familiar with
waste-reducing and efficiency-saving measures such as the paperless office goal, as well as the ambition of diverting as much, if not all, waste from landfill. Business objectives like these can only be achieved with oversight of the facts and figures, and with secure and reliable data that accurately measures what success looks like.
And for facilities running fleets of vehicles, apps that include mapping software can help a company reach sustainability goals through accurate monitoring of CO2 emissions, and reductions thanks to real-time mapping and the ability to identify inefficient drivers and optimise the management of mobile resources.
As well as the strategic business advantages of having integrated processes and streamlined systems, including increased service levels and more satisfied customers, app technology cuts out unnecessary admin and paperwork. Some users of contract management apps have reported over 10% decreases in office paper usage in their facilities in first six months of introduction.
The drive to cut down or cut out unnecessary paper usage has existed for some time, but the technology to actually achieve this is now more effective and accessible than ever. And any paper that does get thrown away should find its way into a recycling bin, of course, as part of a facility’s landfill diversion programme. Here, too, digital processes can help facilities managers track, trace and quantify the flow of materials out of the facility.
WASTE MANAGEMENT Many leading waste management companies also use
app technology in the field to improve communication for the receiving of material, to eliminate security gaps and speed up the weighing of trucks. Some waste management companies use apps that take photos with each truck load,
www.tomorrowsfm.com
which are automatically linked to the received material providing better control for traders and established proof for any claim with suppliers and consumers.
This transparency and traceability is crucial for firms wanting to prove their sustainability credentials, and to also help promote data collection as a whole in the resource and waste management industry, allowing the sector to optimise the collection of commercial and industrial waste.
Facilities managers should look to target the low-hanging fruit such as paper first, but aim to build up the data records to include food waste, furniture and IT equipment. Ideally, whenever new items enter a building – such as new furniture for instance – a plan should also be in place for how to recycle or reuse them further down the line, at the end of their useful life in the facility. Collaborating like this with a reputable and innovative waste management partner will be vital to achieving zero waste to landfill.
Resource management is the first step to achieving zero waste to landfill – it is only by carefully analysing the streams of materials and resources entering a site that a facilities manager can get a handle on what can be reused and recycled when its purpose in the building has been completed. Working closely with suppliers is key to preventing waste from arising in the first place – buyers should be pressuring those who do not provide recyclable packaging, for instance, and keeping data records of bin collections for all waste and recycling streams.
KNOWLEDGE IS POWER The switch to digital is occurring across all facilities
management processes from contract management, to oversight of recycling and waste streams, and energy efficiency. The latter has seen the roll out of smart meters and building controls, which are allowing more data to be collected on the efficiency and running costs of a building than ever before.
Innovative technology and responsible data management can help facilities managers improve all aspects of their company from recycling rates to energy efficiency. The magic ingredients are integration and security. There is no reason why these data streams cannot be integrated into one facilities oversight platform, providing tailored information and analysis for individual facilities. But once this is online, this platform becomes a hugely valuable asset to a business, and it is vital that the correct security measures are in place to prevent an ‘all eggs in one basket’ data breach scenario, as demonstrated by the vulnerabilities exposed in May’s worldwide hacking incident.
Technology and digital innovation is a critical enabler for many elements of the circular economy value chain and the business models of the future. Facilities managers can find out how to integrate the latest technologies into their business and wider communities and get the right advice from the right people, from software experts to recruitment specialists, lawyers and analysts, by exploring the Data, Tech and Services Zone at RWM 2017.
www.rwmexhibition.com TOMORROW’S FM | 67
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
