Today, the world is increasingly digital and facilities management has to be able to keep up. In the majority of Facility Source reviews, businesses can see how important it is that facilities management has to become intelligent in order to keep up with “smart” buildings. Before smart, buildings were intuitive, but manual activities were necessary for facilities management, which is now mainly self-managed. Many businesses now hire external facilities managers to properly take advantage of new technology. Doing so, however, means asking smart questions as well.
Facilities Source Reviews Top Facilities Manager Questions
- Do you use the IoT (Internet of Things) to make facilities management more intelligent?
Today, the IoT is everywhere and it is important that it is included in facilities management. Things such as security controls and systems, electrical outlets, lighting systems, and HVAC units are now all automated and part of the IoT. This is the most basic element of a smart building, and a good facilities manager will be able to program all the necessary controls and settings automatically. Furthermore, they should focus on self-learning systems, which means less physical work has to be completed.
- Do you use automated technological systems to handle work orders?
When outsourcing facilities management, self-reporting, automated systems are an absolute must if facilities management is to be intelligent. Intelligent systems are integrated across most buildings nowadays and they should intuitively report automatically and send notifications to facilities managers if maintenance is required. All activities must also be documented automatically.
- What is the maintenance program you will use? Will it be reactive-only, preventative maintenance, or proactive?
The answer to this question follows on from how the company handles the work orders. If the business develops a backlog of work orders, then their maintenance program is likely to be reactive. An intelligent system is one that can recognize developing problems before they become a real issue and it can prioritize what needs to be done first. This is proactive and ensures operating costs are significantly reduced.
- Is cloud-based software used for operations?
It is critical nowadays to use the cloud in order for operations to run properly. This allows them to be intuitive and automated, while at the same time ensuring storage resources are used in an efficient manner. Being on the cloud also guarantees that technology and systems remain up to date at all times. It is, however, vital that excellent security protocols are implemented as well.
- Do you offer a scalable program that reduces operating costs?
Whenever a business outsources any of their operations, be that facilities management or anything else, they do so because it can help them save costs. Not only does the company have to demonstrate how they can help to save costs, however, they must also showcase how the system can be scaled whenever the business expands or contracts.
Thankfully, most facilities management companies now focus strongly on intelligent operations. They know smart technology and have become real experts on how to best maintain this. The above questions, therefore, are confirmations thereof.