Feature
Rationalising estates, and the flexible working that comes with it, can have an enormous impact on the workforce. When the pandemic hit, office workers moved their workstations to the safety of their homes and key workers began operating on skeleton workforces with as little peer to peer interaction as possible. Despite initial apprehension surrounding this new way of working, data seemed to indicate that productivity levels had not been affected, with many studies actually demonstrating that productivity had increased2
. Implementing The Right Technology
In spite of these hindrances, there are many strategies and initiatives that can be implemented to ease these effects. Twenty- first-century businesses have the huge benefit of technology being where it is today and thus are perfectly positioned to manage a remote workforce.
However, as remote and hybrid work have shifted from short- to long-term solutions, new repercussions are beginning to surface. Recent research by Gartner3
has identified groups
of people who are facing ‘unfair’ consequences as a result of remote working. These include digital introverts, women, and junior staff. Digital introverts are seen to struggle more to communicate effectively with colleagues remotely. Women, seen as the default parent, are facing setbacks to their career, and the newest members of staff are struggling to progress in the face of inadequate remote training opportunities. This can lead to problems later on with employee satisfaction and retention. For the facilities management sector, the issue with training up new staff is particularly impactful. With so much of the workforce operating with a downsized team, it is even more vital that the staff who are on shift are capable and competent employees.
Scheduling software can also be hugely beneficial to remote teams at this time. These applications can identify the most pressing jobs in one geographical area and ensure that local teams are deployed onto the job without the need to check in at an office. Physical check-ins can also be reduced by using scheduling applications and mobile solutions which allow employees to capture job related information without the need to travel to and from the office to collect job details and complete admin.
Estates rationalisation is certainly something that should be more widely considered in the FM industry, especially as the pandemic has so successfully proved that remote workers can be just as productive. The benefits are substantial and with the correct technology in place to effectively support workers, there’s no reason estates rationalisation shouldn’t be an achievable and profitable solution.
Businesses should also take into close consideration how dispersed their offices are becoming. When downsizing estates it’s important to be aware of the geographical locations left and ensure that all staff are physically able to make it to an office location. Even with remote operations and lone work, it is vital for employees to be able to commute to a central location for peer-to-peer interactions.
1:
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/six-emerging-trends- in-facilities-management-sourcing
2:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/feb/04/home-workers-putting-in-more-hours- since-covid-research
3:
https://www.gartner.com/en/human-resources/insights/managing-hybrid-workforce
With disenfranchisement being one of the biggest issues associated with estates rationalisation, one of the key roles of company infrastructure and technology must be to support staff. This is especially true in field-based sectors where the staff are on the move delivering goods and services. Employees cannot be expected to work remotely without the correct technology in place. Video-based remote assistance has been a hugely beneficial solution in this area. Not only did this technology allow companies to limit face-face interactions for a safer working environment during the pandemic, and even now as in-person visits are being limited, but video calls can support junior members of staff too. If a smaller team or a lone worker is attending a job, they needn’t be unsupported. Should they require advice from a more experienced team member, they can use the video livestream to show a supervisor the situation they’re dealing with and complete the job themselves under guidance. This kind of technology can also work to protect the wellbeing and safety of lone workers even when they are working in high-risk situations, for example a contractor who is spending time working alone on part of a building site.
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